Archive for the ‘Frugal’ Category

The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024
The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now

This EASY tutorial teaches you how spray painting on wood furniture can transform a piece. This paint job is a budget-friendly beginner project.

Painting furniture with a brush can be time-consuming, so I have fallen in love with this spray painting technique, which gives a fresh new look with a small time investment.

Today I am going to show you how to spray paint your wood furniture to give an old piece in your home a new lease on life.

Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X Spray Paint

Can you use spray paint on wood?

You might be surprised to learn that spray painting on wood furniture IS a great way to update your wood furniture pieces.

I have spray-painted many pieces in our home with great success.

Much of your success with this painting project will be found in these valuable tips, including inverting your furniture when painting, using a spray grip, and picking the right spray paint for your project. 

How to Spray Paint Furniture

Today, I’m painting furniture pieces that have withstood the test of time for TEN YEARS in our home. I’d love to share some tips for your first project if you have never spray-painted furniture. 

The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now- Painting Supplies

Considerations for Spray Painting Wood:

You can scroll down to see the complete supplies list and step-by-step instructions.

Choose the Right Spray Paint:

When spray painting wood furniture, the quality of your spray paint matters. 

I’ve had great success with Rust-Oleum spray paint for its excellent coverage, fast drying times, and durable finish. 

Not only will you find a wide variety of gorgeous colors, but they also offer fabulous finishes like metal and stoneware to experiment with on other elements in your pieces.

Determine Paint Quantity:

Before starting your project, estimate how much spray paint you’ll need to cover your furniture adequately. Having extra spray paint on hand is better than running out midway through. 

Most spray paint cans indicate the coverage area on the label to help you calculate, but at minimum, you will need 2-3 cans for each project. 

Prepare Your Space for Spray Painting:

Whether you paint indoors or outdoors, ensure proper ventilation to avoid inhaling fumes and overspray. 

If painting indoors, protect surrounding surfaces from overspray with drop cloths or cardboard. You can also use a paint tent to help with this process. 

Prepping Wood for Spraying

Proper preparation is critical to any successful spray painting project.

Clean the wood thoroughly to remove dirt or grime. 

Next, sand the wood furniture for better paint adhesion. Sand any edges with your sander to smooth the top of your piece. 

Sanding Wood Furniture for Spray Painting

Taking your time when you sand your furniture is necessary to have an excellent base for painting.

Once the piece is thoroughly sanded, wipe it down with a damp cloth to prepare it for priming.

Finally, fill any imperfections with wood filler and sand smooth before painting.

Primer for Spray Painting Furniture

Apply Thin, Even Coats:

To achieve a smooth finish, apply thin, even coats of spray paint, holding the can 8-12 inches away from the surface. 

Avoid heavy application to prevent drips and runs.

Allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next.

Consider Weather Conditions:

Temperature and humidity can affect the drying time and finish of spray paint. 

Choose a day with mild temperatures and low humidity for optimal results. 

Avoid spray painting on windy days to prevent dust and debris from sticking to wet paint.

Practice Proper Spray Painting Technique:

Practice spray painting on scrap wood or cardboard before tackling your furniture.

Practicing is especially important if this is your first time using a spray grip on your spray paint.

Maintain a consistent spraying motion and overlap each pass slightly for even coverage.

Keep the nozzle clean to prevent clogs and ensure a smooth paint flow.

Spray Painting Metal Pulls on Spray Painted Table
Spray Painting Metal Pulls on Spray Painted Table

Optional: Customize Your Hardware

If you desire, you can spray paint your hardware.

As you know, cabinet pulls and drawer handles can be expensive to replace, and sometimes older pieces have more custom-fitting hardware, so spray paint can be a great way to freshen it up.

We replaced the wooden handle with a black hardware piece and then spray-painted the old gold accessories black with a can I had in my craft supplies. 

I recommend purchasing a metallic spray paint in your desired finish.

Glaze for Spray Painting on Wood Furniture

Optional: Add An Antique Glaze

An antique glaze can add depth and dimension to your furniture piece after spray painting furniture.

Follow the instructions below for timing your application of the wood glaze after painting your piece.

Sanding Wood Furniture for Glaze
Sanding Wood Furniture for Glaze

To apply, rough up the edges with your sandpaper to expose the wood.

Sanding Wood Furniture for Glaze

Next, using a clean rag, dip it in your glaze and then apply the glaze to your piece in a circular motion.

The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now
The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now
The Spray Painting on Wood Furniture Technique You Need Now

With a clean and damp cloth, remove as much of the glaze as you would like.

I, again, removed this in a circular motion from the piece until it added a hint of variation to the wood. 

Spray Painting Furniture Paint Supplies

How to Spray Paint Wood

Materials Needed:

  1. Spray Paint Primer– Use gray if doing a dark color or white if doing a light color
  2. 1-2 Cans Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2X Spray Paint, any shade (I am using Moss Green)- make sure the one you choose is a spray paint for wood
  3. Rust-Oleum Standard Spray Grip (make sure you choose a paint sprayer nozzle that fits the spray paint brand you choose for your project)
  4. Rust-Oleum Decorative Glaze in Java Brown
  5. 220 Grit Sandpaper
  6. Wood Filler, if needed, for filling in imperfections
  7. Putty Knife
  8. Drop Cloth
  9. Rags
  10. Polycrylic in a Clear Satin (Water-Based)

Instructions:

  • Prepare the Surface: Wipe the entire piece down with a clean cloth to remove dirt or debris. Disassemble any drawers and hardware to prepare it for painting. Fill any spots with wood putty or wood filler that need it.
  • Sand Your Wood Furniture: Sand the wood furniture thoroughly to improve paint adhesion and create a smoother surface. Pay extra attention to sanding the edges and the top of the piece.
  • Prime the Piece: Start with your piece inverted to prevent drips and ensure full coverage. Hold your can 8 inches away from your surface and spray your primer in a sweeping motion side to side with a slight overlap. Allow the primer to dry for one hour. Once dry, put the piece right side up and finish priming the top.
  • Apply Base Coat: Now, it is time to paint over primer. Repeat the same spray painting process with your choice of Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2X in your favorite shade. Once the piece is fully painted, allow it to dry overnight before glazing (optional).
  • Finish with Polycrylic: Once the paint is dry, apply two coats of Polycrylic in a Clear Satin finish, giving your piece a slick, smooth finish. Use a clean paintbrush or foam brush to apply evenly.  

After you are done, make sure to allow the sealer to dry for two hours before reapplying.

I recommend allowing the piece to dry overnight before using or moving it.

Here are some FAQs on Spray Painting Wood:

Can I spray paint wood without sanding?

Yes, you can spray paint wood without sanding; however, achieving the best results depends on the quality of your wood furniture, its condition, and being mindful of the Rust-Oleum product you choose. 

When it comes to this painting project, sanding is necessary to help the spray paint stick. 

If you are determined not to sand your piece, practice spray painting on the the underside to discover if it will work. 

Remember, if the surface is not smooth, that will pull through no matter how much paint you put over it. 

How Do I Apply Wood Putty or Wood Filler to Repair My Furniture?

If your furniture piece has been well-loved, you can still achieve a smooth finish spray painting wood furniture by using a product like wood putty or wood filler to repair spots on your piece. 

Wood putty or wood filler fills gaps, holes, or cracks in wood surfaces, providing a smooth and even finish. 

It helps to improve the appearance of the wood to prepare the surface for painting, staining, or sealing.

To apply wood putty, scoop a small amount onto a putty knife or your fingers, then press it firmly into the imperfection. 

Scrape away any excess putty and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions before sanding smooth.

How to Paint Laminate Furniture Without Sanding

Can I use spray paint on laminate furniture?

Visit my how to paint laminate furniture without sanding tutorial for tips on the best primer for these types of laminate wood projects. 

To try this with spray paint technique, follow my instructions for priming laminate furniture and then use today’s spray painting tips after your piece is primed. 

Is it better to spray paint or brush paint wood?

Spray painting wood furniture is ideal for smaller pieces in your home. Use this painting technique for coffee, accent, or decorative elements around your house. 

How do I get a smooth finish with spray paint on wood?

To achieve a smooth finish, apply thin coats of paint, maintain consistent strokes, and sand between coats if necessary. If you follow my tuturial, you should have great success!

Love this tutorial?  Don’t miss these other fun home improvement projects:

How to Paint a Kitchen Table– Revitalize your kitchen table with a coat of paint. Discover easy steps to give your dining area a new lease on life.

How to Paint Laminate Furniture Without SandingDiscover the secrets of painting laminate furniture effortlessly, no sanding required! The possibilities are endless, whether it’s Ikea laminate pieces or electric fireplaces with heaters liike our family! 

Stain Picnic Table Tutorial– Enhance outdoor gatherings by staining your picnic table with this tutorial. Explore how to protect your outdoor wood furniture so you can use it year after year. 

How to Stain Wood Furniture– Bring new life to your furniture by staining it. Follow these straightforward steps to add rich color and depth to your favorite pieces.

The best part is that you can combine this staining project with today’s tutorial!

This post contains affiliate links.

Tutorial updated: February 27, 2024

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Unique Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults You’ll Fall In Love With

Thursday, August 10th, 2023

These jigsaw puzzles for adults offer unique designs in 500, 1,000, or 2,000 piece counts. This list has easy puzzle designs to more challenging jigsaws shapes.

Unique Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults You'll Fall in Love With

As soon as the weather turns crisp, we designate a table in our home as the puzzle table for the season. I love to have a puzzle that we can work on in those early morning hours with coffee or at the end of the day with a cup of tea.

Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite puzzles we’ve done at our house and some that made my wish list this this year. We have had the best time updating this guide for you.

Make sure to bookmark this list for gift-giving this year. Puzzles make incredibly unique hostess gifts, housewarming presents, and holiday gifts.

try this tutorial for a diy jigsaw puzzle mat

DIY Jigsaw Puzzle Mat

Before we dive into the puzzles, I do want to mention a few ways that we have saved A LOT of money over the years on our puzzle collection.

Three Easy Ways to Save on Jigsaw Puzzles

Find Out if Your Local Library Lends Puzzles- I can’t tell you all of the ways we have saved money over the years with our local library.

Contact your local library to see if they offer any jigsaw puzzle exchanges or if you can check out puzzles with your library card.

Life's a Beach Puzzle

Start a Puzzle Swap With Friends- One of the best ways we have saved is offering a puzzle swap with our friends.

When we have coffee together, we just bring our puzzles we have finished and trade them for a fresh puzzle.

Check Deals Sites For Deep Discounts On Puzzles- If you want to buy puzzles at a brick and mortar spot, our used bookstores offer huge savings on used puzzles as well as new.

No matter where you shop make sure that you are signed up with Rakuten and that you activate your savings before any shopping!

If you are new to the Rakuten app, this discount code should give you $30 on your first puzzle purchase! I also wrote a tutorial on how to use the app on items you regularly buy that will give you cashback rewards.

Unique Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults You'll Fall In Love With

Unique Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults You’ll Fall In Love With

Spend a cozy night with these jigsaw puzzles that are great gifts for adults AND kids.

Trade in a board game night for these fun-themed puzzles that embrace bookish themes and more in their puzzle designs.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Craving a quick win? These 500 piece puzzles are the perfect fit.

JIGSAW PUZZLES FOR BOOK LOVERS

Celebrate your love for books with this jigsaw puzzle collection that honors your love for reading.

JIGSAW PUZZLE GIFTS

Looking for a unique gift idea for a jigsaw puzzle lover? I recommend these jigsaw puzzle ideas and fun packaging ideas.

CHALLENGING JIGSAW PUZZLES

Are you craving more of a challenge? Try one of these difficult puzzles we have gathered for the puzzle enthusiast in your house.

Looking for more fall activities to try? Check out these fun additions to your puzzle routine!

watch these fall shows & movies while doing your new puzzle

The Best Fall Shows & Movies to Stream Right Now

download an audiobook from scribd while puzzling

How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

What has been your favorite puzzle to do with your family?

How to Make a Slushie (In Blender)

Saturday, July 22nd, 2023
How to Make a Slushie in Blender

Learn how to make a slushie in blender with sugar, ice cubes, and a Kool-Aid drink mix. Pick your favorite flavor and blend these up on a hot summer day.

Have you been looking for an affordable recipe for slushies at home? When we were struggling financially, we were always looking for the best bang for our buck, and this cheap dessert with a bowl of popcorn was always a crowd-pleaser.

Few recipes in my house have earned me more fame than this easy summer dessert. If you need a dairy-free dessert option is, this is the perfect alternative to an ice cream treat.

The best part is that I created this summer drink is made with an inexpensive drink mix powder. 

If your family loves the Sonic slushes or 7-11 gas station Slurpees, I know they will love this inexpensive recipe just as much.

How to Make a Slushie In Blender

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about this slushie recipe:

How to Make a Slushie With a Blender

Honestly, these are as easy as they sound! You will blend a packet with ice water, crushed or cubed ice, and sugar.  

High-speed blenders offer a more robust motor and sharp blades that can handle even the toughest ingredients, giving you smoother and finer textures.

I’ve found it perfect for all sorts of tasks, like making smoothies and soups, and you know what’s really cool?

It crushes ice effortlessly, making it a total winner for whipping up slushies!

Over the years, I have had great success with this my Ninja Blenders. You can usually find these more affordably at places like Costco or Sam’s Club.  

How Do I Make This Smoothie With Fruit Juice?

We recommend trying this watermelon ice smoothie recipe. It is reminiscent of those Slurpees & Icees, but an all-natural homemade slushie option instead. 

Kool-Aid Packets for Homemade Slushies

Can I Make These With Sugar-Free KOOL-AID?

Unfortunately, we do not recommend this method. The consistency drastically changed. If you substitute with the sugar-free KOOL-AID, it will have more of a shaved ice consistency. 

Can I Replace the Water With Club Soda? 

Yes, you can substitute this ingredient with club soda, tonic water, or even Sprite. 

To make a soda slushie, follow these instructions, but keep in mind that Sprite will add more sugar to your drink. 

How Do I Make Wine Slushies? 

I recommend blending this rosé and strawberry wine slushie recipe. These can be blended into wine pops or you can pour the wine slushies with fresh fruit into a plastic bag with the mixture and freeze until it reaches your desired consistence. 

How Can I Keep My Smoothies Colder Longer?

Serve these up in a double insulated cup to help this frozen treat last longer. 

How to Make a Slushie in Blender

What is the Best Slushie Machine?

If you have a blender, you do not need a Slushy machine for this recipe. 

There are a variety of slushy machines and shaved ice makers for treats on Amazon, including individual slushy cups. Shop these slushy makers here.

How to Make Slushies With Kool-Aid

Keeping Homemade Slushes Cold With a Double-Insulated Cup
How to Make a Slushie With Kool-Aid

Testing flavors is the best part. It can be a fun summer project to try new combinations.

I am always tweaking my recipes and have tried everything from sugar-free Kool-Aid packets to make slushies (they did not turn out for us) to reducing the sugar in our slushies to see if the kids notice a taste difference. 

How to Make Slushies With Kool-Aid

We decided to drop the sugar to a 1/2 cup in our batch (originally 2/3 cup) and we found that we didn’t notice a big taste difference, but I felt better about sharing this treat with my kids with the lower sugar content. The recipe below is our new lower-sugar verison.

I hope you love this recipe as much as our family! Let me know in the comments below and what your favorite flavors are!

How to Make Slushies With Kool-Aid

How to Make a Slushie With KOOL-AID

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

An easy slushie that you can whip up anytime for a fun treat! Stock up on a variety of KOOL-AID flavors for this easy 5-minute treat.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ice water
  • 1 packet KOOL-AID drink mix (use your favorite flavor)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 cups or 1 full tray of ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Put all of the ingredients into your blender.
  2. Process until well blended.

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Love these frozen treats? Here are a few other recipes we think you will like!

    easy fruit-infused waters (endless combos and healthy!)

    Fruit-Infused Water Recipes With Ice

    blend up strawberries and wine for this fun adult push pop

    Wine Slushie With Fresh Fruit in a Push Pop

    stock your freezer with these make-ahead smoothie packets

    Make-Ahead Smoothie Packets for Your Freezer from MomAdvice.com

    Happy blending!

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    How to Get FREE Kindle Books Now

    Saturday, February 25th, 2023

    I’m sharing my four strategies for free Kindle Books that will give you an unlimited collection of FREE ebooks. Don’t miss this if you are on a budget!

    It is no secret that I’m frugal so today I wanted to share my favorite ways to read for free and on a budget. Although this tutorial is for Kindle books, I want to remind you that these strategies can also be done with the free Kindle reading app. 

    As I’ve been exploring these themes on the blog and Book Gang podcast, I wanted to share some of my favorite free reading tools. 

    How to Get FREE Kindle Books Now

    Get Free Audiobooks and Ebooks Through the Libby App

    If you want to begin checking out Kindle books, you will need to begin by getting a library card from your local library. This card number is what you will use to access your account and allows you to get these free Kindle library books and audiobooks for free. 

    When you get this card, you are typically assigned a pin that you will then use to access the Libby app (learn how to transition from Overdrive to Libby with our tutorial) that allows you to search for the books that you are interested in. If you have trouble figuring out a great library PIN, a local librarian offered the tip to make your pin the last four digits of your library card so you never forget it.

    You can listen to the Book Gang podcast with the Libby team as they discuss how to create an account and tag your virtual library! 

    Once you have this, you can download the Libby app to borrow ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public libraries. 

    After it is downloaded, simply search for your library by name or zip code. Sign in using your library card number and PIN, and then you can browse the available materials by title, author, or subject. 

    To borrow an item, select it and tap the “Borrow” button. You can read or listen to the item with Wi-Fi or mobile data or download it for offline use and read it anytime, anywhere. The item will be available for a loan period, usually two weeks. 

    When you’re finished, return it early by tapping the “Return” button in the “Loans” section of the app.

    Don’t forget to check your library’s website to see what other apps you have access to so you can maximize ALL the freebies. Our library,  for example, offers Hoopla, Flipster, and the Kanopy app. 

    What is Amazon First Reads?

    Get a FREE Kindle Book Through the First Reads Program

    Many readers aren’t aware that their Prime membership comes with many free books. Of the perks offered, my favorite is through the Amazon First Reads program. You can read all about this free reading program through this tutorial that I wrote

    Each month, they offer one early release ebooks for free and the selection is often pretty amazing. These books are handpicked by Amazon editors and are made available a month before their official release date. The program was previously known as the Kindle First program.

    The genres of books offered in this program are diverse, covering everything from mystery and historical fiction to true crime, children’s books, and more. This program is a great way to get a first look at upcoming releases and discover new authors and genres. And the best part is, it’s available for free to Prime members.

    Download Free Classic Books from Project Gutenberg

    Did you know that you can access over 60,000 free eBooks from Project Gutenberg?

    This is the oldest digital library collection that includes works of literature, music, and even some non-fiction texts. The project’s goal is to provide free access to literature and other cultural works, which are in the public domain, meaning their copyrights have expired or were never enforced.

    In fact, many classic works of literature such as Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are all available for free on their site.

    The project is run by literary volunteers who digitize the books, proofread the texts, and make them available for free download. You can send these books to your Kindle by downloading the book in Kindle format (MOBI) from the Project Gutenberg website onto your computer.

    Then, connect your Kindle device to your computer using a USB cable and transfer the MOBI file to your Kindle’s documents folder.

    Alternatively, you can also send the MOBI file to your Kindle email address (which can be found in your Amazon account settings) and the book will be delivered wirelessly to your Kindle device.

    Borrow  Books From Amazon Prime Reading For Free

    Did you know that you can check out up to TEN books for free with your Amazon Prime membership?  The Amazon Prime Reading is a service exclusive to Amazon Prime members that offers unlimited acccess to a rotating catalog of ebooks, magazines, comics, and audiobooks that members can access for free.

    Members can borrow up to 10 titles at a time, with the ability to return titles to borrow new ones. The selection of titles in the library rotates over time, with Amazon adding new titles as others are removed.

    FYI- This is NOT the same as the Kindle Unlimited paid program (another confusing element to the Amazon services). 

    Willing to Pay For a Deal? Check my Kindle Deals List! 

    As an avid reader, I love curating a Kindle deal list for my readers that I update (almost) daily! You can browse this list each morning, join the MomAdvice Book Club to see them posted in the group,  or get them sent straight to your inbox daily.

    This list is rather diverse since I love reading across genres. If you love thrillers, literary fiction, science fiction, thrillers, nonfiction, or young adult- you will likely spy your favorite genres on my list. 

    Please note, this newsletter is different than the pop-up you might see on the site.

    Have any questions about reading for free on your Kindle device or app? Leave them below and I will be happy to answer them. Happy FREE reading, everyone! 

    Please note, this post contains affiliate links.

    Looking for ways to enhance your reading life? Try these posts!

    Join the 2023 MomAdvice Book Club

    How to Use Storygraph For a Better Reading Life

    Learn how to use The StoryGraph App to Track Your Reading

    Learn How to Use the Libby App (WITH LIBBY) In This Tutorial

    The Best Libby App Tips And Tricks

    Friday, December 16th, 2022
    The Best Libby App Tips And Tricks from MomAdvice.com

    New to the Libby app from Overdrive? Don’t miss this tutorial showing you how to check out free ebook and audiobooks from your local library.

    Sometimes I create content for you, and sometimes I create content for me. This tutorial and podcast episode offered the information I needed to make the switch from the Overdrive platform to Libby.

    It is no secret that the topics for our podcast and website often find a way of infiltrating my daily life. For example, one of my favorite podcast episodes we’ve ever done so far was teaching people how to the Storygraph app for those interested in leaving the GoodReads platform.

    Hearing from the company’s CEO motivated me to switch from the GoodReads app over to their platform. The transcription from our Storygraph became a written tutorial for new users. The truth is, since that encounter, HUNDREDS of people every month come to the site to use this as a guide for their transition to Storygraph.

    My goal is to do this AGAIN, but with a free tool from your local library!

    Cue the Jazz Hands!

    Today the Libby team is here to help us transition from Overdrive to Libby, learn what makes this public library tool so great, and learn how to borrow and enjoy those eBooks and audiobooks with your library card.

    So if you’re struggling to switch from Overdrive to Libby like me, or if you’re looking for fun new ways to use their features, today’s post and podcast are for you.

    The Best Libby App Tips And Tricks from MomAdvice.com

    What is the Libby App?

    Libby is a free app where you can borrow ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. You can stream titles with Wi-Fi or mobile data, or download them for offline use and read anytime, anywhere. All you need to get started is a library card.

    How to Get Started With the Libby App

    If you are just getting started with the Libby App, I wanted to provide the quick instructions on how to get started.

    If you are already a user, scroll down for the Super User information that Libby has so kindly provided for our show and site.

    1. Download the Libby app on your device from the app store.
    2. Open the app and find your library. You can search for it by name or zip code.
    3. Sign in to your library account using your library card number and PIN.
    4. Browse the available books, audiobooks, and other materials. You can search by title, author, or subject.
    5. Select the item you want to borrow and tap the “Borrow” button.
    6. The item will be added to your library account and will be available for a certain loan period (usually two weeks). You can view your borrowed items in the “Loans” section of the app.
    7. To start reading or listening to the borrowed item, tap on the item in the “Loans” section and then tap the “Read” or “Listen” button.
    8. When you’re finished with the item, you can return it early by tapping the “Return” button in the “Loans” section. This will make the item available for other users to borrow.

    The Best Libby App Tips And Tricks

    These questions were answered by the Libby Team- what an incredible honor to share space with their team! Listen to the full episode below or check out the excerpt from today’s transcription below. I encourage you to subscribe to the Book Gang podcast to listen to more episodes like this one. Today’s show notes are located here.

    If you find this episode to be helpful, your written reviews are INCREDIBLY HELPFUL to help me grow my new show.

    Get to Know the Libby Experts that Answered Today’s Questions:

    These three voices also run the podcast Professional Book Nerds, with new episodes that come out every Monday and Thursday.

    Joe Skelley is one of the co-hosts of the Professional Book Nerds podcast and has been at Overdrive for five years. He is part of the digital book mobile team which is a truck that goes across the US and Canada that does free stops at libraries and schools and helps people get started with their library.

    Emma Dwyer is also one of the co-hosts of OverDrive’s Professional Book Nerds podcast and an avid user of the Libby app. She has been at Overdrive for eight years now in varying roles, and is currently as a product trainer on the Overdrive training team, training our library partners and their staff on how to use Libby and other Overdrive products and services. 

    Jill Grunenwald is the creator and the third co-host of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. She works on OverDrive’s marketing team as a Marketing and Communications Specialist for the North American public library. Her role is to communicate with  library partners to let them know about all the fun new services and features that Libby has to offer. 

    This is an excerpt from today’s show. Where necessary, this transcription has been modified for clarity for written context. To reduce visual clutter, we have combined their three voices into one to make this tutorial easier to navigate today.

    What is Libby and why are we replacing the Overdrive app?

    “I just wanted to start by mentioning that Libby is made with love from us here at Overdrive.

    It’s the same wonderful collection you’re already used to and built by the same people who have been taking care of you for a decade now on the Overdrive app.

    We decided to build a new app after taking all of the feedback from users so it could be a fresh space.

    Libby has all of the same amazing content that you can access in Overdrive, and actually some libraries offer even more types of content in Libby that you can’t access in Overdrive. But now we are working towards the sunset of that flagship app.

    Libby is growing and evolving as new readers join and as existing readers make that switch. So still the same company you love, but with a cleaner and hopefully less confusing approach for everyone. “

    Landing page for the LIbby app for new users

    Regarding changes that we would like to see happen, what is the most effective way to let you know if there’s something that we’d like to implement in the Libby app?

    “The first thing is, what’s really cool about Libby that doesn’t exist in Overdrive is you can contact our tech support team directly anytime, anywhere.

    And in the same place, you can find help and support; we also have our Suggestion Box. So in the menu, under the help and support section, there’s a button that says Get Some Help. And then, under the Common Solutions section, there is a big button that says Suggestion Box

    And you can type through and say, I want to recommend titles to my library. I like this kind of feature added. Or, I find this confusing. You can send all of that feedback through. 

    If you think it needs to be done, we recommend submitting that suggestion because if you’re thinking it, someone else is thinking it. And that helps our developers see what they need to prioritize.

    Are the catalogs currently identical in Libby and Overdrive with our library systems? 

    “Yes, the collections your libraries offer and your digital libraries in Overdrive are the same in the Libby app. 

    There are those exceptions. 

    You can access more content in some cases using Libby. 

    There’s that extra content available, like Kanopy, which is a platform for movies and television shows. There are things like Craftsy, which is hobbies, DIY and other things, and Universal Class, which is continuing education.”

    Will my current holds and loans be moving to Libby when I switch? 

    “Yes, which is awesome for those of us who keep very long wait lists.

    When you log into Libby and sign in with your library card, your hold will be waiting for you on the shelf in Libby, so they’ll be right there for you to okay.”

    What about those Overdrive wishlists that we have? How can we transfer them?

    “So happy to say that, yes, Libby will prompt you to actually move over your wishlists from Overdrive directly using one of our smart tags.

    The first time you get signed in and set up, you’ll get comfortable that first day or so.

    And then Libby will send a little notification in the menu that says it looks like you were an Overdrive user. Do you want to bring over your wishlist?

    I mean, how easy is that?”

    Can I access my Libby app from my computer or laptop? 

    “Yes. You can access Libby from a browser on your laptop.

    You can go to Libbyapp.com and do all the same things in the app except downloading or reading offline on your computer.

    Everything you’re doing on libbyapp.com will sync to the Libby app on your phone or tablet.” 

    Can I access Libby on my Android devices? 

    “Yes, absolutely.

    Libby is available for Apple and Android devices through the App store and Google Play Store.

    You can also side-load the app onto a Kindle Fire tablet. (editor’s note: scroll down for more information on this feature)

    Additionally, you can listen to your audiobooks via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

    Download the Libby app on those devices.

    We also have direct integration with Sono speakers. So you can listen in your kitchen while making dinner or anywhere in your house with a speaker if you have one of those.

    The app experience is exactly the same if you’re on Apple, or Android, or even if you’re using libby app.com, there’s only a few differences, like downloading.

    The Apple version is the same as the Android version.”

    When I’m in my car and I’m using your audiobook feature, am I able to download from Libby if I don’t have the internet?

    “Absolutely. A lot of people do a lot of traveling with their audiobooks, and that is one thing that is really important to people when they’re doing audiobooks.

    Libby’s default is to download all titles specifically when you’re connected to wifi.

    So Libby, by default, won’t use your data.

    That’s a feature you can turn off.

    You can have Libby download pretty much anytime you’re connected to wifi or cellular data.

    Still, you can turn off the unit, like you can go into airplane mode, be up in a plane, be in the car on that long road trip, and that book is downloaded onto your device now.

    This is why Libby is amazing and the superior experience.

    In the Overdrive app, I’m sure many of you who love audiobooks know you could occasionally lose a chunk of your audiobook because it was broken up into multiple files.

    With Libby, it’s all one clean, neatly packaged file, so you’ll never lose a part of your audiobook.”

    How much storage does the Libby app take up on your phone- where to check

    Are you taking up more storage on your device by using Libby? 

    “Libby doesn’t take up more storage than the Overdrive app, and Libby has several different settings that you can adjust depending on your download preferences.

    The default for Libby is to download all titles when you’re connected to a wifi connection to conserve any cellular data you might be using; if you don’t want to do that, you can again adjust this under settings and you can specify what gets downloaded.

    You can say everything, no matter what will be downloaded, you can specify for titles under 20 megabytes, or you can have it download nothing.

    You can go in and select what you want, and then specify to download things on wifi only.

    That is the default, but you can ensure that that’s enabled, which is a setting I use pretty often.

    Easy enough to download when I’ve got a connection and then have it for listening to audiobooks.”

    Am I able to rate my books on the Libby app?

    “Currently, there is no way to rate titles in Libby, but as we discussed at the beginning of this, our team and I take suggestions and love user feedback.

    So go under the Menu, Help, Support, Get Some Help, and then there’s a Suggestion Box, and you can let them know you want to be able to rate books in Libby.”

    How do tags work and have you guys witnessed any really cool tagging systems?

    “I love tags, and I recognize that they can be a little daunting at first because, coming from Overdrive, you are used to having your history and your wishlist, and that’s it. 

    What I’m about to say could be amazing and, also, scary for folks, but I always like to say that the limit to tags is your imagination. 

    You can create a tag for, truly, anything. 

    I create lists based on interest, so I always like to suggest tags for genres you love. 

    If you are a mood reader, having that mystery, that historical fiction or thriller tag is helpful. 

    You can truly create whatever you’d like. 

    I also like to make ones for narrators I don’t love. So if I see their name again, I’ll likely read this one instead of listening to it. 

    One of our teammates actually has a tag for gift-giving. 

    Her father-in-law is tough to buy gifts for, but he’ll always read a book. 

    So she picks things and pops them in his tag. 

    So when shopping season comes around, it takes her five minutes, and she’s like, it’s mainly selfish because then she can spend more time shopping herself. 

    Personally, I have a tag for my niece and I pull anything that I think she might like to make my sister’s day a little easier. 

    I have a tag specifically for Reagan, and then I text it over to my sister every once in a while and just kind of keep it updated. 

    I also have one for cookbooks. 

    So I always have that handy if I’m in a recipe slump.”

    How do I add my tag when I am wanting to tag a book? 

    “Tags are super cool. You can create them either when you’re scrolling through the experience or if you’re in a curated list and you see something and think, “I don’t have a tag for this yet.”

    It says Borrow, Play Sample (if it’s an audiobook), and Tag. If you tap on Tag, you see your existing tags or the option to make a new one. Also, the tags all live on your Shelf, so you can also make them from your Shelf.”

    Editor’s Note: Don’t forget to tag your “MomAdvice Book Club Books,” if you are reading with me this year.

    I did notice that you guys also have some suggestions for tags when you’re first starting. Even something like tagging Young Adult if you’re just getting right into categories and you get more inventive over time as you begin to get more comfortable with utilizing tags?

    “Yes, a tag tip for people that are maybe Libby super users or just people that are really into books – you can use a tag to keep better track of things that you want to make a note to come back to or add to your TBR list.

    This advice is for super users that are working, their library’s wait lists and are borrowing things all the time. I do that as well, and that can get overwhelming at times, especially if all my holds come in at once or I just have tons of books to read, which is always a good problem!

    But something I’ve been relying on recently instead of borrowing something just because I do happen upon it. If it’s available for placing a hold or if I know that’s going to overwhelm me later, I’ve been using a tag to keep better track of things that I want to make a note to come back to, but I’m not ready to take any big action with.

    So I tend to get like “tap happy” in Libby, placing lots of holds or borrowing things because they’re all at my fingertips, but I’ve been relying on tags a lot more so that I can not overwhelm myself with things in Libby.”

    How to tag books on Libby

    If I want to see all the tags together, where am I able to view them? 

    “You’ll see all of your tags on your shelf in Libby.

    That will show your Loans, Holds, and Tags all on your shelf, but you also have the option to click into your tags and sort through your tags on that shelf page.”

    What are some unique accessibility features with Libby? 

    “We’re always trying to improve and refine accessibility in Libby, and we’ve made some big improvements over the last couple of years. We do quite a bit of user testing on that accessibility to get feedback from real users with those accessibility needs. 

    Libby supports screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, and other assistive technologies. Libby Read From Here is an ebook reading mode tailored to screen readers. Voiceover or Talk-Back Mode reads the text of the books aloud. 

    You can use the keyboard to tap around Libby’s interface; we have keyboard shortcuts for the e-reader and audio player to make accessing each feature and button easier. 

    We also have configurable appearance settings for ebook pages, including tech scale, background page, color, and book design. 

    The custom book design lets you choose a font line spacing and other settings to really personalize your reading experience. 

    For those who want to personalize their audiobook experience, there are playback speed controls for audiobook speed ranging from half the Normal Speed of the audiobook to three times the Normal Speed. 

    And then Dark Mode supports operating systems or browsers that provide that option. It can be based on your phone settings as well. 

    If you have your phone set to Dark Mode, Libby will automatically update to be in Dark Mode as well.”

    You have a dial at the bottom of your audiobook. Is that something special about Libby and what does this style do for us? 

    “I think there is an accessibility element to it. In your audiobook player, up at the top, you have your overall progress, and then at the bottom, of course, you’ve got those Play and Pause buttons. And then that, that bar underneath that has those little ticks will allow you to skip around. So there are dark, bold marks for each chapter or at a major page break.

    It will also show you, at the bottom, where your notes and highlights are if you’ve made notes and highlights in the audiobook. So it is overall a slider.”

    When are we going to be able to recommend our books to Libby? 

    “That’s the top question that we receive. Truly, we are developing a fresh solution for this feature in Libby, and we look forward to sharing more soon.

    I can’t give you a solid answer, but it is coming in 2023.

    We want to ensure we’ve got all those major features that everyone is looking for before the Overdrive app is sunset.

    It will involve the tagging system, so it will act a little differently than what you’re used to in Overdrive, but it will have the same end product.

    But for now, you can use Libby for your reading happiness and use the Overdrive app to recommend those titles while it still exists.

    Or you can go to your library’s Overdrive website. Hopefully, we’ll have that new solution up and running for all of you soon.”

    When are we going to be evicted from Overdrive?

    “That’s funny!

    The plan is to discontinue the Overdrive app in 2023. But don’t panic – we want to ensure that everyone has lots of time to prepare.

    That’s why we’ve been talking about it a lot in 2022, giving people time to use both and get comfortable.

    And then, certainly, knowing that we’re not going to discontinue that Overdrive app until some of those key features we’ve talked about are offered in Libby or there’s a solution to them in Libby.

    It’s not just going to vanish without any notice, so keep an eye out on Overdrive social media.”

    If we want to get some additional training or support on using the app, where would we access that? 

    “I am so excited to help encourage and facilitate folks making the switch. 

    I host monthly getting started sessions for new and transitioning users. It’s about an hour, and we will take you through the basics. 

    We point out what’s different from Overdrive to Libby, and we’ll be doing that through 2023. 

    I do them with my teammate Marissa, and she is, TRULY, the Libby extraordinaire. 

    She’ll take you through everything you need to know, and we’ll answer your questions live. 

    We’ve got a lot of amazing people. 

    You’ll get a chance to have your questions answered, get support and see what Libby’s all about. 

    I would also shout out our help site. We have a specific tab called Switching from the Overdrive app. It’s right up at the top of the page. You can’t miss it!

    It will cover everything we cover, anything you’re looking for. 

    All of our monthly sessions are recorded. So even if you can’t attend live, we still encourage you to register to receive that recording in your inbox. The help site can be found HERE.

    Questions from the MomAdvice Book Club Members

    Thank you to our readers for these wonderful questions that were asked for our podcast today. These will be helpful to so many!

    How to switch to dark mode on Libby

    What’s the best way to manage multiple library cards on Libby?

    All your library cards live in your Menu right in the center under your Libraries. 

    You can tap and see all the library cards you have; tapping on the name will also switch your active libraries. 

    So it’s easy to switch back and forth between all the libraries and cards you have; even with multiple library cards, all of your loans and holds live on one shared shelf. 

    No matter where you check a book out, they’ll all be on the same shelf. 

    And when you run a Search, you can also tap the name of the library under the Search Field and after you tap the name of your library, you’ll see all of your libraries and can easily switch between them that way. 

    When you search for a book and look at the titles details list, if you tap on the little library icon next to the titles, it will show you availability at all of your libraries.

    How do you put Libby on a Kindle Fire and a Kid’s Fire Tablet?

    We do have some step-by-step instructions to add Libby to Kindle Fire tablets. It is a side-load because we are still waiting for Libby to be added to the Kindle Fire app store.

    That’s entirely on Amazon’s approval.

    It’s a super simple step-by-step process that walks you through downloading the APK files and adding them, following the steps to your tablet.

    And then Libby will function the same way on an Android device. You can find the tutorial HERE.”

    How do I put Libby audiobooks on my Apple Watch to listen to without my phone nearby? 

    “This is a really wonderful question.

    Currently, there is not a way to play audiobooks through your Apple Watch. Still, we have heard this request, especially as the popularity of Apple watches has exploded over recent years.

    And so this is a request that our Libby development team is aware of and has received. So certainly keep an eye out for future developments on the Apple Watch.

    Is there a way to sync my Goodreads account to my Wishlist on Libby? 

    You can export your tags from Libby into Goodreads, but there is no way to bring Goodreads into Libby.

    So that is an excellent suggestion and opportunity to use our Suggestion Box and give feedback if that’s something you want to see.”

    How do you guys feel about the loophole of putting your Kindle in airplane mode to keep library books from returning?

    “Kindle fulfillment is tricky. When you borrow a book from your library and use the, “Send to Kindle,” feature which I have to say is the US only, Amazon fulfills it.

    So that’s where it breaks from Libby or Overdrive and switches to Amazon’s fulfillment.

    On our end in Libby, the app has internal timers to keep everyone honest and on or offline; it doesn’t matter if you put your device into airplane mode or change the date, Libby knows. And it keeps us honest, on or offline, with copyright policies.

    What Amazon does is totally up to them, but we’re respecting those publisher agreements and copyrights, in general.”

    Thank you to the Libby team for their generosity with our community! To see the show notes for this podcast today, head HERE!

    To help fund the work at MomAdvice, consider joining our Patreon Book Club for our exclusive buzzy books podcast (FULLY BOOKED), author interviews, and music playlists to enhance your reading experiences. To learn head to the Patreon Book Gang! The funding helps us to create quality shows and tutorials like the one you have read today.

    Looking for more ways to enhance your reading life? Check out these articles!

    Join the 2023 MomAdvice Book Club (and read all year with me!)

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    Learn how to use the Scribd App (when the library holds get too long)

    Learn how to get a free book every dang month

    Amazon First Reads: The Prime Reading Perk I Love For My Reading Life

    Saturday, July 2nd, 2022
    Amazon First Reads: The Prime Reading Perk I Love For My Reading Life

    Prime members shouldn’t miss access to this FREE Amazon First Reads program. Learn about this Kindle reading program and how this Prime perk works! 

    Do you love to read advanced readers of books? You may not know that Amazon offers a sneak peek at early release books, and it is included with your current Prime membership. 

    Today I want to explain this benefit and how to get your free books every month. So scroll down for instructions. I also have a new landing page to the books and this month’s offering of the best books. (updated monthly)!

    Amazon First Reads: The Prime Reading Perk I Love For My Reading Life

    The Amazon First Reads program is a free Kindle reading program that grants Prime members early access to editors’ picks. 

    Each month Amazon releases a list of books that members can choose a free early release copy (or sometimes two). This program was formerly known as the Kindle First program. 

    These free Kindle books are released a month before their release date, giving you a first look and the opportunity to build buzz on their official selections. 

    This deal doesn’t extend just to their digital version. Amazon also offers select print hardback editions for $9.99 or less in participating months. 

    Amazon First Reads: The Prime Reading Perk I Love For My Reading Life

    Can I Still Get This Deal If I’m Not a Prime Member?

    You can still access Amazon First Reads for $1.99 per month if you’re not an Amazon Prime member. 

    As a bonus, Kindle Unlimited members can read most of the previous First Reads picks for free. A Kindle Unlimited membership is NOT REQUIRED to have access to this freebie. 

    What Types of Books Are Offered? 

    Selections for Prime First Reads touch on each genre- mystery, historical fiction, psychological thriller, women’s fiction, short story, true crime, book club fiction, memoir, literary fiction, suspense, and children’s books. 

    How Are Books Selected?

    On the Book Gang podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Kathleen Carter in our “A Day in the Life of a Book Publicist” episode, whose selections often appear in the program. I had to imagine that this gives an author a great kickstart, especially if they are a debut novelist.

    You can listen to this episode here:

    I asked if she could tell us a little about the selection process for the Kindle First Reads program and if she had any hand in selecting the authors she’d been representing.

    It’s a great question. But, unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for how they choose them. It’s something that they do internally and not something that I have the scoop on, but sometimes the decision has been made before I’ve been brought onto a campaign.

    It’s exciting to see, especially when it’s an author who isn’t as well-known; maybe it’s their debut. It’s so cool to see all the reviews come in, especially when they’re positive and, you know, see thousands of reviews for a debut writer and their book. It’s just like so gratifying. It’s a very cool promotion, but it’s not something that I’m responsible for in any way. I’m fortunate to work on several books that are part of that program.

    I replied, “It’s kind of like Book of the Month then? Nobody really knows how it happens. And then when it happens, it’s like magic for the author.”

    Kathleen shared, “Exactly.”

    This support often turns into bestsellers on Amazon.

    If I can find more trade secrets in the selection, I’ll share them with you. If you are curious about topics like this, subscribe to my podcast.  

    What Does the Program Cost? 

    This program is included with your Prime membership. Therefore, there are no additional costs to participate.

    If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, this link should give you a free 30-day trial! The company offers free 1-day delivery on most items. You can also access their entertainment options- tv, movies, and books. 

    Can I Read These If I Don’t Own a Kindle? 

    You can read these Kindle books by downloading the free Kindle reading app, or you can read them on your Kindle device (Paperwhite, Oasis, or Fire) 

    Where Can I Find the List of Current Selections? 

    I have added a monthly post; you can find the books listed here. You can also find it in my Kindle Daily Deals List or subscribe to our newsletter.

    READ BETTER THIS YEAR WITH THESE ARTICLES

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    the best app for audiobooks is scribd- read my tutorial on this reading option
    How to Use Storygraph For a Better Reading Life
    how to use the storygraph app for a better reading life
    how to check out library books on your kindle for free

    Do you have any questions about how to access these benefits? Please leave them here!

    How to Use the Scribd App for Your Reading Life

    Monday, June 13th, 2022
    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    Learn my tricks to maximize your experience with the Scribd app. Get unlimited access to books and audiobooks at one flat rate and how this reading app works.

    In 2013, I got the opportunity to work with a new eBook and audiobook membership service called Scribd.

    What I didn’t expect was that I would convert into one of their most loyal customers who has been a paid member ever since.

    A Scribd subscription is BY FAR one of the best book and audiobook subscriptions for your money and is my most used subscription. However, there is a reason I continue to stay with them, and it isn’t just because they have great books (even though that is the most significant part).

    Today I want to talk about why I think this is TRULY the best audiobook service for readers and how I make the most of my membership EVERY MONTH.

    I want to explore your biggest burning questions like if authors get paid, what the significant differences are between this kind of access versus Kindle Unlimited membership and some particular things that *I* use this membership for (that might be helpful to you too).  

    Even if you have been a subscriber for years, today’s tutorial will also offer some hidden benefits to membership.

    Let’s get every dollar out of your experience with today’s tutorial.

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life 

    Scribd (it sounds like RIBBED) is, basically, the Netflix membership for book lovers. 

    For one monthly fee (currently $11.99 per month), you can have access to their entire catalog of eBooks, audiobooks, sheet music, and uploaded documents.

    I want to clarify that this is a digital lending library, much like our experience with online tv streaming services. 

    You do not own the materials.

    You own membership to stream the books you want to read or listen to in their membership catalog. 

    As long as you are a member, you can stream these materials.

    At this time, Scribd offers these notable items (plus rotating perks)-

    • Over TWO MILLION audiobooks and ebooks in one app (they work with 5 of the biggest publishing houses).
    • Unlimited sheet music and documents (They have over 70,000+ pieces of sheet music available. This catalog includes the classics and contemporary artists). 
    • Unlimited access to podcasts, magazines, and news (including Time Magazine, The Atlantic, Cook’s Illustrated, & Newsweek).
    • Rotating Membership Perks (more details below on some of my past favorite bonuses).

    The monthly subscription includes fiction, nonfiction books (like cookbooks), young adult books, and children’s books.

    So your entire family can benefit from this service, all with the cost of just one membership.

    How to Find and Add Books to Your Library

    Well, the BEST place to check would be the Book Gang Podcast (stream wherever you get podcasts) since it celebrates under-the-radar books, debuts, and backlist selections.

    Scribd makes it easier too by offering recommendations based on other books you are reading or have on your library list, much like your experience with other online book purchases. 

    You can add books by searching the specific title or browse the incredibly curated selections from Scribd’s editors.

    These editors’ picks are where I start when I need a little guidance on book selection.

    Bookmark the books that you want to save in your library.

    Once you decide what you might like to add to your library, you open up the book and read or listen to it. 

    That’s it!

    Now let’s talk about those hidden features on the app and some of those faqs.

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    The Best Hidden Scribd Features and Frequently Asked Questions

    What Device Can I Read My Scribd Books Through?

    These books are available across many ebook reading devices, including iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire tablet, Android & the Barnes & Noble Nook tablet.

    At this time, the Kindle Paperwhite is not a supported device. 

    Is it Unlimited? Sort of! 

    Regarding reading, there’s no limit on the number of books or audiobooks you can read or listen to each month. 

    You may sometimes notice that a title you have saved indicates it will be “Available Soon.” 

    Once your subscription renews for the next month, your library will refresh, and you’ll be able to select from the entire library.

    The reason for this is because they can “adjust availability” of books based on contracts with these publishing houses.

    In their defense, they claim it is to pay authors fairly based on the contract distribution terms.

    It can be frustrating so if there is a book you are, particularly excited to read that month, prioritize it just in case it becomes unavailable until the next month.

    I would say that this is my only issue with this platform.

    How Do I Download Content When I’m Traveling?

    To store content on your device for offline reading, tap on the cover of the book you wish to save, and you’ll be dropped into the book’s summary page.

    To download the book, tap the “Download” button on the summary page.

    Again, it is up to each publisher what they want to make available to its users. Some publishers disable downloading for specific titles, and the ‘Download’ option won’t be shown for those titles.

    You’ll still be able to enjoy them on Scribd, but they won’t be directly downloadable.

    Do Authors Get Paid When You Read on Scribd?

    As I hinted earilier, Scribd does pay authors for their work.

    I am quoting them directly when I share this statement, “Scribd has deals with our authors and publishing partners concerning payment for all membership content.

    Basically, every time you read a premium title or listen to an audiobook, we pay the author the full price of their work!

    Revenue that Scribd earns from monthly membership fees is paid to the original publishers or authors every time you read their work on Scribd.”

    What is the Difference Between Scribd and Kindle Unlimited?

    Scribd is a better value and they offer a completely different catalog.

    Kindle Unlimited is a library of (primarily) self-published authors.

    On the other hand, Scribd works with five big publishing houses- Simon and Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, & Macmillan. 

    The catalog is updated so well that I can often secure my new release books the week they come out. 

    I find with Scribd that their audiobook selection is more robust though than their book selection. 

    What is the Difference Between Scribd and Audible?

    The most significant difference between these two is the pricing.

    Scribd is an unlimited service, while Audible offers a single credit for $14.95 a month. 

    Audible may offer a more extensive selection but comes at a higher price.

    You can read about their different plan offerings for more specific pricing.

    How to Use Scribd for Your Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    What Are Some of My Favorite Hidden Features on Scribd?

    Although I wouldn’t consider this first element to be “hidden,” I want to remind you that access to ebooks means you have access to cookbooks and books on health. 

    If you are on a specific diet or diagnosed with a health condition, this resource is INVALUABLE for your family.

    When my daughter played guitar, we used the catalog of sheet music for her lessons. 

    My kids also have benefitted from my membership when assigned summer literature. (Be sure to read how to enable parental controls if you share your account as a family).

    I also want to discuss two lesser-known features you might have missed with your membership. 

    Let’s start with your Member Perks! 

    Scribd keeps a rotating catalog of member bonuses through various partnerships that, in the past, have included NYT subscriber bundles and Pandora Premium memberships. 

    Check this page for the included perks for this month

    Another fun feature is that Scribd offers a sleep timer on audiobooks. So if you want to listen to a book to fall asleep, try using this feature! 

    Just click the icon in the upper left-hand corner, and you can select any chapter immediately!

    Select the moon icon on the lower right side of the audio page to use the Sleep Timer. The menu will appear, and select the length of time you wish for the book to play. The playback will automatically turn off once the timer counts down to zero.

    Try Scribd for FREE for 60 Days with my Referral Code

    This referral code doesn’t give you a 30-day trial- it provides you SIXTY days of reading to try the platform. Activate it HERE

    Sound off: What has been your experience with Scribd? Do you have any other questions about this platform?

    Looking for more great reading resources? Don’t miss these posts!

    Join the 2023 MomAdvice Book Club

    How to Use Storygraph For a Better Reading Life

    Learn how to use The StoryGraph App to Track Your Reading

    Learn How to Use the Libby App (WITH LIBBY) In This Tutorial

    What is Amazon First Reads?

    Learn how to get free books through the Kindle First Reads program

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    How to Use the Storygraph App For a Better Reading Life

    Friday, March 11th, 2022
    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    The Storygraph app picks books based on your mood? This tutorial will teach you how to use this user-friendly reading app to get personalized book recommendations!

    Nadia Odunayo
    Nadia Odunayo

    This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with the CEO and Founder of The Storygraph, Nadia Odunayo, on my podcast (MomAdvice Book Gang). 

    Our partnered bookshop, Fables Books, had started a reading challenge, and we planned to work through their challenge with our listeners. The problem was that I didn’t know anything about the app, and I had a feeling that I couldn’t be the only one. 

    As a new user, I wanted to document my year with the app and thought, who better to explain this than Nadia? 

    You can listen to the show (read the show notes) on the embedded player or follow along in today’s tutorial that includes some of my favorite excerpts from our discussion.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    How to Use the Storygraph App

    What is Storygraph?

    This reading app offers personalized recommendations with simple tracking and insightful stats. The thing that sets this app apart from its competitor is that it can offer suggestions based on your mood through machine learning AI.

    The real question for many of us (including myself) is the most significant difference between GoodReads vs. Storygraph?

    According to Nadia…A LOT.

    Nadia said, “There are a lot of differences between our app and Goodreads, and I think it does come from a place of rather than me starting from I’m going to build a different Goodreads. It was, what do readers want and need?

    You have this dashboard where we show you everything from the moods of the books you’ve read, the pace, the book size, most read authors, pages, and books read throughout the year.

    So there’s a graph where you can see each month, how many books and pages did you read? But also, within a month, you can see each day how many pages you read.

    So there’s a lot more detail within the tracking and the analytics that you can get just in the stats dashboard already.

    Even when you come on board, even when you just import your Goodreads, I think you get to see your reading history in a completely different way to how you’ve never seen it before.”

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    How To Import GoodReads to StoryGraph?

    If you are scared to import your data, Nadia offers this assurance. 

    “We always say, import your Goodreads data, have a look at the stats, and then click around a bit. If you don’t like it in three clicks about, you can delete all of your account, all of your data, and that’s it. It doesn’t affect your Goodreads account.”

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    Under Manage Account: 

    Step 1- Visit the Import/Export Page on Goodreads and Click the Export Library Button

    Step 2- Upload (or drag and drop) the file you downloaded in Step 1.

    Step 3- Kick off the import by clicking the button, and you will receive an email once your import is complete. 

    Personally, I was surprised how quickly this processed all my data! Even as a seasoned GoodReads user, this took just a few minutes! 

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    How Can StoryGraph Personalize Your Reading?

    The differences aren’t just in reading a book based on your current mood. You can also discover curated reading lists of book discoveries based on your other reading preferences.

    Nadia shared, “We give you space to tell us what you’re interested in. So not only can you tell us your favorite genres and characteristics you like in a book, whether it’s strong world-building or good quality writing, there’s also a free text box where you can say, I want to read about found family or enemies to lovers, whatever kind of tropes you like, whatever themes you like.

    So maybe you want to learn about a particular part of history or a particular country. You can put that stuff in there, and we will serve the best books for you.”

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    where to locate a buddy read option on the app

    How Do You Do A Buddy Read on Storygraph?

    If you have always wanted to do a Buddy Read, this app can help you and its intelligent design capabilities.

    First, it is essential to note you do need to change your settings to participate in a buddy read.

    Nadia shared, “Buddy Reads is something where the default for everybody is “nobody.” You can go in there and toggle it to where friends can invite me or the people I’m following can invite me, or anybody can invite me. You can toggle it to that.”

    Why?

    The app is designed with a user’s privacy in mind. So, for example, you get to decide who can invite you to a buddy read.

    To change this, go into Preferences and update the Community section with your preferred privacy settings.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    Let’s try a PRETEND buddy read with our most anticipated book- Carrie Soto Is Back to show you the experience.

    Once you have this updated, you can select the book you want to read, start a buddy read and invite up to 4 people to join on the read.

    Don’t have a buddy to do a read with? They can even build suggestions through their machine-learning-powered reading buddy recommendations.

    This feature launched in December 2021, and Nadia is particularly proud of this.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    this is the screen you will see once you both join a buddy read

    “I think the thing that people love the most about our Buddy Read feature is you often have to have a checkpoint. You often have to say, okay, we’re all going to regroup end of chapter four and discuss.

    Whereas now, if something happens that you want to remark on or you have a question, you can leave the comment at that specific point, and the comment is locked until each participant gets to that part.

    So if I leave a comment at 27 pages and we’re doing a Buddy Read, and you’re on 24 pages, you won’t even get a notification because there’s no point.”

    Basically, it blocks the Buddy Read from spoilers and yields a more fluid conversation.

    The best part about this is that Nadia reassures us that she is only on Version 1, which means we have many more things to look forward to.

    How Is Their Book Rating System is Different from GoodReads?

    The biggest frustration for most GoodReads users is the inability to do half or quarter-star rankings.

    With Storygraph, you no longer have to round up or down on your reviews because this is built into their design.

    This is based on user feedback, in particular, bookstagrammers shared their desire to have this option in place, and Storygraph delivered.

    How Do I Do a Reading Challenge on StoryGraph?

    Nadia walked us through the entire process of joining a challenge on Storygraph.

    “Go to the Reading Challenges page, which you can get to from either the top bar (on Desktop) or click for the menu on the three horizontal black lines on the top right (if you’re on mobile).

    On the top right, there is a button that says Browse. If you click there, what you’ll see is you’ll see a page with the Storygraph’s hosted challenges at the top. We host three challenges each year.

    And then there’s a filter menu where you can search for different keywords with nine categories, and you can basically go through the categories and see what you might be interested in.

    So things people might be doing like a New York Review of Books Challenge, Read the World Challenge or Pop Culture (Taylor Swift) Challenge, or some popular TV show. (for example)

    So you can either click through and browse the categories or filter the keywords and go from there.

    Or you can also do a rainbow challenge or actually beat the TBR categories for people who are like, ‘I just want to get through the books in my house.'”

    Does anyone else need a “Beat the TBR Challenge,” or is it just me?

    How Do You Mark DNF (Did Not Finish) Books?

    In GoodReads, you need custom tags to DNF your books.

    StoryGraph builds this feature right into their app.

    Nadia understood that GoodReads users had to add these books to a special shelf and that it was challenging to track WHY a user didn’t finish a book. So her response was to build it right into the product.

    She said, “To mark a book as DNF is equivalent to marking it as to-read or read.

    You just toggle over and mark it with DNF rather than adding a review with a star rating.

    Storygraph gives you a space to add your reasoning or your reason for why you didn’t finish this book.”

    What Feature Might Be Helpful For Empathetic Readers?

    When writing and leaving book reviews on Storygraph, you can add your own content warnings. These content warnings don’t come just from users- they also come from authors and publishers.

    Nadia shared, “When you submit a review, you can list what you think the graphic, moderate, and minor content warnings are.

    And then what we do is we collate what everybody says, and we show like a smart summary of the likely content warnings.

    So you can click through and see every single content warning tagged in the book, then click through and see the review.

    But we also have author-approved content warnings, so authors can officially submit their own warnings. And then you can also see them side by side as well.

    So we give space for readers to express what they found triggering in the book or what they think someone else may find triggering.

    Because not all the time, the authors and the publishers will spot everything. But we also have a space for authors to say officially, these are the warnings.”

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    join my book club

    How Can I Use The Storygraph For My Book Club?

    I asked Nadia about hosting our book club on the Storygraph, and she said that the app is designed to offer Reading Challenges and that participants can also split off into buddy reads.

    She also hinted that new book club features are in the works too. I’m very excited to see what develops for the MomAdvice Book Club.

    Will The App Always Be This Clutter-Free?

    I did ask this question right out of the gate, and I loved Nadia’s response. 

    Nadia shared, “So our number one goal and aim is to keep it clean and clutter-free. And the number one person that we’re serving is the reader, and we want to keep it that way for as long as it’s possible. 

    And that means that we have proceeds from our Plus plan (see below for more details), which means we don’t have to have ads. If we ever had to have ads, we would ask the community about it. 

    If you’re involved with the Storygraph on our social media, you’ll notice that we ask; we have regular polls or comment boxes because we’re essentially always getting feedback from the community before we deliver a feature. 

    But, right now, we’re not thinking of ads, and we want to just focus on the product and keeping it clean and streamlined, and making sure the user experience is excellent.”

    Why Are They Offering Pro Accounts & Why Should You Upgrade?

    Everything is free in an ideal world, but Plus accounts are the key to keeping the app clutter-free and funding their company.

    Nadia shared, “The reason Plus exists is because we’re trying to see can we stay independent and sustainable and just continuing to grow for several, several years to come.”

    You can unlock many features with a Storygraph Plus membership, and readers can try this FREE without even putting in a credit card.

    What features does Nadia think are the best features about Pro?

    In our interview, she shared, “One of the most awesome features that we have is the Up Next Suggestions feature.

    And so that essentially is a page of recommendations curated just for you from books on your to-read pile, suggesting what you should read next and giving you the reason why it changes as your reading changes….

    So, for example, one of the prompts might be you’re doing really well in your reading goal, so you can go for a longer book here’s, a long book on your to-read.

    Or you’re falling behind on your pages goal, here is a fast-paced book for you to read.

    The other thing that people love is advanced Stats. As part of Advanced Stats, there’s a Compare Stats Page where you can compare any two time periods. So you can compare any two months in your reading history.

    The other cool thing is if you are going to do a buddy read. One of the really cool Plus features is I can put your username in, and it will look at both of our readings and both of our series piles and suggest perfect books for us to read together, which I think is (if I do say so myself) pretty cool.

    And there’s a bunch more, including commenting and voting on the reading roadmap.”

    What Is the Storygraph Roadmap?

    Perhaps the thing that makes Storygraph so unique is that you can see and suggest updates to the app in the company’s roadmap.

    The transparency is refreshing, and it’s so exciting to be a part of the building process as a user.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com

    Did I Make the Switch To Storygraph This Year?

    I have been a loyal GoodReads user for many, many years. However, I will admit that many of the things that I wish were offered all happen to live on the Storygraph app.

    Not only did I make the switch to Storygraph, but I also plan to document my journey for you based on the curated lists and to-be-read piles that Storygraph has prioritized for me.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    this perspective made me realize why I’m burnt out on romance

    It IMMEDIATELY changed my reading life to see these charts, to know the pages I’ve read, and just what kind of reader I am.

    How to Use the StoryGraph App For a Better Reading Life from MomAdvice.com
    another capture from my stats

    For the record, I mainly read fiction books that are emotional, reflective, and mysterious. I typically choose medium-paced books that clock in at 300-499 pages long.

    I signed up for their Pro account because I’m so excited to support this woman-owned start-up business (and her team). I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve learned.

    It was such an honor to do this interview, and I hope you will make space to listen to Nadia’s journey. She also shares the genre that took her by surprise, how a pages reading challenge is changing her reading life, and how she reads as a busy entrepreneur.

    Do you use The Storygraph app? If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them here!

    9 More Ideas for At-Home Dates (That Aren’t Watching a Movie)

    Friday, April 2nd, 2021

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice.om

    Stuck at home, but still looking for some fun ideas for quality time with your spouse? We have some new creative and fun ideas for spending quality time together at home.

     

    From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.

    Another winter, another season of few—if any—date nights out.

    That’s true today because we’re still living through a global pandemic, but any number of circumstances could create this challenge for a couple.

    Tight budgets, too many kids at home, kids with special needs who can’t be left in anyone else’s care, illness or injury, or even being exceedingly busy and needing a night at home more than you need another night out.

    Whatever the reason that is keeping you at home right now, it doesn’t eliminate the need for connection with our spouses.

    As someone who’s written a whole slew of blog posts about dating your spouse, I should have remembered this—but to tell you the truth, I forgot.

    And as the world and our lives have grown progressively more chaotic and complicated, and our responses to all that have been as unique as we are (and therefore baffling to the other who’s handling all of it differently), my husband and I have grown distant.

    The connection that we rely on to keep our relationship steady has become frayed, to say the least.

    And while many factors play into that, our lack of intentional, just-the-two-of-us together time—where we talk about something other than the day-to-day, urgent needs of our family—is one of the main culprits. I can’t change those other factors, but I can get back to planning date nights.

    Even if they look a little different than usual.

    If you’re looking for creative, non-movie, at-home dates, I’ve got you covered!

    9 More Ideas for At-Home Dates (That Aren’t Watching a Movie)

     

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice

    Game Night

    Or puzzles.

    Or cards.

    Or, hey, if you both like crossword puzzles or adult coloring books, that might work too!

    Board games, card games, and puzzles are best, because you’re interacting with one another.

    But coloring or completing word puzzles while you sit quietly together might be nice, too—especially if you frequently feel like ships passing in the night or business partners who only discuss the business of parenting and family management.

    Taking a break from all that, together, could be a pleasant way to work back into spending time together simply for fun.

     

    Ideas for at Home Dates from MomAdvice.com

    Goals and Budgets

    I know.

    Sounds romantic, right?

    Well, actually, I’m guessing spreadsheets and bulleted lists might put stars in some of your eyes. (I won’t deny I’m a big fan of them myself!)

    But my suggestion is to set aside time to make plans for the year but to make sure you order in (or make) some fun food.

    Or play fun music.

    Whatever the two of you enjoy, incorporate that into your serious planning date and then enjoy dreaming about your future and working together to make those dreams come true.

     

    Ideas for at home dates from MomAdvice.com

    Virtual Escape Room

    I wouldn’t normally suggest something on-screen for a date night, but I’ve heard that virtual escape rooms can be a blast. (Depending on what’s safe and open in your community, you also might look into local escape rooms that allow you to be the only participants in your time slot.)

     

    Ideas for At Home Dates from MomAdvice.com

    Try a New Coffee Shop

    Now, when I first made this list, my idea was for couples to go into new-to-them coffee shops, buy their favorite drinks, and sit and talk for hours.

    Times are different now, but this one still works! Find a new coffee shop, order online or by phone, pick up your drinks curbside, then go park and talk.

    With fewer distractions, this date might even be more meaningful.

    And, of course, if you can’t both leave home right now, you can order with a food delivery service or have one person pick up your order and bring it home.

    The point isn’t the location right now; it’s doing something new and fun with your favorite person.

    A variation on this theme would be to try new restaurants the same way.

    Support local businesses and find your new favorite dish.

    I’m planning to do this with my husband and BBQ restaurants we haven’t tried yet.

     

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice

    Get Cooking

    Try a new recipe together.

    My husband and I love watching Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins—but I’m going to invite him to make something delicious in our house, with me, instead of just salivating over what’s on the screen!

     

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice.com

    Bust a Move

    This may not be for every couple (to be honest, it’s probably not for my husband and me), but I bet it would be a blast for some of you!

    Take an at-home dance lesson. I’ve seen multiple ads for those on Facebook, but I know many local dance studios now provide online lessons as well.

    Or, just search YouTube!

    And if dancing isn’t your thing, but moving is, you could try a virtual kickboxing class, a yoga video or maybe even an interactive video game.

     

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice

    Plan (and Eat) a Progressive Dinner

    Normally, this would mean getting drinks at one restaurant, then eating appetizers, your main dishes, and dessert at three separate restaurants.

    Or, if you do it with a group of friends, you rotate homes for each course.

    But, life being what it is right now, a progressive dinner looks like ordering each course from a different place, picking it all up and bringing it home, then enjoying it as leisurely as you want.

    Same concept, just a bit different, but still tasty and fun!

     

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice

    Serve Together

    Serving the community might look different when you can’t leave home, but it’s not impossible—and it’s just as rewarding.

    Pack care bags for the homeless; make no-sew blankets for the children’s hospital; write letters to patients in nursing homes.

    Another idea I’m excited about: my family signed up to cook meals for teens living in a homeless transition home.

    Giving back together is so meaningful and so good for your relationship (and the community!).

     

     

    At Home Date Ideas from MomAdvice

    Browse the Bookstore

    Well, okay, this is not possible for many of us right now.

    But that’s okay!

    Look up lists of recommended books (the MomAdvice Book Club is a great place to start!), and take turns looking them up and creating your own reading lists.

    And if you or your husband don’t like to read, have a movie marathon. You could make a list of old movies you want to watch together by “browsing” movie lists or IMDb.

    You could peruse Pinterest for recipe ideas or scroll through a travel site to dream about vacations you’d like to take.

    Whatever you browse, enjoy finding new-to-you treasures, learning more about what interests your spouse, and dreaming about more things to enjoy together in the future.

     

    What do your at-home dates look like?

    Don’t miss these other great ideas:

     

    2021 MomAdvice Book Club Selections

    MomAdvice Free Virtual Book Club

     

    How to Make Homeless Care Packages from MomAdvice.com

    How to Make Homeless Care Packages

     

     

    Ideas for Date Nights at Home

    19 Ideas for Date Nights at Home

     

     

    TV Shows to Binge with Spouse

    Best TV Comedies to Watch with your Spouse

     

    DIY Chunky Knit Hygge Blanket

    DIY Chunky Knit Blanket

    At Home Date Night Ideas from MomAdvice.com

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    Don’t Miss Today’s Book Steals

    Tuesday, May 26th, 2020


    If you are planning to load your Kindle up for summer, today’s the day to do it! 

    Every day I post the best of the best deals and today’s was exceptional enough to mention it on the blog. 

    Just a couple of notes on today’s list:

    1. Make sure to activate your ebook coupon before shopping.  Activate the $5 off of $20 coupons that are linked at the top of Tuesday’s list. Once you spend $20, you will receive a $5 credit that you can apply towards more books!
    2. Every month, Prime members are entitled to a FREE Kindle First read. The freebies available will expire at the end of the month so be sure to get your free book this week. Not sure how that works? I wrote a great guide on how to check out Kindle library books and more on understanding your free Prime offers.
    3. Join my free book club and be notified daily of any Kindle steals. I spend a couple hours, each morning, curating the best-of-the-best so you always have a great book on your Kindle. 

    Head HERE to Shop Today’s List!

    Happy Reading!