You know I love sharing things that can make us feel happier in our every day lives. And this month, I’m teaming up with Bloomspot so you can get happy in a dose of double goodness: through my happiness tips and their treats!

Do you know about Bloomspot? It’s a gorgeous site that offers locals deals for high-end restaurants, spa treatments, drinks, getaways, tasting menu specials and more. It’s in about a dozen major U.S. cities so far, but it’s spreading it’s blooms and hopefully reaches a spot near you soon. And this month, we’re teaming up to spread the happy!

And yesterday, the site introduced their new makeover and…me. Because for the month, I’ll be sharing some of my happiness tips about living the good life. Check out this post for the yummy giveaways and news about the special days (uh, hello, Treat Yourself Thursdays?).

And today, you can check out my first post on the site! In it, I talk about a very surprising new study that answers this question:

Is it better to engage in a lot of little luxuries or throw your eggs into one big one?

You can find the answer here, in my first happiness tip.

So check out the post, Like it and Share It on Facebook, Tweet it, or pin it to your Pinterest board! Especially because among all the giveaways and goodies Bloomspot will be offering all month, if you don’t yet have your copy of Bright Side Up, a little birdie just might be carrying some books in her basket…

Don’t miss out. Come join me in the fun!

—Amy

Well, here’s some exciting news: The audio edition of Bright Side Up is now available!

On a few beautiful L.A. days back in December, I headed into the recording studio and read Bright Side Up aloud. It was a fun reminder of my radio days, when I hosted my own show on Sirius/XM radio for the Maxim channel, answering love advice to callers. Me, a microphone and a small soundproofed room? I’m in! The Bright Side Up audio book runs 5 hours and 14 minutes. Buy it here on Amazon.com.

This will be my very first audio book, and it was such a joy to record. Here’s the studio set-up, with my print out of the book at my spot, and a bottle of water at my side. (And did I go through a lot of it!)

And here I am recording the book over three days:

Maybe the audio edition will be just the thing to listen to on your work commute or while taking an evening walk, so it can give you something positive to think about as you go through your day. The book is broken into 100 small chapters, so you can even treat yourself to one a day to start your morning right. Download your copy and get it on that iPod!

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I loved recording it.

Big love,

Grab a copy of the latest issue of Health magazine and check out my cover interview with the adorable Christina Applegate, current star of Up All Night. We got to chat at her house and she was both hilarious and honest. And she also has an amazing message to share about how her experience with breast cancer has led her to work on the cause.

Here’s the opening spread of the story:

You can read the whole piece on Health.com and I hope you do!

—Amy

Well, my book Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now will be on bookshelves tomorrow. Which means that today is the last day to be officially cool and pre-order the book on Amazon!

The good news is, for the people who already have the book in hand, they’re loving it! O, The Oprah Magazine recommends it this month, and Self magazine recommends it. Judy Dutton gave a rave review of the book on her blog Brain Candy on PsychologyToday.com , saying the “warm, engaging tone will make you feel like you’ve got a new best friend in your corner, cheering you on.”

Most recently, Shape magazine featured my book, saying you should “place this engaging new book on your reading list”:

And there was this wacky one: my face (literally) in the pages of Star magazine giving celebrities advice on seeing bright side up:

There’s been big love from the blog world, and I want to thank you for that. Rachel Wilkerson wrote the wonderful review “Reading Into It: Bright Side Up“:

And today, Stephanie Dolgoff, who’s hilarious book My Formerly Hot Life was on The New York Times’ Extended Bestseller list, allowed me to guest post on her with her “Help Finding the Bright Side” post on FormerlyHotLife.com:

And The Student’s Life recommends the book this month, too:

So pre-order your copy of the book today, or get it on bookshelves tomorrow!

Oh, and if you have a blog and you’d like to review the book, contact me! (Click “Email Amy” over on the right there, or find my info on the “About Me” tab on the site.) If you want me to do a Q&A about the book for your site or you want to use Bright Side Up for your book club and have me Skype-join you for a meeting, I might be able to do that, too!

Either way, I hope you get a chance to read the book. And I wish you a big happy day and a positive future.

—Amy

I think her piece is beautiful and her blog is a happy place full of inspiring, life-affirming stories, quotes and designs. Read it and you’ll see!

Big love,

Amy

Oprah.com just released their list of books to grab this month. And you can find Bright Side Up at the lucky seven spot. Thanks Oprah.com!

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can pre-order the book on Amazon.com. Then check out all the great book recommendations here:

—Amy

I think you should take her advice, don’t you? Pre-order a copy of Bright Side Up on Amazon.com, or find one on bookshelves near you beginning February 7th. Happy reading!

—Amy

Judy Dutton, who writes the Brain Candy blog at Psychology Today wrote about Bright Side Up on her blog for the magazine. And I think it’s a wonderful summary of the essence of the book.

Read the review on PsychologyToday.com.

As Judy writes,

“Thanks to the brain’s ‘neuroplasticity,’ Spencer argues that we can rewire our brain to think more positively—then she gives plenty of concrete ways to give it a whirl . . . Spencer also provides plenty of stories from her own life—some hilarious, others heart wrenching—that illustrate how this advice has helped her through her harder moments, and her warm, engaging tone will make you feel like you’ve got a new best friend in your corner, cheering you on. If you need a little boost—and who doesn’t?—this book is filled with easy, actionable advice, and is fun reading to boot.” —Judy Dutton, Psychology Today

Check out more about Bright Side Up on Amazon.com or through other booksellers you love!

So how about it: The secret to happiness is out. Let’s all start living Bright Side Up!

Big love,

Amy

My second book, Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now, will be released on February 7—which is just two weeks away! Which means that if you want to get the book as soon as possible, you can pre-order it today on Amazon.com or on BarnesandNoble.com!

Bright Side Up is like a guide for “emergency optimism.” When you get a flat tire, when your computer crashes, when your relationship ends, when you gain 10 pounds—these are 100 practical strategies for seeing those day-to-day negative experiences from a more positive place. Because it’s not what happens to us that matters for our happiness, but how we see, feel and experience what happens to us.

Which means you don’t have to re-invent your life to be happier! You don’t need a bigger house, a new car or expensive shoes, you just need to see what you have in front of you from a more positive perspective. Really, you don’t have to change your life itself to be happier—you just need to change how you look at the life you have.

I am so proud of this book, and I’m certain it will help change how you see your life for the better. Here’s to turning the bright on, one idea at a time.

—Amy

Another great magazine, another endorsement for Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now!

Check out the February 2012 issue of Self Magazine. They say, if you want to love your month, pick up Bright Side Up help you do it!

—Amy