Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
How can it possibly be the end of June? It's hard to believe we are heading into the seventh month of 2020. Maybe that's because so much of it has been a blur with the pandemic.
The beach is lovely this year. The temperature has been in the 90s. It should be a hair cooler today. We are enjoying the time away from home, but we miss the kitties. I hope it doesn't storm too much while we are away. They might be scared.
Not much in my mailbox last week, but I did see this one right before we left.
What did you receive last week? Are there any books I should be putting on my wish list?
After reading Myquillyn Smith's first book, The Nesting Place, women everywhere were convinced that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful and they found real contentment in their homes. But how does a content imperfectionist make actual design decisions?
Cozy Minimalist Home is the answer to that question. Written for the hands-on woman who'd rather move her own furniture than hire a designer, this is the guidance she needs to finish every room of her house one purposeful design decision at a time. With people, priorities, and purpose in mind, anyone can create a warm, inviting, cozy, and beautiful home that transcends the trends.
You'll have the tools to transform your home starting with what you already have, and using just enough of the right furniture and décor to create a home you're proud of in a way that honors your personal priorities, budget, and style. In Cozy Minimalist Home, Myquillyn Smith helps you:
Realize your role as the curator of your home who makes smart, style-impacting design choices
Finally know what to focus on, and what not to worry about when it comes to your home
Discover the real secret to finding your unique style--it has nothing to do with those style quizzes
Understand how to find a sofa you won't hate tomorrow
Deconstruct each room and then re-create it step by step with a fail proof process
Create a pretty home with more style and less stuff--resulting in backwards decluttering!
Finish your home and have it looking the way you've always hoped so you can use it the way you've always dreamed
Cozy Minimalism isn't about going without or achieving a particular new, modern style. Nope. It's simply a mindset that helps you get whatever style YOU LOVE with the fewest possible items.
File Size: 28814 KB
Print Length: 220 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
Publisher: Zondervan (October 23, 2018)
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B07BB69QRP
Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.
I always try to have a light schedule right before we go away. Each year, my somewhat easy calendar gets filled with unexpected items that leave me scrambling. As such, I am not putting together a substantial task list for this week. I am going to concentrate on my sanity and making the week before we head out as stress-free as possible.
Here are a few things I would like to accomplish:
Finish packing by Thursday
Read a Bible verse each day
Vacuum
Check to make sure the cats have enough supplies so the pet sitter doesn't need to worry about anything
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
It is the last Monday before vacation. Yee-haw!!!! Theo is ready.
I hope you had a nice weekend. We celebrated by visiting friends and spending dinner out with the kids.
My mailbox held one book for review this week.
I also received this one in my Inbox. It's a short story that I should be able to polish off while we are away.
I picked up this Kindle freebie on June 19.
What did you find in your mailbox this week? Anything fun you would like to share?
101 Personal recipes to use with the 21 Day Fix Portion-Control Program
FIXATE Includes:
Easy-to-follow recipes designed to work with 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix EXTREME and Portion Fix
Each recipe is marked with their color-coded container equivelents
Includes Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free and Paleo recipes
Have you tried this cookbook? If so, what did you think about it? I don't use the Beachbody workouts anymore because they are too tough on my hips and knees, but I still own and sometimes use the 21 Day Fix containers.
I have been eating too much junk food and drinking soda since the pandemic, so I need to get back into exercising and eating healthier.
Desperately seeking normal. That's my new name. I took the Lil' Diva and the Lil' Princess to the mall this week for summer clothes. How annoying!
Anchor stores had limited or no access into the mall, so you had to go back outside and walk or drive around to get into the mall.
Many stores are still closed.
They must not be running the A/C in every store because I came close to passing out while standing in line waiting for one of two cashiers in the entire two-level JcPenny's to check out. I can only imagine how the cashiers must be feeling since they are wearing masks their entire shift.
You stand in line to get into many of the popular stores since they must limit the number of people in the store at a time.
You can't try anything on, so I get to go back next week to return things that didn't fit.
People are cranky.
The pandemic has frazzled everyone's nerves. Many are tired of the way things are. Add to this the social unrest across the country, and we are bound to be short with each other.
I pray we remember to give each other a bit of grace. I continue to pray we focus on what brings us together instead of what divides us. I pray for the future of our country and the future leaders of this country. We must stand together!
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. ~ Titus 3:1-2
Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.
Welcome back to Tuesday. This will be my busiest week of the month. In addition to the Realtor Week of Advocacy in Massachusetts, I have numerous other appointments--personal and professional. It always gets hectic this time of year. I am going to do my best to take Saturday off. I haven't even thought about what to get my husband for Father's Day.
Here is my list for the week
Bible reading
Realtor Week of Advocacy (Mon - Wed)
Meal planning (done)
Editing more of The Sisterhood
Blogging (scheduled)
Doctor appointments (Mon, Fri)
Clean bonus room (definitely not this week, but needs to stay on the list)
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
I am getting closer and closer to seeing a mailbox in the sand. We leave at the end of the month for North Carolina. I can't wait! Even though I am sure I will have to work while I am there, the change of scenery and of pace will be welcomed by all of us.
The Lil' Diva found a new job and is reconsidering her future college plans if she is forced to take online classes in the fall. The Lil' Princess is enjoying some much deserved time off after an intense school year; though she is looking forward to going back in the fall and seeing all her friends again. They both miss dance.
My mailbox last week held a little surprise I had forgotten about it.
I will be reviewing this one. It is coming along to North Carolina.
What presents did you find in your mailbox? What is on you summer TBR list?
Life burbles along right now somewhere between normal and absolutely ridiculous. Breakneck speeds at work now that the delayed spring market has arrived. Still don't feel like going to the grocery store and wearing a mask everywhere doesn't make normal seem possible. Hearing plans for schools in the fall makes me glad my girls aren't little anymore. I'm not sure how they would cope with the changes.
We can, however, continue to learn from the wrongs of the past and to seek justice in a peaceful way. We can respect each other no matter our differences. We can advocate for change without violence.
What would we do if politicians stopped hurling insults?
What would we do if everyone accepted each other for who they are instead of trying to change them into what others thought they should be?
How different would our world be if we could seek what brings us together instead of focusing on what pulls us apart?
Though I am no longer Catholic, the Prayer of St. Francis always inspires me. I pray it inspires me to be a better person each day.
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33
Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.
Welcome back to Tuesday. I have a busy day planned, but the rest of the week should be better. I am thinking I will never be a planner person. Last time I looked at it was mid-May. Such is the life of a panster. I don't outline before I write at all. Here is my list for the week
Bible reading
Meetings Tuesday and Friday
Meal planning (done)
Editing more of The Sisterhood
Clean bonus room (probably not this week, but needs to stay on the list)
Prospecting
Catch up on planner (maybe)
Take Saturday and Sunday off
What does your list look like this week? What is one thing you've been putting off that you want to accomplish this week?
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Here we are again. The start of a new week. I am happy to see last week go. It passed in a blur, but with a lot of emotions. I shared why here if you're interested. Thankfully, the week ended on a good note with one accepted offer and, hopefully, one I will hear about tomorrow.
Now, on to more enjoyable things. I thought I would share some cute shots of the youngest furry members of our family.
Travis versus the grocery bag. You should have seen him try to walk with this thing around his neck.
Travis takes his job as grocery guard very seriously.
Travis also likes to sneak into the pantry and cabinets when we aren't looking.
Autumn, now more commonly referred to as Dwight, is a frequent bed mate.
My mailbox had one book this week, but it's a good one.
What did you find in your mailbox this week? Anything I should add to my wish list?
Across the nation, parents and educators may be struggling with how to talk to their children and students about racial injustice and violence against Black people. As they have done for decades, PBS is providing resources to help support important discussions about current events.
On Tuesday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET, PBS KIDS is hosting a virtual event titled, Talking to Children Authentically about Race and Racism. Taking place via YouTube, the event will bring parents, educators, and child development and trauma experts together for an important conversation about how you can talk with young children about racial injustice and violence against Black people. Topics of exploration include:
How can parents of Black children continue to instill confidence and pride in young kids while also explaining the racial inequity and barriers that continue today?
How can parents of non-Black children help young kids understand their role in confronting anti-Black racism?
During this event, they will also answer questions from parents and share tips and resources you can use to continue to have these meaningful conversations right now and into the future.
Speakers include:
Jamal Berry, director of Educare Washington, DC
Dr. Dana Winters, director of Simple Interactions and faculty director of Academic Programs at the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media
Dr. Renee Wilson Simmons, executive director of the ACE Awareness Foundation
Will Tolliver, early learning expert.
PBS has also created these additional resources for parents and educators:
• A recommended reading list: 13 Children’s Books About Race and Diversity
• An article offering a call to action for white educators seeking to be anti-racist
• A hub of educational resources on PBS LearningMedia aimed at middle and high school students to help them confront anti-Black racism
Set a reminder to join this informative PBS KIDS virtual event this coming Tuesday, June 9.
The author of Common Sense (Thomas Paine) opened his article, "The American Crisis" with these words:
These are the times that try men's souls...
For each of us living through the pandemic, that could mean something specific or shared. We all experience the isolation of closed schools and offices, only curbside pickup at many stores, and the inability to sit inside our favorite restaurant. Then came the riots. Weeks of isolation prior to the incident that sparked these awful riots didn't help. I pray for this world and for peace.
Personally, the pandemic has meant the loss of my father-in-law to COVID-19 and the closing of one of my publishers affected by slowed book sales. One other sad moment, though not related to the pandemic, is our little country church going up for sale.
I knew it was coming, but as long as they didn't list it on MLS I could avoid thinking about it. The property went under contract in less than two weeks. That's no surprise considering the tight housing inventory. Our little church was a former barn, and it had a house where the pastor used to live. Both are now in disrepair considering how the current congregation neglected them after the original members left.
Some of my favorite memories at that little church include: my wedding day, celebrating the in-laws' 60th wedding anniversary, renewing our vows after 15 years of marriage, the many years of vacation Bible school the girls attended, and the many nights crafting for the annual Christmas bazaar. Oh, how much love and money people dumped into that little church can't be counted.
The only thing that makes the loss even remotely tolerable is knowing the original congregation consisted mostly of middle-age folks and senior citizens. Within the next 10 years, it would probably have closed, anyway.
This might sound trite, but in these things--the pandemic, the rioting, losing my father-in-law and our little church on the hill--God is present. He provides strength. He provides comfort. He will bring about justice--now or later. One can't always understand His ways. I sure don't.
Why did over 100,000 people have to die so far? How many more will we lose?
Why has the burden on parents increased by adding balancing homeschooling on top of providing for their families?
Why did the tragic death of George Floyd and others need to turn into an additional loss of life and property?
Why was a faithful group of believers separated from their place of worship?
There are days the answers to these and other questions require more than human understanding. Yes, we are living in trying times, but we can make a difference. We can work together to bring about solutions. We can pray for our country, its leaders, and those around the world. We can learn how to live a "you-first" life in a "me-first" world.
Each day, I try to be a better person. Some days I succeed. Other days, I fail so desperately I'm sure no hope exists for me. In the end, there is only one thing I know: Jesus purchased salvation for me no matter how unworthy I am. It is the salvation available to every one of us if we want it.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ~ Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ~Romans 10: 8-13 (ESV)
If I didn't have so many unread books here, I would buy it for only $2.99.
The life Olivia Harper always dreamed of isn’t so dreamy these days. The 16-hour work days are unfulfilling and so are things with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when she hears that her estranged mother, Juliet, has been seriously injured, Liv has no choice but to pack up her life and head home to beautiful Cape Sanctuary on the Northern California coast.
It’s just for a few months—that’s what Liv keeps telling herself. But the closer she gets to Cape Sanctuary, the painful memories start flooding back: Natalie, her vibrant, passionate older sister who downward-spiraled into addiction. The fights with her mother who enabled her sister at every turn. The overdose that took Natalie, leaving her now-teenaged daughter, Caitlin, an orphan.
As Liv tries to balance her own needs with those of her injured mother and an obstinate, resentful fifteen-year-old, it becomes clear that all three Harper women have been keeping heartbreaking secrets from one another. And as those secrets are revealed, Liv, Juliet, and Caitlin will see that it’s never too late—or too early—to heal family wounds and find forgiveness.
File Size: 1181 KB
Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (March 17, 2020)
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.
Language: English
ASIN: B07QTL1F7Y
Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.
This week is quickly going to hell in a hand basket. I'm trying to stay positive. If I don't get a chance to clean the bonus room soon, I might smack my head against the wall. Well, not really. My hard head might break it. :) Here is my list for the week
Bible reading
Meetings Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Cooking
Editing more of The Sisterhood
Clean bonus room
Prospecting
Vet for Giggle and Boots
Home inspection Thursday
Take this weekend off!!!!
What does your list look like this week? Have you accomplished a lot lately or do you feel like you're carrying over the same tasks week to week?
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Welcome to June! I switched to my mailbox in the sand because it makes me think of the lazy days of summer that will soon be upon us.
Last week was a blur--meetings, a hair cut (finally), writing/editing, a training call, a new listing and house showings. I might be able to snag Friday off this week, but we will see how that goes.
Nothing in my mailbox this week, but I did pre-order this one on marketing.
I met Alexa because she coordinates the Women in Publishing Summit. I have attended the last two years. Even though I've already published four books and have another one on the way in the next year or so, I like to read what the most up to date marketing resources and tips are.
That's it from me this week. I hope you had a mailbox full of goodies for me to check out as I make my journey around the blogosphere today.
