Monday, November 30, 2020

Task it Tuesday - Dec 1


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.

Happy Tuesday! This is a crazy work week schedule, but no complaints. An accepted offer, a closing, a new listing, and other fun things. Here is what else is on the list. 
  • Daily Bible reading
  • Walking five days
  • Meetings Tuesday and Friday
  • Closing on Friday
  • Market new edition of A Christmas Kindness
  • Decorate the office Wednesday
  • Board meeting Wednesday night
  • Read A Christmas Carol Murder
  • Look into a new publisher for my GAP books--moving to January 2021
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--moving to January 2021
  • Prepare for new listings 
  • Meet with new clients Saturday
  • Take Sunday off
  • Decorate the rest of the house--main tree is up, but there are at least three more to go

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Nov 30

 


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 the end of November. The holiday season has officially begun, but I will hang onto my fall mailbox for one more week. Next week look for a new one. 

What a pleasant weekend we had. The gathering for Thanksgiving was smaller than usual, but still very nice. We started decorating the tree last night. The Lil' Diva is holding Travis, though he looks like a black blob with a tail. 


We took some nice walks this weekend with the mild temperatures. Theo loves the woods. 




No new books in my mailbox, but I bought this boxed set of cozy mysteries with a promotional credit I earned.


Then I grabbed this Kindle freebie on Sunday.



What did your mailbox look like? Any books I should add to my wish list? Santa is coming soon. :) 

Friday, November 27, 2020

2020 Goals Review

 



I am a bit early for this review, but now that I am looking forward to 2021 in earnest, this seems like the best time to reflect on the goals I set in January. 

Personal Goals 

  • Exercise twice a week 

I have to say that considering all that has happened this year, I didn’t do too badly with this goal. No, I am not doing aerobics or Pilates, but I am walking every day, which is more than I was doing last year. If I can get the bonus room cleaned up, I can create an exercise room. We are talking about buying an elliptical machine. We have a treadmill and my barre for workouts. The punching bag will need to be replaced, since once of the kids' friends damaged it.

  •  Read the Bible daily 

This is a goal that really needed more of my attention. I read a verse almost every day and attend Bible study on Sunday nights, but that’s really not enough. I am thinking the only way to accomplish this goal is to get up early every morning and dive right in. 

  • Dedicate one day a week to meal planning 

I started off strong with this goal, but the dedication waned as we all found ourselves at home more. At this point, I don’t have a full meal plan in place, but I do know what protein I’ll be using, so that helps. 

  • Make smarter food choices 

This was the largest challenge for me this year. I am such an emotional eater and a junk food junkie, so that doesn’t help. Trapped inside with the family for months probably didn’t make it easier. I’m fairly certain once the girls move out my eating habits will improve—don’t buy it, I can’t eat it—but what do I do in the meantime? 

  • Re-assess my commitments 

I did fairly well this year. I resigned from one organization, though I still support them monetarily. The slower pace because of the pandemic and logging into my meetings instead of driving to them certainly helped as well. Since I will be president-elect of the local real estate board next year, assuming the presidency in 2022, I know I will need to stay on top of this goal going forward.


Professional Goals 

  • Put together a solid business plan 

This was the first year since 2014 that I didn’t put together a business plan. I had a huge decision to make early in the year. That decision shouldn’t have interfered with creating a business plan, but it did. Well, I allowed it to. 

By the time I knew where my head was at, COVID arrived. Two weeks later, the events that unfolded at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and would lead to my father-in-law’s death, became my focus. It has literally taken me until this month to fully get invested in real estate again. Though there remains no closure in regards to those tragic events, I can stop my mind from agonizing over them all the time. Now, if the ringing in my ears would stop, I could really focus.

  •  Commit to weekly prospecting 

Considering the year this has been, I feel I did really well with this. Though there were a few weeks I didn’t prospect at all, I prospected more this year than usual. I have also been better about staying in touch with former clients and reaching out to new leads. Living in a pandemic world makes you stop and think more about how you can help people. That’s why my volunteering ramped up this year, too. 

  • Read two business or leadership books this year 

I met this goal by reading one book on self-publishing and one on creating systems. The latter is where I feel I always fail. Either I don’t create the systems or I create them and abandon them when I get busy. I bought daily planner sheets to help with that in 2021. Those will be easier than the journal I tried to keep. 

  • Take my Broker's Test 

This moved to 2021 because the testing centers have been closed. They have reopened, but they have been backed up. 

  • Make an important decision by January 10 

I made the decision and am confident I made the right choice.


What were some of your goals this year? What have you been most satisfied with accomplishing? What is one of your 2021 goals?

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

 


As we all gather around our tables today, may we be thankful for the little blessings we have experienced this year. While they have been hidden in amongst a pandemic, protests, violence, and a crazy election, let us hold our loved ones close and find something to be grateful for every day. 

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Task it Tuesday - Nov 24


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.

Well, Thanksgiving week is here. The Christmas tree has been pulled out of the basement. I vainly am attempting to get the house in order despite a work schedule that seems to fill my days. I keep trying to take days off, but it's not happening. As of this morning, I've added four client meetings to my schedule. Here is what I need to accomplish this week
  • Daily Bible reading
  • Walking five days
  • Meetings Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
  • Blog Wednesday
  • Cleaning Wednesday
  • Cooking Thursday 
  • Review Around the World in More Than 80 Days on Friday
  • Come up with marketing plan for the new edition of A Christmas Kindness--since the book is now out, I'm a bit late on this one
  • Mail out a copy of A Christmas Kindness 
  • Look into a new publisher for my GAP books--moving to January 2021
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--moving to January 2021
  • Prepare for new listing 
  • Put up Christmas decorations Saturday
  • Take Sunday off
I am probably forgetting something, but let's see how it goes. What is one thing you want to get done this week?

Monday, November 23, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Nov 23

 


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.

We are almost at the end of November. How do that happen? Is your Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush up yet? My husband dragged our main tree out of the basement this weekend. I'm sure we won't decorate until Thanksgiving night or the next day, but it is upstairs. Then there are four or five other trees to set up. My winter and Christmas Decocrated shipments arrived, but I haven't unloaded them yet because I want to clean first. 

So, what did my mailbox look like last week? Joy, oh joy, the second edition of my book, A Christmas Kindness, arrived on Saturday. I am so excited. Only the softcovers arrived. The hardcovers are still pending shipment.




I also downloaded these Kindle freebies... which I really need to stop doing.





That's it from my neck of the woods. Hope you'll share your new books. Wishing my friends in the States have a lovely Thanksgiving. 

Sunday, November 22, 2020

A Christmas Kindness, Second Edition, by Cheryl C. Malandrinos Now Available

 


The second edition of my children's book, A Christmas Kindness, was released by 4RV Publishing. This new edition includes discussion questions, activities, crafts, and more. Here is the synopsis:

Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who only has one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Should he ask for himself or for his new friend?

Page count: 48 pages
Published (1st ed): Dec 2012
Published (2nd ed): Aug 2020
Language: English 
HC (2nd ed) ISBN-13: 978--1-950074-12-9
PB (1st ed) ISBN-10: 0985266147
PB (1st ed) ISBN-13: 978-0-9852661-4-1
PB (2nd ed) ISBN-13: 978--1-950074-11-2
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces

Available at 


Saturday, November 21, 2020

Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas

 


Benjamin "Mr. Christmas" Bradley works with his team of elves to help families transform their homes for the holidays in this new Netflix series. Produced by Stephen David Entertainment (shout out to my nephew, Randy Counsman who is Senior VP of Development), this series features interior designer William Benjamin Bradley, a huge Christmas enthusiast. 

Here are some articles about the show and its star:




What I really love about this series is that the families are totally involved in the transformation at the beginning. Then on Day 2 the elves move in and take over. Day 3 is Reveal Day. 

I am so excited to watch more episodes. I want Mr. Christmas to visit my house.


Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Task it Tuesday - Nov 17


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 can't believe half of November is already done. Part of me is happy that 2020 is almost over. The other part of me says time is moving too fast. 

This will be a week of lots of computer time, since the NAR Conference went virtual this year. I will be sitting at my computer through tomorrow. Here is what else is on tap:

  • Daily Bible reading
  • Walking five days
  • Showing Tuesday
  • Blog Wednesday
  • Reading Around the World in More Than 80 Days 
  • Meetings Thursday and Friday
  • Come up with marketing plan for the new edition of A Christmas Kindness
  • Look into a new publisher for my GAP books--probably won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Prepare for new listing 
  • Take Sunday off
That's it for me. What does your week look like?




Monday, November 16, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Nov 16

 


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 back to Monday. Hope you had a nice week. I wish I could say real estate was slowing down a bit, but not yet. I am guessing the week of Thanksgiving will be quieter. 

Speaking of Thanksgiving, a few of my fellow Realtors and I coordinated a food drive for one of our local survival centers Saturday. The weather was great, and we filled three SUVs with food. It was nice to meet the executive director when we dropped it off.


I am gearing up for my smaller than usual Thanksgiving. All the holidays are tough this year, considering the loss of my father-in-law. The monument company called me to tell me his monument was finally installed at the cemetery. I couldn't believe the cemetery took so long to prepare the site. Because of restrictions, we still haven't had a full family memorial service. Maybe in April at his one-year anniversary things will be better.

Let's talk about something more pleasant--books. A local author I know dropped off a book to me this week. 


I also ordered the second book in the series, which was just released, for my Kindle.


Also in my digital mailbox appeared a copy of this one that I had pre-ordered.


That's it for me this week. What did your mailbox look like? Any good reads you're looking forward to diving into?

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Book Review: Selling Christmas by Angelina Goode

 

If you're in the mood for a sweet seasonal romance, you can't choose a better one than Selling Christmas by Angelina Goode. 

As a real estate agent, Caroline is used to helping people find their dream home. When she is tasked by her broker with overseeing the first annual Christmas Tour of Homes, however, she might be in over her head. She doesn't even decorate her own house, so how can she bring the Christmas spirit to others?

Luke is a local police office and all around nice guy. His daughter Ella means the world to him. So, when Ella asks for a house of their own with a fireplace for Santa to fit through, he knows he has to try his hardest.

As Christmas fate brings Caroline and Luke together, they might just be exactly what the other needs... unless they let their pasts stand in the way.

Everyone knows I am a sucker for a great Christmas romance in book or television form. That's part of why I requested to review Selling Christmas. Another reason is that lovely cover. It is even prettier up close. Of course, I tend to like books with real estate agents as main characters these days since I am one. 

Goode created the perfect seasonal romance: two people who meet by chance, obstacles that could prevent them from getting together, a small town setting, a great cast of supporting characters, and a happy ending. What more can you ask for in this genre? While you know how it is going to end, you still read every page because you don't want to miss a thing. 

You even fall in love with some of the secondary characters in this one. Sarah, Caroline's assistant who insisted upon decorating her office and pretty much acted like a kid on Christmas morning; Luke's partner Andrea who nudged him in the right direction; the shelter director, Lauren, who unknowingly played a role in helping both Caroline and Luke; and the antics of Caroline's co-workers added a fun element to the story. 

Christmas, romance, holiday fun, and a small town feel make Selling Christmas a story you will want to read over again. I hope Goode releases another seasonal story next year. 

ISBN-10 : 0996176934
ISBN-13 : 978-0996176934
Paperback : 324 pages 
Publisher : Beach Blanket Publishing (October 2, 2020)

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.



Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Remembering Our Veterans

 


This is one of the many firsts for our family--the first Veterans Day without my father-in-law, Harry. It was a tough one. Boston 25 News contacted me early this morning looking to interview me and a few others from the Holyoke Soldiers' Home Coalition. You can watch that interview here

At one point, the reporter asked when our work will be done. In my mind, it won't ever be done. The issues plaguing our veterans won't go away. Statistics indicate the needs will only increase. My hope is that the Coalition will continue to serve our local veterans community for years to come. 

The Holyoke Soldiers' Home Coalition has put together an online tribute to those lost during the COVID-19 outbreak this spring. Many of them were Harry's friends. You can view the tribute, which includes biographies and photos, by clicking here.

Gone, but not forgotten, these men and women will have a tragic place in history. They symbolize how vulnerable our elderly population is and how much more must be done to help our veterans as they age. 

May God bless all those who have served our country. 





Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Task it Tuesday - Nov 10


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.

It is Tuesday again. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it in. I'm doing my best to stay focused. Here is my list for the week.
  • Daily Bible reading
  • Walking five days
  • Showings Tuesday, Wednesday
  • Blog Wednesday
  • Inspections Thursday
  • STRAT Planning Thursday
  • Review Selling Christmas 
  • Take Sunday off
  • Come up with marketing plan for the new edition of A Christmas Kindness
  • Look into a new publisher for my GAP books--probably won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Prospecting two days
  • Food drive Saturday
  • Prepare for new listing 



Monday, November 9, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Nov 9

 


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 at Monday again. After a trying and busy week, we got a chance to see some family and celebrate the Lil' Princess' birthday. Here's a picture from our trip to the Outer Banks this summer. I can't believe this is my baby. When did she get so grown up?



I pulled up the garden this weekend. Based upon what I know of my work schedule for 2021, I won't have time to tend to it. It's way too much effort for the little harvest I get every year. Either I'll plant grass or maybe create a perennial flower garden. I'll figure that out in March.

This year has made me reconsider how I approach life. Losing my father-in-law to COVID, having to wear masks everywhere, all of us stuck at home for months, crazy weather, the silly election... I'm just done with it all. I want to do things that make me happy and that I enjoy. I don't want to turn on the news and read about violence and strife. Maybe that's why I keep downloading free books to my Kindle lately. I can definitely use the distraction.

I'm enjoying watching the reboot of One Day at a Time



I was a big fan of the original from the 1970s. This new version features three generations of a Cuban-American family living in the same apartment. It's great to see Rita Moreno in the role of Lydia, Penelope's often interfering and funny mother. 

Now, let's talk books. No new ones in the mailbox, but I've downloaded several new ones to my Kindle.








That's it from me. Hope you'll share your new books.

Friday, November 6, 2020

An Imperfect Christian Mom's COVID-19 Diary #15

 



I must get inspired every couple of months to jot down my thoughts about this crazy COVID world we are living in. When I posted in September, it had also been two months since my previous entry. 

Wow! What a year 2020 has been. I would be hard-pressed to find any other year since I was born that compares to this one. So many challenges, so much loss, so much anger, hate, and distrust. It saddens me, because we are so much stronger when we pull together. 

We are seeing an uptick in COVID cases in the Commonwealth, so new restrictions went into place today.  Some schools are switching to remote or delaying hybrid models. We will have to see what the fall and winter look like. 

I'm trying to stay focused on the positives, especially in light of this being the month for thanksgiving. Here are some things I am thankful for:

  • Satisfying career
  • Having most of my family close
  • Sunday night Bible study
  • Our health
  • Getting outside more often and exploring the woods
  • The support of family and friends
  • The joy of blogging
If you are reading this, I pray for your continued health and happiness. May peace one day rule the earth. 

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Task it Tuesday - Nov 3


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 to the first Tuesday of November and election day if you live in the United States. I will be taking my daughter out to vote for the first time. This has been one of the most divisive races in my life. I will be glad to see it over; though I doubt we will know the winner for days. 

Here was my list from last week.
  • Daily Bible reading--DONE
  • Walking three days--DONE
  • MassSave Audit Tuesday--DONE
  • Meetings Wednesday--DONE
  • Media interview Thursday--DONE
  • Finish editing two chapters for a client--Almost done
  • Come up with marketing plan for the new edition of A Christmas Kindness--Not yet, but I have ideas
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--won't happen, but need to keep it on the list
  • Continue reading Systemology--Almost done
  • Continue reading The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street--DONE
  • Start looking into a new publisher for three of my books--won't happen, but need to keep it on the list
  • Plan to be off Friday--Not a chance
I've begun thinking of my business plan for 2021 and what I want my goals to look like. Because of some things that came up unexpectedly, I need to focus on what I can realistically accomplish next year. 

This is what I am looking to accomplish this week:

  • Daily Bible reading
  • Walking five days
  • Board meeting Tuesday
  • Blog Tour Wednesday
  • Marketing class Friday
  • Finish yard work for the season
  • Showings Saturday
  • Take Sunday off
  • Finish editing two chapters for a client
  • Come up with marketing plan for the new edition of A Christmas Kindness
  • Finish reading Systemology and review it
  • Look into a new publisher for my GAP books--probably won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Look into getting a small dumpster--won't happen, but want to keep it on the list
  • Prospecting two days
That's it for this week. Hope you'll share your to-do list for the week. I love to motivate people because it motivates me, too.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Nov 2

 


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 November. I hope you had a nice weekend. This was the first year we weren't home for Halloween. Both girls had plans, so Paddy and I went out to eat. We left treats in our mailbox, but it doesn't look like we had many visitors. I think everyone is playing it safe.

Before Halloween we received a bit of snow. These photos are from my walk in the woods the next day, plus we had a visitor in our yard.







As far as books go, my physical mailbox was empty, but I downloaded these Kindle freebies.




As we head into the month of thanksgiving, I wish you all a blessed week.