Friday Favorites

I'm so tired that I can't even think of things that happened this week to know what my favorites are. 

I don't think I shared that I passed another milestone on my debt snowball. I've been following the Dave Ramsey plan for a long time now. I'm not as strict as I should be, but it's hard to be that strict for years on end. Each month, my debt has gone down, and I try to focus on that instead of times I spent money I shouldn't have?

I bought tickets to the Rockets-Oklahoma City Thunder. I'm a huge Rockets fan, but I've wanted to see Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook play in person for a few years. November 2nd, I'll finally see them!

I deleted the email for the Kate Spade 75% off sale. There are no words to express my pride and joy in myself. :)

I got a new phone. Syncing all of my stuff nearly drove me crazy. I can't keep up with the passwords. Why do they keep making me change them. And why is it such a hassle to merge everything?
AND why does every app want to send me notifications? I hate notifications. 

But, I like my phone, so all is well.

How was your week?

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Friday Favorites

I always have a ton of questions. So, for today, I'm going to throw out a couple of things I'm wondering about?

1. How does the Internet really work?

2. Why is my computer suddenly not downloading my pictures from my phone when I plug it in?

3. How can you lose a few pounds but a pair of jeans feels tighter?

4. How could every single computer in my library have a different time (26)?

5. Why aren't any of my favorite stores putting out the cardigans I love yet? 

6. Why is it still over 90 degrees even though it's the end of September? 

7. Why does my hair look like a frizzy mess all day and then looks fantastic when I'm home in my pajamas?

What's on your mind?

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Friday Favorites

I went to the Taylor Swift concert, and it was one of the best concerts I've been too. I only wish I had gone to one of her concerts earlier so that I could hear more of her country songs. 

 I'm a big fan of Taylor. I love her music, and I think she's a genuinely nice person. I love how she looks for fans to interact with online--making a big difference with her kind words and her help. Each song was a huge production and entertaining. I didn't know what to watch half the time because so much was happening on stage. 

When we got to the show, they had bracelets on our seats. Then, we got instructions when to pull the tag. Finally, during the show, the bracelets flashed colors in sync. It was amazing to see the whole crowd lighting up in unison. 

I admit I suffer from shoe gluttony. I was looking for some brown sandals and found four pairs. These are just the flat sandals. I defend it by saying brown has so many shades that you need multiple pairs of very similar shoes. 

Finally, the other day, this was delivered in my box at work. There was no name, no indication of where it should be delivered. I do get a lot of magazines for the library, but not Bride magazine. I'm taking this as a sign of good things to come. :) 

Have a great weekend! 

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Friday Favorites

I have stuff to blog about for Friday Favorites as it has been a good week.

But, then I was thinking about what tomorrow is. 

9/11.

And all I could think about was what happened that day. How enemies of America tried to take us down. How Americans united. 

I love my country. 

I'm so thankful to live here, free.

God bless America. 

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today, I'm going to share some of my favorite book series. 

1. Susan May Warren: I love any of her books, but I LOVE this series about the Christiansen family.

Susan does such a great job of making realistic characters with real struggles. Such a good series. 

2. Ally Carter: She's my favorite YA author. Her books are so well written. The Gallagher Girl series is about girls who are at a "finishing" school but are really in training as spies. Amazing. 

3. Dee Henderson: Her O'Malley series is one of my all-time favorite series. Complex, strong characters, fast-paced plot, and a spiritual theme. Can't go wrong with that formula!

What are you reading? 

And speaking of reading, my first novel (Christian YA) is on sale for 99 cents on Amazon: Worth the Wait on Amazon

Have a great week!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites!

It was back to school week here in the great state of Texas, so I'm going to share my favorite parts of my job.

1. I see students in grades 1-5 every day for an hour each. This means, I get to work with all different ages/abilities/interests. It's never boring.

2. I get to read great books to kids. Like the one we're reading this week. If you haven't read it or the first book, The Day the Crayons Quit, pick them up NOW. You won't regret it. 

3. We have Sonic ice in the teacher's lounge. It's the little things that make life great.

4. This week I was told I'm the best librarian ever. Sure, I'm the only librarian the kid has ever had, but I'll take it. A first grader wouldn't lie to me, would she?

Have a great week. I hope you love your job too!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites!

School started back Monday, so I'm now officially VERY aware of what day it is. :)

1. I got a Fitbit a month or so ago. And I learned quickly how lazy I have been this summer. The goal is 10,000 steps a day, and I'll be honest. There were a couple days I didn't hit 2,000 steps. Now that I'm back at work, it's much closer to 10,000. I love it helping me stay focused on moving more. 

2. I bought these lip balms in Talkeetna, Alaska, which was an amazing little village. They are locally made and fantastic. I just need to go back to Alaska to get more! 

3. Meet the Teacher Night: This is my 14th year in education, and I still love Meet the Teacher. There's just a hopeful excitement in the air, the promise of what could happen. I love it, and I hope it never gets old.

I would write more, but I'm tired. 

Until next week. 

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Friday

 

 

I'm supposed to post my favorites for this week, but I just can't.

 

Before I did Friday Favorites, I used to do Confessional Fridays, linking up with Leslie over at http://www.blondeambitionblog.com/. She passed away this week, leaving behind a husband and two little girls under the age of 2.

 

There are no words. The internet is a strange thing. It can make you feel like you're friends with people you don't know. It can bring people who will never meet together for some common interest.

 

In a world where there is so much cyber bullying, it was refreshing to read her blog, mostly about fashion and then about her husband and kids.

 

So, today, I'm thankful for people sharing their lives on their blogs, putting their thoughts out there for anyone to read, sharing their moments, becoming friends with people they won't meet until we're all in heaven together.

 

 

 

 

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Friday Favorites

I'm back! Yay!

 

Here are a few of my favorites.

 

 

It took me several days of gagging, but I now love blueberries in my smoothies. I do kale and blueberries with ice and a dab of milk. Sometimes I add a banana. Bananas are great because they mask any other taste.
 

I bought this cute little clutch. I've never tried a clutch, and it only took one day before I decided this would just be a wallet in a huge purse. I like big purses.

 Like this: I'd been looking for a simple black purse that was big and didn't have designs, buckles, etc. I found this one on CLEARANCE at the Coach Outlet. Yay for good deals!

 

 

I finally finished this book. I don't read much nonfiction. I don't enjoy it, and I'd rather go to the Bible for comfort, instruction, etc. instead of someone's opinion. BUT, someone recommended it to me (thanks, Jenny from http://muchadoaboutjenny.blogspot.com/), and I LOVED it. It took me a while to read because I was thinking, praying, and taking the words to heart. I highly recommend it to Christian, single women, especially if you are over 30. The author was single until 38 if I remember correctly, so she knows what it's like to be single and over 30. The struggle is real, and if you need encouragement, check out this book!

 

 Have a great week!

 

 

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MIA

 

I have to apologize for not posting more often this summer. I was in a routine with my Friday Favorites, but I must make a confession.

 

It's summer. I forget what day it is.

So, I forget to post my Friday Favorites on Thursday nights because I couldn't tell you what day it is.

 

I will be better.

Starting this Friday.

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

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In Good Company: A Review

 

 

 

Summary:

After growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren't always well-received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position.

Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he's desperate for competent childcare. Will they find they are the perfect company for each other?

My Thoughts:

I loved this book even more than book one. I loved Millie from the first book, and I was really excited to read her story. She's fun, strong, and quirky. She carries around a dictionary and misuses words, and it's funny and endearing. I really like how both books in the series have strong women who influence men to do the right thing. It's not the man rescuing the woman like so many romances. Instead, they are both strong characters who balance and encourage each other. I think that's why Jen Turano is quickly moving up my favorite author lists.

The plot moves quickly and has some twists and turns, making this book a must-read!

 

I received this book in exchange for my review, but my thoughts are my own. 

 

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A Love Like Ours: A Review

 

 

What I loved:
The complex characters. I love that Becky Wade didn't treat PTSD as an "easy fix" where Jake finds love and suddenly has no issues/problems.
I really liked Lyndie. She's strong and independent.
I LOVED seeing the characters from the two earlier books in the series--catching up with old friends.
I thought the faith element was solid and added to the story.

What I didn't like:
Ty is described throughout the series as very good looking. However, in this book, he is married. YET, Lyndie's friend (and side story in the book) gets flustered around him because he's so hot and comments/notices his good looks too many times. It had an uncomfortable feel to it.

Overall, this is a great book. Becky Wade is a fantastic writer, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

 

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After a Fashion: A Review

 

 

Summary:

Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.

Will Oliver and Harriet discover that love can come in the most surprising packages?

 

My Thoughts:

This is the first book by Jen Turano, and I loved it. Harriet was spunky and strong, and the rest of the characters were unique and just as interesting. Even the dog added to the fun of the story. The plot is quick--things happening on every page, funny mishaps and serious social implications. Everything is tied together in a neat little package at the end and presented as a fun, lighthearted read. I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

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Friday Favorites

 

 

After two days of workshops, I'm not officially on summer break. And I'm excited.

 

I did my first book art at our libarian's meeting. It's a great thing to do with weeded books. I had to delete this book from my library because it was missing pages. But, look at what I did.

Step One: Fold two corners to make a triangle.

 

Step two: Fold the next page in half.

 

 

 

The end product:

 

 

I love it! It was easier than I expected. Now, I want to try more difficult ones, like where they spell things. Pinterest to the rescue!

 

 

 

My niece and nephew had their piano recital last weekend. They are SO talented. I tried piano once. It was horrible. I'm not musically talented, so I appreciate it in others.

 

 

 

 

Finally, Worth the Time is still on sale for 99 cents. Link: Worth the Time on Amazon

 

Doesn't anyone feel she's worth their time?
Routinely ignored by her single mother, high school senior Lindsey Hamilton hides her loneliness behind a mask of flirtatious self-confidence that has many boys wrapped around her finger. However, during community service required for graduation, she meets a shy guy with a haunted past who barely gives her the time of day. Why doesn't he like her?
Then the father she thought had abandoned her before birth wants to meet, and she discovers everything she believed about him is a lie.

How will Lindsey learn to trust so she can realize that she has been loved all along?

That's it. Have a great week!

 

 

 

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Need a Summer Beach Read?

 

 

Worth the Time is on sale for 99 cents. It's book two in the Waltham Academy series.

Find it here: Worth the Time on Amazon

 

You don't have to read book one to follow book two, but if you're like me and like to read things in order, book one--Worth the Wait--is 3.99 on Amazon. Find it here: Worth the Wait on Amazon

 

 

What other books are you reading this summer?

 

I'm in the middle of Jen Turano's book After a Fashion, and I'm loving it! You can check that book out here (It's 9.99 for the kindle): After a Fashion on Amazon

 

 

 

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Friday Favorites: Alaska Edition

 

I LOVED Alaska.

 

My mom had to teach a two-day workshop, so we decided to go a few days early and stay a few days after to make it a vacation.

 

It's so gorgeous. I'm a writer, and I don't have the words.

I may have to post some today and some another day because we saw so many amazing and wonderful things.

 

Everywhere you drive, there is beauty. I was reminded over and over of God's perfection.

 

So, you're driving around, and there's a moose. A MOOSE. In someone's yard. Just hanging out. This was one of two moose I saw just on random streets. Amazing.

 

This is how it looks at 10:45 p.m. in Alaska in May. Crazy. But it was great because we had plenty of time to explore since it was light so late.
 
 

We went to Talkeetna, which was one of my favorite little villages (not big enough to be a town or city). Anyway, it's eccentric and fun. Down the main road, there is a beach and water, where three rivers meet. Of course, I had to see how cold it was. It was cold but not freezing.

Whittier, Alaska, is a small little place, not big enough to be a town either. You have to go through a 2.2 mile tunnel (through a mountain) to get there, and it's like a dock, shops, and some condos. But it was breathtakingly beautiful. I could have sat there all day.

 

 

We took a boat ride to tour the glaciers. We saw a whale. It as flapping its fins in the water like it was waving at us. Too cool.

 

 

 

My mom and I got to hold a piece of Surprise Glacier that had fallen.
 

 

We had a blast. I'm so thankful for a boss who let me miss work and a mom who invited me on her adventure. God is so faithful to give us rest and refreshment. And beautiful reminders of His power to create. 

 

 

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