2013 Wrap Up and Plans for 2014

What a blessedly hectic year this has been.  By offering my views on 2013, I can gauge how 2014 is going to go, where I can improve, what I need to change, and what is going well.  I am focusing on my reading/reviewing, my fitness/health, and my personal life with areas of success and areas where I can improve.

Reading/Reviewing

I read 65 books this last year.  That is a lot but 8 of them were children's books.  So that still leaves me with about a book/week.  Which was my ultimate goal.  I realize there are people that read a lot more than that, but with my busy schedule I think that is pretty darn good.  Every month consisted of a book club book and one or two review books as well as once in a while a book that I wanted to read.  That is what I want to change for this year.  My bookshelves are overflowing with books that I WANT TO READ.  But, they always get tossed aside for review books.  So, even though I appreciate all the great books that have arrived from authors and publishers, I'm going to be really, really picky this year about the books I choose to review. I am currently sitting on 44 review books that I have either committed to reading and reviewing or just showed up in my mailbox.  That is clearly most of my reading for this year.  I don't even want to mention the number of other books on my shelf that I purchased because I wanted to read them.  This doesn't even include all the new books yet to be published that I will get requests for. *SIGH* So, needless to say, I really want to do some reading for myself, continue with my book club, and read those books that sound really great and I want to promote.  I must say, if a book wasn't resonating with me and it was difficult to read, I stopped reading it.  That was something I hadn't done before.  I use to feel like I HAD to finish a book.  But, I realized there are way too many great books out there to waste my time on a dud.  That doesn't mean it is a dud for everyone, but just that it was for me.  I don't feel guilty about leaving a book unfinished anymore.  That was a huge revelation for me.

I am touched by all the great authors that asked me to read their books this last year.  I even got one of my reviews quoted in a National New York Times ad for SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky.  My reviews have been published in our Sunday edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.  I'm getting more review requests on a daily basis than I can keep up with.  I feel blessed.  But, at times I am also stressed.  I don't ever want to feel stressed about reading, so will definitely be changing my approach to review requests and commitments this year.  I am hoping to read 75 books this year and get a chunk of my personal to-reads off my shelf!

Fitness/Health

I did a better job of keeping track of my fitness this year.  Every time I ran, walked, biked, or worked out, I wrote it down.  I got a bike for my birthday this year.  I rode a bike for this first time in nearly 20 years.  I'm looking forward to more bike rides with our family this spring/summer.  I finished two 5K run/walks this summer, beating my time for the June race from the previous year. I can run longer and faster than previous years and feel like running is getting easier.  I want to do more weightlifting this year and really strengthen my muscles, especially those core muscles like my back and arms.  I didn't see really any change in my weight this year, so I am looking for ways to change up my metabolism and really seem some improvement on the scale.  Overall, I ran/walked/biked 141.46 miles this year.  I can honestly say, this is the most I have ever done in my life.  I know it isn't a lot when you break it out into days or weeks, but still more than I have ever done.  My most active months were January and August. My least active months were March, May and November.  I am hoping in 2014 to show consistent activity across all the months and to at least double my number of miles in 2014.  

Personal Life

There are days and weeks where I feel like I am doing too much.  But, most everything I am involved in, it is because I want to be.  Finding time to do what I WANT TO DO is a challenge and I imagine it is a challenge for most people.  I want to find more time to have fun with the kids, more time to read, more time to be spontaneous, and more time to go out with my husband.  But, there are only 24 hours in day and this girl can't sacrifice sleep! 

There are commitments that I plan to continue:  Running the After School JAMS program at our church, giving Storytime at our library, Subbing at the school, Secretary of our church circle, community member of the school communication team, 

There are commitments that I am giving up:  Planning/Organizing our city-wide garage sales. 

I want to have more personal quiet time studying the Bible.  I gave up attending a weekly Bible Study and even though it was time-consuming and the schedule no longer worked for me, I miss it.  I want to finish reading the whole Bible.  I got as far as Jeremiah and haven't gotten back to it.  

I want to be a better housekeeper.  That is always the first to go when my schedule gets busy and I need to make that more of a priority.

There is always room for personal growth...always striving to be a more loving, caring and generous person to those who need it most.  

I'm certainly excited for 2014.  In the coming year my mom will turn 75, our son will turn 14 and become a driver, our other son will enter the teen years, our daughter will get her ears pierced at age 9 (I had to wait until I was 16), and my husband and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage.  All moments that I look forward to and will cherish. It's going to be a great year!

Book Review: 52 Small Changes By Brett Blumenthal

52 SMALL CHANGES
One Year to a Happier, Healthier You

By: Brett Blumenthal

Published:  January 3, 2012

Non-Fiction




This seems to be the time of year when everyone looks at ways they can better their life.  You look at what goals you want to accomplish in the new year, projects you want to start, and one of them usually includes something to do with your health.  Brett Blumenthal's book might just be exactly what you are looking for.  In 52 SMALL CHANGES, Blumenthal takes you through one project a week, focusing on different aspects of your health in small doses so that they are more likely to become habits.

As you begin, you are directed to a website where you enter in information to get a baseline on your health. You will then get a print out showing areas where you are deficient, areas that could use some improvement, and areas where you are doing well.  For example, mine showed I needed to increase my water intake as well as eating more fruits and vegetables.  It also showed that I was getting an adequate amount of sleep.

The book takes you through 52 (obviously) different chapters focusing on one task starting with Drink Up, adding more water intake.  It tells you why you need more water, how to use your weight to measure how much water you need every day and when to drink your water throughout the day.  At the end of each chapter there is a weekly change checklist.  Then each chapter builds on the next checklist as you are continuing to add good habits to your routine.

I found the material to be easy to comprehend, not full of medical jargon or research.  The information was basic and full of tips to easily add these habits to your daily routine.  I appreciated how it was broken up into one task per week and with the short chapters, it was easy to read and take in the information.

At the end of the book, you can retake your same baseline test and see in which areas you have improved and areas you still need to work on.  You can also get continued support as you read through the book from Blumenthal's Facebook page and website.

Whether you are looking for motivation to add more color to your diet, start a new hobby, get that physical you have been meaning to schedule, or to declutter your home and finances, this book will walk you through each step, offering tools, resources, and support to make those small changes in your life, ultimately making big changes in your life.

Brett Blumenthal - source

Brett Blumenthal is a best-selling author and regular conference speaker on change and well-being. Her writing has also been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers. Brett has 20 years of experience in wellness training where her goal is to help you find a healthy balance in your life.  For more on Brett, check out her website, http://sheerbalance.com/.  You can also find her on Facebook, HERE, Twitter, HERE, and Pinterest, HERE.

How I Did In 2010

Last Year I made some goals for myself and I am happy to say I actually feel like I worked on several of them.  One goal was to read more, and I found I read the same amount of books in 2009 and I did in 2010....22 books.  I wish it was more, but I can shoot for that for 2011!  My To-Be-Read pile keeps getting bigger and bigger!

I wanted to pray more which I did and am grateful for.  Praying for others brings such peace to my life.  I also wanted to yell less at my kids which I hope I did.  I feel like I did anyway, but maybe they wouldn't answer it the same way.  Anyway, that is an ongoing goal for 2011.

I wanted to plan my meals out more and I did do pretty well on that.  I have my go-to list for meals next to the stove and so if I am ever panicking over supper, I just go to that list and know that most everyone will be happy and I usually always have the ingredients for those items.  We also tried to all eat at the table together which made for some late meals some nights during football season, but I think it was worth it for us all to be together at the table.

One thing I wanted to do and didn't get accomplished was making more 1 on 1 time with each child and 1 on 1 time with my husband.  Life seems to always get in the way and so this year I have made it more of a focus.  I made a schedule called "Special Kid of the Month".  I then assigned each child a month of the year.  That month will be their special month.  Pat and I will each have a separate "date" with them, choose them for special trips or jobs, if there is debate over what game to play or movie to watch they will get to pick, etc.  So, each child will get his/her birthday month and 3 other months.  I am as excited as they are and I hope it all works out.  Reagan gets to start out January since her birthday is that month and I already have our date planned out.  Can't wait to do something special each month for our kids! 


Now, to find time for Pat as well may be more difficult, but I am hoping we can find time for a "date" at least once a month and just other time to catch up on each other's lives.  A lot of our dates may have to be lunch dates while the kids are at school, but I will take all the time I can get.

The only other item I want to work on for 2011 is getting on my new treadmill!  I have begged for a long time for one, but more forcefully the last few months.  I spent all spring, summer and fall out walking nearly everyday around our small town and I have missed it.  So, my hope is to get on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes 4 times/week.  I know I can't commit to every day, but I think 4 times is reasonable!  Who knows...maybe I will even lose some weight! :)

In the blogging area, I hope to be able to continue to provide you with inspiration, smiles, reviews on great books and helpful products, and continue my Things I Love feature on Fridays.  I appreciate the fact that you want to hear what I have to say.  Thanks for spending time with me!

So, that's where I am at.  I am very much looking forward to the new year ahead.  May your year be filled with blessings, achieved goals, and lots of time for reading!

A Peaceful Heart

I recently read the Bible verse from Proverbs 14:30 and I was interested to see how it was translated in other versions of the Bible.

Proverbs 14:30
TLB: A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life.

RSV: A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh, but passion makes the bones rot.

NIV: A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

NLT: A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

THE MESSAGE: A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the
bones.

Boy, doesn't that New Living Translation (NLT) really hit it home for you? As many of us are making New Year's Resolutions for a healthier lifestyle, isn't this just the best way to start? As someone who used to work in Hospice, cancer of the bones is one of the most painful and most difficult to treat of all the cancers. God has put jealousy into that same category. How many times this week have you been jealous of what your friend got as a gift for Christmas? How many times have you been jealous of someone else's home, career, car, schedule, lifestyle? I could go on and on. I know that I have been jealous on numerous occasions and this has really knocked me in the head this week.

So, going back to my original resolution, if you have peace in your heart, you will feel better, look better, and everyone around you will feel the warmth of your heart. Wouldn't that be a great way to start the new year?

2010 offers a fresh start

Happy New Year to you! Last year I made 10 resolutions and posted them on here. Looking over that post I for the most part kept 7 out of those 10 resolutions, which I don't think is too bad. This week I have been thinking a lot about what I want 2010 to look like for me. As I think about everything I want to improve, accomplish and change it all relates to one core principle. If I spend time with Jesus each and every day, the rest of my life will fall into place. In the past, any days that I start in prayer or in quiet time, those days have gone much smoother for me. It isn't possible for me to start every day with my own quiet time, but it is possible for me to set aside some time each day for Him. I truly believe that if I do this, the rest of the chaos, the stress, and the struggles will fall into place for me. So, my one and only New Years Resolution is to make Jesus part of every day and give Him some of my time. If I make him part of my life and give Him the glory and the control, the pressure is off of me. Wouldn't you like to join me in this adventure?

Two of the books I plan to use as devotionals this year are The One Year Women's Friendship Devotional by Cheri Heath and The Stained Glass Pickup: Glimpses of Gods Uncommon Wisdom by Cathy Messecar. The devotional I bought for myself and my best friend, Tammy last year. I really enjoyed reading it and plan to go through it again this year. Each day there is a story and a way to relate that to your life whether is has to do with your spouse, your faith, your finances, stress, etc. This year I gave it to my Sister-in-law for her birthday and look forward to sharing it with her! Each division ends with questions to ask yourself and forces you to go a little deeper. The other is a weekly devotional that I just won and look forward to reading those stories as well.

I hope 2010 is a year full of happiness and blessing for you and your family. I look forward to sharing my year with you.