My One Word for 2016

Last year, I chose One Word that was my focus for 2015. I wrote it down in places that I would see it every day. When I had decisions to make I reflected on my One Word and whether my decision would affect what I wanted to achieve. Last year's One Word was "Balance". I was completely out of balance in my life and needed to regain control in numerous areas. I really believe that I did so much better "balancing it all" and even though it isn't perfect, I know I am much more balanced than I was in 2014. To see my post from last year, click HERE.

I tossed around several different words for the last few weeks, trying to see if I kept seeing one, kept hearing it in my mind, praying over the words, and waiting for a sign. It didn't come right away like I expected it too.  In fact, I'm half-way through January and I've finally felt like NOW my One Word is clear.

My One Word is..................................... BEGIN. 

To begin, begin. 

William Wordsworth 

One day last week, I came across this quote and it made me stop. Of course, to begin....you must begin. It was that light-bulb moment.  I had several of them while reading TAMING THE TO-DO LIST a couple months ago. See my post about it HERE. I realized while reading this book, that I have a problem with procrastination and starting projects. I put off the hard ones, constantly moving them to the next list and the next one while crossing off the small, easy tasks so I feel like I am accomplishing something. But, those big tasks are still looming over my head. But, since I've read that book, I have realized that just beginning is the battle. Once I start, I plow through and finish the job. I just need to begin.

Begin ~ to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start:

This definition sounds optimistic and refreshing. Every day is a new beginning, a fresh start, a do-over. But, for some reason beginning can be difficult for me. Maybe it is that what is ahead is unknown, maybe I'm tired, maybe I don't know how to begin or what my next steps should be. 

I've struggled with beginning a new book because I am worried it won't live up to my expectations.

I have a hard time beginning to write a review because the words aren't coming easily.

I have big projects that seem overwhelming so rather than starting them, I just keep moving them from list to list. But, beginning it, is better than ignoring it and not doing it at all.

I need to workout and if I just begin, it goes by fast, but beginning is the hard part. 

Just beginning doesn't require me to be perfect or to finish the job right away or even without mistakes. I just need to begin it. 

God even spent seven days creating the Earth. He had a huge task in front of him and He knew he couldn't finish it all in one day....so He broke it down into parts....creating darkness and light, waters and land, plants and animals, and humans. He spent six days completing his tasks, but to do that he had to...BEGIN. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1

Your beginning will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. ~ Job 8:7

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. ~ Ecclesiastes 7:8

All of these verses inspire me to begin and I'm am hoping that this is the year I begin AND finish all those things hanging over my head.

• Organizing our mud room
• Making my heirloom tray
• Hanging up photos on the wall
• Starting the boys' t-shirt quilts
• Repotting my household plants

These are just a few projects that have been on my to-do list for over a year and are just waiting for me to........BEGIN.

What tasks to you need to begin? Are they as small as unloading the dishwasher or starting a load of laundry? Or is it as big as remodeling a room or painting the walls or rekindling a broken relationship? 

I'm am looking forward to starting 2016 with a new beginning.....a new way to.......BEGIN. 

Did you choose a One Word? If so, share it with me! 

#52ListProject - Catching Up

I purchased the book, The 52 Lists Projectfor my 43rd birthday in October. This book focuses on weekly journaling based on lists.  I love making lists and thought this sounded like a great way to remember a year. I plan to complete  a list every week for this next year. Even though the journal begins in Winter with Week 1, I started my list during Fall with Week 40. So, I'll be moving through the book a bit backwards, which is hard for my organized brain, but I didn't want to be writing about winter topics in spring or summer in winter.

I'll be sharing my lists here. To see my previous lists, click on the tag 52 Lists Project at the bottom of this post.  It's my hope that by sharing my lists, you'll get to know me a bit better and maybe be reminded of something that brings you joy!  Some weeks the topics may be too personal to share completely on here, but I'll at least tell you about the lists and some of the things on it. 

I've gotten behind on sharing my lists with you, but I am keeping up with writing them in my journal. So, I'm going to share Lists 44, 45, and 46 with you today.

List 44 is all about the Words that Warm My Spirit. I quickly knew some of those words that I just love to say and hear. They incite emotion and make you feel good if someone says them about you. At the end of each list, the author offers an idea to expand on that week's list. This week's action plan is to highlight the top five words that resonate the most with your experiences this past year. Then to underline them those top five that I want to focus on and experience in the year ahead.  I will mark those with an * after them.

WORDS THAT WARM MY SPIRIT

Breathe *

Precious

Love *

Home

Peace

Thank You

Appreciate *

Blessed*

Honor

Loyalty

Refreshing *

List 45 shares my Ideal Holiday Season. Honestly, when I made this list I was feeling extremely overwhelmed with my schedule and all that I had to do to prepare for the holidays. My spirit wasn't very Christmassy and I didn't come up with very many items. But, when I look back on my list, I may not have experienced all of them in the way I expected to, but I did have a glorious holiday. The action plan for this week was to choose three ways that I can prep to make it my most peace-filled, joyful and celebratory season ever. Either by changing my attitude, finding calm or simply planning it out. There were a few of the items that I wasn't able to do, but cutting them out allowed me to spend more time doing other things, and there is always next year, right?

THINGS THAT MAKE UP YOUR IDEAL HOLIDAY SEASON

Slower paced days

Time with friends and family

Seeing friends and family from far away

Giving gifts

Baking favorite treats

Watching favorite Christmas movies

Driving around to see Christmas lights

Fudge

Some beach time, which I got this year!

List 46 shares about my Greatest Comforts. The action plan is to combine as many of these things into one magical and soul-filling experience.  I'm waiting for our next snow day to experience some of them! 

MY GREATEST COMFORTS

When my whole family is home

My bed

Hy husband's arms around me

Hugs from my kids

Conversations with my favorite people

Money in the bank

Gas in the tank

Knowing my family and I am protected in case of tragedy

A fuzzy blanket in front of the fire

If you would like to purchase a copy of THE 52 LISTS PROJECT, click the photo below:

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Children's Book Review: I Want to Eat Your Books By Karin Lefranc

I WANT TO EAT YOUR BOOKS

By: Karin Lefranc

Illustrated By: Tyler Parker

Published: September 22, 2015

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Fiction

Zombie shows and movies are quite popular among adults and now they have entered popularity among the younger population as well. In fact, at my daughter's school, they did a social studies lesson with a zombie theme and the kids loved it.

This picture book for the youngest readers encourages a love of reading with a silly theme, a zombie who eats books. A new student, a zombie, his fellow classmates a little unsure of their safety until they realize that all he wants to gobble up are their books. He doesn't care what genre it is or its size, he just keeps gobbling through the books, eating them one by one. Then the whole class gets to go to the library and the zombie is in book-chomping heaven....until he spies one book. Will that book change his diet and turn him into a book READER rather than a book EATER?

Lefranc uses a rhyming scheme to tell this silly story and does it quite well. The words flow easily as a reader and none of them appear as a stretch to make the rhyme work. Parker's illustrations are vivid and large, filling the entire page. If I were still doing storytime at our library, this would make a great book to read out loud to the kids with plenty of opportunities for expression in your reading.  This is one I'll be keeping in my substitute bag to read when I am in the lower elementary classes.

Karin Lefranc - source

Karin Lefranc grew up all over the world, living in Sweden, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, but she moved to the United States to attend Bard College in New York. She now lives in Connecticut with her three girls and one boy, all who love devouring books in all shapes and sizes. This is Karin's debut picture book. For more on Karin, check out her website, HERE. You can also find her on Facebook, HERE and Twitter, HERE.

To purchase a copy of I WANT TO EAT YOUR BOOKS, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Every Saturday, other bloggers share their links to children's and YA book related posts.


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Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: Guarded By Angela Correll AND A GIVEAWAY PACKAGE

GUARDED

By: Angela Correll

Published: December 1, 2015

Publisher: Koehler Books

Fiction/Christian



Readers may remember I reviewed Correll's first book, GROUNDED in the fall of 2013. See it HERE. Correll writes from her Kentucky home surrounded by farm animals and gardens. She is passionate about farming and has her own farm-to-table restaurant as well as a shop that sells natural beauty products. These passions, as well as her faith, come through in the stories she writes. 

In GUARDED, Correll picks up on Annie's story from GROUNDED. Annie had been laid off by her job as a flight attendant and dumped by the man she expected to marry. So, rather than going back to the crazy life she led in New York City, she returned home to her grandmother's farm in Kentucky. Move forward a few months, and Annie is now trying to find a way to fix up the family stone house that was damaged in a fire. While fixing it up, she finds letters hidden in the floorboards. The letters hold a family secret that will take her to Italy and back in time to WWII to find out the answers. 

Since Annie’s return to Kentucky, she has been reunited with childhood friend, Jake. Their romance has been developing slowly and now that Annie feels like she is ready for a life with Jake, something from her past begins to put a wedge between them. With all these secrets, Annie isn't sure there is a future for her on the farm in Kentucky.

I appreciate how Correll has connected her two books while also allowing them to stand alone. Fans of her first book will enjoy reading about the same characters and new readers will enjoy her casual writing style that makes you feel like you are sitting at the table with Annie and her grandmother enjoying pie and coffee.  The conversations flow and when their faith is weaved into the story, it is natural and not overbearing. 

The historical piece in this novel was my favorite, especially the telling of the story through letters sent during the war. My mother's family also has a historical stone house and this story made me wonder about the secrets and memories that house also holds in its walls.  

Correll did a beautiful job telling a story from the war that is not readily talked about. Her descriptions of Italy, the food, and the people made me want to book a trip there. This part of our war history has been ignored and her twist to this piece of our history was handled delicately and with love. This easy weekend read is perfect for cuddling up with a cup of coffee and a fire….and don’t forget the pie. 

Angela Correll - source

Angela Correll lives on a farm with her husband and an assortment of grass-fed cattle, horses, goats and chickens. She is the owner of a retail shop and co-owner of a farm-to-table restaurant. Her debut novel GROUNDED was an Amazon bestseller and was adapted into a play by Chelsea Marcantel and premiered in July 2015 to record-breaking crowds at the Pioneer Playhouse. For more on Angela Correll, check out her website, HERE where you can also find out more about her restaurant and her shop. You can also find Correll on Facebook, HERE, and Twitter, HERE. 

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED, THE WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THANKS FOR ENTERING. 

One lucky reader will win a package from the author including a body cream, hand soap, bar soap, and scrub. I was lucky to get my own gift set and I am loving every single product. To enter to win this gift basket as well as a copy of her newest book, GUARDED, fill out the form below. This giveaway is open until Tuesday, January 19, 2016, at 11:59 PM. I will choose a winner on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, and email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose a new winner. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and I am not responsible for prizes not received, but I will do my best to make sure all prizes are delivered. One entry per person and US residents only, please. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of GUARDED, click the photo below:

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Thanks to the author for sending a copy of the book as well as the gift basket to me for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. The author is providing all products for the giveaway. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

She's Golden

Happy Golden Birthday to our sweet girl!

This girl is our miracle and has been such a blessing to us.

She lights up a room. 

She's kind and generous. 

She loves music, cats, and annoying her brothers. 

She is incredibly creative and artistic.

She reminds me of my younger self more and more each day.

Happy 11th Birthday, Reagan! We all love you!

Children's Book Review: Welcome to the Symphony By Carolyn Sloan

WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY
A Musical Exploration of the Orchestra Using Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

By: Carolyn Sloan

Illustrated by: James Williamson

Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Workman Publishing

Non-Fiction

I am beyond thrilled to share this wonderful book with you. If you have young children, I am begging you to share this book with them. Every elementary music teacher should have this book in their back pocket (well not really because it won't fit). Piano teachers, homeschooling families, and anyone who loves music will find so many wonderful things about this book.

Three cute little mice attend the symphony and for two of them, it is a first-time experience. Through fabulous artwork on each page and definitions of all the parts of a symphonic orchestra, children will learn along with the mice in the book.  With the tabs on the side, readers will be able to hear parts of the symphony as well as the various instruments involved in a symphony.

As various parts of the symphony are explained, a corresponding number will allow the child to press a button and hear more of the explanation, for example, including what it means to tune an instrument, the main theme of Symphony No. 5, and the harmony of the piece.  There are also buttons for each instrument that corresponds with the picture and explanation on the page.

I appreciate how the illustrator has shown the instruments proportionately according to their size. For example the above photo shows the bassoon, which is not a small instrument, and its size when in relation to being played.

This is a book I would have loved when our children were younger and one I will keep in my personal library to pull out when I watch our neighbors kids or to take along to school when I substitute teach. The very end of the book includes more information for the adults including how to raise your child to love music.

Carolyn Sloan - source

Carolyn Sloan is a songwriter and musician who writes music for theater, television, and children. She is also a music educator at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her family.  For more information, check out her website, HERE. 

James Williamson is an illustrator, designer, and artist. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of WELCOME TO THE SYMPHONY, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review with other bloggers on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Click HERE to see other posts related to children's and YA books.


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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

The One Thing I Won't Live Without

This is a great time of year to start Amazon Prime. You can get free, 2-Day shipping on THOUSANDS of items AND have access to TONS of free books, music, movies and TV shows.  I rewatched Downton Abbey to prepare for the new season that started Sunday. Our daughter loves catching up on her favorite shows. I love playing some of my favorite music while working away and my husband loves catching up on movies he missed when our kids were little and we were too exhausted to watch movies.

I also use Amazon Prime Pantry to get shelf-stable food and household products at a reduced price. Fill up your box with items you need and "BAM" it all appears on your doorstep...no waiting in lines, pushing a shopping a cart, or dealing with pajama-pant-wearing customers because you can be in your pajamas while doing your shopping and no one has to see you!

Start Your Prime Video 30-Day Free Trial Now!

Click the above link to start your FREE 30-Day Trial. If you do, I may get a commission, but even if I didn't I would tell you to get it. It's a life-saver, time-saver, and money-saver for our family. Shopping and show-watching are So. Much. Easier. with Amazon Prime!

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