Category Archives: Personal

05.03.22
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Getting Personal #280: May Goals

Image Credit: Success Magazine

Welcome back!

Here are my goals for the month of May:

  1. Reach 100 Book Reviews!
  2. Have a successful 2022 Virginia State Convention of P.E.O. as one of the co-chair and hostess chapters.
  3. Host a fun family cookout.
  4. Continue progress on keeping my office clean and organized.
  5. Drink more water.
  6. Keep the potted plants alive!

What about you? Do you have any goals for this month?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.30.22
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Getting Personal #279: April Goals Recap

Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of April:

  1. Donate blood. — Did not accomplish this time.
  2. Celebrate birthdays! — Accomplished!
  3. Celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary. — Accomplished!
  4. Enjoy some time away. — Did not accomplish this time.
  5. Get to 100 Book Reviews! — Did not accomplish yet.
  6. Continue decluttering, especially my huge mountain of clothing. — Accomplished!
  7. Make progress with cleaning and organizing the garage. — Semi-Achieved.
  8. Stay on top of filing paperwork right away. — Semi-Achieved.

My iron was too low to give blood during our April blood drive, but it wasn’t historically low. We are getting very close to another milestone – 8,000 total units since April 2000. I think we may actually hit that mark at our June drive. Fingers crossed!

We celebrated my dad’s birthday the same weekend as the blood drive, and it was awesome. My mom outdid herself with the food. We also had a surprise guest – One of my parents’ former neighbors flew into town to pick up their sports car that my parents had been car-sitting since the fall of 2021. It was really nice to see him and catch up. He’s a retired helicopter pilot who flew our region’s primary air ambulance for more than 30 years.

I’m so excited about getting to 99 Book Reviews! I’m hoping to reach 100 very soon. I have three books that I’m currently reading. I’ve enjoyed reading at night again. Not every night, but a couple of nights a week. I’ve also been trying to read a bit in the hammock on the porch if the weather is good.

I finally got sick and tired of constantly sorting through full laundry baskets of clean clothes, so on April 23rd I dedicated that Saturday to go to town and finally get decluttered and organized. I walked more than 12,000 steps by the time I was done. Coincidentally, the local Vietnam Veterans Association had a donation pick-up scheduled for Tuesday, April 26th, so I took that as a sign to get it done. I reorganized my under-bed drawers, vacuumed, took everything out of my closet, reorganized my dresser, tried a pile of things on, and finally got things the way I wanted it. I still have some more clothes to go through, but the Vietnam Veterans Association took no less than seven full bags/boxes of items (clothes, duplicate books, and household items). I also donated four pairs of shoes that didn’t fit, so the shoe rack is cleaner now as well. That same day, I ordered another clean-out kit from thredUP, so when that arrives, I’ll fill that bag and send it off. It’s much nicer going to my closet every morning and finding things that actually fit and feel comfortable.

I also tackled part of my office, so my desk is far less cluttered, and I have more floor space! I still have more work to do on my American Girl collection, but a lot of the boxes and things that were just collecting dust are either gone, recycled, or now in their proper place.

The garage is going to be an ongoing project that Al and I will be tackling together. There’s a lot of things in there that can probably go in the trash or be donated. Al also wants to revamp the shelving system.

What about you? What goals did you have for the month of April?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.01.22
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Getting Personal #278: April Goals

Image Credit: Maria Estes Photography

Welcome back!

Here are my goals for the month of April:

  1. Donate blood.
  2. Celebrate birthdays!
  3. Celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary.
  4. Enjoy some time away.
  5. Get to 100 Book Reviews!
  6. Continue decluttering, especially my huge mountain of clothing.
  7. Make progress with cleaning and organizing the garage.
  8. Stay on top of filing paperwork right away.

What about you?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.01.22
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Getting Personal #277: March Goals Recap

Image Credit: Centre for Collaborative Health

Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of March:

  1. Start reading again before bed. — Accomplished!
  2. Clean off my desk and keep it clean. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. Continue drinking water as much as possible. Limit soda to once a week, much like alcohol. — Accomplished!
  4. Put away the clean clothes and linens. — Semi-Achieved.
  5. Commit to spending some time every Saturday and Sunday to making certain areas of the house more functional, keeping things in their proper places, reducing clutter, etc. — Accomplished!

I’m very happy with my progress so far. I have more work to do, but like Al said recently, taking it one box at a time, sometimes one podcast at a time, makes all the difference.

Come back soon to see my goals for the month of April!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.27.22
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Getting Personal #276: March Goals

Image Credit: East Willow Grove

Welcome back!

Publishing a new Goals at the end of the month in question? Sure, why not!

Here are my goals for the month of March:

  1. Start reading again before bed.
  2. Clean off my desk and keep it clean.
  3. Continue drinking water as much as possible. Limit soda to once a week, much like alcohol.
  4. Put away the clean clothes and linens.
  5. Commit to spending some time every Saturday and Sunday to making certain areas of the house more functional, keeping things in their proper places, reducing clutter, etc.

What about you? What goals do you have for this month?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.18.22
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Getting Personal #275: Stranger Things The Upside Down LEGO Set

Al got me the massive Stranger Things The Upside Down set for Christmas!

Part 1

Part 1 was building four things: Hopper, the mini-fig stand with the Stranger Things title card, Hopper’s Hawkins Police Department SUV, and the bike.

The wheels really move!

Part 2

The second part was building the base of the “real world” house and Mike.

The base took the better part of two hours! But you can start to see parts of the house and the yard.

Part 3

Part three began building the house and Joyce. She is holding Will’s drawing in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Plus, her mini-fig head has two different facial expressions.

The enclosed room is Will’s bedroom. It has his bed, desk, boom box, and shark poster.

The other room is the living room with the couch and coffee table. The yellow phone is on the wall. You can see the alphabet and Christmas lights on the wall next to the door.

Part 4

Part 4 saw the completion of the living room, with the green chair, and building Lucas. He’s holding his slingshot and a flashlight.

The siding was added to the house, along with the front porch furniture and accessories.

Part 5

Part 5 included the roof and building Dustin.

Dustin is holding a walkie-talkie and his compass.

Part of the ceiling is this cool light brick that lights up when you push the button!

Part 6

Part 6 included building Will and the base of the Upside Down house.

It’s definitely darker!

March 18th: This post was scheduled to publish before I finished the set, so I will update soon!

Part 7

Part 7 is building the Upside Down house bedroom and living room.

Part 8

Part 8 is continuing the Upside Down house, with the living room, and the outside details, like the siding, chairs, and other finishing touches.

I love the blues and grays.

Part 9

Part 9 was the roof and additional details.

Love the spooky vines and leaves.

Parts 10 and 11

This is the end!

03.14.22
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Getting Personal #274: February Goals Recap

Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of February:

  1. Donate blood. — Accomplished!
  2. Finish the first pass of editing book #2. — Did not accomplish yet.
  3. Celebrate Valentine’s Day! — Accomplished!
  4. Write and publish at least two Book Reviews. — Did not accomplish yet.

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for the month of March!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.01.22
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Getting Personal #273: February Goals

Image Credit: Balancing Today

Welcome back!

Here are my goals for the month of February:

  1. Donate blood.
  2. Finish the first pass of editing book #2.
  3. Celebrate Valentine’s Day!
  4. Write and publish at least two Book Reviews.

Keeping it short and sweet this month!

Do you have any goals for the month of February?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.31.22
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Getting Personal #272: January Goals Recap

Image Credit: Success Magazine

Welcome back!

Here were my goals for the month of January:

  1. Make progress with editing book #2. — Semi-Achieved.
  2. Read at least two books. — Accomplished!
  3. Publish my Stranger Things The Upside Down LEGO Set post. — Did not accomplish yet.
  4. Continue de-cluttering. — Accomplished!
  5. Completely clean out my closet and re-organize. —- Did not accomplish yet.
  6. Send certain clothing items and shoes to Cottey College for their professional clothes closet. — Accomplished!
  7. Continue meal planning. — Accomplished!
  8. Begin book cover designing with Canva. — Did not accomplish yet.
  9. Continue researching and learning about becoming an author. — Accomplished!

I feel good about my progress this month. I’ve gotten back into reading most nights before bed. It’s the simple things.

Come back tomorrow to see my February Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.10.22
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Getting Personal #271: Twentieth TBR Recap

Image Credit: Mommy and the Books

Welcome back!

Here’s what I’ve read since my last TBR post:

  1. Elliott, T.E., Service and Slumber: A Historical Tale Inspired by Sleeping Beauty (The Beast’s Legacy Book 2) — Review coming soon!
  2. Oviatt, Didi, Sketch — Review coming soon!
  3. Skloot, Rebecca, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
  4. Yee, Lisa, Lea Dives In

Removing from Laura Beth’s TBR

  1. Mlynowski, Sarah, I See London, I See France
  2. Owens, Delia, Where The Crawdads Sing

Laura Beth’s Updated TBR

  1. Bethell, CM, Forged in Fire Book Two – Ayden (The Guardians Series 2)
  2. Cervantes, Angela, Lead With Your Heart (World By Us series)
  3. Cullen, Dave, Parkland: Birth of a Movement
  4. Davis, Michael, Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street
  5. Land, Stephanie, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive
  6. Macy, Beth, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America
  7. Patrick, Denise Lewis, See Me, Hear Me, Know Me (World By Us series)
  8. Rosen, L.C., Jack of Hearts (and other parts)
  9. Wyeth, Sharon Dennis, The River and Me (World By Us series)

So, my current TBR is nine (9) books.

Do you have a TBR?

What are you looking forward to reading next?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂