Tag Archives: Lists

02.03.19
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Writing Prompt #166: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 3)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

Day 3 – Your favorite heroine

Pocahontas!

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Image result for disney heroines pocahontas

Yes, I know, the movie is definitely NOT historically accurate!

But, given that I live about 45 minutes from the Jamestown settlement, when the movie was released in 1995, it was the talk of school! A family friend made me a special Pocahontas dress, and I definitely had the toy jewelry set from Toys R Us!

And I wanted that waterfall in the movie to be REAL!

But, Pocahontas is one of my favorite heroines. I love the movie! She shows courage and strength!

Come back tomorrow for a new post!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.02.19
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Writing Prompt #165: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 2)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

Day 2- Your favorite princess

This one was easier!

Belle, from Beauty and The Beast!

Image result for belle disney

Image result for belle disney

She loves books! She takes such good care of her father. She’s feisty! And she stands up to Gaston!

 

Image result for belle disney

Her yellow ball gown! So pretty!

Image result for belle disney

I’m swooning over this doll! Wow!!

Sure, she’s a bit naive, but she grows into a wonderful woman!

Come back tomorrow for a new post!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.01.19
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Writing Prompt #164: “30 Day Disney Challenge” (Day 1)

30 Day Disney Challenge

Image Credit: Meerkat Musings

I saw one of my friends post this on Facebook, so I wanted to do this on the blog!

Day 1 – Your favorite character

Ugh. I spent a good amount of time thinking about this!

I think my favorite character is Olaf!

Image result for olaf

Image result for olaf

I admit, I’ve only seen Frozen once. I still remember how excited I was – I felt like a kid! Al was so sweet to take me to see it in the theater!!

However, I fell in love with Olaf from the very beginning. He’s such a happy snowman!! Plus, I think Josh Gad was perfect for the role.

Come back tomorrow for a new post!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.01.19
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Getting Personal #158: February Goals

BeautyBeyondBones

Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones

Welcome to February! It’s Valentine’s month!

Here are my goals for the month of February:

  1. Order my new glasses.
  2. Donate blood.
  3. Finally finish the first draft of my 2012 WIP!
  4. Make journaling a daily habit / practice.
  5. Create my own media kit.
  6. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Al.
  7. Take unused / unwanted clothes to Clothes Mentor.
  8. Write more Commentary posts.
  9. Celebrate Drew’s 30th birthday!
  10. Take unwanted / duplicate American Girl items to Once Upon A Child.

Here’s the breakdown:

Order my new glasses.

  • I’m excited to get my first pair from Warby Parker!

Donate blood.

  • The next blood drive is Saturday, February 2nd.
  • If you are able, please donate when you can. The horrible winter weather in the U.S. has cancelled so many blood drives!

Finally finish the first draft of my 2012 WIP!

  • I’ve been jotting down a few ideas since the beginning of the year, and I feel confident that I will finish the story this month!

Make journaling a daily habit / practice.

  • I’ve journaled on and off for years, and I really want to get back into it. I just bought a beautiful notebook at Target, and I can’t wait to fill it up!
  • This goal was partially inspired by author Kristen Martin talking about her journaling practice on her podcast, “That Smart Hustle.”

Create my own media kit.

  • Inspired by Brianna Marie Lifestyle’s recent post, I want to make this happen!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Al.

  • We haven’t even talked about Valentine’s Day yet!

Take unused / unwanted clothes to Clothes Mentor.

  • I have a huge pile of clothes that don’t meet Darby’s current consignment guidelines. There’s a Clothes Mentor location near my house, so I want to see if they will take them.

Write more Commentary posts.

  • I have several ideas for Commentary posts. I just need to write and schedule them.

Celebrate Drew’s 30th birthday!

  • Drew is one of my good friends from college. We’ve been invited to his 30th birthday bash this month. We can’t wait to celebrate! It’s been more than two years since we’ve seen him.

Take unwanted / duplicate American Girl items to Once Upon A Child.

  • In the same vein as Clothes Mentor, I want to take the big box of American Girl items to the new Once Upon A Child location and see if they will take them. Consignment is fun!

Do you have any goals for the month of February?

If so, I’d love to hear about them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.31.19
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Getting Personal #157: January Goals Recap

beautybeyondbones 29

Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones

January was a very busy month! I can’t believe we’re a full month into 2019!

Here’s the link to my January Goals post:

—

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Help Al maintain our new and improved budget spreadsheet. — Accomplished!
  2. Check out savings and investing apps. — Accomplished!
  3. Clear the clutter in my Lady Lounge. — Semi-Achieved.
  4. Donate, donate, donate. — Accomplished!
  5. Continue work on my 2013 WIP. — Semi-Achieved.
  6. Reset our cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!
  7. Get back on track with The ABC Book Challenge posts. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Help Al maintain our new and improved budget spreadsheet. — Accomplished!

  • Al created a Google Doc, and we take turns editing it!

Check out savings and investing apps. — Accomplished!

  • I downloaded ibotta!
  • I’m still researching Robin Hood, but I like what I see.

Clear the clutter in my Lady Lounge. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I’m getting there, piece by piece. I’ve worked on it as much as I could this month, and I’ve been better about separating things to recycle, trash, and shred.

Donate, donate, donate. — Accomplished!

  • I made a couple of trips! I think I cleared out six boxes full of stuff!
  • I also sent a box of clothes to Darby for consignment.
  • Up next: Taking clothes to Clothes Mentor!

Continue work on my 2013 WIP. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I only wrote about 200 new words, but I also decided to change the overall POV.

Reset our cleaning schedule. — Accomplished!

  • The calendar is back on track now. And I’m less stressed!

Get back on track with The ABC Book Challenge posts. — Accomplished!

  • I posted every Monday in January!
  • Look for another post on Monday!

Final Thoughts

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to five out of seven goals!
  • The two goals that were Semi-Achieved: These were directly related to time and effort.

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of January?

Come back tomorrow to see my February Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.28.19
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Writing Prompt #163: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter Q)

ABC Book Challenge - F

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “Q”:

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Quit It

  • I need to re-read this, but I distinctly remember learning about Tourette’s syndrome for this first time because of this YA book.

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “Q”:

125036

Q’s Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books

  • This one looks like pure joy!

1187753

The Quest for Anastasia: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs

  • I’ve been fascinated with the story of Anastasia and the Romanovs for years!

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Questioning The Millennium

  • I’m really curious about this author’s perspective on the millennium. I remember Y2K – Do you?

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Quidditch Through The Ages

  • I’ve always wanted to read this!

125424

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness

  • Secretly, I think I would have done well as a psychology major in college, since I enjoy books about people who have gone through journeys with mental illnesses or similar struggles. This one is going near the top of my next TBR.

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter Q? Let me know!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.21.19
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Writing Prompt #162: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter P)

ABC Book Challenge - J 2

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “P”:

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The Pelican Brief

  • John Grisham is one of my favorite authors. This is one of my all-time favorite books! I’m looking forward to re-reading it soon.
  • Also, I highly recommend the movie adaptation (1993). One of my favorite movies!

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

  • This is one of the shortest books I think I’ve ever read, but it’s one of the most powerful ones.

378

The Phantom Tollbooth

  • I can’t remember if I had to read this for school, but I do remember getting a copy of this from the library. I know I need to re-read it, but it was fascinating years ago.

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The Polar Express

  • As you can probably tell by my Awesome Authors post about Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express is one of my all-time favorite books!
  • Also, if you haven’t seen the movie adaptation (2004), I highly recommend it. I watch it every Christmas!

87640

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives

  • I stumbled upon a copy of this book at the library when I was in high school. It was incredible.

1885

Pride and Prejudice

  • I first learned about this book from Wishbone!
  • I really need to re-read it, but it left a great impression on me.

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “P”:

79090

Party Monster: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland

  • I don’t know what it is, but I really want to read this book. Maybe it’s the true crime angle? Definitely picking this up at either the library or the bookstore ASAP.

2156

Persuasion

  • I haven’t read everything that Jane Austen wrote. This is going back on my list!

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The Pink Suit

  • Since I love historical fiction, this book seems right up my alley.

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Pretties (Uglies #2)

  • I read Uglies, book 1, in my Young Adult Literature class in the spring of 2011. I’ve wanted to read the rest of the series since then.

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The Princess Bride

  • I love, love, love the movie adaptation (1987), but I’ve never read the book!

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter P? Let me know!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.14.19
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Writing Prompt #160: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter O)

The ABC Book Challenge - L

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “O”:

Onwriting.jpg

10569

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

  • This is by far one of my favorite memoirs, and writing craft books. I first found the book on a whim at the library. I loved it so much, I knew I needed my own copy. This book is staying on my bookshelf forever.

320

One Hundred Years of Solitude

  • This was a hard book to read and digest in high school, but it was definitely magical.

231804

The Outsiders

  • I love this book. I read it when I was younger. Then, I re-read it, and fell in love with it. The movie adaptation (1983) is also quite good.

1381

The Odyssey

  • This was a whole unit in one of my high school English classes. I’d originally learned part of the story from Wishbone.

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “O”:

890

Of Mice and Men

  • I enjoyed reading Steinbeck in my American Literature class in college. We didn’t read this one then, but I tried after the class ended. I failed. I want to try again, however.

70401

On the Road

  • I became fascinated with Jack Kerouac, and the other Beat Generation poets, while studying history in high school.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

  • I first learned about this book from Sesame Street! They did a “Monsterpiece Theatre” segment where they were discussing classic literature. A number 1 flew over a cuckoo’s nest.

160251

Ordinary People

  • I really should read this book. The movie adaptation (1980) is fabulous.

year-cover

Our Year of Maybe

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter O? Let me know!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.10.19
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Getting Personal #156: Ninth TBR Recap

book quote - good housekeeping

Image Credit: Good Housekeeping

Welcome back!

In case you’re interested, here are the links to my previous TBR posts:

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

  1. Laakso, Laura, Fallible Justice (ARC Review)
  2. Watts, J. Holley, WHO KNEW? …Reflections On Vietnam
  3. Block, Lawrence, Small Town
  4. Desmond, Matthew, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Removing from Laura Beth’s TBR:

  1. Arnold, David, Mosquitoland
  2. Calonita, Jen, The Real Z (American Girl: Z Yang, Book 1)
  3. Green, John, Turtles All the Way Down
  4. Hopkins, Ellen, Crank
  5. Shetterly, Margot Lee, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
  6. Skloot, Rebecca, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
  7. Summers, Courtney, All the Rage
  8. Teagan, Erin, Luciana
  9. Thomas, Angie, The Hate U Give
  10. Tripp, Valerie, Read All About It: A Kit Classic Volume 1

Removal Rate: 10/14 = 71%

Keep & Re-Classify – Laura Beth’s Updated TBR

  1. Ehrenreich, Barbara, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America *Re-Read*
  2. Ng, Celeste, Everything I Never Told You
  3. Ritter, Krysten, Bonfire
  4. Weldon, Fay, Habits of the House

Keep Rate: 4/14 = 29%

Adding To The TBR

  1. Conley, Garrard, Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family
  2. Kubica, Mary, Good Girl
  3. McGinnis, Mindy, The Female of the Species
  4. Miranda, Megan, All The Missing Girls
  5. Oviatt, Didi, Search for Maylee
  6. Pon, Cindy, Want
  7. Rowling, J.K., Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone *Re-Read*
  8. Sanderson, Brandon, Mistborn: The Final Empire
  9. Westover, Tara, Educated: A Memoir

So, my current TBR is 13 books.

Do you have a TBR?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.07.19
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Writing Prompt #158: The ABC Book Challenge (The Letter N)

The ABC Book Challenge - K

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “N”:

1869

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

  • I was introduced to Barbara Ehrenreich in my freshman year of college by way of this book. I plan to re-read it soon. It’s a powerful book regarding minimum wage, and how a lot of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and sometimes not even that.

1617

Night

  • I first read this book in eighth grade. We were studying the Holocaust, and it left a profound impact on me. Everyone should read this book.

1167752

Nineteen Eighty-Four

  • This book creeped me out for quite a while. However, I feel the need to read it again soon.

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November Blues (Jericho #2)

  • I really like and enjoy Sharon M. Draper’s books. I’ve gained a greater perspective of African-African teenagers through her fiction. The Jericho trilogy is one of my favorites.

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Number The Stars

  • I was assigned this book in fifth grade. Originally, I really struggled with this book. It was one of the first times that I read so fast that my comprehension suffered. Through this book, I learned to slow down in my reading, especially assigned books, and my comprehension improved. Also, Lois Lowry is one of my favorite authors!

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “N”:

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The Night Circus

  • I’ve wanted to read this book for several years. The author wrote this book during NaNoWriMo!

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North and South

  • I’m part of a Facebook group called The Book Drunkard. This book has been recommended to me several times, so I need to find it at the library soon.

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A Northern Light

  • I’ve heard so many good things about this book!

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Northanger Abbey

  • I learned about this book from Wishbone! I know I have a greater appreciation for Jane Austen now than I did years ago.

What books have you read, or want to read, that start with the letter N? Let me know!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂