Tag Archives: Sharing

01.08.19
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Tag #68: Disney Princess Hair Book Tag

disney princesses

Image Credit: The Washington Post

I wasn’t tagged for this one, but I love Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts so much! Her enthusiasm for this tag was contagious!

Here’s the link to Jenna’s post:

The Rules

  1. Link back to Kyera’s original post on Kyera’s Library and Mandy’s post on Book Princess Reviews so they can see all your answers! Be sure to do this via pingback, we don’t get notified if you just tag our URLs.
  2. Thank the person(s) who tagged you… show the community some love!
  3. Obviously, come up with your own wonderful answers!
  4. Don’t forget to tag others to keep the tag going!

Best Hair Accessory

Favorite book sidekick

Princess: The red ribbon in Snow White’s hair.

Book: Ron Weasley from Harry Potter.

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Biggest Hair Change

Plot twist that totally caught you off guard

Princess: Anna’s streaks from Frozen.

Book: The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins. So crazy!

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Prettiest Up-Do / Bun

A book or author with the most elegant prose

Princess: Princess Tiana! I love the The Princess and The Frog. So elegant and gorgeous!

Book: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I was assigned to read this book during the summer before ninth grade, and I fell in love. It’s one of several books that I strive to re-read every year.

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Most Bounce / Body

Book that bounces between multiple time periods

Princess: Ariel, hands down! So beautiful.

Book: I haven’t read it yet, but Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, immediately comes to mind.

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Most Intricate Braid

Favorite plot with multiple story-lines that are woven together

Princess: Elsa!

Book: I got nothing!

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Short & Sweet

A book that’s short and sweet

Princess: Mulan! One of my favorite princesses of all-time.

Book: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is another book that I typically re-read every year.

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Nicest Half-Up / Half-Down

A book / character that you had a lot of ups and downs with

Princess: Belle! I love Beauty and the Beast!

Book: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling. Such a good book, but it was also the end of the epic series that defined a good portion of my childhood and my life!

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Medium & Manageable

The last book you felt right in the middle about

Princess: I’m running out of princesses! I think Moana is the best pick for this one.

Book: Small Town, by Lawrence Block. A good read, but also long, heavy, and graphic. I gave it 3 1/2 stars in my review.

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Best Bangs

Eye-catching cover

Princess: Ariel!

Book: Caraval, by Stephanie Garber. I don’t normally pick books based on cover, but the minute I saw it, I need I wanted to read it. It’s going back on my TBR soon!

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Long & Loose

Longest book you read this year

Princess: Merida!

Book: I honestly can’t answer this question. I don’t normally pay attention to the length of books.

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Best Pony

A book that swings from POV to POV

Princess: Jasmine! I wanted hair like hers for years.

Book: Allegiant, by Veronica Roth. Many know my disgust with this book. I have trouble reading books with multiple POVs thanks to this one.

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Stunningly Straight

A book that made you want to dive straight into the sequel

Princess: Pocahontas! Absolutely gorgeous!

Book: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This book captivated me. I think I had all three books in my possession when I finished this one. If I hadn’t, I think I would have gone straight to the store to pick up Catching Fire the minute I finished the first one. If you haven’t read the trilogy, DO IT!

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Enviable Curls

A book with twists and turns

Princess: Aurora.

Book: The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware. Holy moly! This was such a good book! It kept me on the edge the entire time. What a ride!

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Hair Closest to Your Own

A book that you strongly connected to

Princess: Rapunzel’s hair after it’s cut off. I felt this way when I decided to cut my hair to its current length. I’d grown my hair out from 2013 through 2017, and I’m glad I did since my wedding hairstyle came out beautifully in 2015. But, after a while, the length was frustrating and I really started to not like it. It took FOREVER to blow dry! I decided to cut it off, and I’ve never looked back. I know Al was sad, but I’ve loved the compliments I’ve gotten with my current style. Plus, blow drying is a cinch now!

Book: This is one of the toughest questions. But, I think the proper answer, at this moment, is Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond, by Lilly Ledbetter. I greatly enjoy human interest stories, and especially ones written by women. As a woman, and someone who is very much aware of the wage gap, I try to learn more about it. Reading Ledbetter’s story was so encouraging and inspiring to me. This book will remain on my bookshelf forever.

Tag – You’re It!

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”:

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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.

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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.

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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 🙂

01.05.19
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Writing Prompt #157: “‘Celebration Party’ January WIP Writing Challenge!”

celebration party

Image found on Didi Oviatt’s blog.

If you haven’t checked out Didi Oviatt’s AWESOME, and, frankly, kick-ass blog, do it!

Here’s the link to her challenge post:

Before I got to the end of Didi’s post, I knew which characters I wanted to use!

So, without further ado, please enjoy my “Celebration Party” scene!

Fireworks weren’t illegal to purchase in Maine. Every summer, like clockwork, the camp counselors were able to fill their cars and SUVs at the ready. The closest firework stand to Camp was only ten minutes away.

Not everyone approved of the idea, however. Emily, the Camp nurse, was naturally uneasy. Belinda Barnes, the Camp director, never thought it was the best idea. But, as long as everything was done safely, that’s all she cared about.

The counselors wanted the fireworks to be a complete surprise. Most summers, the Bangor fireworks spectacular could be witnessed in full from certain areas of Camp. Sadly, this year’s spectacular had been cancelled due to severe thunderstorms in the area – The first cancellation in quite a few summers. Camp’s atmosphere on Independence Day was just as stormy, with disappointed and grumpy campers. It had rained and stormed five out of the last six days, and rainy-day activities were running out of steam. So was a lot of people’s patience.

July 6th dawned sunny and beautiful, and everyone’s spirits naturally lifted. The day was full of lake activities, nature hikes, and a bit of mischief. Kristin and Brennan bent the rules a little, and stole away to their secluded picnic table spot for some hanky-panky. Counselors Andy and Melissa almost went skinny-dipping in the lake. And Ashley and Stephanie enjoyed their first true romantic moment together, which felt like fireworks to both of them.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, one of the most spectacular sunsets stretched out across the sky. Everyone was in awe, which gave Andy, Melissa, and a few other counselors enough time to set up the surprise.

The crickets started chirping, and everyone tuned in to the bullfrogs along the lake. They knew a surprise was being revealed, and everyone waited with bated breath.

Andy and Melissa shared another kiss right before the fireworks show was about to begin. All safety measures were reviewed and checked. The spot along the lake shore was perfect, and they couldn’t wait to see the camper’s faces light up.

Andy, the oldest counselor, was in charge. The first three fireworks were disappointing duds. But, Emily, of all people, kept the crowd hyped. The fourth firework finally shot off with a brilliant burst, and hearing the crowd’s cheers and whistles made it all worth it.

Melissa, right by Andy’s side, winked. “Let’s give them the best show ever.”

Andy nodded. The next 30 minutes felt like Camp had their own fireworks spectacular. Fireworks of every shape, size, and color were shot off in rapid succession. The noise across the lake only increased, and the counselors felt incredible. It was a great celebration all its own.

Minutes after the grand finale, through the hazy smoke the counselors could still hear the cheers and whistles. Kristin and Brennan were dancing in ankle-deep water of the lake, and so were Andy and Melissa. Ashley and Stephanie shared a kiss, not caring who saw. Everyone was celebrating in their own way, and it felt great. The atmosphere of Camp that night turned completely around. All thanks to roughly $1,000 of fireworks.

So, there you have it!

Thanks, Didi! Looking forward to February’s challenge!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.04.19
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Getting Personal #155: “North Island, New Zealand” (Reblogged)

I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love lighthouses. I’ve had the opportunity to visit and climb several of them on the East Coast – Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia. One of my dreams is to visit every lighthouse in the United States, and climb as many as I can. That’s no small feat!

For Christmas 2017, my sister-in-law Savy bought me this incredible book, Lighthouses of America. I love it! I plan to review it here on the blog soon.

For now, though, I’ll be admiring this photo of North Island in New Zealand. And thinking about the next lighthouse in my vicinity that I can visit and climb.

Do you like lighthouses? Where do you dream of traveling and exploring?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.01.19
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Getting Personal #154: January Goals

Happy New Year!!

Here are my goals for the month of January:

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

Here’s the breakdown:

Help Al maintain our new and improved budget spreadsheet.

  • We decided to start a Google Doc that has all of our budget items for 2019. Hopefully, this will be much more manageable and less frustrating!

Check out savings and investing apps.

  • Since I listen to a lot of podcasts, there are always advertisements. I’ve heard about Robin Hood, an investing app. I don’t know if I’ll commit to it, but I want to check it out.
  • One app that our sister-in-law loves and swears by is ibotta.

Clear the clutter in my Lady Lounge.

  • I started recently – I spent nearly two hours in there last Saturday afternoon. I filled four donation boxes, finally organized my bookshelf, replaced the light bulbs in the ceiling fan fixture, filled a trash bag completely, and cut up at least 10 various-sized boxes for recycling.
  • Next weekend – I want to concentrate on the filing system.

Donate, donate, donate.

  • I’m long overdue to make a few trips to the thrift store and the library.

Continue work on my 2013 WIP.

  • Current word count: 14,247 words.
  • My rough goal is to reach at least 17,000 words before the end of January.

Reset our cleaning schedule.

  • I started using our wall calendar to mark what area of the house needed cleaning every weekend. This was a good system for us, since we typically divide and conquer the cleaning together. Just need to get back to it.

Get back on track with The ABC Book Challenge posts.

  • My original plan was to post these every Monday, but it’s fallen by the wayside recently. However, I’m committed to posting one every Monday in January!

Do you have any goals for the month of January?

If so, I’d love to hear about them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.31.18
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Getting Personal #153: December Goals Recap

New Year Ahead

Image Credit: First Baptist Church

It’s the end of 2018! Wow!!

Here’s the link to my December Goals post:

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Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Finally reach at least 50,000 words for my 2012 WIP. — Accomplished!
  2. Finally send my 2012 WIP to my best friend for the first round of editing. — Did not accomplish.
  3. Make an outline for the remainder of my 2013 WIP. — Did not accomplish.
  4. Start planning next steps for my 2014 and 2018 WIPs. — Accomplished!
  5. Decorate for Christmas. — Did not accomplish.
  6. Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.
  7. Enjoy Al’s company holiday party. — Accomplished!
  8. Seriously send some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.
  9. Be a Secret Santa! — Accomplished!
  10. Take donations to the library and thrift store. — Did not accomplish.
  11. Make an “essentials only” spending list for 2019. — Accomplished!
  12. Enjoy Christmas and New Year’s! — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Finally reach at least 50,000 words for my 2012 WIP. — Accomplished! 

  • December 8th: 606 new words
  • December 9th: 217 new words
  • December 30th: 620 new words
  • December 31st: 2,372 new words
  • Current word count: 50,461 words
  • I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!
  • I DID IT!!!!!

Finally send my 2012 WIP to my best friend for the first round of editing. — Did not accomplish.

  • I haven’t finished the story yet.

Make an outline for the remainder of my 2013 WIP. — Did not accomplish.

  • This was put on the back burner.

Start planning next steps for my 2014 and 2018 WIPs. — Accomplished!

  • I have a timeline established for these two. I want to use Camp NaNoWriMo in April to work on the 2014 WIP, and then the July session to focus on the 2018 WIP.

Decorate for Christmas. — Did not accomplish.

  • Since we didn’t celebrate at home this year, we decided that the tree wasn’t necessary.
  • I wanted to put up the wreath on our front door with battery-operated Christmas lights and Christmas ribbon, but that didn’t happen.

Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.

Enjoy Al’s company holiday party. — Accomplished!

  • We had ourselves a good time!

Seriously send some snail mail! — Did not accomplish.

  • No effort at all.

Be a Secret Santa! — Accomplished!

  • See the photos below!

Take donations to the library and thrift store. — Did not accomplish.

  • The boxes are stacked and ready, but they didn’t make it to their destinations this month.

Make an “essentials only” spending list for 2019. — Accomplished!

  • Here’s my list: A new pair of glasses, a new pair of prescription sunglasses, my first pair of Rothy’s shoes, continuing Rodan and Fields skincare, and a new business suit.
  • A good chunk of the rest of my money will be squirreled away!

Enjoy Christmas and New Year’s! — Accomplished!

  • We had a wonderful time at Al’s parents for Christmas. We took almost a week off of work, and it was great. Al had nearly two weeks off altogether.
  • No New Year’s parties for us – Just a quiet night at home with our dogs, a delicious dinner, and watching movies until midnight, with Martinelli’s sparkling cider.

Final Thoughts

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to six out of 12 goals. I’ll take 50 percent. Not bad for the end of the year!
  • The six goals that I did not accomplish: A lot of these were due to time constraints, and lack of motivation and effort.

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

Come back tomorrow to see my January Goals!

Happy New Year!!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.30.18
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Getting Personal #152: My Favorite Things of 2018

Favorite Things - Quote Master

Image Credit: Quote Master

I’ve seen several blog posts like this pop up in the last week or so. I wanted to do my own!

Also, I wanted to capture how many books I actually read in 2018. Several blog posts mentioned this, and I wanted to tally mine. One young lady read 110 books this year. That’s incredible!

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So, before starting the lists of favorites, here’s my tally for books and Book Reviews for 2018:

Ratings Tally

  • 5 stars: 2
  • 4 1/2 stars: 8
  • 4 stars: 5
  • 3 1/2 stars: 1
  • 3 stars: 1
  • 2 1/2 stars: 0
  • 2 stars: 0
  • 1 1/2 stars: 0
  • 1 star: 0

ARC Reviews (First year ever!)

I really enjoyed reading these two books. I hope to read more ARCs in 2019!

Now, on to my favorites!

Favorite Books

Favorite Movies

  • Ant-Man and the Wasp
  • Aquaman
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Black Panther
  • Blockers
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Christopher Robin
  • First Man
  • Game Night
  • Incredibles 2
  • Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
  • Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
  • Maze Runner: The Death Cure
  • Mission: Impossible – Fallout 
  • Ready Player One
  • Solo: A Star Wars Story
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Favorite TV Shows

Favorite Podcasts

  • Assassinations (Parcast)
  • Conspiracy Theories (Parcast)
  • Female Criminals (Parcast)
  • Hostage (Parcast)
  • Kingpins (Parcast)
  • Small Town Dicks
  • The Adventure Zone – “Amnesty” (Maximum Fun)

Well, that wraps up my favorite things for 2018!

What about you? What were some of your favorite things of the year?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.30.18
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Book Review #67: “Small Town”

I found this book at a thrift store in Florida in May of this year, for $1.50. Why it took me so long to read it, and finish it, I don’t know. But, overall, I enjoyed this book. Lawrence Block was a new name to me, but what captured my attention was the setting – New York City. I’m a sucker for books set in the Big Apple!

Originally, it took me a while to read more than two chapters per night. Block’s writing is so incredibly detailed, and the cast of characters is extensive. His chapters are meaty, but mighty. I told a group on Facebook that this is a good thriller, but if you’re not a fan of sex, violence, and profanity, I would avoid this book. Those three things are very prevalent in this one!

I liked this book, for the most part. It’s not my favorite thriller in the whole world, but I liked the structure of the story, and how the title is so fitting. Despite several heavy subject matters – It’s set in 2002, so that gives you an idea of the circumstances in New York City – the characters were constantly engaging. Each character was unique. Also, one of the main focuses is on a published author, and seeing the process of a book deal in a fictional story was really cool to see. I enjoyed following the author’s story, and the saga he’s involved with.

I could have seen less graphic sex, and the violence was definitely unsettling. But, it’s a thriller. And Block accomplished that with his writing.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.21.18
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Commentary #82: “How Iceland Got Teens to Say No to Drugs”

The Atlantic

Image Credit: The Atlantic

I saw this article on Facebook recently. Thanks to Brittany A. for sharing it.

Here’s the link to The Atlantic’s article, published January 19, 2017:

What were you doing in 1997?

According to a local psychologist, Gudberg Jónsson, back then most of Iceland’s teens were drinking or drunk. All the time. It felt unsafe.

Fast-forward 20 years. There aren’t teens wandering the park, nearly passed out drunk. There aren’t many wandering teens at all.

Why?

They’re involved in after-school classes, art club, dance, music, or with their families.

Iceland boasts incredibly low percentages of teens drinking, using cannabis, or smoking cigarettes.

Here are the numbers. This was a survey of 15-year-old and 16-year-olds, reporting these activities for the previous month.

Drunk, 1998: 42 percent
Drunk, 2016: 5 percent

Ever used cannabis, 1998: 17 percent
Ever used cannabis, 2016: 7 percent

Smoked cigarettes every day, 1998: 23 percent
Smoked cigarettes every day, 2016: 3 percent

It’s radical, and exciting. But, there’s a method behind it. And if adopted by other countries, it could have a revolutionary change. However, it’s a big if.

In 1992, Project Self-Discovery was formed, offering teenagers “natural-high alternatives to drugs and crime.”

Instead of a treatment-based approach or program, the idea was to allow the kids to learn anything they wanted, including art, music, dance, martial arts. By having the kids learn a variety of things and skills, their brain chemistry was altered, and give them what they needed to cope better with life. Other ways to combat depression, anxiety, numb feelings, etc. Life-skills training was also incorporated.

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Research and studies in the early 1990s showed a series of factors that played into Icelandic teens not getting involved with alcohol and drugs: Participating in organized activities three to four times per week, especially sports; total time spent with parents during the week; feeling cared about at school; and not being outdoors in the late evenings.

Youth in Iceland began gradually, before being introduced nationally. Correspondingly, laws were changed. You had to be at least 18 to buy tobacco, and 20 to buy alcohol. Tobacco and alcohol advertising was banned. In addition, another law, still in effect today, prohibits children aged between 13 and 16 from being outside after 10 p.m. in winter and midnight in summer.

Another key provision was involving schools and parents. State funding was increased for sports, dance, art, music, and other clubs. Low-income families received help or assistance to take part in these extracurricular activities.

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“Protective factors have gone up, risk factors down, and substance use has gone down—and more consistently in Iceland than in any other European country.”

Youth in Europe started in 2006. The questionnaires – Sent out to many European countries, South Korea, Nairobi, and Guinea-Bissau – shows “the same protective and risk factors identified in Iceland apply everywhere.”

However, no other country has made changes on the scale seen in Iceland. Sweden has called the laws to keep children indoors in the evenings “the child curfew.”

There are cities that have reported successes, being a part of Youth in Europe. Teen suicide rates are dropping in Bucharest, Romania. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of children committing crimes dropped by a third in another city.

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“O’Toole fully endorses the Icelandic focus on parents, school and the community all coming together to help support kids, and on parents or carers being engaged in young people’s lives. Improving support for kids could help in so many ways, he stresses. Even when it comes just to alcohol and smoking, there is plenty of data to show that the older a child is when they have their first drink or cigarette, the healthier they will be over the course of their life.”

Would something like this work in the U.S.?

Not a generic model, nothing exactly like Iceland, but something specifically tailored to individual cities, maybe even individual communities. By working with communities to identify the biggest issues and the biggest needs, maybe adopting facets of the Iceland program may help teenagers, and others, in the U.S.

My two cents: While I do drink alcohol now, I’ve never smoked. I was never tempted by alcohol as a teenager. Not at home with my parents, anyway.

I was involved with music and sports from a very young age – Piano, gymnastics, soccer, then the viola, and softball. My church was another huge part of my life. If I wasn’t in school, at music lessons, or at sports practice, I was likely at church.

Also, I know my parents played a huge role in my life. Being an only child, I know I’m a bit biased. But, we had dinner at the table almost every night. We didn’t eat out a lot. The Internet was new, and no one had a smartphone. We had a computer, but there were strict limits, and more educational games than Web surfing. They were fully present in my life. I may have been sheltered and protected, but it gave me so many benefits.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

 

 

 

12.17.18
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Getting Personal #151: “The Drain House, Drain, Oregon” (Reblogged)

Image Credit: Just Wunderlust

I love sharing inspiring posts from Just Wunderlust. The photos are incredible!

I’ve been thinking of Oregon a lot recently. Mainly because my best friend, Melissa, and another friend, Brittany, live there. But, I’m in awe of the beauty of the state. This photo is no exception.

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Seeing the mist and the trees behind this house makes me think of the story I wrote and illustrated in fifth grade. I called it “Electro Girl,” and I set it in the forests/mountains of Oregon. It’s definitely writing from my 10-year-old self, but seeing this photo makes me think of that story. Also, that story was recognized as a Young Authors book, and going to the ceremony and reception that year was where I got to know and love Melissa!

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The colors of the house make me smile, too. It looks like a doll’s house.

I did some research, and learned that Drain is located in Douglas County, in the southwestern part of the state. The last population count, in 2017, was 1,169. The town is named after town founder and politician Charles J. Drain. It’s a prominent example of Queen Anne style architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 12, 1978.

What do you see when you look at this photo? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Have a great week!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂