Tag Archives: Sharing

03.13.18
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Getting Personal #108: “Untreusee, Germany” (Reblogged)

I love posting photos from Just Wunderlust every so often. Their photos never fail to take my breath away!

This photo from Germany was no exception! I love seeing color in photographs. The colors here are just brilliant and striking!

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I looked up Untreusee, having never heard of it. It’s a lake in Germany, near the eastern border with the Czech Republic.

Now knowing it’s a lake, this photo makes me think of my church youth group trip to Sherando Lake when I was in high school!

Water has an immense calming effect on me. I need to be around water more often, I think.

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What about you? What types of nature calm you?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.09.18
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Commentary #64: “This Small Norwegian Town Turns Abandoned Buildings Into Bookstores”

Geeky Book Snob

Image Credit: Geeky Book Snob

I saw this post from Read Voraciously on February 28th.

Here’s the link to Read Voraciously’s original post:

And, here’s the link to the Reader’s Digest article:

I knew I wanted to write about this before I finished the Reader’s Digest article. How cool is this?

There are approximately 2.5 miles of books in the village of Mundal, part of Fjaerland, Norway. Northeast of Bergen, it looks like an absolutely beautiful area to live and visit!

Alamy

Image Credit: Alamy

Knowing me, and my love of books, I don’t think I would want to leave! But, the bokbyen (“booktown”) is only open for business from May to mid-September.

But, fear not! The online side is open year-round.

I would love to at least see the stunning glaciers. And then, read a book next to them.

For more information, check out these sources:

What about you? Have you ever visited a booktown?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

03.01.18
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Getting Personal #106: March Goals

march goals

Image Credit: East Willow Grove

Hello, March! It’s lovely to see you arrive. I’ve started to see the daffodils bloom, and buds on the trees!

Here are my goals for the month of March:

  1. Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.
  2. See A Wrinkle In Time.
  3. See Ready Player One.
  4. Attend a meet-and-greet with Old Dominion Greyhound Adoption.
  5. Update the Household Bills spreadsheet by the end of the month.
  6. Prepare for my P.E.O. officer transition.
  7. Make chocolate mousse for the office.
  8. Make at least one thrift store donation run.
  9. Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.

Here’s the breakdown:

Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.

  • As I mentioned in my February Goals Recap, I simply didn’t have the time or make the time last month. I’m determined to make some sort of progress now!

See A Wrinkle In Time.

  • This comes out early in the month. I’ve read the book several times. The cast and cinematography look AMAZING!

See Ready Player One.

  • This movie’s trailer intrigued me from the beginning. Al is reading the book that the movie is based on now, but I’m excited to see it. Plus, it’s Spielberg!

Attend a meet-and-greet with Old Dominion Greyhound Adoption.

  • We are looking forward to this! Al has done a ton of research over the last several months, and we’ve determined that a greyhound is likely the best breed for our house and current working situations, etc. It’s exciting to think about!
  • This is the first big step in a lengthy process, but we’re excited that we found this local place that specializes in greyhounds!

Update the Household Bills spreadsheet by the end of the month.

  • When Al and I bought our house, I started an Excel spreadsheet which is a space where we can log and track all of our expenses and discretionary spending.
  • I did a massive update at the end of February, and we’re finally caught up after getting buried in receipts.
  • My goal is to make this a monthly priority!

Prepare for my P.E.O. officer transition.

  • I have been nominated to be my P.E.O. chapter’s next Treasurer. This is a completely new role for me, but I’m excited to have been nominated.
  • If elected, I will be making my transition from Recording Secretary to Treasurer soon.
  • It’s a great opportunity, and a resume booster, too.

Make chocolate mousse for the office.

  • Now that Chris has completed the Disney Marathon, it’s time to celebrate!

Make at least one thrift store donation run.

  • Al cleaned out his closet, and filled two big trash bags full of clothes to donate. Yay!
  • I also have a few clothing items, books, and DVDs to give away. I may give some of the books and DVDs to the local library.

Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.

  • I’ve been feeling the itch to start writing / working on this again. I’m hoping to write at least 500 more words this month, if not more!

Do you have any goals for the month of March? I’d love to hear about them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.28.18
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Getting Personal #105: February Goals Recap

Planning Inspired

Image Credit: Planning Inspired

February seemed like a really long month, for once. It was mostly good, but a bit wild and crazy. The recent spring-like temperatures have me very excited that it’s almost March!

Here’s the link to my February Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Host my first P.E.O. meeting. — Accomplished!
  2. Get back to a regular cleaning schedule. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend. — Did not accomplish.
  4. Donate blood. — Accomplished!
  5. Use my diffuser more often. — Accomplished!
  6. Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses. — Semi-Achieved.
  7. See Black Panther. — Accomplished!
  8. Wear my contact lenses every day this month. — Accomplished!
  9. Write in my journal at least once a week. — Did not accomplish.
  10. Read at least two books. — Accomplished!
  11. Explore options for essential oil storage. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Host my first P.E.O. meeting. — Accomplished!

  • Hosting my first P.E.O. meeting went as smoothly as it could have. We did have some excitement the night before (of course, Murphy’s Law!) when Al discovered a stream of water coming out of the crown molding in our dining room! After some “exploratory surgery” between Al and my dad late Friday night, we discovered the drain pipe from our bathtub was definitely leaking – An old cast iron pipe, probably original to the house (50+ years old). Luckily, my dad was able to drain the rest of the water and stop the leak!
  • The meeting went along as scheduled on Saturday morning. Thirteen lovely women shared coffee, refreshments, and good company. It felt good to open up our house to visitors other than our immediate families!

Get back to a regular cleaning schedule. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I did more spot cleaning this month, like wiping down certain areas while in the kitchen, laundry room, etc.
  • We bought an AWESOME Shark DuoClean vacuum cleaner to keep in our downstairs closet. It was a hefty price tag (Over $300), but seriously, this vacuum cleaner is worth it! It works on all surfaces – Wood floors, tile, and carpet. I’m actually excited about vacuuming now!
  • Al and I worked together this past week to do a massive deep clean – Stuff we hadn’t touched in months. We got all the dust and junk out of our bedroom – Under our bed, and I used the Swiffer dry and wet cloths on the bathroom floor while the rug was in the wash. As long as we mark dusting more often on the calendar, it will be more manageable and less time-consuming.

Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend. — Did not accomplish.

  • This schedule didn’t work this month. I moved a few things around, but wasn’t able to invest the time that I wanted to.

Donate blood. — Accomplished!

  • My iron was high enough, on the first stick!
  • I’m now one pint away from six gallons (48 pints) donated!

Use my diffuser more often. — Accomplished!

  • I diffused the sample “Gratitude” blend that April made for me, and “Raven” twice. The house smelled amazing!

Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I have the box filled to the brim – I just need to mail it!
  • Also, Darby recently created a new Facebook group, solely dedicated to her boutique items that she sells – Check it out! It’s called Darby’s Dresses Boutique.

See Black Panther. — Accomplished!

  • We saw the movie with our friends Mike and Shana on Sunday, February 18th. It was a really good movie – I think it’s one of the best that Disney/Marvel have produced.
  • Getting excited for Avengers: Infinity War to be released on May 4th!

Wear my contact lenses every day this month. — Accomplished!

  • This was a super easy goal, and I’m glad that I overcame my laziness!
  • I even started wearing makeup nearly every day, too!

Write in my journal at least once a week. — Did not accomplish.

  • This literally got buried!

Read at least two books. — Accomplished!

Explore options for essential oil storage. — Accomplished!

  • Thanks to Ariel at Writing Radiation, she led me to Amazon to find this beauty of an essential oil storage solution: Essential Oil Wooden Box.
  • I love it! I had forgotten how many oil bottles that I needed to store. But, I still have room to spare. This things holds 68 bottles!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to seven out of 11 goals: I’ll take it!
  • The two goals that were Semi-Achieved: Just a few more steps, and I can mark them as complete. It feels good!.
  • The two goals that I did not accomplish: I simply didn’t have the time, or make the time this month.

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

Come back tomorrow to see my March Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.26.18
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Commentary #63: “Awareness vs. Understanding”

Image Credit: TOBYMAC

I started following Caralyn’s awesome blog, Beauty Beyond Bones, a while back. She is an awesome, amazing woman. I love all of her posts!

She always shares something profound, or thought-provoking, every week. This past week was no exception.

Here’s the link to her post, published on February 22nd:

Caralyn’s focus is her journey after her eating disorder (ED). She’s a beautiful woman, who is an activist for so many causes. She posts recipes, too!

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This particular post shined a spotlight on Weight Watchers being in the news last week, and not for a good reason.

They announced they would be offering free memberships to teens, ages 13-17.

Naturally, this caused almost immediate backlash.

I’m with Caralyn. I don’t agree with Weight Watchers offering these free memberships. Teens, ages 13-17, have enough to deal with in their lives. Yes, obesity remains a significant issue. Caralyn cited several statistics, including some from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). But, for Weight Watchers to offer these free memberships to this very vulnerable age group is not the answer.

She tied the Weight Watchers news in with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA), which starts today, February 26th, and runs through March 3rd.

I see her point about viewing NEDA with somehow glorifying the disease, and so on. But, then she realized that the news about Weight Watchers is one reason why conversations need to be had.

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And then, she hit on the Awareness vs. Understanding point, which I think is so important.

There is a difference.

Awareness is certainly important, and a good thing – Share stories, come together as a community, and so on.

However, understanding is even more paramount. With something like eating disorders, moving beyond awareness into understanding is critical.

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With that said, I cannot say that I empathize with Caralyn, or say that blanket statement of “I understand” at all. I have never had an eating disorder. I know what they are, how they start, the basics. You could say that Laura Beth is aware of eating disorders.

Caralyn, however, truly understands eating disorders. She is a survivor. She is an advocate. She works hard to discuss ED, her own journey, and help others, which I find incredibly admirable. In her post, she writes that “an eating disorder is a mental illness.”

She closed her post with wanting to “foster understanding on this anorexia recovery blog” and “answering any and all questions about eating disorders, recovery, treatment, how to support. Nothing is off limits.”

I think this is wonderful! She, of all people, knows what she’s talking about. She writes beautifully and humbly, too.

So, if you’re interested in asking questions or learning more, check out her blog!

img_3185

Image Credit: BeautyBeyondBones

To me, Caralyn is a source of inspiration. Thank you for being amazing!!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.19.18
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Getting Personal #103: “Maroon Bells, Colorado Matthew Eaton” (Reblogged)

BigMouseWorld

Image Credit: Just Wunderlust

via Maroon Bells, Colorado Matthew Eaton

Seeing this image of the Colorado mountains this morning took my breath away.

It reminded me of how beautiful nature is.

How beautiful our own country is.

Our National Parks.

Traveling.

Wanting to get back to nature, and sooner rather than later.

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My sister-in-law, Savy, painted a canvas for me last year that I’m going to hang in my office. It reads:

“Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains.”

Image Credit: SavyArt

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What about you? Are you moving mountains today?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth

02.09.18
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Book Review #53: “Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America”

71nzvQNWIVL

Image Credit: Amazon

This was the second book that Al gave me for Christmas. He’s heard me talk about Barbara Ehrenreich before. I read her book Nickel and Dimed (2001) for one of my early college classes, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

Right out of the gate, Ehrenreich writes about her own battle with breast cancer, and how “fighting cancer with a positive attitude” has permeated our culture. Although this book was published in 2009, nearly 10 years ago, the same sentiments appear to be holding strong. I have my own opinions about breast cancer charities and the amount of money that is spent on research (Susan G. Komen in particular), but let’s just say that Ehrenreich’s words and research fell in line with my thoughts.

Ehrenreich continues with chapters about the economy, life coaches, how “coaching” entered into corporate culture, and so on. One review compared positivity and positive thinking to a fake orgasm. “Fake it ’til you make it” is referenced a lot, and not always in a good way. But, Ehrenreich says, that’s okay. It’s actually healthier to not be positive all the time. Her main point is to not get brainwashed, and make sure you remain in control of your emotions.

While I was reading, I couldn’t help but think of the Pixar movie Inside Out (2016), where the viewers are inside the head of 11-year-old Riley and seeing her emotions (Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger) interact. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. And I wondered if Ehrenreich had seen it, and what she thought about it. A lot of her writing in this book, years before the movie was released, was spot on with the messages Pixar was sending to moviegoers. We all have Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger among us and in us for a reason and a purpose.

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I’m glad that I put this book on my Amazon wish list. I had been thinking about Ehrenreich and Nickel and Dimed a lot last year, and I found myself searching for more books written by her. I was not disappointed. I plan to read several more of her works in the future:

Despite this compelling read, I still have a positive attitude. I’ve always been an optimist – One nonfiction book isn’t going to turn me into a pessimist. However, I’m definitely going to pay closer attention to my surroundings, try not to get caught up in hype, and stay in control of my emotions.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.03.18
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Book Review #52: “The Woman in Cabin 10”

The Woman in Cabin 10 - Amazon

Image Credit: Amazon

This is one of three books that my wonderful husband gave to me for Christmas!

I first learned about this book, and the author, in September 2017 thanks to a book review from Thrice Read. Don’t worry, the ladies have spoiler-free reviews, and this is one of them. I immediately added this book to my Amazon wish list!

Once I started reading, I could hardly put this book down. Ever since I read The Girl On The Train, I wanted to find and read more thrillers. Ware’s writing is amazing, and spellbinding. I did not want to put this book down. She seamlessly takes you from London, to Scandinavia, and back again.

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I will say that I’m glad I didn’t read this book on a boat or on a cruise, and I recommend that you don’t either. Ware is so talented at making you feel like you’re a fly on the wall, watching main character Laura’s (Lo’s) every single move on the luxury yacht.

And once you think you’ve figured it all out, there’s a twist. And another. And another. I felt for Lo, I caught myself holding my breath several times! It’s very much like a murder mystery, with psychological horror thrown in.

I’m amazed I didn’t have nightmares, since I typically read before going to bed. Ware is such a good storyteller!

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I look forward to reading In a Dark, Dark Wood very soon! I hope she continues writing, because Ruth Ware is quickly rising toward the top of my favorite authors list.

5 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.01.18
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Getting Personal #102: February Goals

February-Goals - Balancing Today

Image Credit: Balancing Today

Welcome to February! We’ve almost turned the corner for winter. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for spring!

Here are my goals for the month of February:

  1. Host my first P.E.O. meeting.
  2. Get back to a regular cleaning schedule.
  3. Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.
  4. Donate blood.
  5. Use my diffuser more often.
  6. Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses.
  7. See Black Panther.
  8. Wear my contact lenses every day this month.
  9. Write in my journal at least once a week.
  10. Read at least two books.
  11. Explore options for essential oil storage.

Here’s the breakdown:

Host my first P.E.O. meeting.

  • I’m hosting our meeting for the first time! We are trying a few Saturday meetings to see if it increases attendance, among other things. Our typical meetings are held on Monday nights.
  • What is P.E.O., you ask? It stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization. The way I describe it is it’s women helping women, where we raise money for scholarships, grants, and loans.

Get back to a regular cleaning schedule.

  • The holidays were a blur, and I had little to no consistency with my cleaning schedule in December and January. Like last month, I want to dust and vacuum more often, so that’s going on the calendar.

Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.

  • Every time I look at my Lady Lounge, I want to scream. I have been so lazy recently, and the clutter and boxes are driving me nuts. I want to find permanent homes for everything in the lounge, and in the garage.
  • I figure committing a time to each weekend will hopefully hold me accountable. My plan is to set the oven timer for an hour, and then see what happens.

Donate blood.

  • Our next blood drive is on Saturday! Fingers crossed for high iron.

Use my diffuser more often.

  • I love my Desert Mist Diffuser in our living room, but I want to use it more often. I have an abundance of oils, and I want to use them!

Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses.

  • I’m part of this awesome Facebook group / small business called Darby’s Dresses. Darby is an awesome woman in Tennessee, and she sells women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories on consignment for very affordable prices. I’ve sent her two big boxes already, and I’m almost ready to send her another one!

See Black Panther.

  • We are so excited for this movie! We’re hoping to see it at least once with our friends Mike and Shana.

Wear my contact lenses every day this month.

  • I need to give my glasses a break, and stop being so lazy in the mornings!

Write in my journal at least once a week.

  • Last month’s goal was a bit ambitious, so I’m hoping that committing to once a week will help motivate me.

Read at least two books.

  • I started reading my current book two nights ago, and I devoured the first chapter. It’s really interesting so far!

Explore options for essential oil storage.

  • I love all my Young Living essential oils, but they’re currently cluttering the end table next to our couch. I’m exploring building a shelving unit out of wooden crates at the moment, so that they can be displayed in the Lady Lounge. More to come!

Do you have any goals for the month of February? I’d love to hear about them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.31.18
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Getting Personal #101: January Goals Recap

january-goals - See Jane Write

Image Credit: See Jane Write

I’m pretty sure that I say this every month – That it flew by! I looked at the calendar today, and was stunned. February starts tomorrow!

Here’s the link to my my January Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. See The Post. — Accomplished!
  2. Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner. — Accomplished!
  3. Dust the house more often. — Semi-Achieved.
  4. Get better at weekly meal prep. — Semi-Achieved.
  5. Commit to regular journaling. — Did not accomplish.
  6. Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. — Did not accomplish.
  7. Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.
  8. Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry. — Semi-Achieved.
  9. Celebrate Al’s birthday! — Accomplished!
  10. Update my TBR. — Accomplished!
  11. Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018. — Did not accomplish.

Here’s the breakdown:

See The Post. — Accomplished!

  • We went to see the movie this past Sunday. It was really good. I’m a sucker for historical dramas, and this one absolutely did not disappoint. I highly recommend it! I look forward to seeing it again.

Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner. — Accomplished!

  • Al and I attended the dinner at the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton, Virginia. I was one of over 800 employees honored for milestone anniversaries – Five years, up through 40 years. It was a really nice experience!

Dust the house more often. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I want to keep improving upon this goal, but I pulled out the vacuum, Swiffer, and broom a bit more often this month.

Get better at weekly meal prep. — Semi-Achieved.

Commit to regular journaling. — Did not accomplish.

  • I didn’t write a single word! Womp, womp.

Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. — Did not accomplish.

  • This was the farthest thing from my mind this month.

Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.

Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I was really good at this at the beginning of the month, but faltered a bit in the middle. Oh well, there’s always next month!

Celebrate Al’s birthday! — Accomplished!

  • He picked out New York strip steak, which I marinated in Peppercorn and Garlic mix overnight. It was delicious!
  • We also feasted on shrimp cocktail, Red Lobster Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Biscuits, and cookie cake!
  • Al’s parents also came to visit this past weekend to celebrate. His mom made amazing lasagna!

Update my TBR. — Accomplished!

Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018. — Did not accomplish.

  • I went back and forth over this all month long. I couldn’t find anything that was particularly interesting or inspiring.

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to four out of 11 goals: I’ll take it!
  • The three goals that were Semi-Achieved: There’s always room for improvement.
  • The four goals that I did not accomplish: Most of these were based on time and effort. I’m looking forward to continued progress in February.

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

Come back tomorrow to see my February Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂