Good morning. Thursday already and it feels good. After yesterdays post about how to move your emails around in gmail to receive what you want in your primary box, it was really nice to wake up this morning and find the emails I enjoy reading right at my fingertips.
After the morning ritual of letting the dogs out, filling their food and water dish and grabbing my lap top, it was nice to sit down with a good cup of COFFEE and open up the Shelf Awareness email and read through it. Usually my morning emails consist of communications with others and jobs I am working on so this was a nice relaxing way to start the day.
Speaking of Shelf Awareness, I can not help but share this fun picture they posted this morning of a sign that is in a book store.
Is that not awesome?
Today is pretty mellow compared to what the week has been so far. I have a lunch meeting and a work out commitment this afternoon and the rest of the day is free. YES! I plan to work on a few projects this morning and then after that I am back home this afternoon – blissful reading is a must. 😀
Enjoy your day and pop back in later when I talk with author Julia Lee and her first book release coming our this Saturday, Seven Stones.
I am a gmail girl at heart. I love it and use it for all of my accounts. I love that it connects with Google Docs so you can create a working auto updated spreadsheet that several people can work on.
A few weeks ago I subscribed to the Hungry Girl newsletter to come in my email every weekday. If you are unfamiliar with Hungry Girl it is worth checking out. It is about trying to eat right and not feeling hungry doing so. They have recipes, tips, etc… most importantly (to me) is they know we are human and we get HUNGRY, so these are not skimpy meal ideas – however they are skimpy calorie ideas. I have learned I can take their recipes and make them even better, but that…
is another story for another day.
I found that my daily email would fall into my “Promotions” tab of my gmail. (Gmail now comes with three tabs – Primary (friends, connections), Social (all my book journey stuff, groups I have signed up with) and Promotions (stuff sent to me like Redbox info, Shelf Awareness…). Truth is, there is so much junk mail in the promotions tab I rarely look at it.
This morning I thought there has to be a way to move the emails I want to read out of promotions and into Primary (which is the emails I always read first). Looking at it on gmail I could not figure it out, there was no easy “move to primary button. For the record there should be. 🙂 SO I did what any modern woman does these days…
I Googled it.
Sure enough… you simply grab the email with your cursor and move it to the box you want it to be in. Then it asks you if you want all such emails from this site to come to your primary box.
Uhhhh
YES.
SO there it is. Maybe you already knew that – I did not. Now I am going to dig my Shelf Awareness out of there too as I have not read forever.
Good morning. Tuesday is here and I am all about my day already. COFFEE CUP is in hand and I have my to do list fully loaded to start checking off whatever I can get done before this afternoons hair cut and then a Library Board Meeting with the Policy Committee to update Emergency Plans. Good stuff. Good stuff.
Last week I was noticing how one of our fairly new local businesses had a very minimal website. Their About Us page was blank, and in their case, that is probably the most important page. I mentioned it to a lady I was working with and she asked me if I had a business card and she would give it to them if they wanted someone to build content into their website.
*crickets*
(in other words… silence)
I have played with the idea of a business card for my Freelance work the past few months yet every time I start one I do not like the style, and if it bores me… well, I am not going to do it. Now, recently sparked with energy about this possibility of website content writing for a business I know intrigued me. Let’s just say I got to work.
I spent the start of the weekend creating the business card which is now complete and will soon be in my hands. I almost can not wait to start handing them out. It’s kind of like putting on my big girl pants and saying out loud, “Yeah. I am doing this.”
Front sideBack Side
I am kind of excited about it.
Of course for those of you who really know me… I didn’t stop there. I started building my own website… which, just so you know… feels weird. Promoting “me” is not a natural step for me and I am still tweaking the site even though it took up most of my weekend spare time and I am still working on it.
Yesterday, I went to work on my LinkedIn profile, updating, connecting with others… my goodness this connecting thing is a lot of work, however I do get that if you want to get the word out, you have to be KNOWN.
And that my friends, is how a week gets away from you.
It was a great week last week that I balanced with work, and coffee dates, appointments, and reading. Oh yeah… I have been reading, as of this mornings list I am 6 reviews behind and that does now happen with me…
until it does.
Freelancing is fun, but it is very easy to find yourself working 7 days a week if you are not careful. I am trying to create work free weekends,but that will not start today. 🙂 That is ok though, because I did take most of Friday off for an overdue meet up with a friend, and then Saturday I ran the 7K in Minneapolis for the annual Get Lucky ST Patty’s Day run; the largest run of the year – 11,000 of us green people doing the 7K in one area, and 20,000 people doing the 21K (the lucky 7 7 7 run) in another part of the cities. I will save most of the pictures for later, but here are a couple samples:
Getting ready to run at the starting gate – that’s a lot of little green people!Me, pre-run, being Irish helps me fit the part!
And…. books came to my house this week! Lovely lovely lovely books:
Keep an eye on this one, we are going to have some fun with this title with an author interview that will amaze you later this week and this will be a book to start talking about now.
This morning I made a to-do list to get a feel of where I am at for this week, while I hope to make a nice dent in this list today, it is really something I will be working on throughout this week. This afternoon, book time…. and I know just the book.
Good morning! It is FRIDAY!!!! I am crazy excited about that for really no reason at all except that I should have some reading time this afternoon and of course shopping to get my green on.
Literally.
Tomorrow morning I am off to St Paul for The Get Lucky Annual 7k run. I like this run, and it is my first Ortho run of the year. The Ortho runs are nice as you usually get some serious bling, like a nice hooded sweatshirt. Excited about that! 😀
As the weather seems like it will be a little nicer than the last three years that I have completed this run, I am thinking I may change-up my green this year. After a coffee date this morning I am going to go and see what I can find for my “green wear”. I have some things from previous year but hope to shake it up a little bit this year.
Above – pics from last years run.
Off to coffee…. have a wonderful start to your day everyone!
You know how sometimes it is just DANGEROUS to put a group of witty readers int he same room? They can really feed off each other and you never know what is going to happen.
I think it went down like this…
On Tuesday we had book club here at my house. We were discussing those of our group who are out exploring the world on this spring break week. Someone mentioned they should have taken a “Flat Stanley” with them which somehow led to…
Flat Bookie.
A bookish relative to Flat Stanley who would travel when the Bookies travel so the Bookies can take pics with him when they are in bookish situations… such as…
book stores
author events
and of course, just reading a good book wherever they are
I love ideas like this.
Yesterday afternoon I went about creating the Flat Bookie. Something simple we can cut out and laminate and send off on adventures…. bookish of course.
For the record, I did not wear a bra on my head while doing this (for you 80’s people, that is a Weird Science movie reference)
It was fun and I presented to the group the result:
Behold!!!! The Flat Bookie!!!!
Ok. LOL. I am done. 🙂 Guess who will be traveling with me to the Book Expo this May?
In case you do not know what I am talking about when I mention Flat Stanley – here is a link. I once had one I took to Honduras with me for a friends daughters project.
Have you ever had a Flat Stanley travel with you? If so where?
Good morning! Happy Wednesday! My only big “to do” today was to take the dogs to the groomers and I have already dropped them off. Now a day of catching up on some smaller projects and basking in the aftermath of last nights book club.
At least….
nothing was broken.
😯
Actually I kid, our group was awesome as usual and last nights discussion of Descent by Tim Johnston was a good one. I do not want to say too much here as my book club review post of this book is going up later today – but I can say a book where the group has different opinions always makes for good discussion.
I think I made it to the second question on the book when it started…. one person said, “and that was where it all went wrong and I didn’t like the rest of the book,” and another piped in, “I thought that was when it was getting interesting!” I nudged Kaydi who was sitting next to me and I said, “here we go.. this is going to be good.”
And it was good, we all had things that we did not like about the book and some of us found things that we really liked about the book. This was a great discussion read and we were nowhere near the level of mixed heated discussion we were when we discussed Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
One of our gals was out last night due to a recent surgery and we took this picture to put on Facebook.
I did also promise you some food pics… and that will be in the review post – stay tuned to find out more about Descent by Tim Johnston and what makes it an excellent book club choice as well as questions you can use for your group if you discuss this one.
I know I asked you yesterday for ideas for a book club read for April and you came forward with excellent suggestions. We did settle on a book that was part of our Book Club Girl package, Vintage by Susan Gloss because she is skyping with us for our April meeting. I am kind of excited as we have fun plans in store for this one.
Good morning! I want to run through the house screaming “It is book club day! It is book club day!” Perhaps tossing flower petals out of a little yellow basket as I do so.
Yes that is how excited I am about having book club at my house this evening. The book Descent by Tim Johnston was one I enjoyed and I am curious what the rest of the Bookies thought of it. I already know there will be mixed feelings on this one which does make for good discussion. I already have my food planned (you will see what I came up with tomorrow!) and an idea for a prop or two…. we do like to get into the books we read.
I was just talking about our book club with a friend yesterday and was explaining we were so much more than a book club. I told this friend that while at one time we were a bunch of motley crew gals that enjoyed books, through the years we became so much more. We are there for one another when we go through things. I would not want to lose any one of them. I teared up a little bit when I spoke of them.
It is true. We have built such an amazing group that I hang tight to them. Together we are funny, we are serious, we are sad, we are passionate, and we get angry – all about books. I love it. I do.
Each meeting we choose the next book we plan to read. We can all submit a book for vote – we look for a book that is:
Fairly new so we can find enough copies
priced under $15 and Kindle does count
SO my question to you this morning since at this time I do not have a suggestion in mind, what book would you suggest I put forth for the book club tonight to be considered as our April read? Why would that make a good book club book?
Good morning! Happy Sunday to you all. Day lights savings time is here and as I look at my laptop and my cell phone I am wondering if that is the correct time or if I need to add an hour and I am all weirded out as from the comfort of my recliner I can not see a clock and to comfy to get up and check.
Yesterday afternoon I was downstairs on the treadmill listening to Pandora 80’s cardio because yes that is the way I roll, errr…. tread. I Will Survive came up by Gloria Gaynor. I don’t know what got into me but suddenly I was belting out to the tune but changing the words.
I Will Survive, The Ice Cream Song
At first, I was afraid, I was petrified.
Kept thinkin’ I could never live
Without you by my side,
But then I spent so many nights
Thinkin’ how you did me wrong.
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along.
And so you’re back from my freezer space.
I just walked in to find you here
With all that chocolate and caramel in place.
I should’ve changed that stupid lock,
I should’ve made you leave your key,
If I had known, for just one second,
You’d be back to tempt me.
Well, now go! Get out the door!
Just turn around now,
‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore!
Weren’t you the one
Who tried to hurt me with your fat?
Did you think I like crumble?
Did you think I’d lay down and eat?
Oh no, not I! I will survive!
Oh, as long as I know how to move,
I know I’ll stay alive!
I’ve got everyday to move
And I’ve got the time to groove
and I’ll survive
I will survive (hey-hey)
It took all the strength I had
not to grab a spoon
kept trying hard to avoid
the pieces of chocolate moons
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I’m not that chained up little person
still in love with you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to be hungry
and now I’m saving all my calories
for something that’s good for me!
Go on now go! Get out the door!
just turn around now
’cause you’re not welcome anymore
weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with your fat?
Did you think I like crumbles?
Did you think I’d lay down and eat?
Oh no, not I
I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to move
I know I will stay alive
I’ve got all my life to move
And I’ve got the time to groove
and I’ll survive
I will survive
I just ruined that song for you forever. You’re welcome. 😉
It should be a good bookish week, I finished up our book club read last night for our meeting this Tuesday and hope to get to a few more this week as well.
Kind of hard to believe from the comfort of my cozy home this morning that a week ago I was loading up the car with a prom dress, bubble toe tennis shoes, a black make up marker, and wearing a friend of mines dog tags to go to Anoka Minnesota to throw myself in the lake.
😯
Crazy Minnesotans… we will do anything for entertainment in the winter. 🙂
SO for this Saturday Snapshot, I give you the Polar Plunge pics that I have. There are more to come from the professional camera peeps of the event however those are not posted yet.
This is what we walk through to get to the water. We come in through the back where that dark blue is. This is the lull before the storm 🙂
I had offered those who sponsored me to be able to choose what I wore. I had to wear something from Australia (the white t shirt I am wearing), something from Harry Potter (the scar on my forehead), my friends dog tags for his birthday, and a prom dress. Check, check, check, CHECK.
This is me and my cousins wife Rhonda (I call her cousin-in-law)…. the dude is a photo bomber and the look on my face is because I suddenly felt someone over my shoulder and he surprised me.
Showing that I am wearing the dog tags
We are “Plungeriffic”
This is my “I guess I am really doing this” face.
This is our team, we were supporting Angela Wood, a Special Olympian!
and the pictures you are waiting for….
Yup… for a moment I walked on water. And yes, I plugged my nose… this one was deeper than the one I did three years ago.
Me… still in the water. If you are wondering what that feeling is when you jump into a Minnesota lake in March it is mainly “how fast can I get out!”
It was for a good cause, our area alone had 1,000 plungers raising a total of $208,000. Other areas:
South Metro: 985 Plungers raised more than $232,000
Alexandria: 435 Plungers raised more than $93,100
Today there is a plunge in my home town of Brainerd Minnesota. Oddly, I have completed two now but I have never jumped in Brainerd. Hmmm…. maybe next year 😀
You may recall in January I picked my word for this year to be Emerge. I purchased the above necklace for myself on my birthday to remind myself of my word. I think so far… I am living it. 🙂
Today is a day of reading, web design, working out, and just chilling around the house. I rented Mockingjay for my hubby and I to watch tonight. Laying low and loving it!
Book Journey 