Book Reviews: Book 35

Book 35: Cinnamon Girl by S.J. MacIver

Back when I first got my Kindle I started to download all the free books that seemed remotely interesting. This is one of the first I downloaded. Now having over 200 Free books on the Kindle it's hard to decide what to read first, so I came to the conclusion that if I can't make a decision I go to the book that I've had the longest. This was that book yesterday. It is an incredibly quick read, although I am recovering from being sick, so it could just be that I was taking the time to read.

The story is about Lacy, a reporter who has had her share of problems in the past.  She is doing a favor for a co worker when she discovers a dead body.  Quickly she gets wrapped up in the events that caused the body to be at the scene, and in the process she begins to get wrapped up with the sheriff's friend.

Mike has moved to this quiet town to pursue a different type of investigative work.  Having been shot in the line of duty, he now is trying to figure out what is next. His new friend Brian introduces him to Lacy.  Once they meet he isn't sure any more which way he should go.  The two, both being investigators in their own field, find themselves investigating crime as well as the possibility of a relationship.

What will end up happening?  It is hard to say, unless you read the book!

I'd give this book 4 stars.

Book Reviews: Book 34

 Book 34: Falling For You by Steven Slavick

The knight in shining armor, the hero who always saves the girl in distress, the best friend.  Only one of those labels seems to stick to Alexander, and unfortunately it's not the one he wants.  Will his long time friend Marisa ever see him as who he wants to be?  He has saved her from countless relationships, but after this last time he's begun to realizes things need to change.  Lucky for him is best friend, Damon is there to help him see what he has been doing wrong all these years.

With Damon's help Alex begins to change.  Will Marisa notice, and will she like what she sees?  It's not easy to find the perfect guy in the world, may actually be your best friend.  What will she do when she discovers this might just be the reality.

A quick read, full of ups and downs and believable characters. I would give the book 4 stars.

Book Review: Book 33

Book 33: Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith
Joan is stuck.  She's stuck living at home, running a furniture store, and fighting with her Mom over what to do with her Grandmother.  Meanwhile her older sister is about to have a baby and her younger sister has a fabulous life of her own as well.  Not much is happening in her little town though, so it's possible Joan will remain stuck forever.  That is until her Grandmother notices a cute doctor moving in next door.  Will he be what unsticks Joan? 
With the goal of finding out, she ends up in a battle with her forever flirting sister Tori.  Who will win the contest?  Or will the Doctor decided that being a sought after prize is not what he is wanting? 

This book is not only about getting unstuck from the place you may be at, but finding out what is truly important and learning how to follow that path.  Joan discovers in the process how to truly live.  She might not get all she wants, but she will find that happiness is sometimes waiting for you to find it.

Another quick read. It is book 1 in the author's sister series.  I downloaded this one for free on my kindle, but have not decided if I will go out and purchase the others.  I would certainly be interested in reading them, I just have found that I receive so many books for free that spending money on any, just doesn't seem right!

I would give this book 4 stars.

Book Review: Book 32

 Book 32: Crazy Love by Frances Chan

This book can change your life, if you let it.  I had started this book last summer, read a good deal of it and then suggested it to our small group bible study.  This winter we decided to study it together.  It gives you so much to think about.  Frances Chan is a man that God is certainly using.  Just from reading his book, and bits and pieces about him, I can tell that he would not say that he has it all together.  That he is rather a work in progress, as we all are.  The difference is that for him, he realizes that what really matters is eternity.  Something I will openly admit there are days I don't think about. 
So many days we are filled up with the here, the now, the what needs to get done.  We forget about taking time to make sure that we are taking time to invest in the eternity of others.  How do we do that?  By truly believing and living the way Christ asked us to live.  We need to be in love with the Lord.  Following His teaching, and really if we aren't taking time with Him, we can't possibly succeed.  How many relationships do you know where they continue even though the people spend zero time together?  Relationships can't last that way, but that's the amount of time we often give to the Lord. Zero.  If we truly believe that He came so that we may be set free from the bondage of sin, than we should desire to spend time with Him.
While having finished this book just last month, I feel already like I want to reread it. This time straight through instead a chapter a week, just to be reminded again how to be connected with Jesus.

This book can change your life, but if you are looking for a the ultimate life changing book, I think even Frances Chan would say, start with the Bible.  Read the book of John, and learn of God's great sacrifice for you, and the world.

I would give this book 10 stars!  (even though I've been using a 5 star max)

Book Review: Book 31

Whew! Sometimes life certainly can get busy.  Seems all my "reading" time has been replaced with a gazillion other things lately.  Looking forward to a long road trip with time to read in the car, as well as time to read off and on in the day with summer almost here!

Book 31:
Kate's Kisses by Mary Manners

This was a "sweet" quick read. The main character Kate is running the bakery in town when the man that walked out of her life, suddenly walks back in.  Logan and had plans to spend the rest of their lives together, but an unexpected twist in her life finds her feeling like she needed to be there for her family, and instead of joining her on that mission, he left.  What's he doing back now?  Will he stay or is this just another passing moment in her life? 

Her sisters don't want her dreams to die, so they begin to find ways to get Logan and Kate back together.  They feel that it is time that she moves on with her life and stops worrying about them, after all they are all now old enough to care for themselves.

This book was easy to get caught up in, and believable.  It wasn't too sappy either, which made it quiet enjoyable.  Plus, when they discuss chocolate it's hard to walk away from that!

I would give this book 4 stars.

Book Reviews: Book 27-30

Books 27-30 were also a part of series.  When I read a series, I have a hard time stopping until I've completed the whole set.  The first 2 books in this series I downloaded onto my Kindle for Free.  Realizing there were 2 more and that they were only $2.99 each, I decided to splurge and get the rest of the series. 
 Book 1 Just This Once by Rosalind James
 The first book in the Escape to New Zealand series is about Hannah, an overworked clothing executive. She is desperately in need of a break not just from her job, but from being in charge of her little brother and sister.  Hannah has been in control for so long that she decides to do something crazy, in her world at least, and escape for a 3 week trip to New Zealand.  An avid swimmer she takes her first trip to the beach the day after arriving and gets stuck in a rip tide.  She is frantically trying to break free from it when she is rescued by Drew.  As a resident of the country he offers to show her around while she is there on her vacation.  Of course, the young couple suddenly finds themselves drawn to each other.  What will happen when it is time for Hannah to return to the States. Will she be able to leave Drew forever.  What will he do, can he turn his back on his homeland? Hannah is in for a surprise ahead as well when she realizes who he really is.  Will their relationship last through the new challenges it faces? You'll just have to read book one to find out.

Book 2  Just Good Friends by Rosalind James
The second book in the series follows the lives of Kate and Koti.  Kate is a American seeking refuge from a horrific past.  She comes to New Zealand knowing it might be the one place on earth she can truly escape.  Once there she meets Koti, the self absorbed, rugby hero.  She finds herself placing a bet with him that he can't be "just friends" with a female.  As they begin to spend time together they discover that it might be hard for both of them to keep the bet.  The closer their friendship gets, the more danger Kate finds herself in.  Her past is beginning to catch up with her, and it just may be that only Koti can help her finally escape.

Book 3  Just for Now by Rosalind James
Jenna has come to New Zealand with the love of her life, and after marrying him discovers he's not who she thought he was.  Instead of living the dream she imagined she finds herself creating a new one.  When her teaching time is up she moves on to another area of New Zealand so that she can start fresh.  Of course having a job is the only thing that will allow her to stay in the country so she applies to be a nanny.  Her love for children helps land her the perfect job as a nanny for Rugby star Finn.  As she falls in love with the children, and her now perfect little family, she begins to realize that in reality they aren't her family at all.  Is Finn interested in changing that situation?  Will they discover that together they can create the dream life for both of them?

Book 4  Just for Fun by Rosalind James
Emma has had to build a life for her and her son for the past 1several years, after a nonhoneymoon honeymoon leaves her expecting her greatest gift ever.  Nic has been making his way to the top of the rugby world.  One look at the little boy at rugby camp knocks Nic back on his heels.  Could this little boy be his? Will Emma except his apology for leaving her stranded?  Will this new parenting relationship change the rest of their friendships and careers as well.  Can something that was just for fun, become the piece of life they have been missing for so long?

In order to really understand these characters and their stories, as well as how they are interconnected you'll have to read the books.  They are all a bit "steamy", which is not typically what I read.  I was drawn into the stories of their lives though after the first book, and decided to just skim past the parts that I wouldn't normally read.

Overall I'd give the series 3 stars.  I liked the stories, but wished they could happen without the steam!

Book Review: Books 22-26

 

Book 22

Gone to Green

By Judy Christie

As I've mentioned many times I LOVE FREE books!  This entire series I downloaded from Inspirerdreads.com over the course of several months all for FREE!  Honestly though, having now read the whole series, it would be worth paying for. When I realized I had all of the books in the series I decided to make it my goal to read the series during spring break. I started on Friday, after school let out last week, and finished the last book this past Saturday.

 

The series focuses on the life of Lois Barker, a successful journalist in Dayton, Ohio who is approaching her late 30s. She's beginning to wonder if she is headed in the right direction.  When a promotion at work opens up, due to the untimely death of her mentor Ed, she decides maybe it is time to move on in her job.  Ed must have thought so too, as he leaves her a newspaper in Green, Louisiana in his will.  She loved Ed, and all he taught her, and while it was his dream to own and run this small town newspaper, she isn't sure it is really what she should be doing.  To honor his memory she decides to move to Green for a year and give it a try.  Her plan is at the end of the year she will sell the newspaper and be able to go back to her successful journalism career.

 

There is only one problem with her plan.  Green, Louisiana is not what she expected it to be.  Soon she finds herself drawn to the people and their issues.  This independent woman can't just let things go when she realizes there is more to the situation then meets the eye and through the newspaper she begins to see the town differently.  Will she really sell at the end of the year? Will she throw away the friendships she has made?



 

   Book 23 Goodness Gracious Green

Lois has found that leaving Green, at least right now is not an option.  She has uncovered serious allegations and must fight to keep the paper and herself alive during the aftermath.  When fires begin to surround her, she finds herself turning to her new friends, and her recovered faith to pull her through. She also finds herself falling in love, which she never planned on happening.  Will all of these changes keep her in Green, or will she be swept away, back to Dayton where life was simpler?

 

Book 24 The Glory of Green

 

From the cover alone, it's obvious that someone is getting married.  Most people dream of their weddings starting out wonderfully, and would never in their wildest dreams imagine them to start off the way Lois' does.  Now that another major storm has entered her life, she is forced with deciding how she will survive it.  Leaning on friends and now family to make it through helps.  Will the town survive as well?  Lois' strong personality and independent nature helps her to keep going.  The town turns to her to help them decide which way to go.  Loss surrounds them, but with faith and love they too can rebuild.

 

 

Book 25

Rally Round Green

What is a town without a school?  Why is the Mayor's ex husband in town?  All of these questions, and more must be answered by journalist/newspaper owner Lois Barker Craig as she lives through the next issue in Green.  She is in it for the long haul, but will the battle be worth it? Can she help Molly and Katy, 2 of her young journalists survive the storms of growing up, on top of the storms the city keeps facing.  What is next?  There always seems to be one more problem then she can handle.  Will this battle finally push her over the edge?

  





The only problem with reviewing books is trying not to give too much away!  Book 26, the final book in the series was also filled with new found problems.  Problems that small towns across America face all the time, how to survive.  Lois is fighting not only for her small town now, but also for her newspaper and her family.  Who will come out on top?  Guess to really find out all the answers you'll have to read the whole series!  

 

 

I would give the entire series 5 stars! Happy Reading

 

Up Next...Finishing Crazy Love by Frances Chan, and then I'm not sure yet where my Kindle will take me!

 

Book Review: Books 20 and 21

Book 20

Falling In Love

Seasons of the Heart Series

by Susette Williams

 

 

I downloaded this book to my Kindle for free awhile back.  Honestly, I downloaded it based solely on the cover picture.  It seemed from the picture that it would be a nice light romance novel, and it lived up to that expectation.  It took me about 2 hours total to read.  The characters drew you in quickly.  Katie is a student working on her Veterinarian degree, who works at an animal hospital with Wade. He is the doctor at the clinic where she works, and has quickly become her friend and study partner for her classes. 

She is concern that someone as wonderful as Wade, should be married already.  Naturally, she decides to start setting him up with people she knows. What she doesn't realize is that Wade, isn't married because he is only interested in one person.  Her!  While the book was short, the story was still believable and enjoyable.

 

I give this book 5 stars. 

 

I was sad to see such a good book come to an end.  I started to glance at the extra chapter from Season of the Heart Series book 2 which was at the end of the book, when I realized I had downloaded that one too, for free on my Kindle. 

 Book 21

Winter Chill

Seasons of the Heart Series book 2

by Susette Williams

 

This book too was short and took only about 2 hours to read.  Sasha is the main female character in the book.  She was introduced in Falling in Love, when Katie tries to set her up on a date with Wade. A date that goes horribly wrong.  Sasha is scared of men, and I found myself wondering why, when reading the first book in the series.  In book 2 her past is revealed and her reasons for being scared become completely understandable.  Forrest, the other main character literally bumps into Sasha at the beginning of the story.  Their paths cross again, and suddenly he is drawn into the search for why Sasha seems so scared all the time.  Will he be able to help her overcome her fear? 
It will only take about 2 hours to answer that question, and to be drawn in to their story.

I give this book 5 stars as well. I'm looking forward to her next book Spring Break which will be out this spring.


Book Review: Book 19

Book 19

God Has Better Things to Do Than My Laundry

And Other Obsercations from an Overly Dramatic Mom

by Heather Nestleroad

 

 

I have actually been reading this book on and off since January.  It is light hearted, and full of funny situations that all too often I have found myself in as well.  It's has short chapters that make it a good book to pick up and read when you only have a few minutes here and there.  I used this book in that way, which is why it took  me so long to read. In the book Heather reflects on her life as a wife and mom and the funny sitations that we find ourselves in.  It was easy to identify with, and helped me to not take things so seriously at times.

 

I would give this book 4 stars.  

Book Review: Book 18

Book 18

Patio and Kitchen Herb Gardens

A Beginner's Guide to 21 Herbs You Can Grow At Home

by Julia Winchester

 

 

This was a great book, filled with practical information.  It contained lots of tips about what to look for as far as location for your plants, as well as listed plants according to how easy they are to grow.  The book pointed out common mistakes people make in growing herbs.  I have tried for years to grow herbs in the kitchen, and last summer tried outside.  The problem last year was we had so much rain that it was hard to keep the plants alive.  After finishing the book I picked up some potting soil, some new herb seeds and a container that will look great in the sunniest window in the house.  I'm hoping to get these planted next week with the kids while they are on spring break.

 

I give this book 5 stars.  Full of useful information!



Book Review: Book 17

 Book 17:

Body Sculpting Exercises for Women Over 40

By Andy Charalambous

 

This was an informative book with several good ideas about getting fit when you are over 40. It was a collection of ideas from various sources, with a variety of backgrounds.  One of the best quotes from the book was "That we age, if we are lucky enough to do it, is a given...but how we age is up to us". How true that is.  The book inspired me to look for ways to be more fit, just in lifestyle changes such as taking the steps, or getting up from my desk and moving around a little every 20 minutes or so.  It also is helping me thing about getting back on track with paying attention to what my family is eating, and trying to serve more non processed items. 

 

I plan on referring back to the chapter that contained weight lifting exercises with pictures to help those of us who are visual learners see exactly what to do.

I give this book 4 stars.  

March Challenge: Craft Room Organizing

I committed to becoming more organized in 2013, and so far it's going well...ok! To be honest, if I looked at myself through the eyes of many of my friends they would tell me to get a grip and stop thinking I need to be organized, as no offense to many of them, but I'm slightly, how shall I put it...TYPE A! Yes, I can admit it, just as I can admit that I am addicted to organization books, and organizational tips on pintrest posts. As I spent the last few hours going through my office I've come to the conclusion that the reason why I'm addicted is that I want my home to run smoothly.  For me smoothly involves a place for everything, and everything in it's place.  When this happens, I don't end up running to the store for that extra craft item the kids need or another folder, when I have a full drawer of folders the kids can choose from.  There are certainly areas of my life that stay organized better than others.

Last month the focus was photos. This is one area, that I continually have organized.  I thank Creative Memories for that, which you can read about in previous posts should you choose too. This month the challenge on Delightful Order, somewhat changed.  The writer of this blog determined that she needs to step back from all she is doing and focus on her family as they are growing up too fast.  I applaud her! One of the reasons why things are taking longer for me to get done, is I'm trying to do the same, to spend time with my kids and husband, and not be so "busy" with things that honestly can wait.  Instead of a new challenge posted each week she has posted the entire year, with the information under each tab.  This month is Craft Room organizing. For me, that means my office as my office is my craft room as well.

The first step in organizing my office was rearranging it.  It was functioning before, but was beginning to feel closed in.  By changing some things around, including turning a shelf on it's side, I've been able to find more useful storage space.  In January, I had organized my files so organizing the 2 other drawers in my desk didn't take much time.  I purged old pens, pencils and markers, and used a drawer organizer I had purchased at Ikea to maintain the top drawer.  Next up was my desk surface itself.  The  more stuff we have on a surface, honestly the more messy it can seem.  My desk top is down to my printer/scanner topped with a basket where I place my to do items, forms to fill out, or things I need to respond to.  Each Sunday, I clear it out of anything I didn't take care of during the week.  By having the items I need to take care of in this basket, it's easy to grab a couple of things to put in my purse to take with me for working on in the car, or during a break at work.  The other items on my desk are a stapler, adding machine, and a mug with a few pens, pencils and a pair of scissors, plus of course my computer. That is all.  The white space that I have open around me, makes me feel less closed in, and more productive. 

Step two for me, was my craft desk.  I got rid of those things that I set aside thinking I would use someday, and haven't yet used. Again, I focused on making sure everything that was there had a place and if it didn't belong it moved on, either to the garbage, to it's actual home in the house, or to the bin in my laundry room to donate.   From there I reorganized my paper, stickers, and other scrapbook materials.  Again, I looked at everything from the perspective of will I honestly ever use this stuff.  Funny, how the desk, craft desk and my scrapbooking things were the easy part of the process. What I worked on today was all the rest.

The rest is all those things you may need for school projects, construction paper, Styrofoam balls, pipe cleaners, envelopes for mailing things, or for projects waiting to be accomplished.  The stuff that simply is necessary, but not pretty to look at.  I looked around the house first for containers that were not being used and moved them into the office.  Then the sorting began.  I put computer type items and office supplies near my desk, and craft supplies were grouped together as well.  As I went I  made note of things that I need on my grocery list, such as business envelopes.  Here is how I grouped things:

On the shelf

Sewing machine, and sewing kit
Sewing machine parts, knitting items and cross stitch went into their own bin.
Business items for my Creative Memories business
Office items: I filed in a box, stamps, note cards, and address labels.
Projects currently being worked on have their own shelf now
Books and extra office supplies.
Markers, Crayons, Craft books
Construction paper, stencils and stickers

In a cabinet
Paint, Glue gun and glue sticks
Extra school craft supplies: glitter, Styrofoam, pipe cleaners etc
Frames to be reused
Computer related items
Camera related items

I'm thrilled it is done, as it was my topic for the month.  I still want to go back and label the shelves and items, but I like to wait for a week to make sure it is actually working for me, like I think it will before I do that.

February Challange: Organizing Printed Photos

Organizing Photos can certainly be overwhelming if you have not attempted it before, and you like most people have lots of photos in your home.  This is one of my favorite aspects of being a Creative Memories consultant.  I simply love to organize, and helping people get organized with their photos is a great way to get them started in getting their photos into their lives.


 First of all, if you are organizing printed photos, not in albums, you need a safe place to put them.  Creative Memories Power Sort boxes are perfect for this.  There are a LOT of products out there, the biggest problem is that many are made of card board, or plastic.  While they may claim to be acid free, they are not chemical free and over time chemicals from these products will leak in and damage your photos.  Creative Memories tests all of it's products in a time vault that can simulate hundreds of years later.  This allows us to be clear about what will happen to your photos over time.

As far as how to organize that will depend on what you wish to someday do with your photos. Chronological is a great way to organize.  I do keep my photos organized in this way, as well as by child, school, sports, and other potential albums I might like to create.  Album making does not have to be scrapbooking.  Using Memory Manager software I created a Picfolio album layout for my 2013 photos.  At the end of the month as I was going through the photos from the month I just moved them into the layout part of the software, and put them in order.  I sent them off to print at Walgreen's, and in 30 minutes slid 125 photos into their correct spot in the album. I am waiting for the journaling paper I ordered to arrive, but once it does I will have completed pages for all of January and February of 2013, in a total of about 2 hours time.  That is over the course of multiple days, and 15 minute increments here and there.  As, none of us have 2 hours these days to just sit down and work on a project.
 This is the picfolio I am using for 2013, and the pages that fit into it.

I also quarterly print out photos to put in various frames in our house. I think it's important to update them, in order to keep special moments in your life yearly.  I do this quarterly, so that I keep up with it, but also so that it isn't a constant job.

Once you have your photos organized, and stored somewhere working on albums, frames and other projects with them becomes so much easier.

Here are some more tips:

-Do use acid free storage- acid can discolor your photos over time, make sure to use products tested and not just listed as acid free. Look for ISO# that means these products are up to International Standards. 
-Photos need to live where you do, not in a hot attic or damp basement!
-Don't use plastic bags, or the cardboard sleeves the photos come back from the store in to organize your photo's.
-Don't use post it notes. After time, the adhesive will stick to your photo.
-Don't use pencil or ink on the back of your photos. If you are not having them printed with information on them, then use a photo marking pencil. Yes, Creative Memories has these!


Now Get started!
- create a large space to work
- realize it is a process
-decide how you wish to organize and create post it note labels to put above the stacks as you sort them
-decide what you will store them in
-sort and file
-give yourself permission to throw out those photos that are horrible (over exposed, or just plain bad!)
-once you get everything you have organized, create a space to always put those that need to be filed, if you are not filing them right away.
-keep up with it, like paper if you don't stick to it, it will pile up.

I've been working on several photo projects lately and my file of photos to put away has gotten pretty full, so I'll be getting those put back into their boxes this weekend.

I'm grateful for the tips shared on http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-challenge-organizing-photos_19.html?spref=tw  I'm hoping next month's challage is one that involves a place I haven't given much thought, to keep me motivated for getting my home even more organized.

Book Review: Book 16

 Book 16: Always Looking Up, The adventures of an incurable optimist

By Michael J. Fox

 

 

I've always enjoyed reading and learning about people. Which is why when I saw this book on sale for $2.99 at Amazon, I quickly bought it.  It's not that I was disappointed really, I mean how can you say you are disappointed with someones own story of their life.  I just expected it to be different.  I can't even imagine all that he has had to go through in his life.  Being a celebrity is not always easy I'm sure.  Then to be diagnosed with Parkinson's is a huge trial.  I like the fact that he talks about in the book, having to look at what is happening now, and deal with it, not worrying about what is happening in the future.  The book mainly described his journey in getting his non profit organization up and running.  His fight along the campaign trail for funding for stem cell research, and then briefly what life is like for him now with his family.

 

The book is good, don't get me wrong. I just picked it up thinking it would be more about his family life than his non profit organization, and his life in this new role.

 

 

I give this book 3 stars.  Many will love it, it just wasn't quite for me.



February Challenge: Organizing Photos (Back Up)

This month the theme is organizing photos.  Something I'm thankful that I already have a system for.  True sometimes I get behind on keeping that system going but, just the same I have a system in place.

While it would be ideal to sit down every time I take photos and to go through them that is just not in my time table.  Instead I go through them about once a month, sometimes more if I have the chance.  As I mentioned in a previous post I use and LOVE Creative Memories Memory Manager software. I could not live without it in organizing photos. So as not to repeat myself, see the previous post if you want more information on this product.

To start my monthly organization I take my camera, iphone, and ask my husband to email me, any photos that he has taken, and load them into Memory Manager. 

Next, I sort through them and delete the ones that are really not any good. When sorting I try to rate the ones that I really like, with the star rating system that is in the program.  I sort them into various folders, which is great because 1 photo, does not need to be saved 5 times to be located in the various folders.  For example a picture of all of my family goes in the year folder, and each of our individual folders.  From there if I need to find a picture I can just search based on what I am looking for.

As I come across photos that I would like to share, I can quickly email them to the person I want to share them with, post them on Facebook, or print them out.

Finally, and this is the challenge for the week, I back up all of my photos to a DVD.  Once they are backed up, I delete them from my phone and camera so that I have more space on both of those devices.  At the end of the year, I also back up the entire year to our external drive. 

I store the DVD's currently in my home, but have been thinking about how important it is to move them to another home or location.  The reason for this is I would like to think we will never have a fire, but should it happen, I'd like to be able to get to my photos again.  I think for me this will be the challenge step, to find a safe container to store them in, label and then find the person who would be willing to keep that container in their home.

Don't forget to back up your photos! Computers are great, but we all know the horror stories of people losing everything.  Memory Manager reminds you periodically to back up your photos too, which is also wonderful, because sometimes on our own we'd forget.

Book review: Books 13, 14, 15 I couldn't STOP reading!!

 Book 13: Ready or Not by Chautona Havig

This book was simply captivating.  The writing was clever, and pulled you into the story. The story is about a young girl named Aggie whose family endures a devastating loss of her sister and her brother-in-law in a car accident, followed by a terrible mistake at the hospital.  With both parents now deceased Aggie finds herself inheriting the couples 8 children.  Aggie, just out of college is thrown into the role of Aunt Mommy, and all that goes with it. 

Thinking about my own 2 children it's hard to imagine how difficult being thrown into the role of raising 2 would be let alone 8.  She is alone, as her parents can't help even though they would love to as her Mother suffers from a heart condition and can't be over stimulated.  Her sister and brother-in-law also had been  wise in their planning for an emergency such as this, because they knew that the mother-in-law, was to put it mildly...CRAZY!  This can be evident as you find Aggie going through trying to undo the damage she caused by telling the children they could not cry after the loss of their parents as it wouldn't be appropriate to display such emotion.

Quickly she realizes that the home she also inherited is not going to be conducive to raising the children, so finding a new one becomes a priority.  She finds herself finding a wonderful home, further out in a small town, that is ideal.  Ideal aside from the fact that it is a complete fixer upper!  She begins to tackle the job with the help of Luke, her car dealer Zeke's nephew who turns homes for a living.  Project after project begins, and in the midst of renovations illness, schooling and life must continue on.  The author did a great job of making all of these events seem real, and remind you of similar events in your life. 

Does Aggie survive the GIL (Grandmother-in-law), renovations and becoming the Aunt Mommy?  Reading the book is the only way to truly tell, or reading the rest of this book review since I couldn't STOP reading!

Having finished book 1 of the series I quickly found myself screaming (silently of course) WAIT... you didn't finish the story!  Will Aggie make friends with those in the new community, will she finish the renovations, how will she survive the next step of child rearing?!  Luckily, a quick scroll down my list of books I had downloaded as they came up as FREE choices for my Kindle revealed book 2!!

 For Keeps (book 2) by Chautona Havig

Aggie has survived the move, some dealings with the GIL and now is about done with the home renovations, thanks to Luke, Luke's Uncle Zeke and his family, as well as her good friend Tina that has come to help her survive life as a Mom of 8. Yet, just like Motherhood the adventure does not stop there.  Now she is facing even more issues with the GIL, as well as realizing that getting 5 children out the door to school, especially now that they are dealing with a chicken pox nightmare is just not going to happen.  The most logical thing, especially since she did major in education in college, is to home school.  I know many people have more than 2 children, and home school, but personally I can't even imagine trying to run a household with 8 small children, home school them, and feed, clothe, and stay sane all without help.  While Aggie has friends, that have come along side her, it still isn't the same. 

 

Then a surprise letter arrives giving her another option.  Will she jump at it, and throw admit that she can't continue on the way she has, or will she look for her own option. Her one friend, William, an over protective policeman from the small town that she has moved to, decides he knows the solution. He tells, well I guess offers, to marry her.  What?!?  Not only can she not believe it herself, she is shocked as he seems to always be the one to tell her how she is doing everything wrong.  On top of that, he has a secret when it comes to the house, that she finds herself trying to unravel.

 

Aggie is doing her best, and thankfully Luke, the handyman, turned good friend, is there to remind her to be who she is and keep plugging away.  What will happen to their relationship....frantically flipping through the list of books on my Kindle I discovered that luckily I had previously downloaded

 

 

 

 Book 3 Here We Come

 

Luke and Aggie have become great friends in the first two books.  Now it's time for Luke's secret. He loves Aggie. During the end of book 2 he finds himself being forced to tell her, to hopefully save her from making a mistake.  Will she love him back. One look at the cover and you probably can guess the answer. Yet, again is there time with 8 kids to learn how to love someone.  Isn't it hard enough to learn how to survive?

 

As she falls in love with Luke, they begin to learn how to make it through wedding preparations, broken bones, homeschooling dilemma's and of course Christmas.  Will they be able to survive the biggest nightmare of all?  I would love to say what that nightmare is, and if they survive it or not together, but I should leave you with some mysteries, especially if you are willing to start reading the first book.  If you do pick it up, be prepared, you could end up like me, trying to find bits and pieces of time to keep reading!

 

Chautona Havig, has a gift of storytelling.  All 3 books, if I had time to read straight through would have only taken me a few days to read.  Not having that kind of time they took about 13 days to finish.  I realize for 3 novels that is still pretty fast, but it certainly helps when you spend a lot of time sitting in line to pick up kids, or unfortunately at the doctor's office with a child.  They were all easy reads, and well worth the time.  The stories not only were captivating they reminded me, like Aggie we all feel the need to give up at times.  To think "I can't do this", but God has other plans.  With Him we can do anything, and when we focus on Him, it becomes much easier to do just that, make it through anything.

 

I would give the whole series 5 stars. 

 

Next up on my reading list:

Always Looking Up The Adventures of the Incurable Optimist by Micheal J. Fox

February Organization Challange: Organizing Photos (Digital Photos)

I was so excited to start this new month's challenge with http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-challenge-organizing-photos.html, until I saw what it was.  This month's focus is on photos. It isn't that I'm not excited about organizing my photos, it's just...well I already do it!  If you know me, you know that I am a Creative Memories Consultant, who LOVES photos!  The reason I became a consultant was because I have a ton of photos, and wanted to get my products at cost.  Back 7 years ago, Happy Anniversary to me this month, it was all about the albums.  Yet, times have changed, my life has changed, and now it's about the software, and easy projects.  My life is so busy I don't have time for much else, but I FIRMLY believe that you need to get your photos in your life, if you are going to take photos during your life.

So, this month it's time to get them organized. That is another reason why I'm a consultant, so if you need help, here is my shameless plug...call me, text me, message me, it's really not difficult to get those photos organized, even if it's a few a day. I have some tips below, but if you need more help, please let me know.

Tips for Organizing Digital Photos
1. Find a system you like. Personally, being a consultant time for another shameless plug,  I could not live without Creative Memories Memory Manager

http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/kropwithkathy/Content/Shop/Catalog.aspx?pr=BrowseCategory&s=/Hierarchy/Digital%20Solutions/Software/Software&dpr=BrowseCategory&ds=/Hierarchy/Digital%20Solutions/Software

This software allows you to pull in photos from your camera, phone, computer, flash drive, etc and easily organize them by categories. Unlike organizing them simply on your computer, with this software you can organize them in multiple folders at once, so that if you are ever looking for photos of a certain subject, for example photos of your kids together in the year 2013, you can click on the year 2013 folder, and your kids folder and ask it to show you only pictures that are in both folders. With 2 clicks  you would be able to find what you were looking for, instead of scrolling endlessly through photos. You can also rate your photos to narrow the search to those you absolutely love-5 stars, to those you kind of love-3 stars.  You set up your own folders, so the categories can be as broad as you want or, for me, type A crazy person that I am, as narrow as you want. Sharing to Facebook, or emailing is only a click away too.  On top of that you can get rid of the dreaded red eyes, or if you take lots of pictures that seem to dark or too bright you can change that as well.

2. Once you have a system, take time to use it.  I make a habit of monthly pulling all the pictures off of my phone, and camera cards.  I sort the photos into my folders and then BACK THEM UP on a dvd. 

3. Back up your photos!!!!  Once you've pulled them from a card or phone you need to back them up.  Computers are not safe, back up those photos! Memory Manager gives you periodical reminders to do just that, and is very easy to follow when you are ready to back up.

4. Once you back up, clear your camera cards, or phones of pictures you don't need access to all the time.  Camera cards were not designed to hold photos forever, and on the phone they take up space. Once they are safely stored in your file system, back them up and the delete them from the extra place they are.  Again, I do this monthly.

5. Finally, share them! On Facebook, via email, and PRINT some!  Put them on the fridge, in frames or in albums.  If you took the time to take them, take the time to share them.

I have a feeling a future photo organization tip will be about getting these photos in your life, so I'll save the rest of my ranting until then!

I LOVE photos, and I'm truly not trying to annoy anyone, but Memory Manager is so simple to use, and makes everything so organized, you really do need to check it out. www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy
Look for the tutorial/demo. It will be worth your time.

Book Review: Book 12

Book 12

Unforgetable

My Love Has Come Along

 by Ann Marie Bryan

 

This book was...I guess the best thing would be to say it wasn't for me.  I'm sure many people would enjoy the romance, and faith based aspects of this book.  I feel very strongly about  my faith, and agree that it should be the center of my life.  This book, just was a bit over the top with the mentioning of faith.  It made me feel as if I'm completely lacking in the faith that I have. 

 

To be honest I ended up doing more skimming than actual reading. I did finish the whole book, I have a hard time stopping reading something unless it is absolutely horrible, but I just never really got into it.  I didn't start the "skimming" reading until I was 78% done with the book though, so it was not that I didn't give it a try.

The main story is about Anna and Orane and their meeting, friendship and the love they find together.  Orane lives in Jamaica and Anna, whose family lives in Jamaica, now lives in Florida.  Will they be able to get together, and spend the time they need with each other to form a lasting relationship?  This may be the biggest test of their faith that they have ever faced.

 

For the right reader, this book I'm sure would be enjoyed. I give it 1 star, because it simply wasn't for me.

 

 

Up next on my Kindle:

Body Sculpting Exercises for Women Over 40

and

Ready or Not by Chautona Havig

 

 

Book Review: Book 11

Book 11

Getting More Things Done

Simple Secrets to Become Focused and Organized in a Productive Stress Free Way

by Michelle Evans

 

This book was a really quick read. I think it took me about an hour. The book was trying to help people become more organized with their time, which in turn will create less stress in ones life.  The main point was that "People who want to be more productive in their lives need to realize that in order for them to manage their time better, writing their goals down somewhere will make all the difference in being able to achieve those goals."  This truth is what has helped me in so many ways. 

 

The book discusses different ways to begin writing things down, but stresses that finding what works for you is the best idea. For me, personally, I use cozicentral.com as my primary list making area. It allows me to text lists to my husband and children when I make a list for them, as well as manage the lists on my computer, Kindle, and Iphone.  It is easy to use, and with it being with me where ever I go, it makes it easy for me to remember to use it.  It also can be FREE if you use the version with ads.  So far I haven't found a need to use the paid version.  The main system that the author suggests using is google calendar. I also use this app for my calendar, and it is able to sync with everyone in my family and again, it's FREE!

 

If you are struggling with getting things done, and need tips for figuring out a system that works for you, this quick read is a great place to start.

 

I give this book 5 stars.



Book Review: Book 10

Book 10: Restorations by Bonnie Blythe

 

This book was a delightful read. It's romance aspect was not sticky sweet, it was not perfect, and kept you hoping the main characters would figure it out. It was also clean, which is refreshing to read in a romance.

 

The story was about Sara, who has inherited her Grandfather's farmhouse.  She comes to discover her old boyfriend Brian, not only living in town, but living on her property.  He is a builder in need of a job, can she trust him and her heart to do the job she now has to do?   Sara's Aunt tries to help her along her journey, but sometimes, just like Sara, we have to learn to do things on our own.  This was such an enjoyable book, I don't want to give to much away.

 

I give this quick and light read 5 stars!