2017 Personal & Family Goals

Can you believe 2017 is here?! I'm not sure how that happened. It seems like Dan and I were counting down to 2014 for so long, and that year took FOREVER to get here, but ever since then, time has seriously flown. We'll celebrate three years of marriage this year. Already. It doesn't even seem possible!

Like every other year, I love to start with fresh goals. Without them, I have nothing to strive for, and this year, I set some personal goals and worked with Dan to set some family goals... so here we go!

PERSONAL GOALS

1. Blog at least four times a month. This only works out to be once a week, and I think I'm comfortable with that goal. There were six weeks that slipped by during the fall that I didn't blog once, and I think it was in part due to me being unable to commit to blogging regularly and catching up on everything I missed. I don't want that to happen again. I want to document our life, so I'm going to focus on quality over quantity here. And if I'm able to post more than once a week, then I'm happy with that too!

2. Read 20 books. Last year, I successfully completed my goal of 16 books and even surpassed it with one more. I figure if I can read 17 books in a year, I can definitely read 20 as long as I make a conscious effort. I definitely sleep better when I read before bed, so that habit will continue.

3. Grow my current Etsy shop. AnnaKate Paperie was pretty successful at making passive income last year. December was definitely my busiest month with people shopping for Christmas gifts, and since all of my items are digital downloads, the orders kept rolling in through Christmas since customers could print them at home to give as last minute gifts. I am more inspired now than even before and hope to continue and piggyback on that success... which brings me to...

4. Start a new shop with a clear focus. This has been in the works behind the scenes for a few weeks now. It was actually my husband's idea, and my target customers are going to be military families. I am in the process of creating designs and setting up shop, so I'll be announcing it soon. Stay tuned.

5. Finish my personal cookbook. Yes, this has been a goal of mine for quite some time. I like my recipes to be tidy, so I am re-typing all of them to be in the same format with the same fonts, spacing, etc. I want them to be easy to read when I'm cooking and organized by category. It's been a huge undertaking, and I need to catch up so that all I need to do is add new ones as we try them.

6. Make healthier choices with food and activities. This one is the cliché "get in shape" goal, but I seriously do need to take better care of myself, and that begins with the choices I make. Dan and I are in this together, so I'm hoping that helps us stick to it.

7. Learn how to actually use my camera. We have a nice Canon DSLR camera, and I love it. It's the best purchase we made right before Annabelle was born. The problem is that I'm stuck in auto mode because I don't know how to work manual mode, even though I know I'll get better photos once I learn. There's no better time to learn than when you're trying to capture a wild toddler, am I right?!

8. Publish a piece of writing somewhere. This one is vague, but it's also my big, scary goal for myself. This is the one that will push me out of my comfort zone. It's something I've ALWAYS dreamed of. It doesn't matter if it's a bigger blog or a website or even a printed piece. I just want need to make this happen this year.


FAMILY GOALS

1. Socialize Annabelle. She is such a social butterfly, but she doesn't have any real friends. No one else in Dan's class here has a child, and of the people I've met here who do have children either have tiny babies or older kids. We want to make more of an effort for her to play with other toddlers. This will start with library story time.

2. Go on at least one date night per month. All parents know how hard it is to stay romantic when dealing with a baby/toddler/child 24/7. We want to prioritize our marriage, so we'll be taking advantage of the Parent's Night Out put on through the CDC on base once a month to go out just the two of us and have a great time.

3. Do at least one ACTIVE family activity each week. Remember my personal goal up there about making healthier choices? This will help. Dan is SUPER busy with pilot training, but we can go on a family walk or do any number of other activities at least once a week. We have to make time for it.

4. Hike in the Wichita Mountains. These "mountains" aren't big compared to the ones we were used to in Colorado, but they're only an hour away in Lawton, Oklahoma, so we definitely want to get up there this spring to check it out. It'll be the perfect first "hike" for Annabelle!

5. Go on an Oklahoma City trip. Dan and I explored Oklahoma City once when we first started dating nearly eight years ago, but we haven't really been back together since then. I've been on a couple solo trips there, and we've driven through several times, but we want to take Annabelle to the zoo and the kids science museum there, among other things.

6. Visit San Antonio. Luckily, the Air Force will make this one easy for us. Dan has a training there later this month for a few days, and Annabelle and I will be tagging along. We want to check out the Riverwalk for sure, but there's so much to do there compared to our little town in North Texas.


Do you have any goals for the year?

Book Review: Birthmarked Trilogy

I currently have several book reviews on my old blog. I want to get rid of completely (since it's been nearly two years since I've used it), but many of my links are still to that blog. To transition completely away, I am going to be re-sharing some of my book reviews here once or twice a week. If you love reading, this is for you! If not... I'm sorry, and I promise to keep the words "book review" in all of the titles so you know!

Today's review features Birthmarked, Prized, and Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien.

Birthmarked is yet another trilogy set in a dystopian future (are you surprised?), yet it has many differences from the others that are popular right now. 16 year old Gaia Stone is a midwife in her community outside the wall of the Enclave. It is Gaia's duty (as well as her mother's) to advance a certain quota of babies born each month into the Enclave so that more suitable parents may raise them and they will have a better life. 

Gaia's family, never ones to cause problems and always ones to agree with everything the Enclave demands, is arrested while Gaia is not home, so when she returns, she has to inquire from a family friend about what happened to her parents. Gaia, determined to get her parents out alive, heads into the Enclave to rescue them, and that is where the fun begins. She sees things she does not want to, and she becomes a pawn in the life going on inside the Enclave. 

Gaia befriends one of the guards from the Enclave, and together, they must escape to save themselves when they don't think anyone else can be saved. Gaia is a strong female character, and she challenges the beliefs of others.

THE REST OF THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST BOOK, BIRTHMARKED.

When Gaia escapes from the Enclave without Leon, she doesn't know what to do. She has her baby sister, Maya, with her, and together they make it most of the way through the Wasteland. One day, when they probably wouldn't have made it much farther on their own, a man on a horse helps them reach their unknown destination, a place he calls home. That home is known as Sylum, and the rules are strict. Gaia must submit to the authorities, which she finds difficult. There is no hugging/kissing because it is a crime unless you are married to that person. 

Gaia finds the entire place to be a struggle, and then she finds out that Leon has made the trek as well. What does Gaia need to do in order to make things go her way? It turns out that everyone else recognizes her as a strong leader, and they want her to be the Matriarch of the society. Does Gaia want it, though? What happens when she is forced into something she doesn't know if she is ready for? Are her feelings for Leon strong enough, or will she waver and fall for someone else? 

Overall, these books were fun to read. I read them while I was still teaching 8th grade, and that made it easier to read so many dystopian novels. I needed to be "caught up" so I could talk about them. I'm kind of over the dystopian scene now... at least for a while. I need some fresh air! 

• Have you read these books?
• Do you like dystopian fiction?
• What's your favorite book right now?

Book Review: A Stolen Life

I currently have several book reviews on my old blog. I want to get rid of completely (since it's been nearly two years since I've used it), but many of my links are still to that blog. To transition completely away, I am going to be re-sharing some of my book reviews here once or twice a week. If you love reading, this is for you! If not... I'm sorry, and I promise to keep the words "book review" in all of the titles so you know!

Today's review will be about A Stolen Life: a Memoir by Jaycee Dugard.

Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped from her street while walking to catch the school bus in South Lake Tahoe, California in June of 1991. Most people have heard of this because they were alive when it happened or became interested when she was found in August of 2009. Her story made headlines for months, and she was interviewed on many television shows about her 18 years of captivity, living alone in a small room in the backyard of her captor's house. 

After adjusting to the real world again, Jaycee decided to share her very personal story with the world in order to get her feelings out and to let everyone know that Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy, kidnapped her. Before this, I read the book Room by Emma Donoghue. After finishing it, I searched for it online, and many people made direct comparisons of that book to Dugard's book of her own life. After having read both of them, I agree. I am sure that the premise of Room was built upon Jaycee Dugard's story. If that raises awareness for what happened to her, then so be it. 

A Stolen Life is definitely not the best written book I have ever read. There are grammatical mistakes throughout that would have bugged me had I not realized Jaycee missed most of her academic life. It was candid and REAL, and the things she went through were horrific. I will not rate this book on a star system simply because I feel like that would be rating her experiences, and that feels wrong. I will say this, though: until I read this book, I was sheltered and naive. I knew things like this happened, but I didn't think about them. Not really. But now I am aware, and I will always be watching for other children out there who may have been abducted from their homes. 

• Did you follow the Jaycee Dugard story?
• Have you read her book or Room?

A-Z Book Survey

This survey was SO much fun to complete! Thanks to Rachel at My Wholesome Home for sharing it. 

A: Author you've read the most books by:  Jodi Picoult – I started reading her books when I was a senior in high school in 2006. Some of my favorites are My Sister’s Keeper, Plain Truth, Vanishing Acts, Nineteen Minutes, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, and OF COURSE The Storyteller.

B: Best Sequel Ever: This one goes out to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It was my favorite book of the three and packed with so much action.

C: Currently Reading: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner is what I’m currently reading. It is book two of four in The Maze Runner series, which is a young adult series. The Maze Runner movie comes out this September!

D: Drink of Choice While Reading:  Hot chocolate! I especially enjoy the flavored ones, like mint dark chocolate or raspberry chocolate. If I’ve already had too much sugar, the next best thing is hot herbal tea. It’s amazing to cure up in pajama pants with a good book… while drinking something warm!

E: E-Reader or Physical Book?  I have a Nook Tablet, and while I enjoy its ease when traveling, I really do still love physical books. I almost forgot how much until reently. I had been reading so much on my Nook, and I read a couple books for work. It was WONDERFUL to hold the paperbacks in my hand and smell that euphoric ‘book smell’.

F: Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High School: This would have to be Four/Tobias from the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. He seems intelligent, athletic, and strong… yet he still has weaknesses.

G: Glad You Gave This Book a Chance: One book I almost didn’t read is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It just didn’t sound like it would be THAT good, but it ended up being PHENEOMENAL! I loved every minute of it, and I can’t wait to see it as a movie in December!

H: Hidden Gem Book: One of my favorite books of all time is one that many have never heard of: The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender. I first read it in seventh grade and fell in love. I am so glad my teacher chose that book. It really sparked my interest for Holocaust literature. This is one you don’t want to miss.

I: Important Moment in Your Reading Life: Oh, there are so many to list. What about the fact that I used to complete multiple lists the library offered each summer as a child just because I loved reading so much? Or how I taught my younger brother how to read before he went to school? Or when I received my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in ninth grade with the assignment to read the first chapter over the weekend, and instead I canceled all of my Friday night plans and read the entire novel in one sitting? THOSE are important reading moments that I will forever remember.

J: Just Finished: The Maze Runner by James Dashner – I read it for work because my 8t graders are reading it.

K: Kinds of Books You Wont Read: Romance novels. Enough said.

L: Longest Book You've Ever Read: Hands down, the longest book I’ve read is the Bible. I read the entire thing in 2012, and I felt a real sense of accomplishment when I {finally} made my way completely through.

M: Major Book Hangover Because Of:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusack – I fell in love with Liesel’s character right away, and I read this book FAST. When I finished, I was really upset. Sometimes, I think I’ll be upset when I finish a book, but then I’m fine. With this one, I thought of it often for MONTHS. In fact, I still do think of it often, and it’s been over three years since I read it. I’d love to re-read it soon.

 N: Number of Book Cases You Own: I have six… which seems excessive and is probably way too many for most people, but with Dan’s books and mine combined (he’s also a reader), we still have books overflowing off the shelves and hanging around in random places throughout the house.

O: One book you have read multiple times: This would have to be The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I first read it in high school, and I loved it. I read it again in college and saw so many things I didn’t pick up on the first time around. I recently re-read it, and it seems like I caught on to several more scenarios. I LOVE re-reading books.

P: Preferred place to read: There’s nothing like curling up in my bed with a good book, but I wish I had a better place to read. Dan has promised me to build me a cupula one day, so I can sit in the sunlight (or pouring rain or snow) and read with an amazing view of the outdoors. That will be my dream come true, and he’s wonderful.

Q: Quote That Inspires You/Gives You Feels From a Book You've Read: "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." -F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)

R: Reading Regret: Allegiant, which is the third book in the Divergent trilogy – I just couldn’t get into it, despite having LOVED the previous two books. I was shocked (and kind of upset, to be honest) about a major plot event, and I think it would have been better if I had just chosen not to read it at all. It was a major bummer because I waited for this book to come out for MONTHS.

S: Series You Started But Still Need to Finish (All Books Are Out): This isn’t a true series, but I own all of the Dear America books and have only read about half of them. They were my favorite books growing up, and I had many of them saved from then. I knew I wanted a complete collection, so I made a list of what I needed to buy, and my wonderful fiancé (then boyfriend) bought the last few I needed to complete my set. I plan on reading through all of them (in chronological order) when he is in pilot training next year. I should be able to since they are written for elementary school girls.

T: Three of your Favorite Books: This one is really tough, but I chose three from my top 15 list. If I HAD to pick just three, I think I’d go with: The Book Thief by Markus Zusack, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

U: Unapologetic Fangirl For:  Edward. Yes, THAT Edward. I don’t care how many people hate Twilight; I absolutely loved reading it my freshman year of college. It was like an escape from dorm life, and I read it a couple times that year. I’m not even ashamed. I like the glittery, sparkly vampire.

V: Very Excited for This Release More Than Others:  This book is already released… in fact, it has been for a while. But it’s one that I’m dying to read: The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel. It’s on my list to read this year, and I can’t wait until I get to it!

W: Worst Bookish Habits: I hate that when I start reading a new chapter in the evening, it often causes me to stay up late and lose precious sleep. It’s totally worth it for the adventures in the books I’m reading, but I wish I could make it a habit to read earlier.

X: X Marks the Spot - Start at the Top of Your Shelf and Pick the 27th Book:  Oh, this is a good one! My 27^th book on my book-shelf is Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, a great look at Mormon fundamentalism. I especially loved this book because Dan read it first when we were long distance, and then he mailed the book to me. It was fun and exciting talking to him about the book each night!

Y: Your Latest Book Purchase: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner… since that’s also what I’m currently reading.

Z: Zzzz-Snatcher Book - (The last book that kept you up way too late): This happens to me far too often, but the one book I can think of staying up WAY too late with is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I specifically remember sitting outside with a glass of wine reading it while Dan was out of the country. It was dark, but I was reading on my Nook, so it didn’t matter. Before I knew it, it was after midnight, and I was shocked! I just couldn’t put it down.

To see my comprehensive list of my top 15 favorite books of all time, check out THIS post.

• Do you read?
• What is your favorite type of book?
• Do you have a cool reading experience?

2014 Reading List

I know we're already almost a month into 2014, but I have been wanting to share what's on my reading list for the year, and I finally have the time to do so.

These are not all of the books I will read this year, but they are the ones I have on my "want to read" list on Goodreads. Are you on Goodreads? If so, we should be friends on there -- here's my account!

If you click on the photo of the books, you will head to the Goodreads page for the synopsis of each one. Enjoy!

To see book reviews I've written, check out this page. To see my list of my top 15 books of all time, check out this post.

• Do you enjoy reading?
• What is your favorite book?
• Do you have a list of books to read this year?

New Year; New Goals

As I venture into 2014, I’ve decided to create six resolutions I can stick to this year. The resolutions are simple and to the point, but they will require strength that comes in physical, mental, and/or emotional form.

1. Read 25 Books

Yes, last year my goal was to read 36 books. I almost reached that goal by reading 33. I was ahead for a while, and I lost some steam toward the end of the year. Since my wedding (and five-six week honeymoon) is this summer, I’m sure I won’t have quite as much time to read as normal, so I lowered my standards for 2014. Don’t worry, though. 2015 will be here soon, and I’ll play catch-up!

2. Run a Full Marathon
Luckily, I’ve already jumped the biggest hurdle by simply signing up for one. I’ll be running the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 27^th with one of my best friends, and I am absolutely stoked! I’ve run several 5Ks and a half marathon, but it’s been a lifelong dream of mine to run a marathon… what better time to run 26 miles than when I’m 26 years old, right?

3. Blog Twice {or more} Per Week
I’ve been blogging for two full years now (but only one year on this blog; I ditched my old one after my “blog-every-day-for-a-year” challenge because that one was so cluttered, but my hope is to have a regular posting schedule. My goal is to plan better for posts and take the time every week to type out two or three posts. I also want to pre-write topics to post while I’m on my honeymoon (and schedule them to post automatically since I’ll be without Internet). Here’s to the year of writing!

4. Grow Spiritually
Last year, I started going to church regularly with Dan. In fact, we actually joined our church, which we love. It’ll be difficult to leave it when we move for Dan’s pilot training. Rather than simply going through the motions, however, I’d love to grow more spiritually. I’m not exactly sure what that means yet, but I’m going to work on it.

5. Complete Seven {or more} Items from 30 Before 30 List
When I turned 26 last July, I made a list of 30 things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. I have three and a half years left to complete my list, and this year, I want to cross off at least seven more items. I’m not sure which ones will happen this year, but you can check out my list by clicking here.

6. Continue Living Fearlessly
In 2013, I made a goal to not be afraid to try new things and to always focus on what I can do rather than what I cannot do in given situations. I think I did a pretty good job, but I know I still have lots of room to grow. I’d like to focus on new endeavors without all of the “what-ifs” that run through my mind. There is no time like the present!

Well, those are my resolutions for the year. Here's to hoping I can conquer them all!

What do you think? Do you have any resolutions of your own?

Book Review: The Moon and More

It's been a while since I've reviewed a book on here. Why? Simply because I have not been reading as much as I should. Over the summer, I essentially read nothing. I think I crave the routine that comes along with a new school year. Since then, I've been reading nearly every night again, and I am on track to finish my 36 book goal for the year of 2013. 

Today, I'm going to tell you about The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Dessen. I have been for years. Her books aren't normally the type I read, but I ALWAYS dive right into her novels and don't come back up for air until I finish them. 

As always, Goodreads provides a wonderful synopsis: 

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.
Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

Just like each of Dessen's novels, this one did not disappoint. I instantly knew who I wanted Emaline to be with, and my view actually changed as the story progressed. The Moon and More is a fun read, and I will be recommending it to everyone who asks me what book they should read next. 

• Do you enjoy Sarah Dessen books?
• Which of hers is your favorite?
• Who is your favorite author?

Framed Book Quotes For My Classroom

Bear with me if you've already seen this post (on my old blog, Always Write 2012). I am slowly but surely trying to transfer all of my DIY projects to THIS blog so people don't keep finding by crafts on my OLD blog. I want them reading over here!

Since school starts TOMORROW, I thought this would be a great post for today! 

Last summer, I was inspired to create something I'd been wanting to for a few months. At the beginning of the summer, I gathered 16 quotes about reading/books that I really like, and I knew I wanted to have them hanging in my classroom to inspire my kiddos.

Long story short: I tried to paint them myself on scrapbooking paper, and it turned out to be a disaster. I normally am really great with crafty things like that, but they were AWFUL, and instead of using them anyway, I decided to let Photoshop do the work for me. I typed in the quotes in a big, bold font (Century Gothic) and then put the author's name in a different, fancier font below (Pea Heather Michelle -- weird name, I know).

I decided to use four different background colors since there are 16 quotes, so I have four in each color. That way, there are not too many different colors going on around the room.

I ordered these prints from Office Max for 49 cents each, but when I got there, they gave me 25% off with my teacher ID. This project was a STEAL! I ordered document frames from Walmart.com that came in packs of six (so I now have two left over to use later), and they have real glass frames. I am happy with them, and they arrived on my doorstep in just two days with standard shipping. Overall, I did end up spending about $25 on this project, but these will last forever. I can hang these quotes up year after year, and if I get tired of them, I can print new ones for very cheap and change them out.

And now the pictures! You probably can't read the quotes in the first three pictures, but I wanted to show them all off at once. The last two have close ups of the quotations! (and yes, I know Seuss is spelled wrong; it has since been fixed. I noticed it right away!)

Okay, I lied. I decided to post individual pictures of each quote just because I like them so much. They really are just SO pretty. 

These were so simple to make, and the colors are so vibrant! I can't wait to use them year after year! :)