Books/Reading

Anchored

July 6, 2015 By JulieK

There are lots of bloggers that I follow, and one of my favorites is Kayla Aimee. I started following her story way back when she was “just” a fellow scrapbooker on 2peas. I followed her more when she became pregnant and then gave birth to a micro-premie and was especially touched that throughout her entire story she found strength in prayer. I love her story, and was so excited when I found out that she was writing a book!! And, that Scarlette?? Oh my heck, that little one is spunky!! I love to read her stories!!

I couldn’t wait to go to the store to get a copy of the book myself!! (please excuse the “I’m on summer vacation wash and brush, but don’t bother to blow dry” hair). It took me just two days to read the book, I couldn’t put it down… I loved it… I did cry, but that’s just me :) I always cry… Happy and sad… it’s what I do! I love that the story is told with love and humor, even the hard parts.

Click on the link below to go to her website and order the book with some extras (unless you can’t wait and need to go to the store and pick it up yourself like I did).

This post was inspired by Kayla Aimee’s new book, Anchored: Finding Hope in the Unexpected. Order your copy of #AnchoredHope today and receive this printable as a free gift by clicking here!

Unjunk Your Junk Food

April 23, 2013 By JulieK

I love having the opportunity from Naturally Savvy to review some of their products… We all want to eat healthier, it would be so nice to have the time (and money) to be able to eat only whole organic foods… But the reality is that as much as we want totally holistic home grown foods, most of us just go along, eating the best we can with the time and resources available. This book, Unjunk Your Junk Food is a wonderful resource for eating better without tons of judgement!! It has a great way of giving you choices… Listing the ingredients of a “bad” choice of junk food, and then giving an alternative better choice!!I love that the book doesn’t preach about taking all the “goodies” and snacks out of your diet, it just gives you a healthier alternative!

The glossy pages, great images, and straightforward language make this book perfect if you’re trying to eat better, but still like to eat pre-packaged foods and snacks. The pages are full of information on some of the “worst offenders” on the ingredient lists, and how to clean them up for better choices. I find myself reaching for the book often, just refreshing my (bad) memory!! I especially appreciate that the book goes into “hidden” names for some of the worst ingredients, knowing what to look out for on the ingredient list really makes shopping in a healthier way better!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of “Unjunk Your Junk Food” from the Naturally Savvy Blogger program to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own.

Meet the Author: Tom Angleberger

April 8, 2013 By JulieK

We (and by “we” I really mean Sean) was so excited when we got an email from the Andover Bookstore saying that Tom Angleberger was going to be at the bookstore last week!! Sean LOVES his books! He already had most of them, and this was a good opportunity to get the new one and also have Mr. Angleberger sign them!!

Sean love, love, loved the Origami Yoda book, and the ones that followed, so meeting the author was very exciting! Every day after school he would check and make sure that we were planning to go… Friday afternoon we picked up the kids and headed right over there… The kids’ school is practically right across the parking lot, so we were the first ones there!

Mr. Angleberger was great! He did a little presentation where he asked the kids questions and added to drawings about the books… Sean got one of the drawings because he knew the name of the character from the book (he’s read them all several times!).

He also passed out green paper to everyone and demonstrated how to make their own origami Yoda!! It was fun, and the kids all really liked it!! Mr. Angleberger was so personable and fun, and really good with the kids who were all ages! When the presentation was done, he signed books and the origami Yoda that the kids made for everyone :)

A special “Thank You” to the Andover Bookstore for holding this kids of event, and to Tom Angleberger for such a fun afternoon!

Book Review: I Love You to God and Back by Amanda Lamb

December 19, 2012 By JulieK

I Love You to God and Back by Amanda Lamb

When I saw the title of this book, and the beautiful cover, I knew I “needed” to read it. From the description:

One day at a time, one prayer at a time, a busy working mother and playful six-year-old daughter transformed their bedtime prayers. They started rushed and tired. Distracted, “It’s late. Let’s go.”

And then, gradually, something happened. A thank you here. A vulnerable moment there. The perfunctory prayers became . . . opportunities. “What did you do today? What did you learn? Anything else?”

I simply love the idea of spending a few quiet moments before bed to reflect on the day, especially with the hectic and even frantic pace of our everyday lives. We rush from place to place, and event to event, and I believe it’s important to hesitate and pause to reflect on what we’re really doing. This book does just that. The collection itself, of the nightly prayers of a 6 year old (recorded, then transcribed) are sweet and wonderful on their own. I found the added commentary and reflections of the Mom even more poignant. Pausing nightly, whether you actually pray or not, can have a profound effect on the daily hustle and bustle of life. I really enjoyed this sweet book, and would recommend it to anyone who wants a fairly quick read and sweet “story.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Read: A Book Club Keepsake Book!

September 10, 2012 By JulieK

I am thrilled to be teaching another class next week at Ink About It in Westford, MA. I love teaching there, and Linda and Lori are super patient with me this time of year when things get crazy with me and the kiddos going back to school!! Here’s some photos of the book that we’ll be making next Thursday evening… Because I am late getting the sample finished, there’s plenty of space in the class!! So, give the store a call if you want to come!! There’s room :)

Last month, several of the ladies in class were talking about the book clubs that they go to, and I thought it would be great to make a book where we could keep a record of the books we read in our various book clubs! So, here’s the basics of the book… Not pictured are the inserts that will tuck into each of the pockets… The idea is that you’d put a little card with the book information into the month that you read the book! Check back after the class to see the inserts (I’ve got to keep something a surprise for the class :)

Here’s the cover…

And the rest of the pages…

Zutter, bind it all, book club, scrapbook, basic grey, Cricut, QuicKutz

Plumeria 12X12 Collection Pack (Basic Grey)

12 double sides papers. 1 alphabet sticker sheet, 1 element sticker sheet. Breathe in the deep hues and experience the calming effects of delicate florals, striking geometric shapes and watercolor … more info.

Plumeria 6X6 Paper Pad (Basic Grey)

36 6×6 papers. 2 sheets of 18 assorted single sided designs. Breathe in the deep hues and experience the calming effects of delicate florals, striking geometric shapes and watercolor style prints in … more info.