Latest Book Read and Picks for 2009

A week or so ago, I completed the latest book for my monthly book chat. Shattered Dreams by Irene Spencer.

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Irene Spencer grew up in a a fundamentalist Mormon family--the thirteenth of thirty-one children--so it was no surprise that she found herself, at sixteen years of age, in a plural marriage, sharing her husband with a half sister.

Enduring abject poverty, living in isolation, and suffering the neglect of a husband with divided loyalties created unbearable conditions. Yet, Irene managed to overcome these obstacles to seek a life that she believed would be better for her and her children. She made the bold step into the 'outside world' and into a freedom she never knew existed.

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Although this wasn't my favorite book all year, I did find parts of it very interesting. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being 'I loved it!', I rated it a 3.5. This book generated lots of conversation and views at our recent book chat. Most of the ladies present rated it a 4.

If definitely gives you a good look at a lifestyle that exists, but is foreign to most people.

In 2009, I'm the Book Chat Coordinator for my book club. For those of you who are interested, and enjoy reading the same books we're reading, here are our picks for 2009:

JAN - Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters

FEB - Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

MAR - In An Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff

APR - She Flew The Coup by Michael Lee West

MAY - Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

JUN - Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

JUL - In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

AUG - The Darkest Night by Maria Sakry

SEP - The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs

OCT - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

NOV - Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

DEC - Love Story by Erich Segal

The Weather Outside is...Not So Frightful

My three year old daughter, Amanda, did not want to get up for school today. This is unusual for her, but she has a slight cold and it was pretty dark and drab outside at 6:45AM. I looked out the window and it was snowing. It didn't look too bad. Living in Wisconsin, you get used to a few inches of snow every few days this time of year.

But then it occurred to me that school might be closed for the day. I began listening to school closings, and then confirmed with another mom that indeed, in the district where I live, schools were closed--Amanda's first snow day of the year.

This just amazed me. Honestly, when I was in grade school, schools didn't close unless we had at least a few feet of snow on the ground, or we were having a treacherous blizzard. That statement probably dates me, but it seems these days schools are extra careful. I guess that's a good thing. If the roads are icy, the less people outside, the better.

So, what's on our agenda today? Well, I was planning to use the time Amanda was in school to work, so I'm going to do that for at least an hour or two this morning. My daughter is happily watching Mickey Mouse Club House right now, and in a little while, we'll sit down to a nice family breakfast and maybe even play Candyland afterwards.

Who knows, maybe we'll even go out and make a snowman later?! The weather outside, to us, is not so frightful. In fact, it's giving us an opportunity for even more family time and we're going to take advantage of that.

Busy, busy, busy

. . . and did I mention, busy?? That's the one world that comes to mind when I think about how I would describe the past few weeks.

Now that we're officially into the holiday season, it seems like there's an event--sometimes several--every single day.

This past Friday was my social club's annual bowling night. This morning was a holiday party for the kids. Tomorrow, we go to church services in the morning. Directly following that, we attend the 14th Annual Holiday Parade of Homes in our town (proceeds benefit a local charity) and tomorrow evening I'm taking Amanda to her friend, Carissa's 3rd birthday party.

Next week, besides our normal activities, there's cookie exchange, my social club's board induction ceremony and a baby shower.

Of course, in between all of this, there's work to do, there's grocery shopping and there's the driving needed to get our daughter back and forth to school, music and dance--just to name a few.

I'm so glad I'm done with my holiday shopping. I just know, from past experience, that this time of year tends to get very hectic.

There are a few tricks we use to avoid putting any unnecessary stress on ourselves during the holiday season:

1) When I make a meal, I always make enough for at least one more dinner, and one lunch. This way, there's not a major cooking adventure needed at every meal time. Plus, when we do need a quick meal, a tuna melt with a side of sugar snap peas or even omelets for dinner is certainly an option.

2) While it may sound like we are overextended by my description above, we actually have plenty of time padded in between activities, and we've turned down nearly half of the opportunities presented to us for other holiday parties and activities. Sometimes, you just have to say no to certain invitations and requests when your schedule begins getting over packed.

3) We always begin our holiday shopping early. I purchased my final stocking stuffer today (I bought it online, as we are having a major snowstorm where I live). Our cards are in the mail. Our decorations are done--inside and out. Our gifts that needed to be shipped are all at the post office. All our holiday tasks are done. It will be a pleasure just being able to enjoy the days leading up to Christmas.

4) We schedule time in for exercise. No way that can be pushed aside, especially in this season of gingerbread cookies, fudge and holiday parties. Plus, it's a great energy booster.

5) We try to schedule our activities around our normal bedtimes and we leave some events early to keep as close to those times as possible. Getting Amanda to bed early helps her to get a full night's rest and gives Joe and I time to unwind a bit before turning in ourselves.

Think Productivity--AND Enjoyment

One of the ways I get through my day and get tons of stuff done is by doing little things I really enjoy in between my tasks.

Let's take this past Monday, for example. I woke up at 7:00am, showered and dressed, and got my daughter, Amanda, ready for the day.

Instead of going right to work, I sat down at the kitchen table with my husband and my daughter and we all enjoyed breakfast together--scrambled eggs, toast and fruit. I even managed to do a crossword puzzle.

Then, I went to work, getting my newsletter and web site updated for this coming Sunday. My 3-year old played quietly at this time, right by my side.

That took me to around 11:00am, at which time I drove my daughter to her music class. While there, I was able to enjoy some great conversation with a few of the other moms while the kids were in class.

After class, I took my daughter out for a quick lunch, picked up a few items at the grocery store, and then back home to work at about 2:00P. Amanda's friend came over to play.

I went through all of my email messages, responding to each one that was in my inbox, deleting those I did not need and moving those I did need into email folders.

Afterwards, I enjoyed some sugar snap peas with bacon dip, while reading a chapter of the book I'm currently reading (Night by Elie Wiesel--it's an amazing book by the way!).

That took me to about 3:00PM, at which time I worked on a writing project I'm in the middle of. At 4:00P, I did a few media interviews, that ended at about 4:45P.

I turned off my computer, did a quick office clean up, and then started some laundry. Then, dinner. I made baked haddock, red potatoes and green beans. While dinner was cooking, I did some quick cleaning around the house. We started eating dinner around 5:45 or so and cleaned up directly afterwards.

Joe and I then took Amanda to the park for awhile. When we returned, we played some games with her. Then it was bathtime and bedtime.

Once Amanda was asleep, I did a little bit of scrapbooking and then watched some TV with Joe before going to bed.

In summary, I managed to:

WORK
1. Update next week's newsletter and web site
2. Respond to, file and/or delete all my email messages
3. Finish a nice chunk of my writing project
4. Do two media interviews

HOUSE
1. Get myself, and my daughter, ready for the day
2. Cook
3. Clean
4. Do Laundry
5. Get my daughter bathed and ready for bed

FUN
1. Eat 3 square meals, with a snack in between.
2. Spend quality time with my husband and Amanda.
3. Talk with my friends.
4. Do a crossword puzzle.
5. Read some of my book.
6. Scrapbook.
7. Watch TV.

And that's only one day of my 5 day workweek! I know once I look back at the end of the week, I will be looking back at a very productive week--but also one in which I managed to truly enjoy myself each day.

Don't forget about enjoying yourself each day. You can still get stuff done, but it will be so much better if you can also say you did a bunch of nice things for yourself and your family too!

An Annual Appointment with My Doctor

This morning, I went in for my annual doctor's appointment that has been scheduled since last year. I arrived at 9:15AM (I was the first appointment), and was out by 10:15AM.

Getting the first appointment of the day saved me lots of time. The later you go to a doctor, the better the chances you won't be seen at your exact appointment time and you'll get out much later than you originally expected.

I brought a pad and pen with me with a few questions I had for the doctor so I would not forget to ask. I also planned to write down my blood work results (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) Didn't have to do that though. They're very organized at my doctor's office, and they told me they would supply me with a detailed printout of all my results before I left. And that's exactly what they did. I always keep my numbers, so they can be compared from year to year.

I'm happy to say that after the examination and bloodwork, I left with a clean bill of health--in fact, my numbers were even better than last year. Must be that daily exercise routine I instituted a while ago. Bonus!

While I was there, I scheduled a mammogram AND next year's annual appointment. Next year's appointment is written on the last page of my 2007 calendar on the Notes page. When I get my new 2008 calendar later this year, I'll be able to easily transfer any 2008 appointments all at once.

Organize Your Healthy Eating Habits

One great way to ensure you're eating healthy regularly is to purchase healthy foods when you go shopping and avoid purchasing those that are not so good for you.

I spend the majority of my grocery shopping time in the fruit and vegetable aisle, and just a little time in the other aisles. Our refrigerator is always filled with fresh carrots, salad greens, broccoli, green beans, grapefruit, and other nutritious choices.

We have a 3-tiered fruit stand that is filled with lemons and limes on the top, avocados in the middle, and apples and pears on the bottom.

Our freezer has frozen fruits and vegetables--none with added sugar, salt or toppings. Even our pantry holds healthy faire, such as crackers, rice and pasta--all the whole grain versions. We are also stocked with walnuts, pecans, cashews and olive oil.

Yes, we do have some more indulgent treats that we eat occasionally stored in our kitchen, such as Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and the like.

But the less indulgent treats we have, the better we end up eating.

I also spend approximately 30 minutes each week deciding what we'll have for dinner for at least the next 4-5 days. Having a definite list helps me to get in and out of the grocery store quickly and encourages me to only buy what's on the list.

I don't bother meal planning for breakfast and lunch. We have about 5 breakfast meals that we eat all the time, alternating each day. For lunch, we almost always eat leftovers from the evening before, otherwise we eat salad.

No matter what nutritional goals you're trying to achieve for you and your family, having an organized thought process will help you to achieve them.

Have to Get That Exercise In

While daily exercise is one of the vital elements for keeping fit and healthy, I'll admit that it is one of my daily to do's that occasionally gets nixed in favor of something else.

However, I am a big believer in exercise and try to motivate myself to do something active at least a few times each day.

I am not, by any means, a big fan of cold weather. So exercising outdoors in Wisconsin this time of year is out for me. I'm on my treadmill at least every other day for 20 minutes at a time--speed level 4. My husband hooked up a television set right at eye level in front of the treadmill, so I get to watch my favorite television programs while I'm working out. This helps a lot and makes the time seem to go by quicker.

On Saturdays, I sometimes get together with a friend and walk together with her in the corridors of the local high school. If you walk around twice, you can actually get 2.5 miles in! I find that walking with someone really helps with a workout, because you can exercise and catch up with the other person at the same time. Last time we went, I even brought my 3 year old daughter with me and walked with my friend while pushing Amanda around in her stroller.

As the weather begins to warm up, our family will go for evening bike rides.

In the summer, I often take Amanda swimming, which always exerts lots of energy.

Of course, there are the little bits of exercise we try to fit in too, like not parking the car so close to the entry doors of stores so we have to walk a bit to get inside, taking the stairs versus the escalators and walking to a neighbor's house a block or two away, rather than driving.

So, while I'm certainly not going to win a prize for 'most athletic', I can definitely say that exercise is important enough for me to fit into my daily schedule. It makes me feel better about myself!

It's Getting Darker Earlier

This time of year, with each passing day, darkness arrives much earlier in Wisconsin.

In the summer months, we'd tuck Amanda (our 2 1/2 year old) into bed between 8:15 and 8:30. We couldn't get her to sleep much earlier, because it was so light outside. She insisted it was still daytime.

Each night that passes, however, we're managing to get her into bed 5 minutes earlier than the night before. By the time we set our clocks back an hour, she'll be in bed between 7:00 and 7:15 each evening for the fall and winter months.

Although I don't look forward to the approaching winter weather (I'm a spring and fall gal), I do like the idea of my daughter going to bed a bit earlier, so that my husband, Joe, and I can enjoy some extra (uninterrupted) personal time doing things we enjoy.

Joe spent some time playing guitar last night and doing some recording. I enjoyed an hour working on a scrapbooking layout. Afterwards, we both sat down on the sofa and watched some television together--news programming and old Waltons reruns. It was so relaxing.

Of course, getting Amanda into bed by 7:00 requires some organizing and rescheduling on our part. For instance, I start preparing dinner around 4:45, so that it's done by 5:30.

I help Amanda take her bath immediately following dinner, while Joe rinses the dishes and loads up the dishwasher.

Then, Joe and I both have time to spend with Amanda playing a game, reading to her or doing some other fun activity before she turns in for the night.

Once 7:15 hits, Amanda is drifting off to sleep and we have time for us.

Don't Get Stuck in the Kitchen

For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile, you may recall that my husband, Joe, and I been having our basement finished. After 6 months of hard work, our contractors have completed the job. The result was definitely worth the long wait.

We were so pleased with how everything turned out and with how unobtrusive these contractors were throughout the duration of this project, that we invited the two contractors and their families over for dinner this past weekend.

Contrary to how my mother never sat down years ago when we were having guests over for dinner, the last thing I want to do is slave in the kitchen while everyone else is in the living room relaxing and having fun.

In light of this, I did everything I could get done before our guests arrived. While there were additional 'small touches,' here were the main tasks:

1) I ran the dishwasher early in the day so it would be empty for the evening's dishes.

2) I planned the meal so that everything was served piping hot exactly one hour after our guests arrived. In a nutshell, I prepared a tray of lasagna and a tray of Italian-style chicken. Since both of these had to cook for an hour at the same temperature, I was able to put them in the oven and take them out at the same time. I also served fresh green beans which I placed in the steamer before the guests arrived. All I had to do was turn on the stove to get those cooking so they arrived on the table at the same time as the main dishes.

3) I didn't bake bread for this particular meal. I just bought some crusty bread from the supermarket, sliced it and put it in a bread basket.

4) I set out our nice wine glasses on the counter to make them easily accessible.

5) I baked two Mrs. Smith's pies, pumpkin and apple, in the morning, as they each needed two hours to cool before serving. Later when I was ready to serve dessert, I just heated the apple pie up in the microwave for a minute so it was 'warm out of the (microwave) oven.'

6) I set the appetizers out on the dinette table. I usually provide appetizers that don't require heating, such as cold antipasto trays, olives, chips and dip. If I do serve a hot appetizer, I never do more than one. This way, there's only one thing to heat up when guests start arriving.

7) I completely set the dining room table and added trivets to hold the hot dishes, and serving spoons. I also included place cards so everyone knew exactly where to sit. Note: I always sit at the end of the table closest to the kitchen, so that I can easily get up and down as needed throughout the meal.

8) I got help from my husband who graciously entertained our daughter while this preparation was happening, and who ensured we were stocked with beverages and ice.

The evening was a lot of fun. We had a wonderful dinner-- which I got to enjoy with everyone else since everything was prepared beforehand.

Everyone assisted with the clean up and then we all retreated into our newly finished basement to play pool, watch movies and enjoy dessert.

Who says the hostess or host can never have any fun? Joe and I enjoyed every minute.

My New 2006 Calendar

On my way back from getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist's office today--definitely not the highlight of my day--I drove home an alternate route to visit my town's local book store.

While there, I picked up a few not-so-spooky Halloween books for my daughter, my niece, and my girlfriend's daughter. Right before checking out, I noticed the 2006 calendars were already on the shelves.

Come to think of it, I already have some appointments scheduled for the new year--written on the inside back cover of my 2005 calendar. Plus, I mentally noted that the dentist's office had just scheduled my next cleaning for February 2006.

In light of this, I decided to pick up a new calendar today.

Last year's theme was the artwork of Monet. This year, I've chosen a lighter, more comical theme--"The Far Side" comics by Gary Larson. Flipping through a few pages at the bookstore confirmed that I'd be both effectively scheduled and entertained at the same time.

By the way, for those of you who plan to write me asking why I don't use a PDA or other electronic device for my scheduling, the answer is this. When it comes to calendars, I just like paper calendars. I like looking for a new calendar each year. It's a matter of preference. If you prefer to use PDAs, that's great. Whatever works for you is what you should use.

Anyway, here are the main reasons why I chose this particular calendar:

1) I liked the theme. The more I like my calendar, the more enjoyable it will be to use it. Thus, it will be a great helper in keeping me scheduled.

2) I liked the size. This calendar was 9 inches tall by 7 inches wide. It's easy to carry around and it doesn't take up much space on my desk.

3) I liked the spiral binding. This means I can fold the calendar over--to only see the calendar on the right side of the page and not the comic page on the left--if I need to save space.

4) In addition to the weekly pages, it also has a monthly page for each month of the year. I like to note birthdays and anniversaries on the monthly pages. This way, the week before the end of each month, I can glance at the monthly calendar for the following month--one page--and send out all of the greeting cards for that particular month. I then use the weekly pages for all of my appointments, like doctor visits, haircuts and meetings.

To sum this up, when you're ready to get yourself a new 2006 calendar, think about the type of calendar that would be most effective for you. Be sure you really like the look, the features and the layout, so you truly enjoy using it all the time.

I'm looking forward to getting all of my 2006 events and appointments into my clean, new calendar. It's a sure sign that I'm ready for another organized new year.