Reset Girl

Hello.

My name is Katie and I am a PROUD PLANNER GIRL!!

There. 

I said it!!

All thanks to the encouragement of the Reset Girl or Cori Spieker.

This is the Reset Girl.

I stalked her when I went to an Iowa Planners Addict meeting in Cedar Rapids! Yep...a planners meeting! Everyone there LOVED their planners as much as I do!! 

I have always loved paper items (surprise), making lists, planning and scrapbooking. I found The Reset Girl on Instagram and then went to her web-site and found that she has a "Listers Gotta List" community. Basically, Cori (the Reset Girl) creates daily ideas to list about! I fell in love with the idea! At the same time, I discovered  the Erin Condren planner and started using it as my calendar. Soon, Cori stared sharing and posting about her planners..and I was hooked!  Planner community, I am one of you!!

My Friend Kellie, Cori and I!

(selfies are good, they make you look up...thinning!)

With my planner, I decorate it, write in it, memory keep in it and it makes me happy! I love the idea that the boys will have my planner(s) and see all the things that we and I did! I love scrapbooking (AKA Memory Keeping) but don't have a lot of time to sit down and create scrapbooks like I want to, so I see this as an opportunity to memory keep, but with a twist! And honestly, I can get lost in planning in my planner!

Here I am getting a big squishy hug from Cori. 
(That's what she calls them!)

On the left side of this picture is another great planner gal that I follow: FiloAlly.

 Cori has a wonderful, touching story about her life and how she came to call herself the Reset Girl. Very inspiring. You can watch her Periscope explaining what resetting means here. I love her advice and her words and her attitude! I love when she talks about how you will be with yourself until you die, so you might as well love yourself! You care so much for your family, your kids, your friends, your obligations, you cheer-lead for them, you tell them they are great, you coach them, you tell them that they can do anything they want, you talk kindly  to them...why don't we treat ourselves in that manner? Good to think about!

Have you ever met someone that you just want to be around because they have good aura, you can tell they have a big heart, they make you feel welcomed? She does that. So I continued to stalk her, but not in a creepy way!!  I went and got ANOTHER picture with her!

(Really, Katie!!!) 

This time though, I wasn't alone. 

I invited my forehead to come with me!!

I won a fun coffee mug at the planner meeting!They had LOADS of give always and it was fun to check out all the goodies!!

And here is the group of planner "stars" that were all at the meet up and I follow most of them on instagram. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that all this amazing gals were there because they never introduced them, except for Cori! I would have stalked, I mean gotten a few pictures with these other gals, too!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and takes a little time to memory keep or do a little planning in your planner!!

The Rumor...

Finished a fun summer read, The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand! No, I did not mean winter read, it was definitely a summer read. One you can finish in a couple days, set in the summer on Nantucket Island where it's warm, and sunny, and they sat by the pool and went to the beach...and got tan...

ANYWAY...enough about my day dream! On to the book!

 

I don't know why I picked this one up from the library, but the idea of a book based solely on rumors got my interest.  As I have gotten older (more mature and wiser) I have seen, heard, watched and felt the teribble effects rumors can have on individuals, friends and family.  I will admit, I don't always turn a deaf ear when it comes to gossip, but I rarely spread the word on! So, a whole book about a rumor? This rumor has got to be pretty good! 

From Amazon:

And rumor has it...

...that Madeline, a novelist, is battling writer's block, with a deadline looming, bills piling up, and blank pages driving her to desperation--and a desperately bad decision;

...that Grace, hard at work to transform her backyard into a garden paradise, has been collaborating a bit more closely that necessary with her ruggedly handsome landscape architect;

...that Grace's husband, successful island real estate developer "Fast Eddie" Pancik, has embarked on quite an unusual side project;

...that the storybook romance between Madeline's son, Brick, and Grace's daughter Allegra is on the rocks, heading for disaster.

As the gossip escalates, and they face the possible loss of the happy lives they've worked so hard to create, Grace and Madeline try mightily to set the record straight--but the truth might be even worse than rumor has it.

The story is also told from the perspective of the town, Nantucket and how the rumors spread. It was a fun, easy read that you could easily finish in a few days. But, don't tell anyone I told you to read it!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

Yea.

That was pretty bad.

Quotes for the Day...

Hope a few of these bring a smile to your face today!

 

 

Have a great day!!

My 70s Memories!

I was looking for picture for a new paper line called Reminisce to put up on the store blog and ended up on Pinterest "reminiscing" about my 70s and 80s up-bringing! I bet some of these will make you say, "Oh my word!! I remember that!" Enjoy the walk...

We had TWO of these in our library! What a special treat to play Oregon Trail from the floppy disk!

 

 

 

 Best thing EVER!! Loved getting a new notebook for only 25 cents!! Started feeding my paper habit young!

 

Always wanted one of these, even though I wasn't old enough to shave, yet. I am sure I could have found something to shave!

 

My sister had the Sunshine Family, Grandpa and Grandma Sunshine and the Sunshine van. Green with envy! I was NOT allowed to touch the Sunshine family...though I did when she wasn't looking! :)

Loved this stuff...the toxic fumes I must have sucked in were awesome!

 

Lip Balm in a tin! I would eat this stuff! Seriously. I ate it.
 

I would glob this all over my lips for the perfect, drippy shine! Then I would lick it off because it tasted so good!

 

Smelled good all day long!

 

The best gum!!

 

I would save my money for a pack of these Wacky Cards! I think I may actually still have them in a keepsake box!  Lucky me!!!

 

My absolute favorite! Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers! I had the LARGE tube of bubble gum. One up friends because I had a Lip Smacker on a rope to wear around my neck. (I ate this too. Dear. God. I was a strange child.)

 

STILL have these!!

 

My sister had these and I was soooo jealous!

I was the envy of the neighborhood with this people set!

One of my favorite things I ever owned! You could do calculations (because it was a calculator) and play a few basic math fact games!

Another prized possession..my Velvet Doll! You could make her hair long by turning a knob in her back and to make it short, you pressed her belly button! I think I may have jammed up the hair mechanics, because I did give Velvet a little hair trim.

 

Oh...I loved my Cher barbie doll. I would brush her hair endlessly! It would actually squeak when you brushed it (because it was probably plastic) and I had to stop brushing it around my dad because the sound was like finger nails on a chalkboard to him! Well, I should have kept brushing that hair because it turned into a HUGE matted, nasty mess on her head. No problem...I could cut off the snarls. (So, I ate lip balm and cut my Barbie's hair regularly....hmmm.)

I could do this all day and all the way down to my friends house!!

(mic drop)

 

And we will finish on a story of this video game device!

 

We did not have an ATARI, but my good friend had one. When she would go on vacation, she would let me bring the ATARI to my house and hook it up to our TV. (You know...put the wires under the screws in the back of the TV. Turn the TV knob to channel 2) Well, the joystick had come apart and you could remove plastic covering off the stick or handle. Then, when you squeezed the handle to your leg (I don't know why I did this.), it would stick to your leg through suction. Following me? Well, I decided it would be fun to suction it to the center of my forward and chase my dog around like a unicorn. (I like to refer to it as being a free spirit and not to the amount of Lip Smacker I ate!) After a fun game of chase with my dog, I popped the handle off my forehead and had a perfectly red, round hickie right in the center of my forehead. Try explaining that one when you are in sixth grade to your "cool" friends!! 

Now, to go look up side effects of eating 

Bubble Gum Lip Smacker!

Yuck...

When I taught third grade, I came up against a stomach turner at least once a week...a lose tooth. On the first day of school, I would share with my new students that if they need to throw up, please hit a reciprocal of some sort...a trash can, a sink or a recycle bin. Even better, if they ran out of the room - no problem! I would also share that I will get someone to help them because unfortunately vomit was just something I couldn't  help them with. 

Then I would share how I also get sick to my stomach with lose teeth. I am super excited for them about that tooth and I sure hope they would lose it at school so they could put it in the little treasure chest, but they really don't have to show me their lose tooth. Once it's out, I will look, but not when it's hanging by a string in their mouth.

The kids thought it was hilarious, but also took me very serious!  (phew!) Several times, a boy or girl would come up and say, "Mrs. B!! Look at how lose my tooth is!!" And sure enough, there would be another child, not very far behind, "NOOOO!! Don't tell her!!! You KNOW that she will faint or get sick!!!" 

Bless all those kiddos hearts!!

Now, there are two types of kids when it comes to loose teeth.

1. The Hanger:  These kiddos will NOT let anyone touch their lose tooth, no matter what the circumstances. (Though I did find out that many kids would not pull their teeth until they got to school so they could get a treasure chest to put their tooth into. If I knew that earlier, I would have sent boxes of treasure chests home with the kids on the first day of school!) Now the tooth is staying in the mouth by the dreaded "thread" or "string." And it never failed, that the child would need talk to me and all I could do was look at that tooth and wonder if it was suddenly going to fly out and hit me in the eye. 

 It grossed me out. 

2. Then there is what I refer to as The Worker. This child about put me under my desk every time. This  child left their house in the morning and noticed that their tooth may...or my not, no, yep,  wiggled a little bit. And they spend the ENTIRE day working on getting that tooth out. It takes several trips to the drinking fountain because a "thread" would break (great success and a showing to the peers beside them.) And while I read aloud to the kiddos, there would be one audience member with their entire hand in their mouth working on getting that tooth out, because "DAMN IT, I AM GOING TO GET A TREASURE CHEST FOR MY TOOTH!" 

It grossed me out.

Well, back to my story. We have two of each category in our family. I am sure you could figure out who is what, but in case you can't, I will just let you know. Sam and I are hangers. Do not touch the lose tooth  until it falls out because I sneezed or bit on something and the tooth twisted at a terrible angle and now I have no choice.  But that's not all, it takes a good 45 minutes to work up to letting someone pull it and a good 15 minutes of ok do it, no stop, ok do it. Then it takes all of 2 seconds to get the tooth out because as I have state before, it was hanging there by a thread. 

And then we have Jason and Jack. Jason LOVED pulling his teeth when he was young! He loved the snap of the thread. (I am starting to get light headed just writing this!) We also have Jack...Can you tell what type of tooth person he is?

Yep, he is a worker. He is a typical, to the tee, tooth worker. But, with a twist. He likes to watch his progress in the mirror. I did not take this picture...Jason had to due to the fact that I could not stand watching this sport!

Jack had been working on this tooth for some time, so I finally yelled, "Jack...is it out yet?" 

"No! Part of it won't come out!"

Me: "You have 15 minutes and then you will have to wait until tomorrow!" (I should have added...and you will get a treasure chest for your tooth if you wait and pull it at school!)

Two minutes later he came out to show me this...

Here is a close up of his tooth hole. It was raw! That tooth was nowhere ready to come out! 

But I guess a worker's job is never done until the bloody proof is in a baggie for the tooth fairy!

(After looking at this picture I went to double check to see if Jack's mouth was that crooked! Phew!! It's not!)

Books...

Today I am sharing a few books I have been reading. These aren't your typical books, but ones that I have really enjoyed and have been inspired by reviews I have read.

52 Small Changes for the Mind

by Brett Blumenthal

Small changes work. In this practical book, wellness expert Brett Blumenthal reveals how to hone in on the mind as the foundation of overall health and well-being. She presents one small, achievable change every week—from developing music appreciation to eating brain-boosting foods, practicing mono-tasking, incorporating play, and more. The accumulation of these lifestyle changes ultimately leads to improved memory, less stress, increased productivity, and sustained happiness. Backed by research from leading expert, 52 Small Changes for the Mind provides a road map to a better life—and proves that the journey can be as rewarding as the destination.

 I have already incorporated the first three changes:  journaling, more music in your life (turning off the TV and less scrolling) and smiling more often! It is very easy and manageable and when I saw "improve memory" I was sold!! Focusing on one topic each week is very doable, due to them being simple tasks and some that you probably already do in your life!

Big Magic

 by Elizabeth Gilbert

 From Amazon:

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

I have also enjoyed this very straight forward book. This gal does not beat around the bush! I did think it was all about being "creative" in the traditional manner, but it really is about doing things you enjoy doing...making time for that and how it can effect your life in a positive manner. I have found it very interesting, as well as eye opening!

Don' t you worry! I only need to read one chapter a week from the first book and I read the second book periodically...so I have had time to finish up a good summer read book! Yep, a summer read in the winter!! Needed a little sun and warm in my reading because I ain't getting it from our weather!!

Quotes for Today

Some funnies for you today!

 

Can you relate?

 There are days...but every night!!

 Enjoy your day!

Our Lego Family...

Lego has 14 different series of mini-figures. Each series has 16 Lego mini-figs that come in mystery bag. So basically, you buy a mini-figure without knowing which one you are purchasing. Thank goodness for the guy at the Lego store that knew who was in which bag! Saved us  A LOT of money!!  Well, we took advantage of this opportunity and told the Lego man exactly which one we would like! So, I would like to introduce you to our little Lego family!

(Thank you to Jack for helping during this photo shoot. He uses his pointer finger to help you know who I am talking about each time!)

First, the Business Zombie. Which represents Jason!

Next comes me, Big Foot, with a camera.

 Obviously my no shave winter is getting out of control. Ew!

 Sam is our Monster Rocker.

And that brings us to our Mad Scientist, Jack.

 So that is our mini-figure family.

As you can tell, we need warmer weather.

And Jack need to clean his fingernails.

First Book of the New Year...

Over break I read a fun, easy read book.

Dumplin'

by Julie Murphy

 

From Amazon:

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.  

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

I really enjoyed this book and Willowdean, the main character. I just feel in love with her and her normal view of the world.  I love how she is fine with her curvy body and states that she isn't going to get skinny anytime soon. Unfortunately,  as soon as someone, Bo from Holy Cross Prep School, shows an interest in her Willowdean starts to doubt herself. Why give others more ammunition to make fun of her by asking, "Why would HE want to be with YOU? What does he see in HER?" Those are questions that she starts to ask herself before anyone even knows about Bo and Willowdean. I am such a sucker for a fun love story, but this book is so much more than a love story. It's about liking and accepting yourself, making new friends, losing a loved one, Dolly Parton and drag queens! 

What more could you want from a book!?

Quote of the Week...

People spend so much time becoming someone, 

but maybe it is also about unbecoming someone.

A good one to think about.

And now for another one to think about...

 

Have a fun one!