Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Promises for 2026 & Tell Me Something Tuesday: What Are Your Favorite Snow/Winter-themed Books?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Tuesday is back, and with it is our Top Ten Tuesday meme. This week, we're discussing our goals, or as I prefer to call them, promises. Before I get there, though, I want to share my Word of the Year, which will complement my promises.

Last year, I was as close to burnout as I've ever been. You probably felt it in my weekly posts, and I certainly felt it throughout my daily life. As 2026 arrived, I promised myself that change would come. Balance in life is my focus for the entire year. To create more balance, here are my...

Top Ten Promises for 2026

1. Create a calendar that works for me: I am not a time blocker, a lover of planners, or anything else that could keep me organized. All my appointments and blog events are kept in my digital calendar on my iPhone, but the rest of my life is up in the air. I'm open to your ideas, but for now, I maintain a monthly calendar board in my office. I'm writing in appointments, the times to sit down and make calls, and my days off. My plan is for one day off a week, working up to two days off each week. 
2. Set firmer boundaries: I didn't grow up in a family that set firm boundaries. I am not good at setting them now. That's why my days off go out the window when I get busy. That's why my vacations are working ones. In 2026, I'm committed to protecting my day off. More days off will allow for more writing, reading, and blogging, which bring me joy.
3. Increase self-care: Self-care also falls through the cracks. In January, I dedicated myself to starting and ending the day in Scripture. Then each morning, I do 20 squats, 10 arm circles, 10 standing oblique twists, and 10 arm stretches. I've also set a more regular bedtime, which helps me get up with enough time to perform these exercises.
4. Listen more: I do a lot of talking, but God gave me one mouth and two ears, so I should use them accordingly. I've begun asking more questions this year, which puts me in a position to listen more. I'm slipping my phone into my bag at meetings. I'm trying to keep my laptop off the table to decrease the temptation to multitask when meeting topics don't apply to me. I'm taking more notes.
5. Maintain my goal weight: I hit my goal weight in December. It's taken years, but in the immortal words of London Tipton, "Yay me!" Drinking more water and less soda, meal planning, and healthier snacks did the trick for me. I'm still a junk food junkie at heart, and when I get busy, fast food on the road calls my name. Luckily, the fast food often makes me sick now, so I don't crave it as much.
6. Complete my Goodreads Challenge: The only challenge I participate in is set for 60 books this year. I missed the mark last year for the first time in forever. I plan to complete the challenge this year, and already have great books from my TBR pile and the six (2 full-length, 1 middle grade, 2 picture books) I requested to review to give me a good start.
7. Read more books from my TBR pile: Always on my list, but it is happening this year because I will reduce virtual book tour reviews, not use my next Audible credits until I've read the first six books I downloaded, and will only pre-order books from authors I know really well. Honestly, I don't feel the need to own many physical copies these days. 
8. Finish Sheltered Hearts: Through the first week of February, I am plotting the rest of the chapters. After that is done, I will dedicate part of my day off to writing... unless I am spending time with loved ones. 
9. Work with NEPM for branding ideas: This applies to two areas of my life--real estate and writing. Up until 2023, my tagline was "Faith-filled journeys for kids." That doesn't encompass all that I write now. The new website was a start. I need to flesh this out more fully for both of my careers. 
10. Connect with more authors: Attending two writing conferences in 2025 made me realize how much I miss spending regular time in the writing world. The author event that I participated in last year left me yearning for author-to-author connections. I've signed up for newsletters and plan to keep an eye out in our local news for author events and new releases.

Thanks to Freepik for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is asking us to share our favorite snow/winter-themed books. Take a peek at my choices:

Little Snowman Stan by Guido van Genechten

The Rabbit and the Snowman by Sally O Lee

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Beautiful Snow: 

The Ingalls Family, the Railroads, and the Hard Winter of 1880-81

 by Cindy Wilson

Have you read any of these? 

Workbook Review: My Career Journal by CareerTuners (Giveaway)

 

Need help to define your career goals, overcome gaps in your skill set, and get that job you're aiming for? Then this workbook by CareerTuners can help.

My Career Journal starts off by having you think about what your dream job looks like: what that role is, what benefits you're looking for, and your desired salary range. Then you perform an analysis of your strengths and areas you wish to improve. Then it's time to set some S.M.A.R.T. short- and long-term goals. Then it's time to break those goals down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. With quarterly assessments along the way, you can track your journey.

My Career Journal is easy to follow and uses a proven approach to achieving your goals. With monthly and weekly planners, free space where you can brainstorm and capture notes, regular times to assess your progress, along with helpful checklists and interview advice, My Career Journal provides you the tools you need to succeed. There are a couple spots where advertising for the author's services appears, but they don't distract from the content. 

If you are planning a search for your dream job, My Career Journal will be an invaluable resource. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSG95QYD
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ CareerTuners (January 12, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218352158

Fatemah Mirza will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

I received a digital copy of this workbook from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Looking Ahead

 

I am a planner. Spontaneous actions make me uncomfortable. Odd since I am a total panster when I write. As I am contemplating 2021 and what my personal, professional (real estate), and writing goals might look like, I am working on a plan for success. 

Items like: buy another bookshelf to help with my overflow of books that I want to keep, a new desk for the office, one-day planner sheets for my to-do list based off my goals, switching to an online calendar, and a plan to consolidate blogs are all on my list to review before the end of the year. 

What does your 2021 success plan look like? Will you create a vision board? Do you journal or use daily planners?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Nov 23

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome back to Monday. I hope you had a nice weekend. I didn't get half of what I needed to do accomplished, but this week I have only one meeting, one closing, and one book review due, so I am hopeful for a more productive week. 

In my book world, I am reading this neat little treasure. My review will appear on Friday. 

These are the next ones I need to review. 

In addition, I just requested this book for review in January.

Yes, I am my own worst enemy. I blame it on that 2014 Little House trip I took with my friends. We crossed the Mississippi by car and saw one of these paddlewheels when we pulled over to take photos. How could I pass up this travel memoir?  

I am looking forward to 2021 and making plans for success. I will be making some blogging changes in the new year, so look out for that announcement. 

Thanks for visiting. Hope my friends in the States have a nice Thanksgiving. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Nov 16

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

We are back to Monday again. I hope you all had a nice weekend. Mine involved a food drive for a local survival center, collecting donations for one of my favorite local charities, a listing appointment, and Bible study. 

Today marks the start of the annual National Association of Realtors Conference. This year we are virtual, which allows me to attend without traveling anywhere. One tiny bonus of the pandemic. 

As far as reading goes, I'm chugging along. I posted a review of this great seasonal romance on Friday. If you like sweet romances, seasonal romances or Hallmark movies, Selling Christmas will be right up your alley. You can read my thoughts here.

Next up in order of when the reviews are scheduled are the following:

Now that my 2021 business plan for real estate is complete, I can focus on my other goals. Are you working on your 2021 goals yet? Is there something special you're looking to accomplish next year? 

My Favorite..Dream

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info and the upcoming subjects visit the My Favorite Meme.. page.

Dreams are so much fun. We are encouraged as children to dream big, but then we become adults and we tend to satisfy ourselves with smaller dreams. I have two favorite dreams and they are tied to each other.

My first favorite is to retire to Manteo, North Carolina. It's my favorite spot on earth. I can't wait to see it again in a couple of weeks. We've begun looking at property on the Outer Banks, but probably won't be able to buy in Manteo since rental income would help finance having the second house. Manteo isn't exactly the hot spot for OBX rentals. It is, however, a nice place to spend some time walking the boardwalk in downtown, grabbing an ice cream at Big Buck's, popping in at Downtown Books or any of the other shops, or hanging out on the waterfront. It's where we go to relax, which is why I would love to own property there, but anywhere on the Outer Banks would make me happy.

When I retire to the Outer Banks (hopefully Manteo), I would like to write full time again. I love selling real estate, but my true joy is writing. That's why I continue to blog despite my crazy work and personal schedules.

What are some of your favorite dreams?

Beyond the Books - 2018 Spring Goals

Beyond the Books is a weekly feature hosted right by Kissin Blue Karen. Beyond the Books is a weekly writing prompt where she throws out a topic (mostly non-bookish) and others blog about it.

Spring is here, but someone should probably tell Mother Nature that the Northeast has had enough winter and the snow can stop at any time. Thankfully, we missed the brunt of this latest Nor'easter.

Since most of my goals center around reading and writing, I'm going to step away to draw up some more personal "me time" goals.

1. Plant a vegetable and fruit garden. We had one, but as soon as I went back to work it became almost impossible to keep up. I'm determined that even if it is a very small one, a garden will be in my yard this year.
2. Get back to exercising. Between work and taking care of the family and my in-laws, exercising has been non-existent. Need to change that for my own sake.
3. De-clutter the house. I'm renting a dumpster, taking a week off, and cleaning the house. I'll donate a lot, but there is some stuff that is totally useless. 

These are my three large personal goals. They are pretty vague, but my plan is to order some seeds by the end of the month, and hopefully, if we don't more snow, I can clean up the garden area by then too. As far as exercising go, I need to add it to my work calendar or it won't get done. I'm thinking maybe Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. First step to de-clutter is decide on a week off. Maybe it is school vacation week, but then I fear the girls will want to go out instead of help with the house. I might get more done if I do it when they are in school. 

That's it for me. What are some of your goals? 

Musing Monday - January 2

Musing Monday is now hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM QUESTION: Have you joined any challenges in reading for the new year? Do you have any general goals book or even not book related for 2017?

Happy new year, everyone! I hope you had a great holiday season. Things are a bit somber here. After having the troops home for nearly two weeks, everyone goes back to their regular schedules tomorrow. Sigh!

This is always a fun time for me, though, because I organize, set goals, and prepare for the year ahead. As far as reading challenges, I am determined to do better than I did in 2016. These are the two I joined:

I love historical fiction and desperately need to whittle away my TBR pile. 

I've also joined the Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge at Books Can Be Deadly and the 2017 Picture Book Reading Challenge at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection.

As far as goals, I have some work-related and others family- and fun-related. My first business planning meeting for 2017 is Friday. I need to get my goals together for that--my plan has been done for a few weeks now--but I know I am looking to double my business this year. In 2016, I had 66% increase over the previous year, so I should be able to pull it off.

My writing goals are:

• Participate in Picture Book Idea Month. I’ve participated in this endeavor twice, which resulted in Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving being published, Amos Faces His Bully being under contract, and four other picture books written. I’m game to do it again.
• Submit two short stories this year.
• Contribute to Guardian Angel Kids e-zine once this year.
• Seek out guest blogging opportunities once a quarter.
• Write four chapters of Amelia’s Mission by June.
• Attend writing group monthly.

This might be optimistic considering all I plan to do with real estate, but we'll see how it goes.

The most important goal, however, is to spend more time doing what I love: time with our family, reading, cooking, and gardening.

What are your goals for 2017? 

The Book Connection Year in Review

We are about an hour away from 2017. Have you already considered your new year's resolutions? I only have one this year and it is based upon on what I missed in 2016: time to enjoy what I love most.

I was just browsing through The Book Connection's archives for this year and discovered I read 23 (not 21 as I said earlier this week) books. Seven of them were picture books that didn't appear here. Here's a look at what was reviewed:

The problem is, I used to read over 100 books a year. Now, I don't expect that will be the case in 2017 because I'm working outside of the house now and I wasn't before; but just like I took last year's resolution to lose weight, eat better and exercise more seriously, I am embracing this resolution 100%.

I vow to make more time for:

• Family
• Reading
• Writing
• Cooking
• Gardening

These are the things I enjoy the most. Those are the people I want to dedicate more time to. As such, I am working on my 2017 calendar and seeing how I can arrange things to dedicate at least one day off to family each week and cook real food at least three days each week. I also want to plant a garden in the spring, something I didn't get to this year. Even if I only write a chapter once a month, that will be more than I did in 2016. As far as reading goes, I would like to double the number of books I read in 2016. 

If you have any tips to share I would love to hear them. 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Resolutions I Have For 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Welcome to our first Top Ten Tuesday post of the year. I love participating in this one because it talks about resolutions, which fits in well with all the goal setting everyone does around the first of the year. 

I thought it would be fun to review last year's Top Ten Resolutions before moving into this year's.

1. Catch up on my TBR Pile. Ha, ha, ha. Didn't happen.
2. Catch up on writing reviews. Have reviewed all the books I've read. 
3. Re-organize my books. Didn't happen, but I did purge some throughout 2015.
4. Reconsider my blogging duties. Done. I got rid of one blog and reduce my blogging duties on two others. 
5. Finish my middle grade novel. Only 14 chapters in, but this is on my writing goals list for completion this year.
6. Get in shape. Never even came close to happening, though I did exercise occasionally. 
7. Clean out the basement. Don't make me laugh. There is more crap in there than ever. 
8. Seriously look at self-publishing. Read a couple of books, but tabled this until I have something to self-publish that isn't a picture book requiring illustrations. 
9. Re-organize my closet. Did some, but really needs to be totally emptied and tidied up.
10. Stage my house. Nope, and probably won't happen this year either.

Top Ten Resolutions We Have For 2016

(can be bookish, personal resolutions, "I resolve to finally read these 10 books, series I resolve to finish in 2015, etc.)

1. Catch up on my TBR Pile. I need to do this. I can't stand being overdue on reviews. I won't get to all my books, but by the end of the year I want all the books on my floor that I have promised to review to be gone. 
2. Finish my middle grade novel. It's either this year or never. I've set my goals and have a plan on how to achieve them. By May 31, 2016 is slated to be done, but I will give myself some leeway if the real estate is profitable this year (and no reason to think it won't be).
3. Get in Shape. Already on it. Today I started the New Year's Resolution Solution. I ate more fruits and vegetables than I have in years. This was also the first day I went without a can of soda. Oh, and I exercised too. My plan is to lose 10 pounds by the end of June.
4. Daily Bible reading. Even if I only get in one verse, I'll be happy. I need to spend more time in the Word. 
5. Dedicate more time to family. My in-laws are in their 80s and my kids are 28, 14, and 12. If I don't remember how quickly Johnny Boy went from baby to man, I can see it in how tall and mature the girls are getting. Need to time block the calendar with family time.
6. Be a more dedicated spouse. Dad has his hopes and dreams, just like I do. I can't say I've always done everything I can to help him out. Marriage should be 50/50, so I need to bring it to the table. I'm sure this will require prayer to get me moving.
7. Read more business and writing craft books. I buy them, but I don't always read them. I want to commit to reading one a quarter.
8. Double my real estate business. I closed out 2015 by helping 14 people find new homes and 5 renters locate new rentals. I would like to be close to 30 home sales by the end of the year and still keep some rentals in the mix.
9. Do one thing just for me this year. In 2014 I took a trip across the country to meet my friends in Wisconsin and embark upon a tour of most of the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites. For the record, I've never done anything like that before. I've never even been away from my girls for more than an overnight. I don't need anything this grand for 2016, but I want to do something special just for me--maybe a writing retreat. 
10.  Let go of some volunteer duties. I simply do too much, and both my family and I suffer for it. It's time to reassess my life and let someone else take charge of things I don't have time for.  

Good luck with your goals for 2016. Feel free to share some of them in the comments. 

First Chapter Review: Lifetime of Achievement by Jordan Maylea Ramirez

Today I'm reviewing the first chapter of Lifetime of Achievement by Jordan Maylea Ramirez. She is currently on tour with Pump Up Your Book.

BLURB:  There are too many people going through life content with mediocrity. People going to jobs they hate, to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. People who are dreading Monday, looking forward to hump day and praying for Friday; and let’s not even talk about those two weeks of paid vacation… those are gold!

How long have we been this way? Is this really what life is all about? I don’t believe we were created to be content with a mediocre lifestyle we never wanted in the first place. What happened to being a rock star, an astronaut, or an actor? What happened to the hopes and dreams we each had as children? Perhaps, over time, our dreams have changed… but our propensity for dreaming is still inside us.

Lifetime of Achievement outlines seven goal-setting strategies to help get you from where you are to where you want to be. In its chapters you will find knowledge from some of the worlds most popular personal development masterpieces, taken down to a level that is easy to read and simple to understand.

Learn the steps to discovering who you truly are, creating goals in perfect alignment with that discovery and implementing an action plan that, when followed, has been proven to produce results. Learn how to conquer fear, to activate the powers of the human mind and discover two of the most important factors shared by virtually every successful individual throughout history.

This book takes proven strategies and puts them into an easy-to-read, easy-to-implement format that can be read in as little as a few hours. Discover the steps, put them to work, and become prepared for a Lifetime of Achievement!

COVER: This cover has me totally confused. Why the off-centered bird on the water? How is this supposed to motivate me to set life-changing goals? Perhaps I'm thinking about it too much. Perhaps it's the symbolism of a bird spreading his wings about to fly that is supposed to grab my attention and make me think if I follow these strategies I'll be that flying bird spreading my wings and achieving my dreams; but then why not a bird in flight over a mountain top instead? I'm sorry, but I simply don't get the cover choice at all.

FIRST CHAPTER: This book opens with the topic of clarifying your goals. It covers the relationship between your core values and goals you set, in addition to the need to understand the root issue of goal setting. There is a short exercise to help you identify your top five core values and a discussion on attitude versus philosophy.

KEEP READING: What I think the author does well in the first chapter is start off in the right place. The opening chapter helps readers understand how they are going to get from Point A (setting goals) to Point B (working toward obtaining those goals). Ramirez has an open, conversational style that draws readers in. She provides examples from her life to illustrate her meaning and let the reader know she understands some of the issues they struggle with.

Lifetime of Achievement is definitely a book I would like to read more of to see how the author moves readers from the writing of their goals down on paper to achieving them.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Jordan lives with her husband Robert in Lubbock, Texas with their 3 dogs and two horses. Because both her parents have always been self-employed, she had an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age and began her first business at the age of 17. It was at that time that she first became fascinated with the subject of personal development and the impact a personal education can have on a person’s life. She grew up riding horses and competing in Dressage shows all across Texas and New Mexico. The sport continues to be one of the primary passions in her life and if she is not working or spending time with her family you can usually find her at the barn. Jordan has two younger siblings, Clayton and Paige, whom she is very close to, and she greatly enjoys spending time with her family. She and Robert enjoy entertaining friends at their home (especially during football season – Go Red Raiders!) and they love to travel the world and experience new countries and cultures together.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

I received the first chapter of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.