September Acres

I was lucky enough to be chosen to serve on the launch team for "Breaking Busy" by Alli Worthington.  I received my advanced copy of the book right around Thanksgiving - a little crazy but at the same time it was the perfect time to start reading a book about breaking busy since that is the time of the year that we all seem to be extra busy and maybe even take on more than we really want to. The very first chapter is called 'Capacity'.  Boy, that was eye opening.  Alli compared us to our cell phones, which have a battery that gets depleted after use and has a 'finite capacity for storage and functionality'.  When our phone battery falls to 10% there's a little warning that the battery is low and needs to be recharged.  Our bodies do the same but how often do we listen to the signs and take the time to recharge?  For most of us the answer to that is 'not enough'.  We think we are too busy to take that time to rest.  After reading th...

Madame Chic I just heard about this book last week when my mom ordered it from Amazon .  I nabbed it first and finished reading it in the car on a recent trip.  It was a fun, quick read and chocked full of useful information. For me, this book was a chance to stop and think about how I live.  The French way of quality over quantity was stressed more than once.  I've heard so many people say they want to live with a less is more mentality - to get out of the keeping up with the Joneses lifestyle and say 'no' to excess.  This book really helps you figure out how it's done en France. One of my favorite chapters of the book talks about a ten piece wardrobe.  No more closets stuffed full and 'nothing to wear'.  Apparently it's tres French to buy a limited number of quality pieces of clothing that mix and match with each other as opposed to a bazillion pieces of poor or mediocre quality pieces that may or may not work with your existing wardrobe. ...

I joined my first book club this past August.  I did it for two reasons - my friend asked me and I thought it would be fun to read some books that are a little outside of my comfort zone.  Boy, did that happen.  I usually read books like 'Crazy Rich' (above) - interesting non-fiction types of books or easy reads like Elin Hilderbrand or Emily Giffin.   Our first book was 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn which I read when it first came out (and the third reason I joined the book club - since I had already finished the book I would at least be guaranteed that I'd finish one!)  Our next book was this one: I liked this one even if it was a bit far-fetched (in my opinion).  It was a quick read and a bit of a page turner. We have also read this: Another good one.  So far I was 3 for 3 and getting really into this book club thing! And then we read this: I didn't even finish it. We then read ' The Book Thief ' which was a little rough s...

I recently joined my first book club EVER.  I have always wanted to join one but the time was never really right.  Our first book was 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn.  When my friend told me that was our first book I said 'I'm in and I've already finished the book!' (I read it when it first came out). 'Gone Girl' was very different from books I usually read but I heard so many people say they liked it so I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and read it.  While I did like it, it was very dark and I didn't find any of the characters very likable.  It is a great book club book though because there are so many thought provoking questions and lots of 'what would I do in this situation' scenarios. This month our book is 'The Silver Star' by Jeannette Wells.  I haven't read any of her other books but I really enjoyed this, her first novel.  I am so excited that I finished this an entire week before our club meets (I'm a sl...

I am always looking for the newest personal finance book.  I pick them up at the library mostly - some of them are horrible & I stop reading soon after starting.  Some are really great and I end up buying them or checking them out numerous times.  Some of my favorites (in no particular order): I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan so I love this book.  I think he makes so much sense and what he advises us to do with money is really simple stuff - it's the discipline that's hard.  He shares success stories in this book which I find motivating.  He talks about his 'baby steps' for getting out of debt and offers forms to help with budgeting. Jean Chatzky has written many books but I like this one a lot.  This book talks about the difference between us and the financially successful - what they do that we don't.  It's good stuff. David Bach coined the phrase 'the latte factor' - that money we spend everyday without thinking - for lots of...

I recently had the opportunity to review the Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook by Kelly Lester.  I became familiar with Kelly and her Easy Lunch Boxes products by following her on Twitter. I am a huge fan of cookbooks and own too many.  I can also be found with an armful each time I check out at the library.  As with anything, some of the cookbooks are keepers and some are duds.  The Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook (available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon ) is a definite keeper. The eye catching cover is only the beginning of the enjoyment you will discover when you pick up this book. If you are a mom, you will appreciate the fun, easy, fast lunch box ideas.  Each recipe is beautifully photographed and not only shows a picture of the recipe but also sides (fruits & veggies) that would be tasty served with the dish.  I don't know about you but I am always looking for different lunch ideas for my daughter - not only for her mai...