Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Do you choose a word for the year? My word for this year is CREATE. I want to create time to make time to create--to draw, to collage, to write, to journal, to spend time just enjoying nature in a creative way, and however I am led to create instead of feeling like I am just alive to be "productive." I think this book is helpful:     Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity •  Publisher:  Baker Books (January 21, 2025) •  Paperback:  224 pages We are constantly fed the line that more productivity will bring more ease, satisfaction, and meaning to our lives. But what if all the gold stars and checkboxes are just a distraction? What if we could stop project-managing life and act from our  being  instead of all our  doing ? If you long to leave the pressure to do enough behind in favor of a life full of meaning, creativity, and joy–a life where you don’t feel rushed because you can’t fall behind– Making Tim...

I am usually a pretty organized person as a firstborn. However, this year, I struggled with feeling like I have been on top of my schedule. Morgan Tyree's new book, Take Back Your Time , is just the book I need to help guide me back into a rhythm that will work to help me become more productive again. Take Back Your Time helps the reader figure out what their priorities are as far as time and goals to maximize their schedule to get those items done first. Tyree encourages readers to figure out what their main purposes are and how to prioritize those things in the day. She has forms to set up a schedule and a time log to make the best use of their time. She encourages readers to divide their day into three zones: Focus time (green zone), Flex time (yellow zone), and Fill Time (red zone). She also touches on personalities to utilize your strengths as well as setting up a calendar and accomplishing goals. Take Back Your Time is a practical guide with a lot of good information...

A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley is as beautiful as it is practical. It is a feast for the eyes and following Ley's guidelines would surely give peace to your home. A Simplified Life walks readers through the process of simplifying ten key areas of life: Space at home, personal style, meal planning, schedule, finances, hospitality, technology, self-care, motherhood, and faith in God. Through each area, Ley will help readers declutter distractions, put the tools in place to keep things running more smoothly, and help readers establish routines that work for their life. I wish I had had A Simplified Life when I was a young mother. Now my son is 16 and I have figured a lot of these things out on my own by now. However, I think this would be a great book for a woman in her 20s and 30s who is just starting her family and trying to keep everything running smoothly. Ley offers a lot of practical helpful tips. There are also a lot of lovely pi...