Sheila's Books Read

Sheila's bookshelf: read

The Best Intentions
Scotland's Melody
The Secret Society of Salzburg
Secret of the Sonnets
20-40-60-Minute Dinners: Meals to Match the Time You Have
Through the Wilderness: My Journey of Redemption and Healing in the American Wild
Secret Santa Claus Club: A Tool to Help Parents Unwrap the Secret of Santa
Mr. Pudgins
Revenge Never Rests
The Best Mistake
Meriden Park
More Inspirational Stories for Young Women
The Great Tree: A Christmas Fable
To Capture His Heart
The Call of the Sea
Esperance
Livvy and the Enchanted Woodland
Come, Gentle Night
The Bad Boy Theory
Guide To Smart Wedding Planning: What You want to know and everything you haven't thought of yet.


Sheila's favorite books »

2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Sheila has read 4 books toward her goal of 100 books.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011

"Z" is for Zzzzzzzzzzz Do You Get Enough Sleep?



Sleep is such an important part of our well being. How seriously do you take getting a good night's rest? I am a night owl, so I tend to stay up later than I should. I always regret it the next day when I am dealing with 24 second graders, plus my own two children.What does it take for us to realize that we need to make sure that we get our sleep? I found some very interesting statistics at www.bettersleep.org.

Each year, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) conducts a stress and sleep survey to find out what keeps Americans up at night.

This year’s findings revealed a range of insights on Americans’ stress and sleep cycles. Here are some of the results:

How Stressed Are We? 65% of Americans are losing sleep due to stress; 32% of Americans are losing sleep at least one night per week, up three points from 2003; 16% of Americans experience stress-induced insomnia, down six points from 2003;

Who is More Stressed?

  • 26% of women report trouble sleeping at least once a week compared to only 16% of men
  • 19% of individuals ages 45-64 admit to losing sleep due to stress a few nights per week

What's Keeping Us Awake? 23% say family issues; 16% say personal finances, up three points from 2003; 2% say to worry about current events;

This year’s survey also focused on women’s wellness and the results show an interesting

paradigm in how women approach their own health.

  • 27% of women say sleep is the most important component to their overall well-being
  • 16% of women would try getting a good night’s sleep to improve their overall wellness
  • 31% of suburban moms are likely to make sleep a priority
  • 50% of women with children agree that sleep is the best way to recharge, nine points higher than women without children
  • 45% of women agree they feel most refreshed after a good night’s sleep
  • 26% of women are likely to invest in a mattress as an in-home wellness item


The better sleep council gives
some recommendations of how we all can get better sleep. The BSC has developed
Ten Tips to help consumers start every day with a good night’s sleep.

1. Give yourself "permission" to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your "to do" list, make sleep a "priority." You'll thank yourself in the morning.

2. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.

3. Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night.

4. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning – even on weekends.

5. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a cool, dark room that is free from noises that may disturb your sleep.

6. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It's difficult to sleep on a bed that's too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.

7. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress – but don't exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.

8. Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

9. Don't smoke . Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.

10.Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.


Maybe what it comes down to, is that we should be more like cats.

"Cats Sleep Anywhere"

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.

Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.

Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.

Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.

Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.


Eleanor Farjeon (1881 -1965)




Friday, April 29, 2011

"Y" is for youtube...The Good, The Bad, The Funny!

Youtube is a word that most people have heard of. It has become as common to hear youtube spoken of as it is to hear the words cell phone. You can find almost anything on youtube. There are clips of movies, TV shows, music videos, and of course many funny real life videos from people everywhere. My children and I often go to youtube and find our favorite videos. We sit around and laugh and have a lot of fun together. I am posting today some of our favorite things we like on youtube. I hope that you enjoy them also. (I have posted some of these before, but they are fun to watch again.)
























This last video I could not get it to work. here is the link. Trust me, it is funny!
http://youtu.be/_0eINGyJHz8

Thursday, April 28, 2011

"X" is for X-tra Great Thriller...My Review of Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs


Synopsis:
Blonde and beautiful, fledging attorney Stephanie Saunders vows to protect the innocent even though as indigent defense attorney her clients rarely are. Does that include Josh Durrant who seems to be following her? Stephanie is dismayed when her peers begin calling her “Prom Queen” as her boyfriend, Todd Saxton, often does. Desperately trying to prove her worth, she falls prey to those who steal her innocence. Although she plans to forgive Todd for his ultimate betrayal, she is never given the chance. Her boss, Attorney Charles Connelly, offers solace, but is Stephanie’s welfare, or his own, top priority? The only thing that keeps Stephanie sane in her insane world are the horses she loves but does not own, especially the abused mare, Riskie Business, whose example helps Stephanie make the most difficult decision of her life. Relying on wit and courage, Stephanie must save herself and another during the final showdown where she proves a loyalty of which she never knew herself capable.

First off, this book was the 2010 Winner of the Silver Quill for second place in the Fiction category for the League of Utah Writers Publication Awards. You can see why after you read this novel. It is fast paced and so engaging you have to keep turning the pages. I especially loved the fact that you did not realize who was behind everything until the last few chapters.

The main character is likable, and she is written so you have great empathy for her. Sometimes, you want to shake her and tell her not to do something stupid. I always feel when a reader reacts this way to a character, kudos to the writer. There are many male characters in this book, and you are not sure who Stephanie can trust. My favorite male in the book is Josh Durrant. He gets under Stephanie's skin as well as yours. There is something about him that you want to know, but can you trust him? Actually, you feel this way about all of the men in this book. Who can Stephanie really trust? There is a huge puzzle to piece together and Betty leaves so many clues along the way. I know my friend Mindy could possibly figure out the real bad guys sooner than I did. After she reads this book, I will let you know if she did.

One central story line in the book does makes you so disgusted. I found it even hard to read about it. It involves date rape. No clear details are given, but be warned. Without this story line arc though, there would be no story. It is handled and written well. You still want to smack everyone who was involved in it.

This book will keep you on edge while you read it. Leave open a large amount of your time to read this novel. I can promise you, you will not want to stop reading. I gave this book 4 stars on goodreads.com.



If you would like to know more about Betty and her books here is the author's site: http://www.bettybriggs.com/



I received a review copy of this book. In no way did this influence the review that was given.


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"V" and "W" Makes a Vulnerable Writer


vul·ner·a·ble

[vuhl-ner-uh-buh]
–adjective
1.
capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon:
a vulnerable part of the body.
2.
open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.:
anargument vulnerable to refutation; He is vulnerable tobribery.
3.
(of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend: a vulnerablebridge.

writ·er

[rahy-ter]
–noun
1.
a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc.,especially as an occupation or profession; an author orjournalist.
2.
a clerk, scribe, or the like.
3.
a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., towriting: an expert letter writer.


After I missed posting yesterday, I found a way to combine "V" and "W". I think that most people that want to have a book published someday have felt like a vulnerable writer. It is sad that we leave ourselves open to this kind of vulnerability, but it is human nature. When we put our work "Out There" we are opening ourselves up to praise and criticism. I think that you have to decide what is worst, being vulnerable or never trying. One place will keep you safe, but the other may open up new opportunities for you. I have a feeling that even published authors still feel a little vulnerable when they have a new book coming out. If we never step outside of our comfort zone we will never get anywhere. We have to build confidence in ourselves and our writing. There will be many rejections along the way. As long as we continue to believe in ourselves and what we are doing, we will feel success.

Monday, April 25, 2011

"U" Are the Winner of the Bumpy Landings Contest...


Congrats to Angie Lofthouse "U" are the winner!! She has won a copy of Bumpy Landings by Don Carey. I will be letting Don know that you have won the copy from my blog's contest. I will let him make arrangements of how he wants to get your copy to you.


Can you name 20 words that start with "U"? (Don't use a Dictionary!) Also, set your timer and give yourself only five minutes. It is harder than you think when you are being timed.

-unicorn

-unique
-umbrella
-undone
-undress
-unattainable
-us

-United States of America
-unbelievable

-understand
-Uncle
-umbilical cord
-upside down
-ugly

-ukulele
-urgent
-updated
-upset
-ulcer
-unpack

Saturday, April 23, 2011

"T" is for Tobi...My Cat










"T" is for Tobi my silly cat.We adopted Tobi from the Humane Society last October. We needed to have an animal that would have an easy adjustment to us and our home. He has brought a lot of joy into our lives. We love to watch him as he plays with twist ties, jumps into boxes, chases his balls around, and runs around chasing something that is really not there. Tobi likes to race us up the stairs. We have learned that we need to walk up one side or the other and never in the middle of the stairs. I know that some people don't like cats, but we do. He makes us laugh and snuggles with us when we are sad. He has a personality like I have never seen before in an animal. He likes to be petted and he likes to snuggle up with me at night. Tobi is such an important part of our family now. That is why I had to blog about Tobi today.

Friday, April 22, 2011

"S" is for Sanity and My Review of "The Crazy Daze of Motherhood" by Jane Isfeld Still



Today's letter is "S" and I thought of the word Sanity. It seemed to go right along with my book review today. The book is called, "The Crazy Daze of Motherhood" by Jane Isfeld Still. Some days as mothers, life does indeed feel crazy and we feel like we are losing our sanity.

Here is the blurb from the back cover:

A mother's day is filled with all kinds of emergencies, from bumps and bruises to hospital stays. Find the perfect way to recover from your own family's little emergencies with Jane Isfeld Still's latest book on the
hilarious daily challenges of a mother in the fray. You're sure to laugh and cry as you celebrate the joys of motherhood.

There are many reasons to like this book. It is full of humorous stories that most Moms/parents will be able to relate to. Jane Still is the mother of six kids that she had in eight years. I bow down to her greatness. I would have been locked in a padded cell if it had been me with the six kids in eight years. Instead, Jane has many funny stories that come from her time raising her children.

Some of the chapter titles are as follows:
-All Locked Up
-Losing the children
-One Brick Short of a Load
-Doctor Blues
-Hairy Scary
-Drama Queen
-Attack of the Killer Mascara
-When Pigs Fly

There are many other chapters, but these are the titles I liked the most. The chapter that I loved the most was one called, Florence Nightingfail. The main reason why I liked this story, is that it reminded me of me. Jane's daughter Kristjana had an accident on her bike. Before Jane left for the hospital, her "scrapbooking instincts" clicked in. She had one of her children run inside to get her camera. When she got to the hospital her daughter is there in her hospital bed. Kristjana sees her mother's camera,

"Mother, please tell me you did not bring your camera."

"Of course I brought a camera. Don't you want to show your children what you looked like on the first big accident of your life?"

Finally Jane pulls out her camera, "Kristjana you have to take a picture now. What's the point in taking one after you heal? Nobody will believe how awful you looked."

"This moment just keeps getting better, Mom do you even think before you speak? You are like a volcano, You just open your mouth and erupt."

This is just one chapter that had me laughing out loud. You need this book to help you find the humor in motherhood. It also will help you realize, when you feel like you are going crazy, that crazy is just a part of being a Mom. You may also feel better about yourself and your children. You can be thankful that your son never stripped down and played in the wishing fountain at the mall.(That story can be found in the chapter, Losing the Children.)

This book is small, only 87 pages long, and will fit into your purse. This is the only problem I had with the book, I wanted it to be longer! If you only have a few minutes to read, pull it out and read just one story. I know that these stories will bring some joy into your sometimes, mundane, I live in my car, I am always doing laundry and I never know what to fix for dinner, life.

This book will make a great Mothers Day gift for any female relative or friend. You can purchase this book at Amazon.com.

You could win a fun prize from Jane to help celebrate the release of her book! Go to her blog at http://www.janeisfeldstill.blogspot.com and become a follower, and then leave her a comment and tell her that you're a new follower. You could win:

1. Mother's Daze basket, soap, chocolate, lotion, decorative candles, and recipe cards

2. Box of blank cards with a smattering of Canadian chocolate

3. Chocolate

Make sure that you let Jane know that I sent you there.

I received a review copy of this book. In no way did it influence the review that was given.