My Favorite Places to Shop For Books

Finding a really good book is always exciting. Finding a good deal on a really good book is even more exciting! I love saving money as much as a coupon shopper loves a BOGO deal. But, it's not always about getting a book cheaper than the big box store price. Sometimes it's about finding your favorite author's book in a bookstore or supporting a local book shop. I also love the feeling of supporting a mission such as Embrace Books and Little Free Libraries where sometimes, you give more books than you get. Instead, what you get in return is a sense of joy and happiness much like the feeling of finding a really good book.

I've compiled a list, in no specific order, of my favorite places to look for books, some of which are free or almost free, some online and some that are in West Michigan (shop local, y'all). Enjoy!

1. Little Free Libraries

I recently discovered that LFL has an app! Did you know that? Wherever you travel you can easily find a Little Free Library. How awesome! I have friends that take books on vacation, find a LFL and swap out the book. Then, your new-to-you book becomes a souvenir to bring back home or read while you vacay.

I love discovering the little free libraries because the entire thing is an adventure. Like finding a geocache! Each one is unique and you never know what's inside. The adventure is just as fun as finding something/a book worth keeping.

2. Local Bookstores

My favorite thing about local bookstores is imagining the heart and soul that the shop owner puts into their selections, the style, the cute bookish gifts. I love supporting local so supporting local and getting a book to read is a win win. 

The Bookman in Grand Haven, sits right next to Morning Star Cafe. On special mornings when we splurge on breakfast we'll swing into the Bookman with full bellies and coffee in hand to browse their books (and take a few home too.) 

Bookshelves at Book Mark in Ludington, MI

3. Embrace Books

If you follow my social media you might've seen me mention this non-profit before. I've not only had the opportunity to score free books but also I've volunteered here and got a behind the scenes, up close and center look at how the fabulous people and volunteers make it all happen. Embrace Books' mission is to get books into everyone's hands and ultimately that mission has helped improved literacy scores in Muskegon. It's so brilliant! It truly inspired me to do more and be better. 

4. Dollar Stores

Because Dollar Tree gets roll off products from Target you can find some pretty good books here. I recently picked up Under The Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey. There were several books of all different genres that looked equally as interesting. All for just $1.25!

5. Book Sales

Book sales are a unique experience in themselves. I attended one at a Grand Rapids library (they have 6, by the way) and browsed tables and tables of books. I was grateful to browse self help books, mystery and romance. They were nicely organized as well. The books were $2.00 to 5 cents. I always have an eye out for book sales because I love a gently used book!

6. Book Outlet Online

Whenever possible I choose to shop local but sometimes when you find a good deal you just have to hit the check out button, especially when books are $10 and under. My recent order was all books under $5 each. One of my neighbors introduced me to Book Outlet and every so often I hit 'Check Out' on a few good titles at a great price. Do I sound like an advertisement? Oops! One more thing: You can also earn rewards at Book Outlet and I'm a big fan of rewards programs. 

So, which way to shop is your favorite? Out of these 6 ways to shop for books which do you think you'll check out? Whether it's opening the door of a local bookstore or a Little Free Library enjoying reading a book is always the goal. 

Tips for a Very Booked Holiday Season

This blog may contain affiliate links to my Amazon Shop.

The hustle of the holidays is here. Christmas is everywhere! I love all the ribbons and sparkle, the shopping, decorating, surprises, and gift giving that goes along with the holidays but, sometimes all of that can pile up and make me feel rather heavy. One thing that comes with the Christmas holidays that I don't love is stress. Which got me thinking, what if there are a few things I can do through the holidays to lessen stress that would make for a much more enjoyable holiday? It doesn't have to be anything extravagant but rather just the opposite. I gathered my favorites ways to lessen stress to share with you. I think these things might come in handy during the holiday season.

1. Make time for yourself

What are a few of your favorite ways to relax, unwind and rejuvenate? A few of my favorites, and feel free to borrow them, are:

• Play (Christmas) music or my favorite playlist
• Turn on the Christmas lights and enjoy their twinkle.
• Write in my journal
• Read a book 
• Take a hot bath
• Watch a (Christmas) movie
• Light a candle of your favorite scent
• Take a nap
• Exercise

Schedule time in each day for doing just one thing you enjoy. It doesn't have to be several hours, even 15-20 minutes can reset your mind and help you get back to feeling like you. 

Have you heard of hygge? 

Hygge is a Danish tradition dating back to the 1800's all about embracing the cozy. By doing so you can create a feeling of contentment and well being. Grab your favorite soft blanket and curl up on the couch or add a scarf and warm hat to your wardrobe. There's plenty of resources out there about this tradition, including a few Hygge Books I've linked for you.

Make a list

You know I love lists! During the holidays they are a crucial! Whether you or shopping for gifts, cookie baking, Christmas brunch, etc. take a few moments to make a list. When you make a list it keeps you on track while shopping and saves time. All the brand new toys, clothes and things on shelves can be a distraction. You might end up over spending and purchasing without intention. Those sparkly things can get the best of you and your wallet so make a list ahead of your shopping trip.

If you don't have a set shopping list check out my Shopping & Gift List digital download in my Etsy shop!

Don't skimp on your health

I find prioritizing my health during the holidays makes for a more enjoyable day, weekend and month. Keep a stock of fruits and veggies, protein snacks for on the go. My family takes a multi-vitamin, but I add zinc during the cold season. The Vitamin-C packets you can add to water are also handy.

My other two health tips that can become a positive routine are drinking plenty of water and moving your body. 

A tip for next year

Gather gift ideas throughout the year. All of our handy dandy smart phones are very useful for jotting down notes when our loved ones, co-worker or friends mention something they want or wish they had. Then, you won't be rushing last minute to think of a perfect gift idea, you'll already have it!

I hope you find a few of these ideas helpful. Enjoy the rest of your cozy holiday season!

Cheers, Karlee

4 Tips for a Booked Back To School Schedule

This blog may contain affiliate links to my Amazon Shop.

Transitioning from Summer to a new school year is probably as busy as the weeks leading up to Christmas. Much preparing and planning goes into both. You can roll stress, anxiety and possibly some panicking into that too. However, there's a few things I've found, this year especially that have helped me get organized and I hope they can help you, too. 

Communicate with other Moms 

It's easy to feel isolated during this very busy time of year, but it's a sometimes a silly illusion that feelings of overwhelm force us into. Obviously, there are 1000's of parents sending their kids back to school, possibly even parents helping their kids make the transition to an intermediate School (like we are) or Middle or High School. You are not alone. 

So, reach out to another parent! I encourage you to take advantage of social media. The positive power of social media is that your post can quickly connect you with other people that are possibly feelings similar things. Post to social media your fear, your frustration, your question. Join a Facebook group for your kids school and start a conversation/thread about the best prices on that long list of school supplies, earbuds vs headphones, whether or not 5th graders get snacks anymore. 

Reach out to other parents. Feeling less alone has made me feel encouraged, less lost and more grounded in my confidence that I can do this transition!

Online Calendar Reminders

Have you read my blog on calendars? If not, go do that ASAP. 

If you have read it, go read it again. Calendars and alarms on your calendar events are LIFE. SAVERS. I don't make plans, schedule or appointments without them. As soon as I received our back to school packet I scheduled 4 reminders (and then posted about it to social media.) Every phone comes with a calendar app! Use it. 

Zebra Mildliners aka Coolest Highlighters Ever

If you have to keep a list and packets of paper for your student(s) you should have Zebra Mildliners. They're not only smooth and beautiful but they are two ended. And you can color code them or just make your lists pretty. Honestly, they just bring me joy as I read and revisit back to school notes. Plus, it's easy to see what still needs to be done and what you accomplished (pat yourself on the back).

Support System

My last tip for navigating back to school: ask for help. Ask your husband, sister, grandparents, roommate, your boss or co-worker when you need help. Maybe it's a favor that requires their time (and requires a thank you card after) or maybe it's just someone you trust to bounce ideas off. Can they shop for a backpack and lunch box? Can they babysit while you attend 2 of the 4 orientations? A little help goes a long way so don't make the mistake of assuming you don't have the help. Just ask!

I hope this list keeps your stress to a minimum. Know that I am rooting for you and hope you and your students have an awesome school year.

What tools, tips or tricks get you through this busy time of year? I'd love to share them!

How I Use Annotation Tabs While Reading

This blog may contain affiliate links to my Amazon Shop.

Good Morning, Lovelies!

I just finished annotating my first book ever! I'm so excited about finishing it and enjoyed the process entirely so, I felt the need to share my experience, resources and what I learned from the process. If it inspires you to dive deeper into your next book, great! 

Resources for Book Notations

I kept seeing readers and book-stagrams with beautiful tabs in their books and loved how it looked, but wanted to know more. I was curious what they were doing with the tabs. I learned that readers were annotating their favorite parts, memorable scenes and more. I instantly wanted to try it. Consider me influenced! Plus, the sticky tabs are just so cute! 

I ordered these sticky tabs on Amazon (without reading the title I ordered 1,400. Oops!) They came on plastic divider sheets that hook into a notebook. Side note: I'm still looking for a notebook that they'll work with so for now I store them in a pen case. 

Then, researched how, what, when, anything I could learn about notating a book. I found this blog to be the most helpful out of a handful of resources. It was a quick read and the FAQs were very helpful. The process was simpler than I expected.

What Worked For Me

If you've been following me for awhile, you know I love Pinterest so, naturally I logged on to Pinterest to find inspiration for the topics I wanted to notate. I found a lot of them but, what worked for me was choosing topics that fit the genre of my book. Some topics might be universal but some may not. I recommend choosing topics that go with the book genre, or you'll end up with unused colors if the topic doesn't fit the genre. 

Secondly, I set the topics for each colored tab and keep them inside the cover of the book. I've seen where readers write on the inside cover, but I can't bring myself to write in books. Instead I made a sheet with my topics and tabs on it and used washi tape (for easy removal, if desired) to add it into the front cover. I referenced it often through the book until I memorized my topic colors so having it right there with me was perfect. This worked really well.

 

Is Notating A Book Distracting?

At the beginning I was curious if notating a book would be distracting. A few of friends reached out and asked the same thing. I quickly learned that reading a few pages or a chapter and then returning to the chapter to notate worked for me. I opened this book with the intention of not being distracted by the process so I kept that in mind through the book. Once I got the hang of it I didn't find the process distracting at all. 

I do want to mention that there were a few times I was really into the book where notating left my mind and I would re-read the chapter to add tabs to my favorite parts. Getting lost in a good book is really fun so if you do the same there's no judgement here. I believe the process will unfold differently for each person.

What I Learned

One thing I learned from my first experience of notating with tabs is that I pay closer attention to the details, how the author builds a scene and characters. I found myself wondering more often if certain events or things hold significance. I enjoyed this deeper dive and got more out of the book. 

I meet with my book club on Sunday to discuss this book and I'm curious to see if my tabs will be helpful or hold meaning as we discuss it. I notated several romantic scenes, funny scenes and character developments that I hope come in handy during discussion.

If you'd like to try book tabs I recommend just enjoying the experience and make the experience your own. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

- Karlee

If you're on Good Reads please follow me for book recommendations and past and current reads.

How I Find Time For The Things I Enjoy

I turned my crochet hobby into a business about 6 years ago, selling handmade items in stores and wholesale. What I am really saying is I had a full time job and a side hustle at the same time. How did I do it? I may never know…but truly it took planning and taking advantage of every moment. Here are 5 ways I found time in my day to make it all work:

While the water boils

I read a book at the beginning of my crochet side hustle about finding time. Honestly it’s been so long since I read the book I don’t recall the title but, I do recommend researching and reading a book about finding time. It changed my life. The tip that started the ball rolling for me was about taking advantage of the time while you are “waiting for the water to boil.” I read while the water boils. I post to social media while the water boils. I cut tags for items while the water boiled and yes, I even crocheted while the water boiled. (The water boils is a reference to little pockets of time here and there.) Get creative and seek moments where you can tuck in a little project time. The main point here is: you can find time while you wait.

Hide your phone

My phone is a hand magnet! I admit it. I am addicted to it. I check my phone, for God knows what, without even thinking about it. So, I hide my phone. "Out of sight, out of mind." I leave it on the counter if I am in the living room or place it behind me while at my desk. It’s a work in progress but, I believe that small little changes add up to big changes. The point is: phones use a lot of our time. Replace screen time with that hobby or extra thing you wish you had time for.

News Flash! Pick Up Orders are where it's at

I only go to the grocery store if I absolutely have to. If not I add to cart, hit order, and pick up my groceries before or after work. Also, I crochet, listen to a podcast or read while I wait for my super fabulous grocery shopper to bring my groceries out. How long does it take you to go grocery shopping? Take that time and do something for you. Then, find out if your grocery store has an app for pick up. Bonus Tip: You might even save money by ordering through an app. 

Plan Ahead

There's something exciting about being spontaneous. Even though I am a creature of habit and love a schedule I understand and once in awhile enjoy the spontaneity. However, if you're looking to find time for the things you are dreaming about I highly recommend you plan ahead. Check out my blog 'Let's Talk Calendars' for more tips on scheduling.

We set our alarms early to catch a sunrise
in Miami on Spring Break.

Set your alarm 20 minutes early

What can you accomplish in 20 minutes? I know what I can accomplish. I can do yoga, add a few rows to my crochet project, read a few chapters in a book, write half a blog, plan social media, or be ready for my day early. These are all examples of things I know I can do in 20 minutes because I do them in the morning. I enjoy doing them so much that I found time for it. Yes, somedays I hit snooze instead of taking that 20 minutes but if there’s something I really want to do, I set my alarm 20 minutes early. 

My husband and I used to say, ‘I don’t have time for that.' At some point in time he learned that you have time for the things you make time for. He taught me the same and I'm grateful that I embraced this philosophy. I broke the habit of not just saying I don’t have time but, thinking I don’t have time, too. It’s a harsh reality but thinking you don't have time is just an excuse. You have time for the things you make time for. You make time for the things that are important. Write a list of your priorities and start making time for the things you’re passionate about.

You got this!

Karlee

Things I'm Enjoying This Week

1. Reading

My current read is The Book Of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. It was my recommendation to our book club. I'm 16 chapters in and this book has a way of transporting you in time. We'll see where it takes me. 

Edee has also picked up a couple books on her own recently. She is still very much into graphic novels, especially The Baby Sitters Club. It's a modern take on the books I grew up with but still hold life lessons. They are colorful and rather cute for a tween.

2. Yoga

I stepped outside my comfort zone and took a free yoga class at our local library on Saturday. I knew I'd enjoy it, I knew I'd be happy I did it and I knew my mind and body would benefit, but taking the steps to walk into a place alone has always been my weakness. I did it, though. It was 100% as worth it as I thought it would be. I even knew the instructor! 

Edee joined me for the 2nd class. She told me she loved it! I enjoyed watching her trying the Yoga poses I've done countless times. After class we enjoyed smoothies and a sunny drive. I didn't realize until later this was totally a Mommy and Me date (something I decided recently I wanted to do more of.) 

3. Counting down to Spring Break

My husband is keeping a very close eye on the days we have until our trip to Florida. He's very ready for sand, sunshine and warmth. I am too but pretty sure he needs it more. We watched a video together about places to go and things to do. I am most excited about the art scene. Okay, I'm also excited about seafood and sunshine. I plan to be outside as much as possible!

Leading up to the trip we knew we needed a few things. Edee picked out a new swimsuit and I found new luggage on clearance for her. It's time to retire her Frozen themed suitcase. Luckily the new luggage is so fun that I won't spend much time being sad about saying goodbye to another thing she's grown out of. 

I plan to get some ear plugs so I can do more underwater swimming with Edee. We plan to take our underwater camera for fun photos and videos! 

4. Slime

Edee started a slime business! I am 100% enjoying watching her create and be so excited that she gets lost in her process of making and selling. I much prefer this over electronics. She even opened her own Etsy Shop! Check out Pastel Paws every one! 

5. Music

I've been letting some of my favorites play on repeat lately - John Mayer, Russell Dickerson, Adele, Train... I've also added a few new country artists to my favorites list - Mitchell Tenpenny & Tyler Hubbard. Their voices are incredible! You know when you get hooked on a song and you just feel it in your bones? That's me with 'History' by Mitchell Tenpenny. It's so good! My Ad-Free free trial of YouTube music also helps. It's going to be difficult going back when that trial is over.  

It's Worth It

One minute you're teaching them how to hold a spoon, trying with all your might to understand their babbles, wishing on every star that your guesses are correct and their little baby frustration won’t implode into a crying fit. The next moment you are holding back tears when they want to give away their baby doll accessories. All of a sudden they want to wear long sleeves in gym because she's worried about the hair on her arms, even though she will be to warm and no one can see the little blond hairs anyway.

No more wearing unicorns and you better get rid of all those Jojo Sewa brand clothes, too. Sketchers aren't cool even though you think these shoes are better than all the shoes you've ever worn in your life. 

How do you cope? How do you keep up? When the moment flashes right by and one minute you think you have it handled, but 9 years feels like a day and today you have a whole new set of challenges to figure out. You feel like you are not handling it. You’re not even close. 

One day she loves all the fruits and the next day she hates grapes because they have seeds. Let's not even get started on lunches because that's an uphill battle I am losing. Her favorite food groups are currently turkey jerky sticks, sunflower seeds (yeah, seeds), green smoothies and candy. Oh don't forget boba tea. At least she gets some dairy in that, which probably doesn't even count now that I think about it.

Somehow you press on and don’t give up because that little human that’s really not so little anymore is your whole entire life; your everything.

Motherhood has a way of sneaking up on and scaring the shit out of you. It robs you of sleep and confidence and all the things you thought you knew. It’s hard. Parenthood makes you question your entire self. 

If you’re a parent you also understand how the absolutely perfect moments sneak up on you and bring you to tears, that you hold back in fear they will see them. The beauty and creative and outstanding things they do make you feel like you might burst from the amount of love and pride that fills your entire being.

Parenting is hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever experienced. Yet, it's the most rewarding, fulfilling thing I've ever experienced. 

All that hard stuff is worth it.