I finished five books this month = 3 memoir/biographies + 1 fiction + 1 non-fiction. I share my reviews and recommendations below. I’d love for you to leave a comment if you’ve read something interesting lately!
Review: This book made me want to eat large bowls of pasta. I was hungry the whole way through. I started reading the hard copy, but when I saw that Stanley Tucci reads the audio version, I switched to listening to HIM read the book to ME…his voice…so good. The only reason you may want the hard copy of this book is to see the recipes. There’s a pasta/zucchini recipe that Stanley describes in the book that I’m dying to try. I think Stanley is a great actor, and LOVED him in the movie Julie and Julia, so I was looking forward to reading his book. However, it wasn’t your typical autobiography. He told more stories and details about FOOD than his actual life. He shared briefly that his first wife died of cancer and left him with three young children – but never went into any detail about this part of his life. He met his second wife (Felicity Blunt), at her sister Emily’s wedding. Overall the book was interesting, but I’d recommend his “Searching for Italy” series over the book.
Review: Another great biography about a man from history. I was fascinated by what life was like during that era. So simple, yet so challenging. I’m grateful for this glimpse into his life and how hard he worked to take care of his family, and to make America a great place to live. He died defending our country.
Review: I feel bad about this book. Nora tried to write a funny book about aging, and while there were funny parts, overall, this book left me feeling bad. If you are a Nora Ephron fan, what book would you recommend that I read that’s better than this one?
Review: A unique story of a young foster girl living in Nazi Germany through World War 2. The book is narrated by Death, who crosses her path more than once, and tells the story of her struggles as she grows from a child to a teenager. I’m looking forward to watching the movie now that I’ve read the book, I’ll post my thoughts on which is better in my next “Movie or Book” post.
This book had extremely high reviews, so I had high expectation and thought I’d love it. While there were some beautiful parts, I found it a little dry and had a hard time getting through it. A similar book that was much more enjoyable to read was “What is God Like?” by SJ Hill.
Parenting is a tough job, and for a parent with a special needs child, it comes with an extra set of challenges. When caring for a special needs child, it is not uncommon to overlook your needs. Thus, you may experience parental burnout. You cannot give your child the best care when you are physically, mentally, or emotionally drained. Therefore, it is essential to know how to spot signs of fatigue and schedule time for self-care. If you are a parent of a special needs child, read this guide for tips on diagnosing and reducing fatigue.
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Diagnosing Caregiver Fatigue
You should be able to recognize signs of fatigue to take the appropriate actions to manage them. Check the following to assess your fatigue levels:
Your and Your Child’s Sleep Quality
How is your sleep quality? Do you go to bed and stare in the dark for hours, unable to sleep, or feel like you are always sleeping? Either of these experiences indicates fatigue. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep. However, if you have a special needs child, they may interrupt your sleep. If this happens often, you will likely suffer fatigue with time.
Your Marital Satisfaction
If you are married, does your spouse help with childcare? If you have no respite or are frustrated at your spouse because they don’t help you enough, your fatigue levels are likely high.
Your Caregiving Burden
Does taking care of your child feel like a 24/7 job? Do you have time for yourself? How much physical activity outside of childcare do you get? You may have high fatigue levels if taking care of your child consumes all your time. In this case, you likely have no time for self-care, including wellness checkups when you are ill or visits to the salon.
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Managing Caregiver Fatigue
Here are some effective ways to manage fatigue among parents of special needs children.
Make Time for Your Goals
Pursuing your goals is an essential part of self-care. So if you have put your dreams aside to take care of your child, consider picking up one to work on and schedule time for it. For instance, studying for an online education degree could pave the path to your dream career and allow you time to care for your child.
Improve Your Home Environment
Did you know that introducing some changes to your home can help you reduce stress and manage fatigue? Removing clutter creates a less stressful environment, allowing you to focus on your needs. The presence of nature also reduces stress levels. So, you might want to get a houseplant.
Address Possible Hurdles
When you often ignore your needs, you may need time to adjust to a self-care plan. Sometimes, you may go overboard and burden your support system. Other times, you may downplay your fatigue symptoms. A support group provides you with people to keep you in check.
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Prevent Caregiver Fatigue
Child care should not cost you your well-being. Follow the above tips and explore more advice on parenting without burnout.
Join AMC Stubs and get a possible free popcorn and/or drink offer on your birthday. Plus, get a $5 AMC Stubs reward to spend on concessions for every 5,000 points you spend
Join the Barnes & Noble Kids’ Club, and your child will get a free cupcake (or a treat of their choice) from the café. They will email you a coupon and you have at least a month to use it.
I’ve enjoyed taking my boys on a ‘date’ to Barnes and Nobles for their free treat, then we roam the children’s area.
Does anyone remember when Olive Garden would give you an entire chocolate cake on your birthday!? Unfortunately, they aren’t doing that anymore, but you can still get a slice of cake.
Once upon a child is a kid’s resale shop. I’ve bought and sold lots of great things for my boys here. You get regular discounts when you sign up – plus $5 off a $10 purchase.
Play it again sports is a re-sale sports store. This place is great for a mom of four boys. I used my birthday discount to get new baseball pants for one of my sons.
This works at MOST locations, you may want to ask first.
It can only be redeemed on your actual birthday – not a day before or anytime after.
I spent my birthday in Vail a couple of years ago and was excited to find a Starbucks and my free drink. I walked in and saw a LONG LINE. That’s okay, it’s my birthday, it’s worth the wait for a free drink. Fifteen minutes later, it was my turn and I ordered the fanciest drink possible because it was free. It rang up to almost $10. That’s okay, it’s my birthday! I let the cashier know I’d like to use my free birthday drink and she said, “I’m sorry, we don’t give free drinks at this location.”
I was too embarrassed to cancel my order, so I just paid for my super fancy, super expensive coffee. That’s okay, it’s my birthday.
I shared that story hoping that on YOUR birthday, you will be wiser than me and ASK if the Starbucks you’ve entered gives free drinks before you order.
Have you joined Swagbucks yet? It’s a website that awards with points for using their search engine, printing coupons, taking surveys, etc. You can use your points for gifts cards to Target, Starbucks, or PayPal. You can earn 300 points just for signing up, and more free points on your birthday!
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For everyone who likes a “freebie” – it’s going to be a HAPPY birthday!!
We had a little backyard birthday for him and some of his friends.
He asked for a “Hibachi” birthday dinner. Here’s a peek into our first family hibachi experience:
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Signs of Spring
Minnesota had the LONGEST winter, but warmer days are finally here. Spring is BURSTING all around us. It THRILLS me and smells OH.SO.GOOD!
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Listen to this cardinal sing:
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Field Trips are BACK!
State Supreme Court
Minnesota House of Representatives
After more than two years, field trips are back!
I was thrilled when Paul asked if I would chaperone his fourth grade trip to the Minnesota State Capital. This place had been on our bucket list for four years.
The capitol was designed by an architect named Cass Gilbert, and built in 1905 for $4.5 million.
We had a great time exploring this beautiful building and learning about our state’s government. Paul didn’t want the day to end.
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Encountering a new season of parenthood
After all these years, we finally have a child old enough to babysit so we can sneak off and have dinner by ourselves.
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We Escaped to Florida
My amazing in-laws came to town so that I could tag-a-long on Ted’s work trip to Orlando in April. The sunshine, palm trees, and warm weather were good for my soul.
Wrigley’s been getting lots of exercise running with the neighborhood dogs:
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His two favorite things are cuddling with his family and playing catch with his favorite ball.
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Crawling up to give Ted a hug.
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It was a cold rainy day in Minnesota – this is what everyone wishes they were doing today.
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A Quick and Easy Salsa Recipe
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Taking a Walk Down Memory Lane
6 year old George holding baby Luke (Luke is now TWO YEARS older than George was when we took this picture)!
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Ted and his boys
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Luke attending his first “field trip” to BlackBerry Farm.
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This picture is our first outing with all four boys. We went to Chick-fil-A (shocking, right?). I love how Clark grabbed the centerpiece from the table because he thought the flower would be ‘pretty in the picture.’
Thanks for reading! What have you been up to? Leave me a comment!
Review: A beautifully written autobiography from a girl who left Islam to become a Christ-follower. She wrote about the struggle she endured because of that decision. Her family thought it would be better for her to be dead than to become a Christian.
Because I have grown up knowing Jesus, there are certain things I take for granted – this book reminded me HOW MUCH I have to be grateful for. The author points out how in her Islam faith, it was mostly rules and traditions. She said multiple prayers, at specific times each day, in a language she doesn’t speak.
The author was shocked to learn that Christians can pray anytime, in words they understand. She loved praying to a God she knew would listen…to a God who answers prayer. She discovered a freedom in Christ she had never experienced before. A joy she had never felt. The deep, experiential love of God, an indescribable peace, and an enduring strength.
I loved this book and highly recommend it, especially if you are curious about the differences between Islam and the Christian faith.
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I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Narrative about the Life of Dred Scott by Shelia Moses
Rating: 9/10
Review: When I heard that Dred Scot lived at Fort Snelling in Minnesota, I wanted to hear more about his life and what brought him here. I listened to this short, but interesting, historical audiobook on my free Hoopla app. The book is fiction, but based on research the author has done on the life of Dred Scot. It shares the challenges of a man who was born a slave, and how hard he (and others) fought for freedom.
Review: “Red” is an oak tree that’s over 200 years old. He narrates the story from his point of view. Once a year, Red becomes the “wishtree” when people write their wishes on scraps of cloth and tie their wishes onto his branches. Red has seen many things in his life, and shares some of those stories with the reader. When he thinks he’s about to be cut down, his final ‘legacy’ is helping two unlikely kids meet and become friends. This story is written for children around the ages of 8-14.
Paul’s teacher read the first book in this series aloud to the class, then Paul asked if we could get the other books in the series from the library. We’ve been slowly making our way through each book. They are cute stories, and Paul enjoys them. The books are about a family of four boys and another family of three girls, and the silly pranks they pull on each other.
Review: After Luke saw The Bad Guys movie with his Nana, he brought home the first book in this series from his school library and asked if we could read it together. It’s the story of some animals who are usually ‘scary’ or considered “the bad guys” (a shark, wolf, tarantula, snake & piranha), who are working hard to become the “good guys.”
The books are really entertaining. I’m enjoying this series as much as Luke is. The chapters are short and an entire book can be read in 30-45 minutes.
When my son heard there was a place near the Twin Cities where you could interact with wildlife, he nagged me until we made it happen – and I’m SO glad we made it happen.
Fawn Doe Rosa is a one-of-a-kind experience. Stepping onto the grounds feels like stepping into the Garden of Eden. There are big trees, a peaceful pond, lovely bridge, rolling hills….and beautiful animals that graze among all the guests!
We loved it. Even my TEENAGER was fascinated by this experience (and not much fascinates him right now).
Fawn Doe Rosa opened in 1963 and was originally called “Bambi-land.” The staff focuses on care, conservation and rehabilitation of the animals in the park.
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We went on a Saturday, and though there were lots of other people, the grounds were spacious enough that it didn’t feel crowded.
We brought our lunch and ate at the picnic area outside, because they ask that you don’t bring any food inside. There is a playground next to the picnic area.
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We enjoyed chasing chickens, adoring the baby fawns, feeding the goats and llamas, but the highlights for us were:
1 – Cuddling with the large buck:
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2 – Feeding the animals:
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It’s not free (in fact, it’s not cheap), but it’s a bucket-list spot. Adult admission currently costs $10.25/person and kids (ages 2-12) cost $9.25/person. Children under 2 are free. At the admission counter, you can pay for animal feed or pony rides. They offer coupons on their site for the animal feed.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Step-moms, Foster-moms, Grand-moms, Dog-moms and Ladies who are Like Moms to us all.
I hope you got to call in some reinforcements and relax on Mother’s Day:
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I’m in a really sweet stage of motherhood. All my babies are potty-trained and sleep through most nights.
Though I know didn’t ‘earn’ my coffee on Mother’s Day, my husband still brought me coffee in bed. (“Earn” is a joke – since I’m no longer up at night with kids, I don’t feel like I ‘earn’ the coffee I drink in the morning – but I LOVE it just the same!)
I’m one of those weird people who gets nauseous if I drink straight black coffee without eating something first, so I asked Paul to bring me up some almonds.
Paul ran downstairs and came back up and handed me TWO almonds and said:
“Sorry mom, I got hungry on the way up.”
I laughed and ate my two almonds. Then he opened his other hand…and gave me a bunch more.
I try to make Mother’s Day a ‘no cooking’ day, so the boys grabbed a banana on their way out the door to church. Our church always has FREE donuts available – which makes Sunday mornings a little easier. Today, they also had cake pops for Mother’s Day. I’m not a cake pop fan, but my boys were thrilled.
At church, they sang “Talking to Jesus.” Clark and I looked at each other and smiled because that song has a special meaning to us. If my boys have a bad dream, that’s a song that I play for them to help them get back to sleep. Clark will sometimes request the “Grandma song.” (lol)
You can listen here:
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After church, Ted took us to a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch. I LOVE brunch. According to my mom, I always have. Brunch means you get to try a little bit (or a lot) of everything, and you don’t have to wait for your food.
My boys are just like me.
Luke called it the ‘best day ever.’
George asked how many times he could go back for more food. When he found out it was unlimited – he asked why we can’t do this more often.
Paul agreed with George and asked if we could do this every week.
Clark loved every bite and even, somehow, took food to go.
After lunch, we came home and the boys gave me some handmade cards – my favorite kind.
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Paul gave me ‘homemade cash’ and a certificate that says he will do dishes when needed
Clark made me a 3D card
Luke gave me a dog 🙂
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Clark and I are wore thrift store shirts on Mother’s Day. Both were brand new, with tags, and we only paid a few dollars for them. Mine was originally $70 from Evereve. His was originally $60.
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I wasn’t planning to cook dinner, but I was craving Broccoli Cheddar soup. So, I broke my “no cooking” on Mother’s Day rule, and I am happy I did. The soup was perfect on our wet, chilly Mother’s Day evening. Bonus: I have lunch ready for the week!
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I usually pray over the kids at bedtime, but tonight Paul asked to pray. He prayed that dad would have a good week as he taught the Target leaders, and that the members of the Supreme Court would have courage to make the right decisions. (my heart melted)
I am so grateful for this stage of motherhood. I wish I could freeze my kids at these ages. They are are fun and funny. They are helpful, kind, and creative. I’m truly grateful to be their mom!
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If you are in that “tough” stage of motherhood where all you want is a good night’s sleep or a ‘break’ from the demands of motherhood – I’ve been there! Just do the next right thing. It WILL get easier.
Review: SO MUCH wisdom packed into this short book. It’s wonderful, and HARD to read/listen to as Andy asks some really tough questions. I recommend this one to anyone who wants to grow in their character and decision making ability!
Here are 8 points that really impacted me:
1. Private decisions almost always have public outcomes. If you have children, the outcomes of your decisions are outcomes somebody you love will be forced to live with.
2. Your legacy, your mark on the future, are determined by the decisions you make.
3. What story do you want told about you? The good news is, YOU get to decide – one decision at a time.
4. The decisions you make in the VALLEYS are the stories you tell on the mountain.
5. When confronted with anything or anybody that has a strong emotional appeal, press pause, not play.
6. Paying attention to that unexplainable, seemingly irrational tension, is important for all of us. I will pause even when I can’t pinpoint the cause of my hesitation. I will explore, rather than ignore my conscience.
7. Ask: what is the wise thing to do. Regret is always preceded by unwise decisions.
‘In light of my past experience, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do? ‘
Andy Stanley
8. Jesus did not leverage His God-card. He leveraged His example – how He loved. What does love require of me?
Review: This book is filled with interesting stories and humor. Adam presents a case for why it’s helpful to be a lifelong learner and open to change vs. someone who is ‘set in their ways’ or a ‘know-it-all.’
Here are 9 points from the book that stood out to me:
1. Cognitive laziness – hanging onto old views over the difficulty of grappling with the new ones.
2. We listen to views that make us feel good instead of ideas that make us think hard.
3. We often favor feeling right over being right.
4. Scientific thinking favors humility over pride and curiosity over closure.
5. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think.
6. A successful relationship requires regular rethinking. For example: Learning not to be late. Or, being open to moving and planting roots in a new community.
7. People find happiness when they prioritize social engagement over independent activities.
8. It’s our actions – not our surroundings – that bring us meaning and belonging.
9. Be a lifelong learner. Learn something new from each person you meet.
Review: After finishing Home of the Brave with Clark, I decided to check out this book by the same author. I read it with my younger two boys who are animal lovers. It’s a sweet story of friendship between an ape and an elephant.
Review: An outstanding book written by a survivor of Auschwitz. She writes about her escape “physically” from prison, and how she later learned to escape the prison of the mind. She is the female version of Victor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning). There are parts of this book that are really hard to read, but it’s also a book filled with hope and redemption.
The sign above the entrance to the author’s prison camp in Aushwitz says: Arbeit Macht Frei, meaning: Work Will Set You Free.
Dr. Eger writes:
Work has set me free. Not the work the Nazis meant, but the inner work. Of learning to survive and thrive, of learning to forgive myself, of helping others do the same. When I do this work, I am no longer a prisoner. I am free.
Dr. Eger
Here are a 10 gold nuggets I pulled from the book:
You can live in the prison of the past, or you can let the past be a springboard that helps you reach the life you want now.
Get the feelings out. Expression is the opposite of depression. You can’t heal what you don’t feel.
You can’t feel love and fear at the same time.
It’s easier to hold someone or something else responsible for your pain than to take responsibility for ending your own victimhood.
How easily we can cling to – worship- the choice we think we could or should have made.
Our painful experiences aren’t a liability, they are a gift. They give us perspective and meaning, an opportunity to find our unique purpose and strength.
Doing what is right is rarely the same as doing what is safe.
The biggest prison is your own mind. In your pocket is the key: the willingness to take absolute responsibility for your life, the willingness to risk, the willingness to release yourself from judgment and reclaim your innocence, excepting and loving yourself for who you really are – human, imperfect, and whole.
No one can take away from you what you put in your mind.
Freedom is accepting what is, forgiving ourselves, and opening our hearts to discover the miracles that exist right now.
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You can’t change what happened, you can’t change what you did or what was done to you. You can choose how you live right now. You can choose to be free.
Review: I already know this will be in my TOP TEN list for the books I read in 2022. I loved every.single.page. Shauna is such a phenomenal story teller. Each chapter is a story from her life, and what she’s learning in that story. I cried, I laughed, I stopped to think, pray, and express gratitude. Read this book.
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Thanks for reading these reviews. Which of the books listed above do you want to read? Leave me a comment!
I just finished “Think Again” by Adam Grant. This book presents a case for why it’s helpful to be a lifelong learner vs. someone who is ‘set in their ways’ or a ‘know-it-all.’
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You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think.
Adam Grant
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In this book, Adam Grant says that people can fall into in four different camps:
Preacher: I often act on faith alone in my quest for the truth.
Prosecutor: I seek to win using evidence, often by attacking the other side and dismissing their evidence.
Politician: I seek to win using my belief system, often by attacking the other side.
However, the best way to approach life would be the:
4. Scientist: I rely on evidence with the goal of finding the truth. I am happy to change my belief (hypothesis) when confronted with evidence.
The Scientist mindset can be summed up with one simple phrase: “I might be wrong.”
I thought the illustration he used in the book was funny:
After finishing the book, I paused to consider times in my life where I’ve had to “Think Again.” There are many – marriage and parenting give me plenty of times to ‘re-think’ what I’m doing. In fact, a successful relationship requires regular rethinking. For example: Learning not to be late or being open to moving and planting roots in a new community.
However…
The first and biggest time I had to “THINK AGAIN” was after meeting this handsome guy named Ted Egly.
I liked Ted immediately … but he was not for me. I thought Ted was amazing. I thought he would make a perfect boyfriend/husband … for someone else.
Why? Because I had a “list.”
In college I made a list of what was required of the person I date and marry. Did you have a list like that?
On that list were two things that disqualified Ted. My list said that a person I was going to date/marry MUST:
Be OLDER than me
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have more education than me.
Ted is two years younger and hadn’t finished college yet, so I could not date him. Instead, I tried to fix him up with my younger sister.
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“He’s like a brother to me. I can’t date him,” she said.
“You are CRAZY!” I responded, “He’s PERFECT!”
“Then you date him.” She answered flatly, turned around, and walked away.
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This was it. This was the time I had to re-think that ‘must have’ list.
I had other things on my ‘must’ list. Ted passed every one.
Was he a man of faith? Yes.
Was he a man of integrity? Yes.
Was he kind? Yes.
Was he a leader among his peers? Yes.
Did he have good relationships with his family members? Yes.
Was he hard-working? Yes.
Was he smart? Yes.
Was he funny? Yes!
However:
Was he older than me? No.
Was he more educated than me? (No, not yet)
Were those last two things deal-breakers, or could I re-think my list?
Thankfully, I decided to THINK AGAIN…and the rest is history!
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PS – If you talk to Ted, ask him how he also had to THINK AGAIN about dating me.
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Can you think of a situation in your life that you’ve had to ‘THINK AGAIN?’ Has there been a time you were sure about something, and then as you grew, asked questions, did your own research, changed your mind?
Think Again is full of stories of people who chose to “Think Again” and others who do not, and how it affected who and where they are today.
According to a study by Owl Labs, 62 percent of American workers between the ages of 22 and 65 say they work remotely at least some of the time, and that number is only expected to rise as more companies innovate and technology advances. Many work-from-home employees have young children who spend at least part of their day at home during their parent’s work hours. Because parenting and job duties can sometimes cause conflict in your life, it’s important to seek resources that help you establish a productive work-life balance.
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1. Stick to a Schedule
If you’re scheduled to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a condition of your employment, it’s essential that you keep those hours. If your children are old enough to care for themselves in a separate part of your home, then you can provide them with age-appropriate activities, and stress that they should only interrupt you if there’s an emergency. For babies and toddlers, you should arrange reliable child care that can support your family during work hours.
When you work from home, it can be easy to feel like you’re always at work. If you spend every extra minute checking emails or trying to get ahead, you’ll miss out on precious moments with your little ones, and they’ll notice. Therefore, it is imperative to establish and commit to family time every day. Playing outside, eating meals as a family, or reading together before bedtime, are wonderful ways to cultivate meaningful relationships with your young children.
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2. Create a Distraction-Free Workspace
To ensure your kids understand your boundaries during the workday, you should have a designated workspace in your home. It may be a spare bedroom that you convert into an office or a corner of your dining room set up with your laptop and headset. Either way, make sure your children understand that when you’re in this space, you are working and not to be bothered. If you have an in-home helper for child care, you can ask him or her to pretend as though you are not home during your work hours.
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3. Get Comfortable
Parenting is full-time work, and so is your actual job. Therefore, though many remote employees are still expected to dress in business casual attire, you should prioritize your comfort. A soft knit blazer, flats with microfiber insoles and a quality pair of leggings that look like work pants, keep you looking professional but allow you the comfort and flexibility you need to chase your little ones around.
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4. Leave Your House
When you went to an office every day, chances are you took breaks, left for lunch, or took short walks to stretch your legs. Now that you work from home, it’s important to retain that personal time and space so you can remain focused and avoid burnout. If you are the sole child care provider during your work hours, you can use this time to let your toddler expend some energy at the neighborhood playground.
Many work-from-home parents struggle with self-care. If you have a family member, friend, or hired help who can take over for a while, you should use that bit of time for rejuvenating your mind, body, and spirit.
Working remotely with young children can be challenging, but if you incorporate these tips with a bit of planning and consistency, you can thrive in your career and family life.
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