Review: Girls with Bright Futures

Girls with Bright Futures
Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I thought I wasn’t going to like this book. I live a few blocks from Stanford and too many of the parents in this book are slightly over the top versions of parents around me. It was a bit close to home but I still enjoyed my time with it and really liked some of the subplots.

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Review: Life’s Too Short

Life's Too Short
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

Read this one in one sitting. It was fun, uplifting, engaging and a joy to read. I will likely forget most of it but it doesn’t matter, it gave me joy while I read it and that’s really all I seek from books like this. Recommended.

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Review: The Last Thing He Told Me

The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It was a super-fast read for me and I really really liked the main character. It’s sort of a mystery and sort of about parenthood, family, choices we make and the consequences we have to live with and what sacrifices we’re willing to make. I really liked it.

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Review: Mary Jane

Mary Jane
Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ok so this was neither like Daisy Jones nor like Almost Famous. I feel like blurbs like this just do a disservice to the book since it sets the readers mentality into a particular expectation. Why would you do that when it will annoy the reader and then get your book lower ratings? If you put those expectations aside, this was an interesting book. It’s about a 14 year old girl who takes a babysitting job with a family in her neighborhood. This family is very different than hers and opens her eyes and mind in a lot of ways. I think there are several scenes that border on neglect and abuse and I had to suspend disbelief quite a bit, but I still found the story interesting and engaging.

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Review: The Perfect Daughter

The Perfect Daughter
The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a perfectly acceptable fast-paced mystery with a slight twist which wasn’t a huge shocker (to me) but still interesting, especially exploring the multiple-personality disorder. It also covers topics around adoption, family dynamics, motherhood, etc.

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Weekly Reflection 2021 – 20

  • The Best Part of this Week: the best part of this week was hanging out with big boy on Saturday night.
  • I celebrate: making it through this week, it was quite a lot.
  • I am grateful for:  sunny weather and getting to spend a lot of downtime this weekend.
  • This week, I exercised: I climbed 3 times a week, rode every day for 15 mins and once for 60 minutes, did 10 mins of core and 10 mins of arms and 5 minutes of stretching and 10 minutes of restorative yoga daily. I also did week three of strength class which was 1 hour and 20 minutes of strength and 20 minutes of stretching this week.
  • This week, I said yes to:  going to work Monday and Tuesday.
  • I said no to: letting myself get carried away with all that’s going on at work.
  • I honored my values (love, learn, peace, service, gratitude): I worked hard all week to hold on to the feeling of grounded-ness and faith in the universe.
  • Top Goals Review:
    • Work:  went to IO, did not really make a list of all the todos, cleaned email.
    • Personal:  continued journaling plan mostly, started week in the life documentation, did OLW May.
    • Family: spent time with with J, didn’t book painters but got quotes, did help D with course list, did not find a project for N.
  • My mood this week was: all over the place
  • I am proud of: i am proud of how calmly i am able to navigate all this.
  • I release: all the things I don’t have control over.
  • Here’s what I learned this week: i get to decide my peace.

Daily Year of Yes – 143

Year of Yes – 143

It’s birthday season over here. Today is my nephews’ 22nd birthday. Yet another reminder of the passage of time and how lucky I am to get to see them grow into loving, kind and capable human beings. What a joy!

Sunday nights are usually not my favorite. But lately I am finding myself grounded and calm. This is likely the best gift the universe can give me.

Even though my 100 days of radical wellness has been over for a while, I’m still eating the greens and protein. I am drinking more water. I am exercising and doing art and journaling. And the restorative yoga continues to change my life.

I expect the next few months will bring a lot of change and uncertainty. Work, school, and reentry into life are all going to be transitions and I am usually not a fan of transition.

I plan to hang on to all this wellness I am grounded in and say yes to receiving it all with grace and an adventurous spirit.

Yes to what comes and yes to adventure. And yes to the guidance of calm.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes

Drawing Books – The Echo Wife

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey


 

 

Daily Year of Yes – 142

Year of Yes – 142

Happy Saturday. Today’s my mom’s birthday. I haven’t seen my mom since December of 2018. I miss her terribly.

Today was a lovely and quiet day. Lots of sitting outside and lots of hanging out with the boys.

Grateful for these quiet moments.

Yes the to the quiet.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes

Daily Year of Yes – 141

Year of Yes – 141

It’s been a really long week. I am absolutely ready for some rest and relaxation.

Here’s to a really quiet weekend and to spending time refilling my cup.

Yes to rest.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes

Drawing Books – Flock

Flock by Kate Stewart


 

 

Daily Year of Yes – 140

Year of Yes – 140

I am to tired to even think tonight.

Today I got to: exercise in the morning including cardio, core and meditation.
Then I got to chat with a good friend which most definitely was the highlight of my day.

I worked for a few hours and then I went climbing with my husband. Came home and had a bunch more meetings for work. Then spent an hour discussing 11th grade course selection options with my son. And now I have to do some more work.

My day was all over the place but it was full. Life and work and family and personal are all mixed up at the moment and yet I am still trying to make sure there’s time and room for each.

Yes to making it all work and being flexible.

#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes