Inspire
Friday, July 3, 2009, by Leigh Anne
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We are enjoying our Week at the Beach!
I just had to leave a quick post to share this year’s beach read.
What could be better than a beautiful sunset on the beach and a good book!?
Thanks to my friend Jane I am enjoying both. Thanks Jane for your recommendation and for sharing your copy of the book.
If you are a Jane Austen fan you will want to check out Georgette Heyer’s novel Frederica. This book is part of the Regency Historical Romance Novels - not to be confused in anyway with the Harlequin Romance series!
Frederica and the Regency Romance series are set in the early 19th Century and if Frederica is any indication I can’t wait to read my next one!
If you need another summer beach read recommendation be sure and check out my all time favorite beach read.
What are you reading this summer?
Happy reading!
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Categories: Inspire
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Saturday, March 28, 2009, by Leigh Anne
Today is my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Tessa and I are in Dallas Texas this weekend to celebrate with them. My nephew is also getting married today, on their anniversary day!
Here they are 50 years ago…
Yes I know, I look just like my mother. Thank you!
And here they are 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild and 50 years later. Just as cute and still in love!
I love you mom and dad! Thank you for being such wonderful examples of love, dedication, and perseverance.
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Categories: Family, Inspire
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Monday, March 9, 2009, by Leigh Anne
I am hoping you will forgive my Mommy Moment today. One of those Mommy Moments when you just have to brag about one of your kids a bit and say how proud you are of them!
We have just finished “Show Week” at our house. We have been enjoying this week - really two weeks - for ten years now. Show week is the two weeks of the year that the Spring musical is being performed at our high school.
Every year for the last ten years, except for one, I have had a child involved in the musical. Show Week means lots of fun times spent at the high school helping with costumes, helping out at work parties, taking pictures at dress rehearsal, ushering, working in the box office, attending every performance, helping put together gifts for the director, etc. and helping with the cast party - I love it!
Two of my children, Logan and Cali, were both very involved with the high school theater department and Clark was very involved with the athletic department. When my youngest, Tessa, entered high school, to my disappointment, she announced that she was not interested in being involved in theater.
She had literally grown up in the shadows of the high school theater department but Tessa is my timid one, more reserved, doesn’t like the spotlight on her. I had somewhat sadly accepted the fact. I really enjoyed being involved with the kids and the productions, sewing costumes etc. and I must admit I love watching my children perform - whether it is on the stage or the sports field.
Last Spring I had a conversation with Tessa.
I wasn’t convinced that she really didn’t want to be a part of drama/theater in high school, there were inklings once in a while of interest. There were times when I could tell she was entertaining thoughts about it.
I explained to her that it was fine not to do something if she really didn’t enjoy it or have any interest but if she wasn’t trying out because she was scared that was not o.k. I shared with her that we all have fears and that we should not allow our fears to prevent us from trying something we really wanted to do. We shouldn’t let our fears win! We would live to regret it.
I had learned this from personal experience. There have been too many times in my life that I have allowed my fears to prevent me from trying something new, from taking a risk.
I have also learned that when fear is preventing one of my children from trying, the best thing to do is:
1. Look for an opportunity that would allow them to overcome their fear with very little risk at first. Last Spring Cali, Tessa’s sister, was directing a One Act play at school. Tessa was sure to get a part and of course she did.
2. Enlist the help of others. I knew if Tessa’s sister and a few of her friends were encouraging Tessa to try out for the One Acts she was much more likely to try than if it was just her mother! I asked them to help out by encouraging her.
Tessa had an amazing time and thanks to that one positive experience she overcame her fear.
This Spring our high school did Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Tessa was part of the company and the featured dancer. It was so fun to watch her through the process as she did not allow her fear to prevent her from trying. She worked hard for her audition, pushed herself beyond her comfort zone, she embraced and loved the part she was given and worked hard to do her best.
She shone on stage and you could see in her face how much fun she was having
She also learned that she loves applause - especially when they are just for you. She had the part of the “featured dancer” in the show and quickly learned that she loved having people clap for her!!
We are proud of you Tessa and grateful that you chose not to let your fears prevent you from growing, from moving forward and from discovering the many opportunities that are available to you!
Do you have any tips or suggestions for helping overcome your fears or helping your children overcome their fears?
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Categories: Family, Inspire, Motherhood
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Monday, March 2, 2009, by Leigh Anne
What’s on your To Do list?
We’ve had lots of family fun on our To Do list this past weekend. College girl was home for a visit and it was opening weekend of the high school musical for my other daughter so we were busy, busy!
Over the years I have tried dozens of different types of time management systems, my shelves are lined with dozens of different books on time management and I’ve had lots of different daytimers/To Do lists!
Today I want to share with you what I currently use, in its very plain and simple form. I hope you are not too disappointed!
I am a lover of paper, as antiquated as that may seem in this increasingly “paper less” society we live in.
I do not like electronic gadgets for keeping track of my life. I like to do it the old fashion way - with paper and pen!
My current system is a combination of things I learned while reading Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Last year I used a simple, but cheerful, red Moleskin notebook
I love the size that fits easily into my purse (5 x 8″.) The elastic strap that wraps around it keeps it all together. It is well used and well worn and full! This last week I realized I was reaching the last few pages and it was time for a new one.
I figured if I must have a notebook to keep track of my life it mine as well be a pretty one!
So this weekend while college girl and I were doing a little shopping we stopped into one of my favorite stores, full of pretty things - Anthropologie. I found this pretty little notebook - perfect for my next To Do list.
My To Do list is pretty simple. I just divide each page into four sections - Errands, To Call, Computer and To Do.
Errands -list of places I need to go - bank, dry cleaner, pharmacy, Target etc. and the things I need to pick up there.
To Call- calls that need to be made during the week. I include personal as well as calls I need to make for my homebased business. Calls such as scheduling doctor’s appointments, haircuts, etc.
Computer- this list is anything and everything I need to do while at the computer. Emails that need to be sent, bills to be paid, lots of things for my homebased busness, etc. You’ll be amazed how long this list can become. It is usually my longest list.
To Do - this includes projects and just about anything else that doesn’t fall into the other 3 categories. Items such as writing thank you notes, organizing photos, scrapbook project, cleaning out a closet etc.
Each Sunday evening I sit down and make up my To Do list for the coming week. I look back at last weeks list and carry forward anything that didn’t get crossed off and add new things. Of course things get added throughout the week too.
By the end of the week my list is pretty messy - hopefully with lots of lines through things!
If the list just gets too messy or crowded I will rewrite the list midweek.
I use the page opposite of the To Do list to write down phone messages, ideas or thoughts I have or hear during the week, menu planning ideas, blog ideas etc.
What time management system do you use? What do you use to keep track of your life, your To Do’s?? Please share!
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Categories: Inspire, Organizational Tips, Time Management
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Monday, February 23, 2009, by Leigh Anne
At the beginning of the year I shared with you that one of my 2008 goals had been to read 100 books in 2008. A rather lofty goal as in 2007 I had only read 28.
As you know, I didn’t make my 2008 goal but I did read 31. I have revamped my goal for 2009 to 50 books. Hopefully a little more doable but still a push!
I figured I would need to read at least 4 books a month with a couple of extra thrown in somewhere. As an update - I did read 4 in January and think I will make 4 in February too!
I have been wanting to share the list of books I read in 2008 with you for a while now but just kept finding other things to post about instead but today you are getting the list.
So here is the list - in order read. I have to say that my favorite book of 2008 was the first one I read - Molokai. My friend Jody had recommended it, her book club read it. I read it, loved it and presented it at my Book Club.
I am a huge historical fiction fan and this book was perfect. It was fascinating learning about the Leper Colony in Hawaii and the history of leprosy.
So what was your favorite read in 2008 - please leave a comment and let me know!
Molokai by Alan Brennert
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - my feeble attempt at reading some classics
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Freakonomics by Levitta Dubner
A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson - another favorite
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Belong to Me (the sequel to Love Walked In) by Marisa de los Santos
The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig - another Book Club read that I really enjoyed
An Unfinished Marriage by Joan Anderson
Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - a re-read that I loved as much this time as the first 3 times!
7 Habits of Effective People by Stephen Covey - another re-read
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The Holy Secret by James Ferrell
The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith - another fun read in the Ladies Detective Agency series
Just Who Will You Be by Maria Shriver - a fast read
A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
Being Perfect by Anna Quindlen
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka - about a Japanese Internment Camp
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan - enjoyed this book about Frank Lloyd Wright’s love affair
A Walk on the Beach by Joan Anderson
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - YA fiction we listened to in the car on the way to take Cali to college - enjoyed by all!
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows - loved this book. Our Book Club also read it.
Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah. Takes place at the Oregon Coast.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - another historical fiction that takes place during WWII - YA Fiction. Loved it!
How to be Lovely by Melissa Hellstern - about Audrey Hepburn
An Elegant Spirit, A Son Remembers by Sean Hepburn Ferrer - I got on a little bit of an Audrey Hepburn kick!
The Second Journey by Joan Anderson
and I ended 2008 with
John Adams by David McCullough - I love history!
So out of all the books you read in 2008 - what was your favorite? Let me know by leaving a comment - thanks!
What are some of the first books you are reading in 2009?
Happy reading in 2009
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Categories: Cookie Jar, Inspire
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Monday, February 16, 2009, by Leigh Anne
Note: Check out the fun new giveaway this week over at iLashGirls! You are going to want it!!
Last week I had a fun activity with some members of my homebased business team. We put together Dream Boards.
When I visited cold Minnesota in January my friend Susan took me through a dream board exercise and I created one of my own. In the past, I have shared with you the 3 dream boards I have in my office.
Dream boarding is a concept I have done for years. A Dream Board creates a vision and picture of what you want your life to be - what you want to create with your life!
A Dream Board is easy to put together - all you need is a piece of poster board, scissors, glue sticks and a pile of magazines.
Before you begin ripping, tearing and cutting pictures/words out the magazines ask yourself the following questions and use the time frame of the next couple years when answering them.
What do you want to do?
What do you want to have?
What do you want to be?
What do you want to give?
Where do you want to go?
After answering those questions start looking through magazines and just start tearing out anything - words or pictures that appeal to you. You may not know why you are attracted to it initially but tear it out anyway - it’s only paper!
Do not over think this part of it - just have fun tearing out pictures and words that you like!
Set yourself a time limit - 30-45 minutes for finding pictures. When your time is up go through what you have torn out and trim them up. I usually just tear out the whole page and then cut out just what I want.
The next step is to start sorting your pictures - you will discover a theme or a couple of different theme’s emerging. You may need more than one board to hold all your pictures. Kris needed two!
After you have sorted them by theme you are ready to start gluing them onto your posterboard.
Here is Sue with her Dream Board. 
Sue discovered a theme of “All About Me” and “What I Want” in her Dream Board. Sue recognized that she needed to take care of herself and meet her own needs in order to take care of others.
It was fun to see what emerged on each person’s Dream Board.
It is a fun exercise to do with family, friends or work mates. It gives you better insight into yourself and to those you care about.
I recommend laminating your Dream Board and then hanging it somewhere you will see it on a daily basis.
Cathy, another participant shared that years ago she had put together a Dream Book and years later when she pulled it out and looked through it she was amazed at how many of her dreams she had actually accomplished.
So grab those old magazines and start tearing away - see what dreams emerge!
Happy dreaming!!
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Categories: Home Based Business, Inspire
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Monday, January 19, 2009, by Leigh Anne
I am a lover of words!
I have shared with you before many of the words I have around my house. Words that help me stay focused on what is really important - words of inspiration.
Last week I spent four days in COLD Minnesota. It actually got to 30 BELOW ZERO with the wind chill one day!! One of the highlights of my trip was spending some time with my friend Susan in her beautiful and warm home on the banks of the frozen and snowy Mississippi River.
As Susan took me on a tour through her home I began to notice that Susan is also a lover of words. Throughout her home she had many words of inspiration. Because abundance is another of my favorite words I loved this piece of artwork!
and then there was this one….
Susan had words of inspiration scattered everywhere.
On the dining room table….
in the guest bedroom….
in the bathroom….
and the windowsill….
In fact her husband asked her if they could have some art work in the house that didn’t tell him what to do! My friend Sherra calls it “bossy art!”
Besides scattering words of inspiration around my house I like to wear my word!
I was so excited when I discovered this wonderful website - Simply Ornamental.
Christina makes beautiful custom hand stamped jewelry. What better way to remember your word than on a beautiful necklace!
I am excited to be able to offer this wonderful Your Word Giveaway that Christina has so graciously agreed to sponsor.
To win one of Christina’s beautiful necklaces with your word on the necklace just enter a comment below by letting me know what word you want on your necklace.
I will definitely be ordering a necklace with my word on it - Joy!
The necklace is valued at $27.00
Meet Christina:
I am a stay at home mother with two energetic boys. I love to sew, read, paint my toes, and watch movies. With being a mom I tend to feel like there is hardly ever anything concrete to show for my day, so I like being able to make jewelry and quilts to have something that can’t be undone :) Starting a business looked like a fun way to be able to support the hobbies.
Just leave a comment below with your word by midnight PST on Friday, January 23rd and I’ll have a random drawing to choose the winner and announce the random winner on Saturday, January 24th
**********************
Giveaway Guidelines
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Anyone in the U.S. with an email and a name is eligible.
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One entry per person, please.
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Emails are never published nor is your identity revealed if you choose to use a code name.
Tell your mother, tell your sister, tell your girlfriends so they can enter too!
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Categories: Giveaways, Inspire
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Monday, January 5, 2009, by Leigh Anne
I want to begin this post by stating that I LOVE my children!
I LOVE when my three full size adult college students come home with all their adult sized STUFF!
I LOVE it when they bring - three laptops, i-pods, cell phones, Blackberry and all the assorted plugs, chargers and head phones that go with them. And then there are the suitcases full of clean and dirty clothes.
I also LOVE the piles of big shoes that end up everywhere! Theirs and their friends!
I LOVE that my food bill triples and my kitchen becomes a 24 hour diner.
I LOVE having people roaming my house all hours of the night - some going to bed after one a.m. and then one getting up at 3:30 a.m. to go to work! Did I mention I am a very light sleeper!
Really - I truly do LOVE it - O.K. - so most of the time I LOVE it!
I LOVE having all of my family home under one roof!
But I must admit, now that they have gone back to school I am LOVING how quiet my house is - at least for a while.
I am LOVING fixing pancakes for Sunday dinner. This would never have flown with my two “no meal is complete without meat” college boys.
The college kids did leave something behind though- their germs! Four of the six of us are down with the flu - so far I’m still standing!!!
Yes, I put a throwing up child on an airplane - sorry Southwest!
Don’t get me wrong I LOVE my children and I LOVE having them home but I also LOVE my house when they are not here - that’s a good thing right?!
Now that it is a little quieter around here I’ve had a little time to reflect. Time to think about the new year ahead and to review over last year.
I pulled out my list of Goals for 2008 to see how I had done.
Last January I set a total of eleven goals and I am proud to announce that of those eleven I accomplished ONE - yes ONE! And that goal was finished at 6:00 p.m. on January 31, 2008! Nothing like cutting it close! I could feel bad and beat myself up but I don’t because although I didn’t accomplish all eleven goals I did make progress.
Did I read the 100 books? No, but I did read 32 and that was more than the 29 I read in 2007!
Did I walk 3 times a week and do strength training 2 times a week -No, but I did walk 2 times a week (o.k. - well, most weeks and there was the Wii Fit I did once or twice!)
Did I get all my family scrapbooks up to date? No, but I did make several albums as gifts this year and kept our family blog current which is a great virtual scrapbook.
Did I travel to a foreign country? No, unless you count Utah! But I had some wonderful visits there with family and friends.
Did I hit my target weight? No, but at least I didn’t gain any weight - o.k. so there are those couple of holiday pounds….
The only goal I accomplished is one I have set for the last 5 years and have successfully completed each year - to read a certain book of scripture each year.
Tessa goes back to school tomorrow - after a 24 day Winter Break thanks to Arctic Blast 2008 and I’m going to use some of that quiet time to set some new goals for 2009.
I think I might just scratch out 2008 and add 2009 to that list of goals and start over! Although I think I will take that 100 books a year goal down to 50!
As I shared with you before - my focus for 2009 is to Find Joy in MY Journey! If I accomplish all my goals - great! If I don’t -at least I made progress and hopefully I found Joy doing it!
So my question for you is - do you make New Year’s Resolutions or goals? What’s one of your goals for 2009? Do you have a mantra or word that will be your focus in 2009? Read this great article if you need some inspiration in choosing a word. She also has a great list of words to choose from here if you need some help! You’ll see my word on the list - JOY!
Leave a comment below and let me know what one of your goals is or what your word for 2009 is! Happy New Year!
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Categories: Inspire
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008, by Leigh Anne
Do you have a favorite word?
A word that just speaks to your heart, a word that motivates and inspires you? A word that just seems to pop up every time you turn around?
That word for me is Joy - it’s not an unusual word this time of year. In fact, last year I added this to my holiday decorating….
I decided that Joy was not just for Christmas but it was something I needed to remember and focus on all year long so I left it on the wall - it is now a permanent part of my decor. A daily reminder that it is up to me to bring Joy to my world.
Because that is not always an easy thing to do - I decided I needed a few more reminders. I have an entire Joy tree (this one doesn’t stay up all year). The Christmas tree in our family room is decorated with Joy ornaments….
and a few other pieces of Joy decor…
Recently I came across the following quote that I have decided is my new mantra for 2009. I love it so much we put it on our Christmas card this year.
“Let us relish life as we live it, find JOY in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.” Thomas S. Monson
I have decided to tweak it just a little bit - I want to find JOY in MY journey. Life does not always go according to plan but it is up to us to find JOY in the journey that life gives us. I hope to find more JOY in my Journey in 2009.
Do you have a favorite word, a word that speaks to your heart?
I have had several requests for pictures of my holiday decorations. I recently posted pictures of some of them on my family blog - if you are interested you can check them out here, just click here. Enjoy!
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Categories: Family, Inspire
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Monday, October 6, 2008, by Leigh Anne
Several times this past week Tessa has disappeared.
This is where I usually find her…
…in her bed reading.
Like many other teenagers and adult woman she is in love with the story of Bella and Edward.
This is not the first time she has read Twilight. No - it is the THIRD time! Don’t worry - she has read the other 3 books in the series, too. She has read each of those books TWO times!
I remember falling in love with a book when I was her age.
I fell in love with the story of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
I was first introduced to Pride and Prejudice in my British Writers class in high school. I have lost tract of the number of times I have read Pride and Prejudice let alone the number of times I have watched the mini-series and movie!
Other than my scriptures there are only two books that are “Repeat Reads” for me. Pride and Prejudice being one and the other being Gifts from the Sea, a book I read each year.
Do you have a favorite “Repeat Read” - a book that you read and re-read? A book you never tire of?
I’d love to hear what it is. Please let me know by leaving a comment below.
Don’t forget if you are reading this in an email update or rss reader to click through to the blog to leave your comment. I look forward to hearing about your favorite “Repeat Reads”.
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Categories: Inspire, Recommended Reads
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