THE BOOK I ATE UP PLUS A FEW OTHERS...

THE LIFE CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP 

by Marie Kondo

We listened (yep you heard that right, I subjected my husband to this book) on CD on our way to Texas for a business trip recently.  Loved, loved, loved it!  Marie has some basics that really resonate with me:  1)  Do your decluttering all at once.  Take a room and get it done.  Reasons for this are so that you have some satisfaction and will never want to go back to it the way it was before.  Your life will be so calm it will really energize you in a way you never knew.  Organization of what remains comes later.  Do not get sidetracked by organization!  2)  Handle each and every item.  Ask yourself, "Does this spark joy?"  If not, get rid of it.  It served its purpose and you are finished with it.  3)  Go in this order - clothing, books, paper, decorative items, memorablia.  You must do it this way so that you start with functional items that are not so hard to let go of, then as you are successful you will gain confidence and want to continue.  Makes sense to me!  Actually I have read this before in other article about decluttering.  But I really like these ideas.  One other funny thing she talks about a lot in this book is showing your things respect for working so hard for you.  Thank your house, your shoes, your purse for what they do for you.  As you say goodbye to items, tell them thank you for their service and then say, " now you may go and serve someone else."  She has motivated me to get busy tidying up!

300 SANDWICHES

by Stephanie Smith

This is the true story of a journalist in NYC who, after making her boyfriend a sandwich, was told by him, "make 299 more sandwiches this good and I'll give you an engagement ring." She ended up on the Today Show and getting all kinds of attention at about sandwich #150.  Not only does she include recipes for unique sandwiches, you get to hear about their ups and downs in their courtship.  An interesting read, and if you are interested in exotic sandwiches like 'Grilled goat cheese with fig' you might even want to try her recipes!

PLAYING BIG

by Tara Mohr

This is a book on leadership for women.  Tara speaks to education of girls in the United States, expectations and recognitions, and how different  it is when women go out in their careers.  She talks about being bolder and having confidence in your ideas.  She also addresses our need for approval and how to stop undermining yourself with your words.  This book brought to light many things for me as a leader and I hope to be able to recognize and change some of my habits to be a better leader.  Extremely helpful!  Another book I listened to on CD!

PAPER HEARTS

by Courtney Walsh

This is a fictional love story.  I hadn't read much fiction lately so it was a nice break!  I got interested in it when I listened to a testimony the author gave about her life.  She had a book on the bestseller list recently, so I wanted to check this one out.  It's about two Christians who meet after one has lost a spouse to death.  Theirs is a business relationship turned romance, set in Colorado.  I really like the way the author weaves the character's thoughts in prayer into the story.  If you are looking for a fun read, this is it.