Five Minute Friday: Try

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So I haven't written very much o this blog even though I have TRIED and TRIED.  This is one of the reasons why I was so motivated to write on Five Minute Friday's prompt today. I saw it and it really got me thinking about how much I have tried to do this summer.  I am not use to this whole summer off thing--if you don't know me well yet, I'm a teacher and this past school year was my first time at a public school.  My previous school was a year round private school--and more than just your typical year round--365 days a year, year round.  They only didn't have school on major holidays: i.e. Christmas.  So I was actually really excited for the summer, it would be a chance to do all of the things that I never felt that I had time for.  I was feeling super ambitious and optimistic at the beginning of the summer when I wrote down a three page To-Do List separated into categories.  One of those categories was this blog.  I had also just found out about Teachers Write and I was excited to practice my writing, one of those things that I never felt good at personally and then felt even worse about as a teacher when that was the place that I had the lowest scores in on our end of the year testing.  But I just TRIED on this list--I haven't even had the nerve in the last few days to get it out and see how I have really done.

The biggest thing that I know is that I haven't come anywhere close to doing anything for this blog. I was going to have a schedule of when I was going to post stuff when, a schedule for the school year, and hopefully even schedule some of those posts and maybe even spread them out throughout the school year, but no such luck.

Wow--five minutes can go by so fast when I just sit down to write...I will leave you with this concluding thought and get to the positive part of what I was going to say because I hate it when I turn to this blog just to whine to cyberspace.  The word tried doesn't mean fail.  I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis.  I attempted, I did something, that does not mean that I did nothing.  And you can always try....and because you tried means you didn't completely fail. So I didn't fail at my summer just because my list isn't done...I tried at my summer and I can try again next year as a wiser, more experienced summer person.

The Thoughts of a Tired Teacher

I have gotten really behind on this blog....because I am always so tired as a teacher everyday.  This is what I was worried about when I started this challenge again.  It was hard for me to do it the first year I did it because my job always wore me out. Having to teach all day long with 120 students is a different ball game.  It doesn't wear me out as much some days--but intellectually yes.  So that makes it harder to really come up with good stuff to write.

I saw this today...and it really hit me today that this was my day!! I gave up my prep and lunch so that students could work in my room.  I didn't mind, but it was just one more thing.  Then I had a parent e-mail wondering why her son is failing my class--very often the answer is he didn't turn in his homework.  Yep exactly the problem here. Thankfully I didn't have someone throw up on me!!!

Thanks to Unique Teaching Resources

Five Minute Friday: Wait

Here comes the next Five Minute Friday:  the word this week is wait.

I feel like a lot of times we end up waiting for whatever comes next.  I am waiting for life to calm down so that I can down other things that I really want to do.  But if I keep waiting then I will never get to do that because we all know that life never really calms down.  I will then end up waiting for forever.  However, I often wonder if I need to let some of these to not fill up my plate so much.

I love music.  However, I don't often make time for music.  I joined the Uintah Basin Orchestra and Chorus so that I could enjoy my love of singing and continue to learn more.  This season I came back to the Roosevelt Pops--community orchestra here, because I hadn't gotten my violin out in way too long.  It was so nice to play it for the first time in years a couple of weeks ago.  However, it is very hard to remember to practice.  It is very easy to have other things take priority because they have to be done by tomorrow and push the practicing to the next day.  Did that yesterday....have I practiced today? Nope. I will be going to bed after I published and share this post.

I am also really needing to set up a gym membership and go so that I can be ready for trek come summer. And I know that it is something that I should do to relieve my stress.  However, I have been trying to go sign up since Wednesday and I still haven't.  We have a habit of waiting as procrastinators....but is it really worth it?  Is the stress really worth all of it or do we just stress ourselves out more as a result?

Priorities

Today has been a day where I have been super overwhelmed with everything that I have to accomplish--and honestly I really don't feel like this blog post is a huge priority right now.  However, I am grateful that I have an outlet to write, even if I only write for a minute or two everyday. I feel like it is a lot of who I am--to express myself.  I don't see myself as a writer per se, which is why I think I like doing this blog because I would like to become a writer.

2 Quotes That Just Fit Today

One of the things that is hard for people to deal with is the idea of change.  We all mess with it---and it is on my mind today.  Since it is very late and I'm very tired--we go with the quote angle :)

Always one of my favorites--from Mormon Channel

Thank you to my friend Diannah for sharing this today.

Quote of the Day

I saw this quote today and thought that it would be cool to share with everyone today

One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.  Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it.  Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away. --Stephen Hawking

I loved it because it really puts everything in perspective.  You should really live life to the fullest. Try to make sure that you don't just get stuck in a rut and with your head down.  Tuesdays are my long days and I can feel like that each morning.  I've been home about an hour and should really go to bed--but I will never give up!

Thank you to Wikipedia for the pic!

A New Year, A New Goal

So as 2015 starts, I have been reflecting on what I want to re-start in my life.  It is always a time for new beginnings.  It seems to be more so for me this year as I kind of got thrown into a new beginning at the beginning of the school year and into a whirlwind of planning, students, grading etc.  

I often pick my restarts in life with what I feel like I have been missing in my life. One of my missing things has been this blog.  One of the things that I really had been missing is writing on this blog.  This blog's history with resolutions has been 1 for 2.  In 2013, I did a 365 challenge in which I wrote a blog post everyday.  It was hard at times to come up with new content, but overall I really enjoyed the experience, learned a lot, and it really kick started my blog.  In 2014, I resolved to blog 3ish times a week--I was going to set aside certain days and then on the off days I was going to do all of the things I had learned over the year to help grow my blog.  I felt like I could give it the right attention if I commented, shared, interacted on the days I didn't write--and it wouldn't take over my life.  I was also going to do some fixing up of this blog--new design, update links etc.  But if you notice over the past year--I've done nothing in that department and I'm pretty sure I only wrote like 15 posts...okay I shouldn't beat myself up it was like 67--but a very noticeable decrease from like July on and half of those are April A to Z Challenge blog posts.  

Anyway....I'm rambling again.  Point is: I am resolving to write everyday again this year.  I am applying everything that I learned over 2013 and 2014 to hopefully make this a little bit less stressful, more organized, and do everything that I want it to do! I will be sharing them as I go along on a couple of different places.  To start with I will be sharing things: here, my Twitter feed, and my new Facebook page!  Yes, this blog has a Facebook page. :) Please go like it!  And check back for the next posts--hopefully I don't regret doing this again!

Top 10 Books that Inspire Me

I was nominated on Facebook to list the 10 books that inspire me.  I thought this would be a good blog post for the end of the week.

1. Book of Mormon from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
       This book needs to be number one--because it is the most important book in my life.

2. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
      This is my favorite novel when I have to pick.  I actually used this with my students in our five things about you in a bag assignment and one thing had to be something that inspired you. The quote that I love from this is about how if you can stand to be in someone's company for more than 30 minutes you can be best friends for life--and it works!

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    An amazing story of courage, determination, and it is just so well written.

4. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

    I love this story! I love the romance, the history, the sacrifice--my favorite Dickens book

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    This is the first book that I threw against the wall...I was so mad about Laurie and Jo--but that really influenced me in what it meant to write about your life.

6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

    I loved this story---it was so well written and beautiful story. It reminds us to take every moment and just live!

7. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

    Quite the ethical dilemma--and it really makes you think!

8. The Chamber by John Grisham

    It was one of the first moments in which you really start to think about the death penalty....along with a book I just finished by him called Confession

9. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

   As someone who finds the negative in a lot of things...this book spoke to me as a young child and it still does--it is great to commiserate with Alexander once in a while!

10. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

  My favorite book in high school, and it really influenced what I viewed was a friendship prior to a dating relationship.

Right Now I Am....

So as promised...life update time.  As I was thinking about how I wanted to do this I thought of how one of my favorite bloggers Trish does it (Check her out at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity).  I messed with the order a little so that the two things people really need/want to hear about are at the top, but the headings are all her.

Feeling: Better. This is the most often question that I'm getting from people right now which is why I put it first. I had surgery last week of July to hopefully deal with the pain I have been dealing with since April last year. We haven't had a diagnosis really until now--possibly endometriosis.  I have taken a while to heal but I am pushing through thanks to pain killers.  The nice thing about still healing is that the pills work better and I am in less pain longer.

Yep coming home with boxes was not in the plan
This is only half of them too

Loving: The time off...so in part of my life update I must update everyone that I no longer work at Cedar Ridge Academy. I will be starting at Vernal Middle School teaching 7th grade English in just a few days--first day of school is about a week away. I really needed the time off....though not as early as CRA wanted me to be. They decided to lay me off a month ahead of time. Prompted me to have to pack up my room late at night and not having closure with the students. Just liked to remind me why I was leaving--I was done not being treated like a professional or a person.

Listening To: Almost done with City of Bones--two discs left.  Will probably put it in when I get done with this. Also listening to The Confession by John Grisham and enjoying it.  It has been awhile since I've read a Grisham novel.

Reading: I have a lot of books juggling right now.  The Classics Club spin book was #17---so for me Fahrenheit 451. I also want to get in on Austen in August--so I'm going to read Lady Susan because it is also on my TBR Pile List....though I really need to start it!  Still reading Fablehaven #5--current really wanting to get through it so I can move on.  Just been busy with other things and not in too much of a reading mood.  And I need to start Gone Girl for book club.

Watching: Lots since I have been in bed or on the couch for about a week and a half. I got through two seasons of How I Met Your Mother.  I have loved seeing how well they really set us up for the series finale....and the connections to Friends.  Maybe one of these days I will devote a blog post to it....since I did when the series finale came up.

Eating: Anything that sounds good....I was cooking more in July because I was home and then I lost my appetite and I bet a couple of pounds after surgery.  Appetite back to normal so that's good.  Hopefully going to do some freezer meals in the next few days for the school year.

Making: I am knitting a great purple blanket....can't wait to show it to you. I finished a yellow one earlier this summer that will be featured in a new blog post to come.

My awesome planner :)

Planning: Mentally constantly writing to-do lists and then writing them down--I have my planner that I bought at the beginning of the year and I am using it more now than I did at my job--more time to write again.  I am re-evaluating what I want...plans for the blog, plans for writing more, planning ideas for school...I think my brain is more active now that I'm not at school but easier to shut it off when I go to sleep.

Hope that fills everyone in...as always I am a pretty much open book so ask away :)

A to Z Reflection

Been meaning to write this one all week...time to look back at April and see how I did.  Not as well as I had envisioned.  It was great to go and see people's blogs with my students--but I wish I had been able to comment as me. That was the biggest involvement with A to Z that I had--was with my students.  And honestly I probably shouldn't cut myself short with that. It was A LOT of work.  I ended up writing a few of the blog posts with student writings pushed together, and just full out writing one myself.  And then I had to hound students for FOREVER to get their posts.  Sometimes not getting them until the day the letter went up.

I had envisioned A to Z having everything scheduled and being able to go visit on this blog. But March got away from me and it took me FOREVER to come up with a theme. I really wanted to do a theme this year--and I did pretty well until the end of the alphabet.  I had pretty much caught up on everything by the time we got to like U. So the end of my alphabet wasn't great.

I have also gotten out of the habit of publicizing this thing. I have gotten so lazy with it after #365...I felt like everyone was done seeing me constantly post this on Facebook or Twitter.  But seriously--if you want the views you have to do it! That is one thing that I learned with this year's A to Z.

Goals for next time are to try again with scheduling and writing ahead of time.  At least having each letter planned so that I'm not doing the...ugh what do I write about today that starts with......

Those of you that have stuck around as Inspirefly spits and starts thank you---and hopefully see you soon with more posts :) And I hope to come around and see new people as I hop on the Road Trip!

Yay!!!

Z is for Zoom

April has been a busy busy month.  This whole blogging adventure has just zipped past but on the other hand it has gone really slow. I have successfully done three blogs on this challenge and I am EXHAUSTED from all the work....so today's is a quick lame post.  I will blog again next week for the reflection and a couple of book reviews that came up with no way to fit them into letters.  So on to the next thing :)

Y is for Yesterday

We often spend time thinking about what happened in the past.  As part of my job, I do that a lot--as a history teacher and talking to students about what they did in their past.  Your past still affects you but it is what you do with it that decides how much. The history that we have as a country still affects us today, and that is one of the reasons why I study history.  We understand the way things are now because of the history that has happened.  The same thing happens with us.  One of my students wrote a great example of this on our blog yesterday http://cedarridgeacademy.blogspot.com/2014/04/x-is-for-xtreme.html  check it out.

Sometimes dwelling on the past can get us in trouble---there is nothing that you can do to change it now. You just have to move forward!

X is for X-tra Time

Yeah so....I'm doing whatever one else does with this letter....it suddenly becomes an adjective :) But seriously...I was thinking about this today.  Everybody always wants extra time to do things that they want, get what they want done, etc.  Sometimes big projects require extra time each day.  With being sick for what feels like forever (we have officially past the year mark) and having that drain a lot of my energy...I have had to be more careful with my time.  I thought for the post today I would talk about some of the things I have learned with my time management this year.

So first things first is I make a list of what I need to get done everyday.  Because of my religious beliefs, this is very focused around that.  I need to read my scriptures and say my prayers each day. I also added time to read/listen to something that brings me closer to the Savior in addition to the scriptures--like conference talks or an Ensign article. Then I added what I wanted to do everyday that was a big project that I felt like could use some TLC. It was important that they be fun and enjoyable like: read and knit.  I also added watching lectures from Coursera and working on my portfolio.  I also have those "have-tos" like laundry or cleaning...though I'm not as good with those as I want to be.

Then I need to find time for everything.  With scriptures and my spiritual time, I like doing that while I'm getting ready in the morning--then it is done for the day.  A lot of my x-tra time tips have to do with multi-tasking---while I'm already doing something else.  I always thought that my fifteen to twenty minute commute everyday wasn't enough to get through a book at a decent pace.  And if that is all I'm doing it's right...but it is also thirty minutes of reading everyday.  I do try to get a physical book in too....but that's another tip with x-tra time--cut yourself a break! If I've done audio listening today and not a physical book I still check it off.

That's my other tip...figure out a way to keep track of what you've done each day.  I downloaded an app on my phone that is a to-do list thing that lets me have daily tasks that I can check off everyday and they reappear for the next day.  Then I know what I've accomplished, and I know the last time I checked it off. So if I haven't knitted in a while and I am trying to figure out something to do, maybe I go do that.

Best of luck trying to find those extra minutes in what seems to be a never ending cycle of trying to get things done! What ideas have you tried to find extra time?

V is for Vacation

The past few months we have been able to get away from for many different weekends.  Some weekends we are spending time with family and friends.  Sometimes we are attending an event out in the big city or shopping for important needed items. Other times we are just getting away from the stress here.  It is so great to be able to drive two hours or so and just get away! It makes the stress just float away.

Vacation can come in other ways with movies, books, and TV shows for me. I have been trying this year to do some essential things each day:

• Knit
• Read a book
• Read Scriptures
• Pray
• Read something spiritually related

This helps me to be able to unwind and refocus my attention on what is needed and important in my life.What do you do to give yourself a vacation and remind yourself about what is important?

U is for Unproductive

As apart of my catch-up theme for the A to Z Challenge.....I was having a struggle coming up with something to use with U.  I was thinking over the past year with my blog....and I really feel unproductive with it--hence the post today :)

It is tricky to keep up with the blog...I have had lots of trouble getting motivated to even go around and comment on people in the challenge.  I think part of that is the burn out from doing the challenge at work too. But at the beginning of the year, I wanted to give myself a little bit of time off and then hop on some year long reading challenges.  Do some seriously needed updating and revamping.  Get around to blogs to give feedback and spread that comment love!

Blogging can be super hard work--but it can also be easy if you just spend a little bit everyday like we have this month.  So there's my little ramble for today--and really wanting to refocus my efforts on making my blog better.

T is for Tulip

I haven't updated you guys on my house recently.  We are still trying to get settled and find places to put everything.  Brian has been working on finishing up the basement.  He has just about finished a sanctuary for himself to put his exercise equipment and hangout (it is affectionately known as the man cave). He is currently working on the bathroom for down there.  And as it is getting warm we are going to start sprucing up the backyard.

Put there was something that popped up that I didn't have any idea we had!

These were the first ones that bloomed.

These ones started first...the green shoots came up first

Then these orange touched ones bloomed and they were beautiful!

See how pretty they are!

K is for Kimberly

So....K has been alluding me for an idea.  My catch-up ideas were not working for the letter K.  So tonight, I said to my husband--I need a word that starts with K to write about.  And he was like "K is for Kimberly..." in this "duh" why haven't you thought of this tone.  And I was like yes it does....but how do I write some thing about my name.  And he starts with suggestions....and then I stop him and I'm like that doesn't go with my theme of "catching-up" on what I haven't written this year.  And I love him for this---he said, "It will catch people up on who you are that haven't ever been to your blog before--and isn't that the point of this thing." So I now have my idea!!! This one will be a tricky one to write but here goes nothing.

The first suggestion my husband gave me about my name was actually pretty good--explain why my name is Kimberly not Kim.  It's actually become a pretty good way for me to know if people actually know me or not by which name they call me. So, my mother named me Kimberly because she liked the name.  As a kid I thought that was a lame answer because you seem to want to have a meaning to your name like other kids.  But now that I'm older I get that more.  But at school people would call me Kim--teachers/other students/friends etc.  And I didn't really care.  My mother would always tell me to correct people and I didn't like doing that.  She would even tease me when someone would call the house asking for "Kim".  One of my best friends in high school was Kim too and we had fun being Kim squared.

As I got older, I started to care like that I was Kimberly and not Kim. I'm not sure if it was because of maturity, if I finally understood what my mother had been telling me all these years (I named you Kimberly and that is your name!), or if I realized that I actually had a preference. But I had been Kim/Kimberly for so long in one place that it was hard to really fathom correcting that many people. When I went to college I made a commitment to correct people I met no matter what. As a result, everyone there called me Kimberly and knew me by that name.  That commitment was tested pretty well with my husband ironically.  We were on our first date and he was calling me Kim.  I really liked this guy--and I didn't want to offend him with correcting him--but I also didn't want to actually start dating him and have him be calling me the wrong name.  So I remember sitting in his car waiting for the other couples to catch up to go into the house where we were all going to play games. And I just said it--and he was so understanding.  He even has started correcting people for me.

The ironic thing is that some people still never catch on no matter how much I correct them--but that really is a test of someone's commitment to a relationship in my mind.  If they take the time to learn someone's name (and I have noticed even how to spell it), it shows that they really care about building that relationship with you.

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal: Catch-up!

Ugh....I still don't have a great idea as to what to do for my theme.  But I want to get in on Yidya Sury's blog hop to reveal....so by the end of this post we should have a reveal! (At least I hope!)

Oh it is totally great and powerful!
http://vidyasury.com/2014/02/a-to-z-challenge-theme-reveal-blogfest.html

So I got one suggestion on Facebook, one suggestion in the comments of my post, and one vote on Twitter.  So in terms of voting you guys weren't a whole lot of help :P My brain has been doing a lot of A to Z because I am doing two other blogs in addition to this! Yes I am crazy.  My students are doing the writing but it is still a bit of work on my end to get them motivated and moving.  So go check out the main blog to learn about the theme of Cedar Ridge Academy and the revamped and new learning blog for Cedar Ridge Academy and their theme of Social Studies.

As a result of the brain in other A to Z things it has been hard to focus on my own blog.  So today on the drive home, I had just posted and gotten all of the stuff done for the school blogs--I kind of took a breathe and was like what should I do with my blog??

I had a lot of great suggestions and votes.  But I was thinking it needs to be something realistic--especially if I don't get all of the student ones scheduled in advanced like I would want!  And what I got suggestion wise seemed tricky and the vote I got was actually the two I had posted with the most work--and I might save those for another year. But they just don't seem like they fit this year. 

The other thing with realistic is lets be honest, since I finished the #365 project and work invaded my life more (which I didn't think was possible) I have been a HORRIBLE blogger! I had all of these grand visions when I was done that I would keep up with a regular schedule and update things and network more etc. etc. etc.  So that thought process led me to the idea of a CATCH-UP THEME! 

I had the idea on the other post about doing a week of each thing that my blog focuses on. And I kind of went with that idea for a little bit, but then I was thinking about how it would be a bit of planning to figure out which theme to do with which week and what if I want to change my mind.  So...the catch-up theme gives me the flexibility to do a book thing one day and a knitting thing the next day. I have a lot of book reviews I want to do and lesson plans I want to tell you about.  So, I am going to map out what letters I can use with catch-up things and then probably fill in the rest.  We'll see...like I said at the beginning I hope to have a reveal....I'm not super committed but I'm trying to be.  I think it would have helped if I had all of my letters mapped out already but I'm tired, its late and time for bed!

Thanks for reading the rambling! Feel free to follow on the side and follow my school blogs too--the students are excited to see what is said to their ideas!

Go to the link above to hop on yourself!

My Poor Little Neglected Blog!

So....it has been a month--an absolutely crazy month.  I have been trying to write this post in my head for the better part of a couple weeks. I have been really glad that I didn't decide to restart my 365 project...or everything didn't happen like this during that, because I really might have just failed right away.  So let me do my best to try to update you.

Physical Health: My health has not improved--my most recent meds haven't seemed to have helped.  But I suppose on the upside, I decided this week that it is time to go see somebody else, and try another route.  I am hoping that this works--but I feel like I have been saying that a lot.  I am trying to have faith that I will get better. LDS people believe that the priesthood is God's power on this Earth.  I had the opportunity to get a blessing about a month ago, and God promised me that I would be better in 2014.  This is a big relief to know that the end is near....but it is also one of those moments where I bet that it will be like the end of the year so I can keep learning this patience thing.

Joys of Home Ownership: The furnace broke in January, water heater broke in December...trying to fix up the basement and finish the unpacking....sometimes I wonder why we moved, but other times it is nice to know that this whole place is ours.....well and the bank's.

Work: This has been the real reason for my absence...a lot of the stress in my life has stemmed from this...due to some re-structuring at the company my scheduled hours have changed a lot.  I work a few evenings now, and still some mornings like I did before.  It has been a hard adjustment and a lot of days I feel like all I do is go to work and sleep....like yesterday I only had 4 waking hours at home.

That is also the biggest reason why I haven't written....this and other changes in my life has really taken a toll on me mentally and emotionally.  My regular readers know that I don't like to complain on this blog...I don't want to be a whiner on here.

My hopes for my blog going here on out:

• I want to do some catch-up on reviews
• Share more about my reading books--I really want to do better with this 
• Establish some challenges to participate in
• Do some more networking
• Do more about knitting and teaching....knitting has been a nice thing to get me through all of this!

I hope to write again soon! Thanks for hanging out with me as I got this month back together.  

As a picture today my motto for this week:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/128915608057242718/

My First Post of 2014

So this post is probably going to end up being a rambling post...because I haven't blogged in four days.  Oh my goodness you have no idea how liberating and how difficult this has been.  On the liberating side, as my brain realizes the time and that I still haven't written a blog post it has been nice to say, "I don't have to!!!" On the difficult side, I have missed out on some things (Classics Club Read-a-thon) and I have really missed writing.  I have had a cold so it has been nice not to have to have coherent thoughts when I am too tired to really move.  The sad thing is though I have so many ideas of what I could have blogged about the last four days---I really could have kept going.  I haven't been able to get organized with my blogging yet because of the cold--and I am hoping to do that this week.

I guess I warned you this would be a rambling post....because I have had a lot of thoughts in the last couple of days.  One of the things that I really wanted to do on here was write down my resolutions for the year--but I haven't really formulated them completely yet.  I had wanted to do a kind of #365 project with my blog still this year--but not always writing...doing something with blogging everyday.  Like networking, scheduling, planning, layout messing etc.  I had even been thinking about how I want to do more of what I started this blog for: reading, knitting, and lesson sharing--so even making sure I do one of those everyday.  But I haven't really figured out how I will work that.  Though this weekend I sure did knitting and reading. Finished my first book of the year :)

Another thought I have been having is how much I love reading other people's blogs.  I have been especially touched this weekend by my awesome sister-in-law who decided that she wanted to do a #365 project like I did in 2013 in her 2014.  I wish her the best of luck!! It is quite the journey and I learned so much.  Go check out her blog, Decidedly Nikkie.

But the other reason that I really needed to blog today is that I really want to do Bout of Books 9.0.  This is the first time I actually feel like I might do well with the Bout of Books because I got in a good rhythm with my last two read-a-thons.  I am even trying to do more with the Twitter chats this time too. That's what happens I suppose when your week night responsibilities calm down...maybe one of these days I will explain that one. But anyway... I need to declare my participation and sign-up.  Tomorrow I will post my goals...and a more coherent post :)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team