The Gratitude Journal for Women

With everything that I've had going on in my personal life, thankfulness has been like water quenching my thirsty soul.  It is so easy to let the darkness of life bring you down but having a grateful heart pulls your gaze upward to the light. 

Since it's nearing another year, I thought it would be perfect to start a new gratitude journal and in 2018 I would love a little help.  That's where The Gratitude Journal for Women by Katherine Furman comes in.

"Find happiness and peace in 5 minutes a day," sounds like its too good to be true but with The Gratitude Journal for Women it IS true!  Katherine Furman has done an amazing job with this journal!  The layout is beautifully done and artwork by Katie Vernon is colorful, alluring, and really makes this journal very inviting.  

When you first open the journal there is an awesome introduction with case studies cited on the benefits of writing down daily what you're thankful for.  I have kept a gratitude journal off and on throughout the years but I have never been as consistent as I should be.  After reading the introduction I am going to try harder, especially in this season of my life.

Throughout the book, there are multiple writing prompts so the entire journal won't be you saying, "Today I am thankful for..." and you writing the same things over and over.  The prompts are very thought provoking and help you focus on many different facets of your life, which I found very intriguing.  There are also some pages that are blank so that you can write whatever is on your heart that day.

  

Sprinkled throughout the book are inspirational quotes from inspiring women which are also very uplifting, and pair very well to the writing prompts and the whole thankful theme.  There is also an excellent resource directory in the back of the book so that you can delve deeper into your gratitude journey.

I was very impressed with The Gratitude Journal for Women and am not surprised to see that it is currently the #1 New Release in Quick Workouts on Amazon.  This would make a wonderful gift, but if you do decide to give one away be sure to purchase one for yourself to keep as well, and start 2018 with a thankful heart. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Callisto Media and Althea Press in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Random Review: Paprika Recipe Manager

I know I've mentioned this on my other reviews but it bears repeating: I hate cooking.  Growing up, I never liked helping my mom in the kitchen.  I felt like it was a waste of time.  Why spend time cooking when you can go run and get fast food?

As I mature, my thoughts on cooking are evolving.  Since I am going through the health issues I am going through, (see THIS post for more details) I need more things in my life that I can control.  One of those things is cooking, and giving my family healthier options than what's out there today.  It's time to take control of my families health.

In saying all of that, I am venturing into uncharted territories and trying things I've never tried before.  I've never had a collection of my own recipes.  I've never meal planned.  I am that girl that pins all the amazing recipes on Pinterest and never tries a single one.  There are a gazillion recipes out there, how can you keep track of everything you have tried or want to try?  It's so overwhelming.

It was in my state of confusion and utter defeat that I went on the hunt for an app that could help this poor, confused girl out and I stumbled onto Paprika.

The Paprika Recipe Manager 3 by Hindsight Labs is exactly what I was looking for!

You can store recipes which is so easy to do when you download their 'save recipe' button onto your device.  It keeps the link of where the recipe originated which is very handy, especially for someone who can't even remember what she ate last night.  You have space to put everything you'd want to know about that recipe, including your own notes, and nutritional information which is huge for our household since I have a diabetic son and have to know the carbs of everything my baby eats.  It's also easy to manually add your own recipes which is a blessing.  You can add your own tags and can search by recipe titles, ingredients, directions, sources, and notes so you can find what you're looking for in a flash.

You can create grocery lists right in the app, and if you are using the same ingredient in multiple recipes it combines them on your grocery list!  It also organizes your grocery list by aisle to make your shopping experience easier.  Usually I'm that frustrated shopper that keeps going back and forth all over the store because I forgot to grab something on my list.  Well, not anymore! :)

The Paprika Recipe Manager also includes a place to meal plan and you can create menus for any type of special occasions.  While you're cooking, there is a timer you can use right in the app and you can cross out each ingredient as you use it.  There is even a scale button that you can use to change the serving size without having to figure out the adjusted ingredients measurements.  Amazing!

You can also use this app offline, since all of the data is stored locally, which is perfect for people whose device has to be connected to wifi, and once you're logged in everything is synced wirelessly to all of your devices.

If you have any questions, the Paprika website includes user guides for all devices and has a wonderful support page that can help you answer your questions quickly.

The only downside to Paprika is that you do have to pay for this app.  For iOS, Android, and Kindle the app is $4.99.  The Mac version is $29.99 and Windows is $19.99, but on Windows it will let you download a trial version so you can try before you buy.  In my opinion, it's worth every penny.  I have tried other free recipe apps and websites recently and nothing compares to Paprika.  I purchased the iOS and Mac versions and they work flawlessly!  I am still trying to get the hang of meal planning but I have a feeling I'll be a pro soon.  I highly recommend Paprika!

Now it's time to get cooking! ;)

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Falling for a Duke

Novellas are something I have been enjoying lately.  Short yet satisfying reads which is perfect during the busy holiday season.

Falling for a Duke is a collection of three novellas from the Timeless Romance Anthology.  Each novella is by a different author but all three stories has one common figure: a duke. Falling for a Duke includes On the Duke's Errand by Rebecca Connolly, Vingt-Et-Un by Nichole Van, and I Kissed A Duke by Janelle Daniels.

On the Duke's Errand was one of those stories that took me awhile to get into but I'm so glad that I stuck it out.  The two main characters, David and Ceana, are wonderfully developed for a novella and you find yourself falling in love with them as they are falling in love.  On a Duke's Errand is very predictable but sweet story nonetheless!

Vingt-Et-Un is a story that keeps you guessing, which I absolutely loved.  The story is told through flashbacks into poor Liam's life, all the abuse that he went through at the hands of his father, and the friendship of Eliza that helped him deal.  Liam's father does not want Liam and Eliza to be together, so he sends him off to war.  I will not spoil the story, but I have to say this is a must read.  You will be on a rollercoaster of emotions in this extremely well written novella.

I Kissed a Duke was more of a fairy tale read for me.  Madeline is seeing her chances of marrying well quickly slipping away, and desperate times call for desperate measures.  Lady Louisa is a loathsome, devious woman who takes advantage of women in desperate situations, and gives them secret tasks that are next to impossible to fulfill.  If they succeed, then they are in her inner circle.  Madeline accepts her challenge: to kiss a duke.  

Out of all the novellas, this one was the most far fetched for me.  I felt like the story was rushed, and the ending clipped.  I would've loved to see more fight not only from Lady Louisa but also from the duke's mom, who is also very upset that her son does not want to be with Lady Louisa.

All in all, Falling for a Duke was a sweet, quick read.  You get a little bit of everything in all three stories, including twists, surprise endings, and three love stories that you will fall in love with yourself.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review

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Random Review: Sir 7's "Looking for Domingo"

Besides my faith, music has been one of the foundations of my life.  When I was growing up in the 1980's, my parents created a rock band named Colour.  They played parties, benefit concerts, and was even aired several times on a local radio station in Dallas.  When my parent's weren't practicing there was always some type of music playing.  I always tell everyone that I grew up with a record player more than I did with a television set.  Not everything I grew up with was rock 'n roll either.  I thank my parents for introducing all types of music into my life.  It's explains my very eclectic love of many various genres.

When my parents split in the early 1990's, Colour broke up as well but that did not stop my dad from pursuing other musical ventures.  When I graduated in 1999, my dad, along with two of my uncles, formed a band: Sir 7.

In the 18 years since their conception, Sir 7 has released four albums, the latest being Looking for Domingo.  You would think that since the band is family that I would be easy on them when I reviewed this album, but you would be mistaken.  In all actuality, I think I listened with a more critical ear because, knowing that they're family, they can take the criticism.

What I love about Looking for Domingo is how each song has it's own flavor.  Not one song sounds like the other so when you go to the next song you don't know what you're going to get.  From the blues ballad "Don't Keep Me Waiting" to the Latin-infused "Life is Bueno", there is something for every person and every mood.  Many of the songs are very catchy and I caught myself singing them long after I listened to them.

Sir 7's style is a fusion of Texas rock with jazz and rhythm and blues.  Looking for Domingo is a great album to listen to when you're just chilling or to have playing while you're cruising down the highway.  I personally enjoy listening to "Life is Bueno" on my way home from work on a Friday afternoon.  The Herb Alpert sounding trumpet line gets me every time.

I also had the pleasure of interviewing the members of Sir 7 this summer.  It was so fun to be able to sit down and talk with each band member about their inspirations, experiences, as well as the behind the scenes tidbits of the creation of Looking for Domingo.   You can find all of those interviews on their YouTube channel under Interviews but I also linked up my interview with Charlie "Guitar" Swisher below which happened to be my favorite interview.

In all honesty, this is by far my favorite Sir 7 album to date.  The mixture of musical flavors is tantalizing and you can hear the work that went into this album.  It is one that I have listened to several times since sitting down to listen for my review which says a lot.  

One of the greatest accomplishments I can say about this album, and Sir 7, was being able to see it performed live at the infamous House of Blues in Dallas this summer.  It was an unforgettable night and was so amazing to see a bands dreams become a reality.  

I highly recommend Looking for Domingo for those who love jazz, rock, and blues all rolled into one amazing package.  I promise you won't be disappointed. :)

You can purchase Looking for Domingo on Amazon as well as listen to the album on Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, and Deezer as well as hear it streaming live on ZooTapRadio.com.  If you're in the Dallas area, Sir 7 plays several venues regularly in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex so you can see them perform live.  Check out their website for all upcoming concerts, events, and all things Sir 7.

*I received a complimentary copy of this album from Robare Music and Sir 7 in exchange for an honest, unbiased review

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