My list of joys this week:

1. Lunch for 1 with a book & a joyful bowl of delicious pho. noodle-y soup always brings me joy.

2-4. (2) We started up our Conscious Leadership program for 2025, led by our CEO. It gives me joy that our employee-owners (& I) can take advantage of this mindfulness training & I do find it helps with my stress when I apply the principles & techniques. (3) Coffee (in particular a cinnamon dolce latte with oatmilk & ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

Taking today‘s #LoveOnTheRocks prompt in a slightly different direction. I have a few books about crystals & gemstones & using them for self-care & bringing things like love, prosperity & wellbeing into your life. 💎

It‘s been another week & I almost forgot that tomorrow is Friday, so time to start making your #5JoysFriday lists! 💛

Make & post your list of the 5 things big or small that gave you joy this week. Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post & others if you want to spread the joy. Use the background graphic I as you like or use your own.

Tagging some regular friends to get things started, but as always, everyone is welcome to join in! 🥳

#FeelinTheLove

I just realized I used this same book I read & reviewed in 2011 for a similar prompt 5 years ago! 😂 Oh well… it‘s a good one for a #BrokenHeart 💔

#FeelinTheLove

This classic book came immediately to mind for #IllicitLoveAffair probably because I was on a chick-flick binge this weekend & watched both these movies where it plays a role. (I love both these movies, don‘t love the book so much but I haven‘t read it since high school!) 😆

#FeelinTheLove

Some #Hearts titles from my Kindle/ebook TBR. Someday I will get to these, especially the tagged for #SeriesLove2025
❤️🩷🖤🩷❤️

#FeelinTheLove

Does stuffing my face with chocolate & watching chick flicks this weekend count as celebrating #GalentinesDay ? Then yes… I celebrated it. 🍫😍 I have to honor its originator, Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation.

#MentalHealthMonday

1️⃣ I‘ve got a bit of the Monday blues & a tension headache 🤕

2️⃣ Not that great. I have restless legs, restless thoughts & a doom scrolling habit.😬I‘m trying to focus on getting more & better sleep.🛌

3️⃣ I‘ve been using the Calm app for a while now & I recently started some of the sleep features. I like the sleep stories, the ambient music & the Drifting Off with Gratitude meditation.

Anyone want to share sleep tips?

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour on the couch with Trixie & the Bob-Whites for #BobWhiteBuddies & maybe catching up a bit with my tree-a-day reading (I‘m a little behind). There is tea & chocolate involved. 🫖 🍫

Mood is a little tired & not ready for Monday & my sure to be busy workweek, but I‘m getting close to some PTO time in the first week of March, so there‘s that.😵

Hmm… should I be worried about me?!? 🤔😬😱😆

Type: “Literally my character” into your Pinterest search bar & the first 6 images are who you are…

Thanks (I think) @TheBookHippie for this trend!

#literallymycharacter #pinterest

I don‘t get in reading slumps very often but here‘s what I do to jump the slump:

1️⃣ Changing to something light & low-stakes will usually get me moving through it. My top choices are cozy mysteries, cozy fantasy or thrillers.

2️⃣ Switching to a different format (print to audio or Kindle) or choosing a different genre of book from what I was reading mixes it up.

3️⃣ Changing location—reading outside or going to a coffeeshop can help.

#FeelinTheLove

Hart & Mercy are a great example of a #LoveHatePairing in this favorite romantasy book that has a definite You‘ve Got Mail vibe. 💌

#Read2025

Finished a few days ago, the 4th book from the #AuldLangSpine list of @JacqMac & another really good one that‘s on the dark side. (I‘m sensing a pattern… 😱😂 but I like it!) It‘s also my 3rd pick for February‘s #Roll100 (#42 Any Mystery-although it‘s more dystopian horror thriller than mystery). Bizarre & very brutal murders start happening in every state & a few days later the killers start to mobilize & start reading the names of ⬇️

My #Chatterday is the usual errands & spending some time at the coffeeshop to read more of this #ThematicCozies February #Romance pick. Maybe a little magazine reading in there too. Just decompressing from another busy workweek.

Hope your Saturday/weekend is going well. 🤗

#FeelinTheLove

Timeless is the title of the final book in the Parasol Protectorate series & I feel like Alexia & Conall have a #TimelessLove

#FeelinTheLove

My #5JoysFriday list for this week& #ValentinesDay

1. Went to a workplace wellness conference yesterday & it was really informative. We did some breath work in the afternoon session & it was a good asthma breathing day for me which always gives me joy.🧘🏻‍♀️💨

2. Since I was already in town, I got my hair cut after the conference & not being “shaggy” gives me joy. ✂️

3. I stopped at Barnes & Noble after my haircut & got ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

Catch up from yesterday. A #LongDistanceLove can be your best friend. The tagged book is a foodie favorite about the strong friendship & love that develops between two women (one in California & one in Washington) over food.🍽️ ✍️💌

How is it the end of the week already?!? That means it‘s time to start thinking about & to make your #5JoysFriday list.💛

When it's Friday where you are or when the spirit moves you, post your list of 5 things big or small that gave you joy. Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post. Use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

Tagging some regulars to get things started, but as always, everyone is welcome to join in! 🤗

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2026

My second #Roll100 pick for February (#60 Any Retelling) & also read for #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow after reading Sense and Sensibility in January. I enjoyed the first book of the Jane AustenMurder Mysteries which was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice but I liked this one even more! The author kept the soul of the characters but putting them into a mystery setting where the Dashwood sisters try to solve the ⬇️

#FeelintheLove

This one has been in my TBR for a while now. About #LostLove & missed connections. 💞

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

It was fun to go back to my childhood detective days & reread the first book with #EBBR I remembered most of the stories in this one & how smart they made me feel when I managed to figure them out as a child (& now as an adult although I don‘t know how much was memory & how much was getting hopefully smarter as I aged!) 😉😂 I have the 2nd book checked out from the library & I‘m looking forward to it.

#FeelinTheLove

A good #CrazyLove quote:

“I didn't want the easy kind of love, I wanted the crazy love, the kind of love that created and destroyed all at the same time.”

I haven‘t read this book but I have read a couple of others from this author.

#FeelinTheLove

The letters in this unique time travel story become #LoveLetters 🩵 I think I need to read it again.

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Okay. It‘s Monday for sure & I‘m tired but I‘m feeling mostly ready for the workshop I‘m teaching this week & no travels. I‘m also attending a Health & Wellness Conference on Thursday that I‘m excited about.💛

2. I have a sit in silence I practice every morning & I use the Calm app in the evening to wind down. I just purchased the tagged audiobook this weekend as I‘ve heard lots of good things.

3. Setting healthy ⬇️

#Naturalitsy #HyggeHourReadathon

Spending my #HyggeHour with Encyclopedia Brown for #EBBR & when I finish it I may try to start Run or I may go to sleep. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The dried cinnamon Fuji apples are pretty much total sugar but they are so darn good! 😋

How did Monday get here so soon again? 😬 It‘s going to be another busy work week but teaching workshops online so no Hilo trip.

#Read25

Finished the audiobook this weekend & I wound up really liking it & Margo much more than I expected to. I didn‘t find it laugh-out-loud funny as tagged & to be honest the Only Fans, WWE, gaming & cosplay references were over my head most of the time & things were a bit predictable (especially in that when Margo made bad choices, I would tell her in my head exactly when & how they were going to come back & bite her) but I really grew to ⬇️

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025

Book 16 finished last weekend for NancyDrewBR so I‘ll try to remember my thoughts for the review.😵‍💫I remembered quite a bit about this book from reading it in childhood so I know I read it more than once. I think I was drawn by the creepy Persian cat on the cover (a “titan” one to match Nancy‘s hair) & of course the tap dancing. There‘s quite a few thrills & chills in this one so spoiler alert for my comments below ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove 🍫♥️

The Bakeshop Mystery series is a favorite of mine & it‘s currently at book 20. I loved Book 5 as it‘s set in a #Chocolate festival in Ashland, Oregon where the series takes place.

I read it for review in 2017 & made the Mango Chai Latte & Chocolate Truffles with Coffee & Almond from the recipes in the back. https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-book-tour-stops-here-review-of_1...

#FeelinTheLove

I put this #Loveless title on my TBR list after loving the author‘s Heartstopper series. 💜

#Read2025

One of my #Roll100 Feb picks (#82 Any Non-Fiction) & also a #BlameItOnLitsy rec from @Kitta (on one of my posts about The Art Thief she recommended this one in the museum theft true crime genre). In this case a 20-year-old American flautist & fly-tying enthusiast steals 299 rare bird skins from a UK museum. I‘d have thought all the detail on fly-tying would have bored me but I found it & the crime fascinating. It reads like fiction.

#FeelinTheLove catch up from yesterday

A favorite #LoveQuote with my favorite Emma edition.💛

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”

My #Chatterday Saturday started with errands & now I‘m at the coffeeshop to finish writing a manager coaching workshop I am delivering next week. My computer was having issues when I got here & I was hoping it was the universe telling me not to work & to read for #SundayBuddyRead instead, but alas I got it going & now I must focus on getting my work done & catch up with reading & Litsy later. 😬

Hope all your Saturdays/weekends are going well!💛

TGIF! Yes, my #5JoysFriday lists are mostly food but it‘s been a tough few weeks & sometimes food is what I‘ve got to give me joy.🤷🏻‍♀️

1. My non-food pic is one my niece posted of her daughter in the park playground. She is a vibe & that brings me joy!🤩

2. Went to a meeting with vendors & they brought a box of pastries that included the buttery crisp kouign-amann which was well worth the bazillion calories.😋🥐

3. Since I didn‘t get a ⬇️

Another week has flown by & it‘s about time to start making your #5JoysFriday list & checking it twice (oh wait, wrong list…).💛

In any case, when it‘s Friday in your neck of the woods, post your list of 5 things big or small that gave you joy. Use the #5JoysFriday hashtag & tag me in your post. Use the background graphic as you like or use your own.

Tagging some friends to get things started, but as always, everyone is welcome to join in! 🤗

#FeelinTheLove

I was having trouble thinking of a book for #SteamyLove but I did love the Steamy Kitchen food blog back in the day & I still have a couple of her cookbooks. 🍜♥️

https://steamykitchen.com

#FeelinTheLove

You know it‘s become a weekly habit for more than you when the airport barista knows your name & starts looking for your mobile order when they see you walk up. 😆
Headed to Hilo for the day.

I think I‘ll be able to finish the tagged book on my flights. It‘s pretty interesting & I‘m learning about the #WeirdLove & obsession some people have for feathers & the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. 🎣

#FeelinTheLove

A title with #Roses from my stacks. It‘s been quite a while since I read this one but I‘ve always liked the cover image. 🌹♥️🌹

#FeelinTheLove

#LoveIsBlind
“love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit”

#MentalHealthMonday

1. Not the greatest. Work is pretty tough right now & the state of the world doesn‘t help.😵‍💫

2. Feeling very Monday-ish & didn‘t sleep well last night but I am eating a Cara Cara orange as citrus is a mood & energy booster. 🍊🧡

3. Just trying to get more/enough sleep & take care of myself through food & hydration. Reading of course & I plan to get outside for some sun & walks & keep eating all the oranges! 🧡☀️💧🍴📚🤗

#Naturalitsy #MidWinterSolace #HyggeHourReadathon

Hanging out with Nancy & crew for #NancyDrewBR durung #HyggeHour tonight with herbal tea & a little chocolate.

Mood is just not ready for yet another Monday & busy work week😵‍💫but I‘m glad to ease into it with this quiet hour.

My February #TBR with books #Roll100 my #AuldLangSpine list from @JacqMac #AuthorAMonth #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR #EBBR #BobWhiteBuddies #FoodandLit #Nepal #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #Naturalitsy #BuddyRead #MidWinterSolace #SheSaud #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow #SeriesLove2025 #MonthlyNonFiction2025

A little late posting my February #Roll100 picks but here goes:

#60 Any Retelling (of Sense and Sensibility-also reading for #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow ) Would work for #6 Any Kindle too since it‘s been in my Kindle TBR a while.

#42 Any Mystery (also reading as part of @JacqMac ‘s #AuldLangSpine list)

#82 Any Non-Fiction (a library e-book loan)

I‘m excited about all 3 of these! 📚

Great reading month for January! I finished 19 books total & read almost all I set out to. I think weekly plane rides & trying to avoid media upped my reading time. Finished all 3 #Roll100 books, 3 from my #AuldLangSpine list from @JacqMac + #AuthorAMonth #SundayBuddyRead #ChildrensClassicRead2025 #NancyDrewBR #BobWhiteBuddies #FoodandLit #ChloeGongReadalong #ThematicCozies #FictionalTraveler #Naturalitsy #MidWinterSolace #JaneAustenThenAndNow ⬇️

#FeelinTheLove

I have more than one #FaveLiteraryLove but their witty banter & the fact they have to be tricked into their feelings before they admit them makes Beatrice & Benedick near the top of the list-biased by the movie portrayals I‘m sure.🩷

Two favorite quotes:

MESSENGER “I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your
books.”
BEATRICE “No. An he were, I would burn my study.”

“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” -Benedick

#FeelinTheLove

#LovePoem 🩷

A good overview of its meaning: https://pressbooks.pub/poetrypoetics/chapter/i-had-no-time-to-hate/

#JumpStart2025 #Read2025 SeriesLove2025

Read for #ChloeGongReadAlong & my 3rd Jan #Roll100 book (#96 Any Retelling & this one‘s a remix of Shakespeare‘s Antony and Cleopatra.)

Chloe Gong books are a rollercoaster🎢-thrills, twists, turns & deep dives into the unknown. Do I know what the hell is going on in this book or what‘s going to be revealed in the third book? Absolutely not! Do I care? Absolutely not! I just go where Chloe tells me too.

#JumpStart2025 #Read2025

I did not do a good job rereading this one at 2 chapters a day with the #JaneAustenThenAndNow group. I set out with one of my print copies (pictured) & ended up finishing it on my Kindle in 4 or 5 sessions. Here are my answers to the discussion questions:

1. Reread, maybe 10 times. As mentioned, I read from both my print edition & my Kindle.
2. Colonel Brandon, always & of course pictured in my head as Alan Rickman.⬇️

#JumpStart2025 #Read2025

I did better with the lit part of #FoodAndLit #Netherlands as I ran out of time to cook anything. The imported food section of my grocery store did have this peppermint licorice candy which I‘ll review below. Making this post while taking an errand break of this #Chatterday for coffee, breakfast & some #LitsyLove correspondence.

About the book: I‘ve long been an admirer of Audrey Hepburn & that increased with ⬇️

#JumpStart2025 #Read2025

I got behind in posting reviews for January so, I‘ll try to get them all in today.

From the #AuldLangSpine list of @JacqMac this book kind of wrecked me. I wasn‘t planning on reading it this month but my library e-book hold came in & so it jumped the line. I think my mistake was reading it the weekend before the inauguration & the dystopian story of the effects of totalitarianism & civil war on a family in Ireland, ⬇️

It‘s still Friday here& here‘s my list of joys for the week:

1. Between work & the state of the world, I thought that January would never end & it brings me joy it finally did. February has to be better, right?! 😬

2. The ocean of clouds as I flew home Tuesday with the Sun beginning to set & the mountain in the background.☁️🤍

3 I got the upgrade on the morning flight this trip, so coffee, cookies, my Kindle & another gorgeous sunrise.🌅

⬇️