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Do you have Five Minutes?
Over the past four weeks I’ve shared about managing time, and recently I was reminded of a person I once knew who complained she never had more than five free minutes at a time which wasn’t enough time to accomplish anything. I beg to differ. Here’s a short list of five minute tasks. It’s not comprehensive by any means, but meant to point out that important tasks can be accomplished even when you only have five minutes. 1. Skim email for for important messages 2. Wash dishes 3. Clean the bathroom 4. Make the bed–this job should leave you with time to spare 5. De-clutter the family room–if super messy…
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Love Finds You in Wildrose North Dakota
Love Finds You in Wildrose North Dakota, by Tracy Bateman is a wonderful love story that I had a hard time putting down. Rosemary Jackson can’t wait to see her twin sister, Rachel. Her sister married a man who worked on their Pa’s cattle ranch. He wanted to have his own homestead so they moved to North Dakota. Rosemary hoped to run the ranch once her Pa passed, but he didn’t believe a woman could or should own a ranch. With no other option Rosemary sets off to live with her sister and brother-in-law. A horrible blizzard hits while she is in route. The freight driver she rode with finally…
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Boot Camp for the Time Challenge Part 4
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of boot camp. I hope this series has encouraged you to set priorities you can stick with, as well as freed up valuable time for the things you want to do most. Now that you’ve de-cluttered your life and your surroundings try adding something new to the mix. Something you have always wanted to do. If you’ve cut out the unnecessary and are sticking to a schedule there should be a little time left over to volunteer at your favorite charity, or go hiking, or garden, or knit, or whatever your heart desires. Just remember to stick to your plan and don’t over…
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Glamorous Illusions
Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren probably has one of my all time favorite romance covers. I love just about anything with the Eiffel Tower on it, but this is just plain beautiful. The story was gripping and I could see it playing out in my mind, but I must warn you the ending disappointed me. The story just stopped. It reminded me of how series were written back in the 80’s and 90’s. The stories continued into the next book, and in order to find out what happened you had to keep buying the books. I stopped buying books that were part of a series for quite a while…
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Boot Camp for the Time Challenged Part 3
How did it go last week? Were you able to set a schedule and keep it or at least come close? Remember part one of boot camp? Set priorities. In order for change to happen it must be important to you. Don’t give up. Keep tying. You can make a difference one step at a time. I don’t know about anyone else, but if I’m surrounded by clutter I can’t concentrate. Clutter drives me nuts! For me it’s safe to say an uncluttered house flows better than a cluttered. Yes it takes time to de-clutter, but there are three fast and easy things you can do today to help cut…
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Joy Takes Flight
Joy Takes Flight by Bonnie Leon is the final book in the Alaskan Skies series. I’m happy to say this book will stand alone, but I think you’d enjoy it more if you start from book one. Kate and Paul finally marry and begin their life together. Kate is unwilling to be just a wife and struggles to maintain her independence as an Alaskan bush pilot. Things become even more complicated when she becomes pregnant. Paul is still haunted by the guilt he’s had since his first wife and child died. He moved from San Fransisco to Alaska to flee the memories and now they all come flooding back when…
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Boot camp for the Time Challenged Part 2
Last week I challenged you to determine what is important to you and to begin to cut the non-essentials from your life. How did that go? Did you find something you could cut from your day? From your week? Continue reading to find out what is next. Schedule your day–This strategy may or may not work for you, but I have found it to be essential. I am self-employed and a full-time mom. Without a set schedule I would never accomplish everything I need to do. A typical school day goes as follows for me. Flexibility is key for me so I don’t become discouraged when something doesn’t go as…
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Cherry Blossom Capers
Cherry Blossom Capers is a four-in-one romance collection with threads of mystery and a little suspense.The stories all take place in Washington DC and follow the lives of four friends who live in the Cherry Blossom Estates. Book one State Secrets, by Lynette Sowell, finds White House chef, Tara Whitley, in the middle of FBI agent Jack Courtland’s investigation. In book two, Dying for Love, by Carra C. Putman, attorney Ciara Turner discovers the body of the judge she’s come to meet. Her former friend and co-worker Daniel Evans is determined to solve the murder. Book three, Buried Deception, by Gina Conroy has Archaeology intern Samantha Steele reeling when she…
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Boot Camp for the Time Challenged Part 1
Crunched for time? Keep reading for tips to ease the load. Over the next four weeks I will lay out strategies that will help you organize your time, freeing up valuable minutes in your day. Set priorities—If it is not important cut it from your day. If you don’t value it stop doing it. There are only 24 hours in a day and we all have the same amount of time. What you do with your time defines who you are and what is important to you. This week I challenge you to take five minutes and figure out what is most important to you, and write it down. What…
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Dawn Comes Early
In the mood for an awesome western romance? Dawn Comes Early, by Margaret Brownley follows dime novelist Kate Tenney. Kate’s latest book is banned in Boston and now no one will hire her. With no family or any other skills she replies to a post seeking an heiress for a cattle ranch in Arizona. Kate hopes that real ranch life is like what she wrote in her books, but quickly finds out she didn’t have a clue. However she is determined to prove herself capable. Blacksmith Luke Adams is a distraction Kate doesn’t want, and she can’t get him from her mind. But if she is to become heiress of…