Bluebird Books

It's Monday and I'm running around here like a boy with a bag of bread being chased by a flock of chickens (see gif below).  This weekend I confused volleyball tournament times and that made me feel like I need to recalibrate and actually read my emails thoroughly again.  Today was full of logistics and I'm ready for bed.  *sigh*   Things I Love 1.  The trees.  I don't know if I'm looking around more or this year has been extra great but the foliage around these parts has been spectacular.  I love watching the gradual progression.  A little orange here and there, a little more, boom--the most vibrant orange I've ever seen.  I think I might be annoying my friends and family a little but I don't care--HAVE YOU SEEN THE TREES? 2.  American Eagle .  When we went back to school shopping in September I got a few sweaters and long sleeve t-shirts too.  I put them away and thought, "Future Noelle will thank me."  And now, I would like to th

I'm starting a recurring post called #goals because I've got lots of goals floating around in my head, but writing them down here and then checking in with them will give me some accountability to hopefully see them through.  I've broken my goals into three categories.  Reading, writing, and personal.  These are the three main sections of my life and within each group, I can be more specific about what I want to change.  *deep breath* Here I go: Reading Goals I'll be honest with you, I've gotten a little lazy about reading in my spare moments.  I've kind of been overloaded with the kids' stuff and when my brain feels like it's handling too much at once, I reach for a screen.  Reading East of Eden has taken me waaaaaay longer than I ever imagined.  I love the book, but I also love scrolling twitter.  My first reading goal is to finish East of Eden by Friday, November 8.  The other aspect of my reading life that seems a little o

This weekend we had guests and did a million things so this Monday I am dragging. I have a nice big cup of coffee and a quiet house.  Without further ado...here are my Monday moods.   Things I Love 1.  Visiting the monuments in DC.  This weekend we had perfect weather and my brother and his family were visiting so we decided to head into DC.  I was struck with gratitude and reverence while we were standing at Lincoln's feet and reading the names on the Vietnam memorial.  If you haven't been, you should go.   a quiet moment at the WWII memorial 2.  This tea .  It is my favorite thing on chilly afternoons.  Sometimes cinnamon is too strong for me, but this has a nice balance. And, it goes great with a good book.   3.  East of Eden .  I'm making a big push to finish this in the next couple of weeks.  I put sticky tags to mark the number of pages I need to read each day.  The story is so good that I'm reaching for it when I have a few moments  instead of 

Ready or not, it's Monday again.  The weather is crisp and fallish and my kids are in school.  🙌 Here are my Monday moods, don't forget to leave a comment telling me about yours. Things I love 1.  People who comment on posts.  In my previous post , I'm hosting a giveaway, with only one comment so far.  Go over there and add yours.  I love commenting on blogs because it adds to the conversation and most of the time I get a response, which makes me feel included in the online book community and scratches my itch for book talk.  2.  Not walking the dog.  I mean, I take my dog on short little walks.  She's a big dog and long walks are a challenge.  Today I'm spending time walking in my neighborhood without the dog and loving every minute of it.  I can go faster and listen to audiobooks without judgment from Ruby's big brown eyes.  Without her, I'm really able to notice the beautiful trees in our neighborhood and no one is trying to pull me i

Let me tell you a little story... let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start I was going on vacation this summer and the most exciting part of preparing for the trip was dreaming of what books I would bring along.  For weeks I debated in my head, how many hardcovers, how many paperbacks, did I want light and fluffy books or books I had been putting off with lots of Literary merit...It was so fun.   I finally settled on a thriller ( Lock Every Door ), the next Louise Penny ( Glass Houses ), a memoir ( Garlic and Sapphires ), and a family drama ( Little Fires Everywhere ).  I like to have choices.   q: how many books can I fit in a suitcase?  a: as many as I want. When we landed in Mexico we were greeted by oppressive humidity and my mother-in-law, who had forgotten to bring a book.  I don't really know how that is possible, but since she is wonderful in many other ways, I will forgive her for this oversight.  Sitting by the pool she asked me

Happy Monday!  Here are the three good things and three not so good things to start another week: Loves 1.  School.  I love that my kids get on the bus and go to school on Monday mornings.  I look forward to the break in routine that the weekend provides, but nothing beats a cup of coffee in a quiet kitchen.  Thank you, teachers and administrators.  me at 8:21am on Monday morning 2.  Less TV, more writing and reading at night.  Lately, I've been thinking about the ways my phone and other screens suck time and make my day disjointed.  "One sec, I just need to check something"----->30 minutes later, I'm ready to engage in reality again.  I've been sidelining my phone at different times and then considering how I feel after.  When I read and/or write before bed I feel good about how I spent my time and I sleep better.  I'm not cutting out all TV, but even watching one less episode of a show in favor of my book yields more happiness.  3.  Readi

We are a bookish family.  Books in every room, books for every holiday.  We read together and talk about the books we are reading independently.  My husband and I are both English majors and we're intentional about raising readers.   We often grab our books after dinner and gather in the family room.  Some of the kids have to be called to join in the fun.   Now that we are all settled on the couch, let me tell you what we are reading. My husband is the ultimate book snob.  His goal is to read all the Pulitzer prize winners and the more challenging a book the more he is interested.  His motto is "quality over quantity."  He is so much fun to discuss books with because he always has strong opinions.  Right now he is reading The Overstory   by Richard Powers. My oldest child is a high school sophomore in GT English with lots of reading requirements.  She has been reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knigh t for school and How to be Parisian for fun.  High school is har

I can't believe September is over and we are heading into the heart of fall.  These are the months that feel like they are slipping through my fingers.  But these are also the months that are chock full of family, celebrations, and cozy evenings, so I'm here for them.   I really didn't read much in September, though it felt like I read a lot.  With the beginning of a new schedule (school, soccer, cross county, music, volleyball, etc...) I prefer napping to reading in the afternoon.  Just like last month, emotions were running high around our house and I reached for quality books, books I've wanted to read for a while, and books that came highly recommended.  So again, I'm happy with my list.  Little Fires Everywhere Was I the last person in America to read this book?  Probably.  I knew I needed to get to it before Reese Witherspoon's adaptation hits Hulu--which I don't currently subscribe to, but will get just for this series.  Thi