10 Ways to Read More Books

We all know we should read more. It has been said that the average CEO reads 61 books a year, attends 6 conferences a year and makes an average of 300% more money a year!! Those statistics are hard to ignore! How many books do you read a year? 61? 30? 5? Any? On average, reports say average readers read about 5-10 books a year while super readers can be up around 80. 

I am sure you want to read more. You like to read, or maybe you don’t; however, the more you read that will change. But there are so many demands on your life. You might have littles pulling on you to play, feed, change, or clean up after. You might work long, hard days and just want to veg when you get home. Maybe you have general hubbub going on in life that it isn’t even on your radar to read. Well, no matter your position in life, there are ways for you to add reading into your life.

1. Audiobooks!!! You knew this was coming right? I LOVE Audible! And I am sure you and everyone you know has an account already. Right! Right? If not, it is FREE to have an account. You can buy books right out to have forever or exchange if you decide you don’t like it. Or you can subscribe and get a varying number of credits to apply to ANY book a month. The normal plan is a credit a month but there is a secret plan that gets you one credit every other month so you can start small without forking out a lot of money.
   • There are also free books on Libravox with varying quality. Free is free so you get what you pay for but, free is free.
   • Also, your library has audio books. Of course there are the discs or playaways available but you can also probably use Overdrive, or whatever their app is to get it straight to your phone.
2. Wake up earlier. I know, sleep might be a hot commodity but it doesn’t have to be much earlier. Even 10 minutes a day can add up. If you are more of a morning person you can try waking up just a few minutes earlier to start the day of with fresh ideas or some self-care. I love when I can do a morning routine and get some reading in. It sets me in a good mood and I can be a better mom to my kids.
3. Go to bed later. This one is probably easier for some. Not for me, I usually fall asleep with the kids. For others though, instead of checking Facebook for that time and invest in yourself!
4. Tack it behind something. Habits are more likely to develop when they follow something you are already doing or even before. Can you arrive 10 minutes before picking up kids and read in the car? Maybe you could listen to a book while you get ready for the day.
5. Waiting. Doctor’s appointment, dentist appointment, waiting for the soccer game to start. We all have times when we are waiting for something and find ourselves scrolling Facebook while we wait. Use that valuable time! Fill those cracks with something to grow yourself!
6. Ditch Social Media/find trigger and change it, move icons, delete apps if necessary. Have you sensed a trend? Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and all the other soul sucking social media apps gotta go! Instead of opening an app and comparing yourself or getting depressed, grow and be better by reading! If you have a book on your phone, great! Make the app you use easy to see and get to. Move the other apps away so you don’t see them or they are harder to get to like putting them into a folder on the farthest page.
7. Read multiple books at a time. I love this trick for so many reasons. I personally have books scattered all over my house so that depending where I am I have a book close at hand. There is a book on my couch so when I am nursing a baby and there is an open 2 minutes I can get in a page or two. There is one in my bedroom for before bed. I am considering a book in the kitchen.
   • The other reason to read multiple books at a time is that if you are not in the mood for one book then you might be as inclined to pick it up. But if you have 2 or 3 going at a time you are more likely to have something for any mood. I find having an easier or lighter read going with a deeper read is a good mix. Some say that a fiction and a non-fiction is a good idea as well.
8. Always have a book with you!!! I cannot stress this enough. Never leave the house without a book! It was kind of touched on in the last one but also bring a book with you when you go out of the house too! Every time I think I won’t have time to read a book on the errand I am running, I find myself wishing I had a book. If you have it on your phone then it is probably on you, just remember #6.
9. Join a book club or Facebook group. Even if you can’t keep up with the schedule or meet up, having some accountability might encourage you to pick up the book more. For me, being in a group where people are always posting what they are enjoying or getting out of the book motivates me to read more.
10. Track it. Once you start tracking your reading you become more aware and therefore read more. If you start a habit tracker then it reminds you to do your reading for the day or you might see that streak you don’t want to break. Another fun way to track your reading is to keep a notebook of what you have read and see all the books you read over the year.
11. Bonus!! Schedule it!! Decide a time and make it a reoccurring appointment with yourself. If you know you have a meeting coming up then you set up the day to accommodate to that meeting. You are important and should make time for yourself too.

Hopefully these were some new ideas of ways you can add more reading into your day. You know reading is important so make it happen!

Poetry Memorizing for Children

Have you ever memorized a scripture? Maybe later you recalled it in a time of need or were able to share it with a friend to lift you both. Maybe you use it as a mantra. Does having something powerful memorized lift your mind and heart? Today I have a suggestion for you to share this power with your children. Scripture is great and I might do a post on some great scriptures to memorize but for this one I want to talk about the power and benefits of children memorizing poetry.

Why memorize poetry?

Fill their minds and hearts with what is good and beautiful. There is so much filthy, vulgarity, and light mindedness. We need to combat that with meaningful, heart softening, and sincere works.
Whenever they are 'bored' or have nothing much to do, they will at least have 'friends' to keep them company. They will have powerful thoughts to ponder. People do not THINK anymore. We are so bombarded with screens and the need to be entertained that we simply do not use our brains anymore. I do not want my children to become silent sheep led to the slaughter. I do not want them pacified. I want them to think for themselves and question the status quo.
There is the saying Garbage in, Garbage out. And a dear mentor of mine changed it to Good in, Good out. So what are we putting into our children? Memorizing poems puts in some of the best ideas, literary devices (such as alliteration, illusions, imagery, metaphors), and vocabulary. Memorizing poems creates a vast store of understanding and great ability to use English syntax. With these great works floating around in their heads what do you think will come out? Their writing and speech will be elevated. They will have a better grasp of the English language and be able to write with greater rhythm and beauty. Want them to write better? Memorize more poems. (And read great books. Good in good out still works there too)
I mentioned vocabulary. Why not just read books to gain a better vocabulary? Or write out definitions? So fun and effective right? The benefit to having poems memorized is that they will have those rich words stored and understood from pondering and discussing. They are more a part of them and not likely to be forgotten but eagerly used. Also, having an abundance of vocabulary allows them to better understand more difficult and complex literature in the great books they will read later. Because we are always reading and trying to get better, right!
Speaking of reading books. I greater grasp of language and a familiarity with pondering meaning and ideas, children will better understand and gain from the books they are currently reading. Maybe a passage will remind them of a poem. Or even just a literary device will cause a pause in reading to stop and ponder the meaning or idea and allow greater influence on the heart and person.

Thoughts before you get started

First off, consider the age of the child(ren) you are working with. Three and under I would stick to nursery rhymes or very short and clear poems. The nice thing about nursery rhythm is that most are set to a tune that helps in memorizing as well as makes them more appealing to young children. They are not intimidating. They also get your children used to memorizing, rhythm, and structure of a poem.
Ages 3-6, you could start with longer ones. Robert Louis Stevenson has some great ones that talk about animals or nature that help the children to see what they are talking about and aren't ones with lots of symbolism that might be confusing. Poems that tell stories are also good because they are easier to memorize too because they know what comes next in the story which helps them think about how it was said.
Ages 6-10 you can get into Shakespeare and more abstract or complex poems. I suggest though that if you or they are not used to memorizing poems, that the more complex the subject matter or vocabulary, the shorter the poem until you get more comfortable and familiar with the rhythm and what not. Also, if not used to poetry and memorizing, start with the familiar. There might be some push back if you start with some crazy obscure Shakespeare if they have never heard any poetry. But if it is a subject that they enjoy or an excerpt from a story they like, or if you can find it in picture book form then it become more friendly and enjoyable.
I will be posting later some of our favorite poems or other poems you might want to use for you poetry memorizing.

Ways to encourage poetry memorization is to let them see you memorizing too.

• Let them hear you practice while you cook or clean.
• Let them hear you share how excited you are that you finished memorizing a stanza.
• Let them see you writing down some favorite poems in your notebook (or create a poetry notebook of just the best poems)
• Then see if they want to create their own book of poems. Add drawings, pictures, stickers. Anything to get them comfortable and familiar with poetry.
• Share your current memory work at lunch or dinner. Go around and share what everyone is working on.
• Then when everyone is comfortable maybe make a special poetry tea time to recite and share thoughts that came to you.
• Share how the poem means more to you now that you have pondered it and have it in your heart.
• Share how you pulled on a poem you have previously memorized to get you through a tough time.
• Share Share Share! The more they see you doing it the more normal and natural it is for them to do it.

How to Get Out of a Slump

Have you ever had a passion or love of something but got into such a slump that you couldn't do it anymore? Just me?

I am an avid reader. I love getting books. I love looking at and thinking about books. A phrase you may often hear from me is "BOOOOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS!!!" sung in a high pitched voice. Being near my very full bookshelf is my happy place. Mmmm... I feel joy just thinking about it.

Earlier this year however, morning sickness hit and all I wanted to do was just lie on the couch and moan and die. I figured I wasn't doing anything but lying there, what a perfect time to read or even just listen to an audiobook. But no; even that was too much for me. The thought killed me inside to not be involved in a book of some sort. Even a short podcast would be better than nothing. Oh no. I was too far gone.

For about three months I read nothing but the occasional kids book to my children. When I started to feel a bit better I was at a loss for how to start again. I wasn't in the mood for my usual heavy literature and self improvement because what good would it do me if I couldn't apply what I was learning? I was still too sick and it felt like it would be a waste.

I used to only read Young Adult fiction but I slowly worked up to my 'more mature' tastes now. And actually reading teen fiction seems like a waste of time now. I know some great people that can read it and get lessons and fulfillment from it, but it's not for me anymore. So, I unconsciously made a bare minimum. I still wanted to read but not just anything. I looked at what was still considered a classic, but easier and more entertaining, and read that.

Back to my funk. I still wanted to grow and be edified without feeling like I wasn't doing enough. So, I picked up A Little Princess by Frances Hogsden Burnett. It is on the Thomas Jefferson Education classics list and I had heard a bit about how great it was but nothing about the story itself. It had been quite some time since I had picked up a fiction book but I felt like I could at least manage this, since it was still considered a classic.

Oh how glad I am I made that first step and effort. A Little Princess is a DARLING story and it got me back into wanting to read again. I couldn't put it down! I think next I read one of the Penderwick books and then A Wrinkle in Time though neither really came close to the caliber of A Little Princess but I had my fire rekindled and was able to manage getting through them and enjoy them. Now that the pump has been primed I am ready to get back into my more meaty books and podcasts. But I also have a better respect for 'lighter' books, as well as respecting the season of life we are in.
Taking that first step is so important. I easily could have continued to think that 'Wo is me' and 'life it too hard so why try.' I am really great at coming up with excuses and blaming others (ask my husband and father-in-law). So to be able to take responsibility for my actions and education was, and is, so important. And not only did I need to get back into reading for me, but so that my children see that I value reading, and learning, and growing; even when it is hard.

Taking a small step, even if it isn't the ideal end that you can't reach yet, helps get you on the path to the ideal. No one can go from where they are to where they want to be in one step. Unless it literally is one step, but you get what I'm saying. It takes time, energy, practice, and often failing. Making mistakes is where we learn, but that is another blog post in itself. What I am saying here is that even if that first step to get you out of a funk doesn't look like what you want it to be, if it helps, then do it! Apply using your bare minimum to raise up, even just a tiny step. Today is not forever. You will get better only if you start and try.

Something else that is important to remember is that things change. Before a shift you might have had a rhythm or routine or at least had something figured out. But now that things are different, as life changes, remember that what worked before might not work now. For me, I was working through a Mentoring in the Classics curriculum and had some good motivation and order. But now I feel different and have different desires and you can't force yourself to learn something (that really sticks and changes you). I know I will come back to it eventually when the time is right. Maybe I will pick up the next classic and just try because I need that first step. But for now, life is different and changing and my habits and expectations need to as well.


So, if you have hit a slump or are maybe stuck in a rut, just find that next baby step to get out. Do it! It doesn't have to be perfect, or a lot. Don't be discouraged. Life happens, don't let it keep you down. You've got this!

What I Learned Learning to Cook

I must say that my cooking is amazing! I will sit to eat dinner some nights and I can't help but exclaim out loud, "dang this is good!" I don't say this to boast or brag but to tell you I haven't always been this good. Shoot, I could barely make a box of mac and cheese in my teens. The extent of my cooking skill was microwaving a bowl of ramen noodles. In high school I leveled up to those boxes of hamburger helpers.

I was relatively okay with my lack of skills until I started to seriously date my now husband. I realized, 'oh snap, I might be a wife soon. I need to get my act together.' Neither of my parents ever really cooked nor taught me how. I had to learn it all on my own. But I never thought of that as an inhibitor; just that I needed to learn and only you can teach yourself, so I did.

Obviously I started simple. My first real meal was, I think, a broccoli and mushroom quiche or frittata. You know those egg pies. I was so proud of that quiche! With its chunks of Velveeta and all. I made it from beginning to end. Cooked the onions, mixed it up and baked it!

I remember visiting my future in laws (sans fiancé) and mother-in-law asking me to help cut up something. It was laughable how clueless I was at how to cut up vegetables. I'm sure she thought I was too incompetent to marry her son, it was that bad.

But I slowly practiced with simple recipes to build up skills of cutting, mixing, or cooking order, and even a bit of learning what flavors go well together. My mom got me a great cookbook that had simple recipes in it with great pictures to get me started. I had some flops and had to write notes in the book to remind me how to do it better. But it was so satisfying trying a recipe and it turning out pretty good.

I got better at seeing before trying a recipe if I would like it or not. Soon I was able to know if adding something or leaving something out was acceptable or even made it better. However, I never got the highly desirable skill of being able to open the fridge and put together odds and ends to make a meal. I attempted this very early in my marriage before very much skill in any area was developed. We had some leftovers of this which I mixed with some of that and baked it. Oh it was TERRIBLE!! Neither of us could eat any of it. Thankfully my husband has a good sense of humor and loves to bring it up every chance he can. I am terrified to try anything that's not a recipe or at least something I am very familiar with now.
But now I have been cooking and learning for over eight years. That means I am almost a master right? Halfway? But there are some things I learned along the way about learning a skill.

1.) Don't compare your beginning to someone else's end!!

Or your worst to another's best. I remember looking at Hunny's mother and thinking I could never be like that. But not only has she had years more experience, she is also different from me, and she learned the skills she needed for her and her family. Her situation was different from mine and I will need to learn different things than she did.

2.) There is not a right or wrong way to learn.

 Part of my journey involved the embarrassing part of thinking margarine, tofu and low fat was healthy. I cringe to think of what we ate thinking it was good for us. And though I could say it was a wrong way of thinking it was part of my journey that helped me gain a better understanding elsewhere. Just like failure is a learning opportunity, embarrassing and 'wrong' practices can also be the beginning or way of learning something you couldn't have learned otherwise.

3.) You are never done learning, and if you think you are, find a way to use your skill to help and serve others.

It might seem like you are done learning or at least feel like you are satisfied with where you are in your journey, but there are always ways to improve. If you think otherwise, may I suggest you find a way to reach out and share your skill with others? Either to teach them or to serve them. Actually, find ways to use your skills for others all along the way, not just when you are done.

4.) Use what you've learned from one skill to apply to learning another. 

I have pulled on my lessons of learning to cook a lot when starting a new skill. Usually, I tend to forget where I started and how long it took to get to where I am. Remembering all the failed attempts and do-overs helps keep in perspective what it takes to learn a new skill. But being able to remember and say, "I have done it before I can do it again" also helps.

5.) It is never a waste.

 This is something that I worried about all the time. If food was thrown away because it was nasty then I wasted time and money. But my dear sweet husband points out that it is all just a learning experience. Don't worry if things don't turn out the way you had hoped. Take it as an opportunity to look at what went well and what you could do better. It is only a waste if you don't learn from it.


So I hope that as you are learning something new, you keep a good sense of humor and keep trying. Don't be discouraged and let go of perfect. Make mistakes and learn from them.