 I designed this graphic today as a mock-up book cover and back page combination. I get so excited looking at it! It's starting to feel very real!
I'll be taking this little number with me to the San Francisco Writers Conference in February, where I'll be learning more of my illustrious craft and all about the publishing industry, meeting with professionals, and pitching my book to literary agents. Wish me luck, friends! You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma: Physician Family guest blog: Does Match Day dictate your destiny? A surgeon’s wife weighs in Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: A word to mothers who aspire to have a surgeon-in-law Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: No, I don’t want no scrubs Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: For the love of Danskos Book preview for When Medicine Meets Holy Matrimony: The other shoe Date night: 60 fun and unique date ideas for the young at heart Parenting: A no-fuss guide to your toddler’s birthday party for Pinterest-fatigued parents Parenting: You know you’re a mom (of young children) when…
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Date night doesn’t have to be boring! In fact, it can even take place in daytime hours. There are oodles of more interesting things you can be doing with your date or partner than the standard dinner and a movie. My husband and I have been on many of these dates over the years, and often find we have the most fun when we just let loose and act like we’re kids again. Cheers to the young at heart!
7. Roller-skating rink 8. Comedy club 9. Ghost tour 10. Underground city tour 11. Carnival or fair 12. Amusement park 13. Water park 14. Improv club 15. Play 16. Musical 17. Ballet 18. Dance performance 19. Couples dance lesson 20. Cooking class 21. Wine tasting 22. Beer tasting or brewery tour 23. Picnic with scenic backdrop 24. Paint night 25. Music lessons 26. Hike 27. Concert 28. Museum (art or history) 29. Canoeing 30. Kayaking 31. Rollerblading 32. Game night w/ friends or Scrabble championship for two 33. Trampoline gym 34. Drag show 35. Progressive dinner around town 36. Go kart racing 37. Paintball 38. Shooting range 39. Indoor rock climbing 40. Roast hot dogs and s'mores over a fire 41. Rent a paddle boat 42. Make sushi at home 43. Play pool, Foosball and darts 44. Boat tour or dinner cruise 45. Karaoke 46. Visit a casino 47. Bar trivia night 48. Get a couple’s massage 49. Zoo 50. Biking 51. Indoor skydiving 52. Skiing, snowshoeing, or just snuggling by a fire 53. Laser tag 54. Enter a mud run or a color run 55. Burlesque show 56. Piano bar or jazz club 57. Explore a book store 58. Segway tour 59. Buy ingredients at the farmer’s market or specialty grocery store and cook a meal together 60. Local sporting event Whatever you do, keep the love alive! What are your favorite dates? Leave a comment with your thoughts.As a writer or author, one of the first questions people ask you is, "Who are your favorite authors?" I always struggle to answer this question off the top of my head, because my reading interests are varied and I can never remember the names of the authors on my Kindle. Today, however, I was preparing for the San Francisco Writers Conference, which I’ll be attending in February (so psyched!). In anticipation of many conversations on this topic with writers, authors, agents and publishers—I sat down and thought about my favorite books and authors. Here’s the ol’ round up: HumorTina Fey Bossypants Mindy Kaling Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) Why Not Me? Amy Schumer The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo Raquel D'Apice Welcome to the Club: 100 Parenting Milestones You Never Saw Coming Kate Siegel Mother, Can You Not? FictionPaula Hawkins The Girl on The Train Barbara Kingsolver The Poisonwood Bible Flight Behavior Stieg Larsson The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Girl Who Played with Fire The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Ruth Ware In a Dark, Dark Wood The Woman in Cabin 10 Emma Donoghue Room NonfictionJon Krakauer Into the Wild Into Thin Air Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman Erik Larson In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America Katherine Boo Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity Young AdultJohn Green The Fault in our Stars Looking for Alaska Paper Towns An Abundance of Katherines Stephenie Meyer The Twilight series Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games series ClassicsF. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby William Golding Lord of the Flies Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities Fyodor Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness Books on my reading list for 2017 Jon Krakauer Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town Paul Kalanithi When Breath Becomes Air Liane Moriarty Big Little Lies Paula Hawkins Into the Water What about you?I’m always looking for my next book to fall in love with. Who are your favorite authors? What books have you read without putting down? Share in the blog comments.
I stepped off the elliptical machine, had a quick stretch, dabbed sweat from my neck and forehead, refilled my water bottle, and dashed home to write this blog. Inspiration often strikes when I’m working out or in the shower—times when my head is clear and the creativity can flow. During my workout today, I read about a book called “29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life”. The author, Cami Walker, was struggling with worsening multiple sclerosis and received an interesting “prescription” from a South African healer: “Give away 29 gifts in 29 days”. And give, she did. By the month’s end, Walker’s health and happiness had improved, and she had started a worldwide giving movement. How COOL is that? I immediately asked myself, ‘What can I give that would help improve someone else’s life?” The first thought that came to mind was my editing services. I have been writing and editing professionally for nearly 15 years, and I have always been the go-to-girl when friends and family have needed help with resumes, emails, web sites, you name it. Are you looking for a new job? Starting a business? Considering going back to school? It’s a new year and many of us have personal and professional goals that we are tackling (or that are on the ‘to do’ list). I would like to help be a part of your success. Do you have a resume, cover letter, professional bio, or personal statement (for college, grad school, dental school, medical school, whatever) that you'd like some help with? I will help you polish your document to the best of my ability, ABSOLUTELY FREE. My only request is that, in return, you do something kind for someone else. I would love to hear what you did and how it was received, so that we can keep sharing the love. HERE’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS:
I look forward to seeing what the universe produces through our shared efforts. What can YOU do right now, with your unique talents, to help others? Share the love! Have you ever heard a foodie or chef talk about palate fatigue? It’s when your taste buds get exhausted by monotony and say, “Hey, I quit!”. What it boils down to is too much of a good thing. Too much fat, too much citrus, too much salt, too much sugar, too much bitterness—whatever the case may be. Pinterest can be much the same way. Of course, I’m one of Pinterest’s 100 million active users (85% women), but I alternate between complete infatuation with the big P and total boycott. If I allow myself to get sucked in, I can sit for hours scrolling through gorgeous images of food and fashion on my phone, pinning my life away, achieving absolutely nothing. In recent years, a certain persona has developed: The Pinterest Mom. Pinterest Mom is a superhero. She always brings the yummiest and most unique dishes to the potluck party, with food styling straight out of Martha Stewart Living. She sends her kids to school with the most creative bento box lunches—organic, non-GMO and made fresh daily, naturally. Her home is full of hand-made art and collage walls that could shame the Louvre. Pinterest Mom knows which exercises she can do in her car or while preparing dinner to save time at the gym. She plans her children’s birthday parties with the skill and professionalism of a seasoned wedding coordinator, right down to the striped paper straws that match the banner that match the balloons that match the gift bags that make you feel like a horribly inept parent. Pinterest Mom is incredible, no doubt, but we can’t all be her. Either she has a lot of free time on her hands or she limits herself to three hours of sleep each night, but Pinterest Mom pushes herself to the very limits of perfection. Not all of us want to live that way. Alas, finally—to address the title of the blog. It’s time for a toddler birthday party! Our daughter, J., is turning two this month. TWO! I can’t believe it. Since I’m about 40% Pinterest Mom and 60% Practical Mom, I am not planning a big bash to mark this momentous occasion. Instead, I’m working on some fun ideas for things my husband and I can do with J. to give her a special day. Let’s be real. A one or two-year-old does not give a flying fork full of mashed potatoes about a themed and perfectly executed soiree. They don’t need a bouncy house, a magician, a petting zoo, real Disney princesses and gourmet catering for the entire neighborhood. All they want is an empty box to climb into and some wrapping paper to shred into oblivion. Who are we to deny them these simple joys? Here are some fun ideas for birthday/special occasion activities you can do with your toddler:
Most of all, enjoy the festivities and savor these moments!
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