books

Why the middle matters

June 11, 2019 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’m not sure when being middle-aged happens, but I think I’m there – and it’s nothing like I expected. I turned 40 last month, am getting ready to celebrate 17 years of marriage to my college sweetheart husband, mother three kids from 3 to 12 years old, and have been out of high school for more than two decades.

“The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You” by Lisa-Jo Baker was good for me in this season. I started reading it one morning in early May – about a week after I turned 40, a couple of days after my dad died unexpectedly, the week before my kids’ last week of school that involved a field trip two hours away, a program, and an out-of-town vacation.

Obviously, I was in the middle of a lot of things at once in what’s my favorite month right in the middle of the year.

Anyway, I started “The Middle Matters” while eating banana bread I made the previous night because my husband and kids didn’t want those mushy bananas to go to waste. My son and youngest daughter left crumbs and I just kept reading. I don’t drink coffee, but pass the Diet Dr Pepper. I needed that quiet morning at the kitchen table to take some deep breaths and remember why the middle matters.

“The middle is the place where our lives really live. This is the place where we have grown into the shape of our souls even as we might have outgrown the shape of our jeans. The middle is the marrow. The glorious ordinary of your life that utterly exhausts you but that you might have finally started to understand in ways you didn’t at the beginning. … We are living the memories that will be passed down to the ones who are still living their beginning.” – Lisa-Jo Baker in “The Middle Matters“

Weary moms and women who are hoping for children and friends who also turned 40 this year and all you who might feel like you’re drowning in ordinary life, this book is for you. As I read, I felt cheered for and seen and understood.

About the book

Do you ever wonder how you woke up one day with all the responsibilities of a grown-up who secretly enjoys going to Costco, can no longer recognize the tween celebrities on the magazines at checkout, but is still surprised when a Starbucks Barista calls you “ma’am” – because your inside self is frozen in time from about twenty years ago? So does Lisa-Jo Baker. Welcome to the middle!

In these intimate reflections on midlife, Lisa-Jo Baker invites women to get a good look at their middles and gives permission to embrace them – beyond what the media, the mirror, the magazines, or our teenagers say. Through gutsy, beautiful storytelling, she admits out loud what most women are thinking about marriage, parenting, failure, and how badly we all want to buy those matching Magnolia Market mugs. Lisa-Jo knows that the middle might be the best part of the love story of life, muffin top included.

This book is published by WaterBrook and officially releases July 23, 2019. But you can preorder now and get extra goodies: $10 Gift Card to DaySpring.com (+ free U.S. shipping), an audiobook excerpt (read by Lisa-Jo), behind-the-scenes photo album, eight secret podcast sessions that are Confessions of a Carb-Loving Author (from Lisa-Jo). Learn more at its website and on Amazon.

About the author

Lisa-Jo Baker wants to help you stop trying to escape your ordinary life, but to lean into it instead. She is the best-selling author of “Never Unfriended” and “Surprised by Motherhood.” She is the co-host of the popular Out of the Ordinary podcast and lives just outside Washington, D.C. with her husband of more than 20 years and their three very loud kids.

*****

I did get a free copy of this book in exchange for helping promote it as part of the launch team, but I truly recommend the book and will likely spend money on gifting copies to friends. As always, if you need other book recommendations, check out my list. I previous reviewed Lisa-Jo Baker’s “Surprised by Motherhood” and wrote about “Never Unfriended” a few times, which you can see here.

Five stars for Britfield

June 7, 2019 by Kristin 4 Comments

When I was asked to write a review about “Britfield & the Lost Crown,” a book geared toward kids in late elementary and middle school grades, I knew exactly to whom I wanted to pass the task. My daughter Cate, 12, is going into seventh grade and is one of the fastest readers I know. She comprehends words, stories, and details more quickly than seems possible. She’d been looking for a new book to love after devouring all the Harry Potter books – and movies – more than once.

So, here’s my girl’s take on “Britfield & the Lost Crown” by C.R. Stewart:

“Britfield & the Lost Crown” was one of the most surprising books I’ve ever read. It took many unpredictable turns that kept me on my toes and made me not want to stop reading. In fact, I read it in less than a day, some of the time while my mom was dragging me on a bunch of errands.

C.R. Stewart wrote very well, creating a very clear image appear in my head. The main characters visited many places, and each time they stopped at one, there was a brief description of the location. I especially liked when they were at Oxford because it provided a lot of information about a place I didn’t know very well.

This book is now one of my favorites, so much so I’m reading it for the third time. Each time I read it, I discover something new. I am very eager for the next book in the series to come out.

About the book

“Britfield & the Lost Crown” transports the reader from the smoldering crags of Yorkshire, through the heart of England, and finally to the magnificent shores of Dover. Creating an interactive world of mystery and fast-paced adventure, “Britfield” is about friendship, family, loyalty, and courage. It’s the first in a five-part series.

With help from his best friend, Sarah, and a hot air balloon, Tom flees Yorkshire, escaping from Weatherly Orphanage and the clutches of a relentless detective, in pursuit of the truth about himself and his heritage: Are his parents still alive? Is he the true heir to the British throne? As Tom and a memorable cast of both heroic and dastardly characters unravel a royal mystery that could change the course of history, readers are taken on a breathless journey to a surprise ending that will leave them clamoring for more.

Built on more than seven years of extensive research and development, the Britfield series integrates historical and cultural landscapes with stimulating language and active writing that engages the reader from the first pages.

Creativity expert and educator C. R. Stewart has twenty years of experience in writing fiction, nonfiction, and movie screenplays and wants elementary and middle school readers not to experience the decline in creativity that sometimes happens as they grow older. Creativity is one of the top skills needed in leaders and professionals today.

Meet the character, explore the places from the book, and read about the author at the book’s website. Hardback, paperback, and electronic versions of the book are also available for purchase there. “Britfield” is published by Devonfield Publishing.

About the author

C. R. Stewart is a writer, producer, creativity specialist, international consultant, and speaker. He received a Bachelor of Arts in British Literature and European History from Brown University; earned an M.B.A. from Boston College; and is pursuing a Master of Science in Advanced Management and a Ph.D. in Technology and Strategy at Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, T Claremont Graduate University.

Stewart plans for “Britfield & the Lost Crown” to begin an innovative educational movement that will include four more Britfield books and plans for an accompanying major motion picture series, all created with the goal of helping children and young adults learn and grow through creativity and leadership.

*****

I received a free advanced copy of this book to review. I was happy to share it with my kids and these opinions are ours.

Stories from the Porch in May

May 29, 2019 by Kristin 21 Comments

May days are my favorite but these May days were especially crazy days. That’s about all the introduction necessary, so I’m going to dive right into the recap.

Highlights

I love my birthday and entering this new decade (hello, 40s!) hasn’t bothered me. We had a great weekend at the lake with four of my dearest friends. (Want to see pictures?) A group of school mom friends celebrated another morning with breakfast. I was really filled up with love, which ended up being exactly what I’d need to carry me through the coming weeks.

Four days after my actual birthday, my dad went into cardiac arrest and never recovered. He passed away two days later. I had a complicated relationship with him, but this past weekend my mom, my siblings, his brother and sister, and I remembered the good parts – how he was innovative and creative as an educator and created an environment at the schools he led so teachers and students thrived.

Between my birthday and dad’s death, Cate turned 12 and we celebrated the second weekend of the month with a Harry Potter birthday party. (Stay tuned because I plan to blog about that!) Plus there was Mother’s Day, which is when Greg snapped the picture I shared above.

The third week of May meant the end of school! There was a day trip to the Nashville Zoo with Ben’s class one day. Then we picked up the big kids from school on that Friday and headed up Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Jockey Being Family is a foundation of Jockey International (yep, the underwear company!) that supports adoptive families. We connected with JBF when we were in Washington, D.C., for the Angels in Adoption event and were glad to get to know more about how they connect and support families like ours. We were one of five families honored at JBF’s annual fundraising gala and golf tournament. I’m going to blog more about this soon too, but it was a wonderful weekend of being cared for just when I needed a vacation. (And here are some pictures!)

Favorite things

Water Wow coloring books – Rachel is really into these Water Wow books and they keep her busy! Using just water, the pages can be “painted” and then when they dry they can be painted again. And again. And again. She’s been coloring in fairytale and animal books, but I just ordered some others, including one about letters and numbers.

Slugs & Bugs books – Slugs & Bugs music has been my kids’ childhood soundtrack. When creator Randall Goodgame expanded the gospel-centered fun messages from songs to books, I knew I needed them. I shared more about them in a review post.

Pan fried fish at home – When we were at Kentucky Lake with my friends for my birthday, the guys – both the grownups and the kids – caught enough fish to feed us lunch before we all went our separate ways. It was delicious and so fun! Then Greg and Ben went fishing with a friend on Memorial Day, and they caught enough catfish and crappie to feed our family for more than one meal. I pan fried it for dinner on our porch – talk about holiday perfection!

From the bookshelf

“After Anna” by Lisa Scottoline – I picked up one afternoon when my kids and I had a few extra minutes and decided to spend them in the library. Over the next two days, I read it in parking lots when I arrived early, during my son’s soccer practice, while I was waiting for the kids to get ready for bed, and before I fell asleep those nights. Obviously, I was gripped by the story and characters. Told in a before-and-after back-and-forth sequence, the way the story unfolded was well done and kept me completely invested. There was a twist I totally didn’t see coming, which propelled me through the ending.

“What I’ve Done” and “Secrets Never Die” by Melinda Leigh – I’ve mentioned this Morgan Dane series before and was happy to dive back into the fourth and fifth installments. I love the characters’ continuing storylines and like the quick-read mysteries that are told from the perspective of a private investigator and defense attorney.

“The Middle Matters” by Lisa-Jo Baker – I was really excited to be on this launch team and read an advanced copy of this book. I absolutely loved Lisa-Jo’s last book, “Never Unfriended.” I enjoyed this one too. Having just turned 40, I related to so many chapters. This book officially releases July 23, but you can preorder it now and there will be goodies to come. Stay tuned because a full review is coming.

“The Orphan Daughter” by Cari Noga – I really enjoyed this one about a 45-year-old woman who is named the guardian of her 11-year-old niece she doesn’t know well. While several of the storylines involve loss, the book is a good reminder of how people’s stories intertwine to heal. And even better, this is a free read for Amazon Prime members.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens – Cate gave this to me for my 40th birthday and I’m glad I had to get into it. The writing is lovely, the setting is inviting, and the main character is captivating. I’m not quite finished with it, but I’m really enjoying it.

On the screen

“The Village” – I binged this after it had already been on for several weeks, and I really loved it. The show centers on a group of neighbors from an apartment complex whose stories intersect and overlap. I cried in more than one episode, but I really am looking forward to a full season of this show.

Tell me about your May days.

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