I am elated to introduce my new/old bike: Isn't she a beauty? I am literally beside myself with excitement. She came to me by way of my cousin Kimberly, an aspiring writer with an intriguing YA novel in the works. She spends a lot of her spare time at Renew, a consignment store in Springdale run by her church as an outreach program. It's a thriving shop with a litany of great selections, and it opened during a time that consignment shops were really beginning to thrive in northwest Arkansas. ... View Post
Shop Small + Shop Unique
I'm constantly torn between my deep devotion to innovative small businesses and boutiques like Grey Dog Vintage, my defensiveness of big retailers like Sam's Club who do support small businesses and make it possible for them to thrive (and who have every bit as much right to capitalism and success!) and my desire for convenience. Enter Btiques, one of the smartest startups to come out of Arkansas in the past year or so. I'll go ahead and confess my bias: founder Sara Beck has been on my radar ... View Post
What to Read in 2014: Nine for the New Year
As a writer and blogger, there is this constant struggle between the everyday things you must do - i.e. earn a living, feed your children consistently - and the things that you want to do, i.e. consume and generate content. I find that the more I consume, the more I generate - and that every single day fills me with a multitude of ideas and stories I want to capture. I also find that being savvy about a growing arsenal of technology tools, apps and workarounds is essential to managing the ... View Post
Tackling Fitness Like A Boss.
It's no secret* that I am an enthusiastic fan of Fitbit, the little wireless fitness trackers that monitor your steps, sleep and activities. My husband bought me my first one in 2010, and I'm now on *ahem* my fourth. I like to think that the company and I have been growing up together rather than focusing on the fact that I washed two of them and wore the other one out, but I digress... If you're thinking about tackling your fitness goals in 2014, you might consider a Fitbit as your ultimate ... View Post
The Best Advent Calendar Ever
Y'all. I am ridiculously pleased with myself right now, so consider yourselves warned. I've finally created an advent calendar that I am completely delighted with, and it's ready to roll for December 1. I had done all the pining and pinning over advent calendars - in fact, you'll find a rather overboard stock of advent calendar ideas mixed throughout my holiday idea board on Pinterest. I had been smitten with this particular one from the talented Anna at Most Lovely Things: However, as ... View Post
Evernote For Ever
If you've spent more than 30 minutes around me, you're already painfully aware that I'm a HUGE fan of Evernote. It actually functions in place of a brain for me on a daily basis, and I truly believe it is one of the single best tools I've ever encountered. It's not just an app or desktop tool - it's an entire {paperless!} work system and filing cabinet. I first ranted about it in 2010, and it has evolved mightily since then, as I've mentioned. I can't even begin to tell you about all the ... View Post
