How was your literate life this week? As always, I’m here to celebrate our literate lives with a sneak peek into my own. Here’s what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and exploring this week:

What I’m Reading:

I was worried that I wouldn’t find the time in my busy week to start and finish When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk, but I shouldn’t have been. I was hooked only four pages in and then found the time to finish the book because I HAD to. Caught between the memories of being sixteen and the present day challenges of parenting one of my own, I could not put this book down. Ashley Woodfolx invited me into Cleo’s life and while I expected typical teenage drama, I did not expect to be so profoundly impacted as a parent, a daughter and a friend. Cleo taught me a great deal about what it means to be yourself, to stand strong and to learn from your mistakes, a hard lesson for everyone, but one I especially needed. And Ashley’s then-and-now format gave me the exact structure I needed to do the same for myself.

What I’m Writing:
This past week, I received an incredible gift from a fellow colleague and friend. She knows me quite well and gifted me the most beautiful journal perfectly suited for me. It is made of cork, which I love, because…if it could have been in a wine bottle, but ended up in my notebook instead, it must be something special. =)

But here’s the thing about new notebooks: they both excite and terrify me. I cannot wait to open up the pages and start gliding my pen across the page, but I am almost always intimidated by the gleaming white pages, afraid my words won’t live up. Do you ever feel that way?

So, I did what I always do when I need a boost: I made a list. I love lists in all shapes and sizes: to-do list, ta-da lists, radar lists and everything in between. And I’m not alone. Did you know that something called a ‘listicle’ is a thing? It’s any piece of writing that is in list form and is my new favorite genre.

Here are some lists that I added to my brand-spanking new notebook that you could borrow for your own:

  • Ten Things I’m Grateful For

  • Five New Dinners to Try

  • Three Things I Want to Do This Weekend

  • Ten Memories to Hold Onto 

I’d love to hear any listicle ideas you have for my notebook, too!

What I’m Learning:

I’m learning more about myself this week. I am a big fan of Gretchen Rubin and have been diving deep into her personality framework. I’ve discovered that I am an Upholder, which means I have some positive tendencies of working hard and sticking to my deadlines….but might uphold those responsibilities at the expense of other aspects of my life. So with Gretchen’s help, I’m working on that so that I can end 2020 as strong as I can…and then look forward to 2021. And I think you should, too! Start by taking her Four Tendencies Quiz to gain some pretty unique insights into the way you respond to the world so you can live your best life accordingly. It only takes ten minutes and I promise, you won’t be disappointed. 

What I’m Exploring:

Glitter. Yes, I said it. I am exploring glitter. Last week, I read Survival of the Sparkliest, part of The Wish List series, by Sarah Aronson and was swept away by the whimsey of sparkles and glitter. So, I indulged myself and decided to learn more. I cannot tell you how much unadulterated joy this brief exploration brought me and so now, I’m sharing it with you:

Go ahead, indulge a bit and head to Google. Search for whatever whimsy sets your heart on fire and then go from there!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?