Earlier this year, I stumbled across a blog post mentioning the Blogging for Books website. Since I was already reviewing my own books, I figured why not try and get a couple free books too!
Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake made sixty years ago that threatens to change a modern family forever.

Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal. As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.

A little while ago, I was introduced to a new group called The Blythe Daniel Agency. Among other things, The Blythe Daniel Agency launched The Blog Spot Network in January of 2015. It was through them, that I was offered a copy of the Journal the Word Bible for review!

Being both a writer and a Christian, I decided to take them up on the offer! I've had the same Bible since middle school, so I figured I could use a new one! Plus, I was thinking a new copy might be just the kind of motivation that I needed to jump back into the Word.

The Journal the Word Bible, published through Thomas Nelson, comes in a variety of styles and print options. The description that I received is below.

"NKJV Journal the Word Bible and KJV Journal the Word Bible is a new, sturdy hardcover Bible. Each page has lined spaces on the left or right margins of the text and leaves ample room to journal or draw outside the text as you read. It's a great way to practice the concept of creative note taking. By taking notes as you read the Bible it can help you to center your mind on certain words or verses to better remember them.

Complete with an elastic band around the Bible for holding down pages as well as a ribbon marker, it allows you to creatively express yourself everyday with plenty of room for notes or verse art journaling next to your treasured verses. This single-column edition features thick cream-colored paper with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins, perfect to reflect on God's Word and enhance your study.

Journal the Word Bible is excellent for personal use or for someone else. It can also be a cherished heirloom to pass on to future generations with your personal writings inside!

It's perfect for Bible art, studying, or reflecting on your thoughts while reading the Bible. Plus it will lay flat when you hold it in your hands or set it down on the table."

Although I swoon over fashion blogs and those bloggers Instagram accounts, I know that I could never be one.

Every once in a while, I'll get some inspiration and think about adding more fashion posts to my blog, but then I realize all of the reasons that I can't be a fashion blogger.

1. I hate being in front of the camera.
Even though I'm a photographer and I love taking portraits, I cannot stand being in front of the camera. I hate being the center of attention. So much so, that my husband and I didn't have a first dance or speeches at our wedding reception.

It might sound ridiculous, but I will offer to photograph almost any event that I'm a part of just so I don't have to be in front of the camera. Honestly, I think it all stems from my performance anxiety. Any time that I had a group project, I'd do all the work in return for not having to present the project in front of the class. Then anytime that I was forced to present, I spoke way too quickly and confused everyone.

There was one time in college when it was really bad. I was taking an online class that required an oral presentation. Each student had to write a paper and then present it in a youtube video for the rest of the class to critique. I was pretty sure this project was going to be the death of me. Each time I tried recording it, I would mess up. Eventually I got so frustrated that I turned off my camera, went to Publix, bought every dessert item imaginable, went home and stuffed my face. After a good binge session, I took one more take and then uploaded it without watching it first. That is how much I hate being in front of the camera.

2. I don't have nearly enough clothes or accessories. 
I might have a closet full of clothes, but they never get worn. I have maybe two weeks worth of outfits that I wear and that's probably overshooting it. I've got 10+ pairs of shoes, but I always wear the same ones; and I have boxes and boxes of jewelry that just sits there.

When it comes to clothes, I can be very hard to shop for. My weight and shape are always changing and I have very unusual measurements. My waist is considered a small, but I'm considered plus size. So in reality, 80% of the clothes in my closet don't actually fit.

As for my accessories, I'm just lazy. I have beautiful pieces from artists from all over the world, but I always wear the same things: wedding rings, black hair tie, one of two pairs of earrings, and the occasional necklace. I have a bunch of beautiful Coach and Michael Kors purses, but I'm too lazy to switch them out.

I'm the worst when it comes to shoes though. I've got shoes for every occasion: boots, flats, heels, etc. Of course, since i'm a creature of habit, I wear the same pair of shoes over and over and over again. They're black and silver, so they match everything! Almost everything that I own is a neutral color, right down to the accessories. That way, everything matches and I never really have to think about it.

I just don't know how fashion bloggers do it! I can't imagine any of my clothes being warn in all of the possible ways that fashion bloggers come up with. Once I come up with an outfit, that is exactly how I'll wear it for the rest of my life. I rarely mix and match pieces, because I just don't have enough to work with.

3. I rarely purchase anything new for myself.
Honestly, I don't know how fashion bloggers do it. Even if it weren't for my constant weight fluctuation, I really don't think that my shopping habits would change. I go on a little shopping haul once a year and I occasionally pick up a new sweater here and there, but I could never do what fashion bloggers do.

I've always been the kind of person that tries to save money on everything and I only buy what I need, so I rarely go shopping for myself. At this point in time, I don't see the point in wasting money. I know that I'll just gain or lose weight in the near future, so I don't want to buy something that isn't worth keeping. Even if if I stayed one consistent size, I still couldn't imagine spending money on myself. I'd rather spend it on someone else and on the rare occasion that I buy something for myself, it's either books or food :)

4. I don't get dressed up enough.
This is one of the biggest reasons that I could never be a fashion blogger: I just don't get dressed up enough!

Living with chronic illnesses isn't just difficult, but it's painful. So, it's imperative that I have clothes that are comfortable to wear. Most often, I dress in oversized tops and leggings or t-shirts and yoga pants. Realistically, what I wear just isn't worth photographing or blogging about.

While I would love to dress up more and show everything off, it just doesn't work for me. I know that there isn't a point to getting all dressed up in the morning if I'm not going anywhere, so I lounge around in comfy clothes instead. Lucky for me, there's no dress code in my living room!

Myth #1: Starve a cold, feed a fever.
Do you starve a cold and feed a fever when you're feeling under the weather? Or is it the other way around? Starving is never the correct answer. When you eat a nutritional, well-balanced diet, many other factors fall in place that keep your body functioning optimally. Dr. Calapai explains that, foods that are rich in nutrients help fight infections and may help to prevent illness. “A wide array of nutrients in foods; some of which we may not even know about, are essential for wellness. When you rely on dietary supplements for good nutrition you may limit your intake to just the known nutritional compounds rather than getting the full benefit of all nutrients available in food.”

Myth #2: Reading in dim light damages your eyesight.
Good news, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, reading in dim light doesn’t lead to permanent eye damage. While it may cause eyestrain and temporary dryness; you can read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant without it causing any long-term impairment. Likewise, the common belief that sitting too close to the TV set will ruin your eyesight is yet another old wives’ tale.

Myth #3: Can’t sleep? Drink warm milk.
Dr. Calapai says that, “today there's no scientific evidence that milk has the slightest impact on drowsiness. Milk does contain the nap-inducing amino acid tryptophan, but only in trace amounts. Eggs and cheese have more, but even an egg and cheese sandwich won't knock you out. However, if a hot-milk nightcap seems to help you catch z's, drink up. A little placebo effect never hurt anyone.”

Myth #4: Cold weather will make you sick.
“In terms of infectious illnesses, germs make you sick, not cold weather itself,” urges Dr. Calapai. To catch a cold you have to come in contact with rhinoviruses and you need to be infected with influenza viruses to contract the flu. Rhinoviruses peak in spring and fall, and influenza viruses peak in the winter. While there isn’t a connection between being chilled and getting sick, cold air may contribute to conditions that lead to illness.

Myth #5: You can catch something sitting on a public toilet seat.
Dr. Calapai says, “our fear of sitting on the average toilet seat (one that isn't visibly soiled) is overblown. There's no question that germs can inhabit the seat, the bulk of the organisms found are basically fecal-borne bacteria. These can include E. coli streptococcus (the bug behind strep throat), or S. aureus (linked to serious skin problems or pneumonia).” He explains that germs are on seat the doesn't mean they’ll make you sick. Your skin acts as a very effective barrier to keep germs out (unless you have an open wound or lesion on your behind). Organisms leading to STD’s such as the herpes virus, HIV, or other sexually transmitted diseases don't survive for long outside the human body, especially not on a cold, hard toilet seat. To infect you, they need to enter either through an open cut or sore or via a mucous membrane (your mouth or rectum, for example), which wouldn't normally come into contact with the seat. Dr. Calalapi states that, “all this makes the odds of infection from just sitting down miniscule.”

Myth #6: Chocolate causes pimples.
“Chocolate per se will not make you break out,” says Dr. Calapai. “In fact, there is little evidence that chocolate or any specific fatty foods will cause acne, but we do know that a high-sugar/high-fat diet can increase sebum production and promote inflammatory responses in the body which can lead to acne,” he clarifies. “Again, although we can’t make a direct connection between acne and foods that are high in sugar and fat, we can say that overindulging in these kinds of food may displace other nutrients that are critical to the skin’s health. Stick to skin friendly foods like fruits and vegetables,” he advises.

Myth #7: Chewing gum sits undigested in your stomach for seven years.
Swallowed gum passes through your digestive tract in a couple of days. Chewing gum is made from gum base, sweeteners, coloring and flavoring. It’s true that your body cannot digest gum given its mixture of elastomers, resins, fats, emulsifiers and waxes, some of which resist your stomach’s digestive juices. However, it doesn’t remain stuck inside you. Dr. Calapai says “your gut just keeps them moving through your system until they come out the other end.”

Myth #8: Excessive hat wearing leads to baldness.
Attention college students and hipsters, your ball caps, knit caps, and fedoras won’t mess with your follicles. Unless you wear hats that are too tight, ripping hair away you can ignore this myth. The X chromosome is the big gene associated with causing baldness not what you choose to wear on your head. Also as the body becomes sensitive to androgens, a male sex hormone, hair loss becomes common.

Myth #9: Swimming after eating is asking for trouble.
Any strenuous exercise is tricky after a big meal, but stomach cramps that lead to death by drowning are misguided. In fact, if you’re set for a long dip, a pre-swim snack is a useful energy boost.

Myth #10: Your urine should be almost clear.
Dark colored urine typically means you’re dehydrated and clear urine may mean you are over hydrated. Urine that is a light yellow indicates a healthy urinary tract with healthy bacteria. According to Dr. Calapai, “normal urine from a healthy, well hydrated person may be very yellow.”

Share this info with your grandparents, parents and anyone else in your life who has imposed these “words of wisdom” on you. They are busted!

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future"

A couple months ago, I decided that I was going to start tracking all of my blog stats, social media followers, income, and expenses. I've seen a lot of big bloggers do this and I've been inspired to do the same, especially by Melissa Griffin. I mean did you see her report from July 2016? She made over $100k!

• Pageviews: 349 (- 75.83%)
• Unique Visitors: 50 (- 92.54%)
• Sessions: 158 (- 81.65%)
• Duration: 3:47 (+ 138.95%)
• Bounce Rate: 5.70% (- 92.42%)
• New Sessions: 31.07% (- 57.06%)