100 Ways to Love Your Husband & Wife by the Jacobsons

Do you still date your significant other? That’s been our biggest goal this year as a couple – to date each other more. Sometimes all it takes is a little something to show them how much you love them and care for them above all else.

Thank you Revell Reads for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Couples with great marriages know one simple truth: the best marriages are made up of many everyday decisions that say, “I love you” rather than those that say, “I love me.” When we put the other person first, even in little ways, we find true fulfillment.These books offer husbands and wives practical, hands-on advice to start applying immediately. Maybe you are just entering into marriage and want to start off on the right foot. Maybe you have made some mistakes along the way and are struggling to connect. Or maybe you want your marriage to go from good to great. Wherever you currently are in your relationship, let the Jacobsons help you learn how to love your husband and wife well.

What I like about these book is that they are short and sweet. They are easy to take with you as a reminder when you need it the most. For example, if you are feeling frustrated in a disagreement, pull this book out and look for some encouragement. What I don’t like is that it’s almost too simple. I want a guide like this to go deeper into why they chose those 100 things to love your husband and wife. More than half of it was common sense or self-explanatory. I found my husband and I laughing at a few of these tips, and not in a good way. They just seemed silly and mundane. We wanted something more heartfelt and deep. That’s not to say there weren’t any tips like that in this book, because there certainly are. I just was looking for something more.

2/5 Stars

I’ve Discovered The Key to Success

I’ve returned back to work this week. I’m a high school science teacher by trade. I’m also a wife, mother to a one-year old, a chronic illness warrior, and a human being. I forget that last part most times. I had big plans for this week:

• Get a weekly chore list complete (and actually do them)
• Meal plan for the next week for the whole family
• Get fully prepared for the first two weeks of school
• Read a lot to keep up-to-date on the blog
• Master self-care

Did I mention I am only human? Oh right…I forgot again. Okay, so I set high goals for myself…what of it? Well, it’s Thursday, and I’m reflecting, and I’m not happy. But I think on that word happy, and reevaluate…

• I got sick this week. I haven’t been sick in MANY months. Being sick and having 6 chronic illnesses can take a huge toll on my body. Did I give myself any credit for that? Look what I HAVE accomplished this week despite having a high fever and a throat made of sandpaper!
• I spent the whole evening playing dress-up and reading books with my daughter. I’m pretty sure we laughed for 40 minutes straight together. Her smile is infectious.
• I have prepared myself for the first week of school and have been able to help a bunch of my co-workers out mentally and physically.
• I did dishes, some laundry, and made some delicious dinners this week while some nights all on my own.

So, am I happy? You BET I am! Then why am I beating myself up on this? As I put my daughter to bed and started to wrap-up my evening, I thought about reading. Then I realized I just didn’t have the energy and I felt so ashamed. That’s what kept me second guessing my ENTIRE week – all because I realized I hadn’t completed the goals I had set for myself!

I went to work – SUCCESS! I was sick and could’ve easily called it all off the entire week (don’t worry, I did take some time to rest).

The house didn’t burn down – SUCCESS! Who cares if the laundry is still sitting in the dryer for another day? If it means I get to do something to take care of myself or enjoy a moment with my loved ones, by all means.

I fed everyone including myself – SUCCESS! Who cares that I didn’t make this elaborate plan of freezer stacked meals ready to go the next day. I took that time to prepare healthy meals and sleep which my body needed most.

I watched a movie instead of reading – SUCCESS! No one is keeping track of how much time I spend reading or how many posts I make in a day – and I watched one of my favorite movies that left me in the happiest of moods and that’s all that MATTERS!

Now, don’t get me wrong…not doing certain tasks turns into a failure. Yes, I do need to make time to keep the house clean and eat well to stay healthy. I do need to prepare for work because it’s my professional duty to do so. I do need to read because it’s one of my greatest forms of self-care. Setting goals is a wonderful thing, but the key is to not get bogged down if they aren’t met. As long as you try to reach the goal, you have made some sort of success 100% of the time and that’s something to be so so grateful for! Know that making it another day one step ahead of where you were yesterday may be the biggest thing you’ve done. Who cares what others may say or see because they won’t ever know until they’ve been in your shoes.

As I spend time writing this instead of watching a movie, I’m thankful that I chose a task that is feeding my soul, feeding my creative outlet, keeping me happy, and making me feel proud and successful of the things I’ve done. I pray the same for you dear friend.

And another thing…all your best ideas come when you are in the shower (just sayin’).

A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler

I currently reside in Asheville, North Carolina, home to the famous Biltmore House (the largest house in America belonging to the Vanderbilt family). When I saw that this was coming out in the fall, I just had to read it.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review this book. I couldn’t be more thankful!

The story starts off talking about Alva Smith and her family background. We learn about her parents and siblings before we are taken into Alva’s world with the famous Vanderbilt family. She is married to William K Vanderbilt in the winter/early spring season and quickly learns what it’s like to be the wife of a millionaire. She wants her voice heard. Despite having children soon into their marriage, she makes sure to help with major architectural projects around New York City, host extravagant balls, and marry her first daughter off to a Duke. She is well-known for helping start the Woman’s Suffrage movement, but takes hard hits from the men in her life before getting there. This is a story about not only her marriage (you learn what happens to it towards the end), and her adventure in becoming a woman with a voice in a world where that was quite unheard of.

First of all, the cover is stunning! I just had to share that. Secondly, I rarely read historical fiction, so I feel that I may be more biased than most when reviewing this. I enjoyed reading Z by Fowler, and thoroughly enjoyed the Amazon Prime special created from the book. This has a similar feel to me. Because the book follows Alva’s life to almost it’s entirety, there were some details that were missed just because the book would go on forever. Unfortunately, I feel as though some of the more important details were missed that I would’ve rather spent more time reading about. For example, I am sure her feelings towards William Vanderbilt at first were mixed, and Fowler does state that, but I wanted to know more! I wanted to hear her true thoughts about him before they got married. I felt as though it was rushed. Same with experiencing life as a new mom. I wanted to know way more about how she felt at that time, and again, it was rushed. All in all, I was constantly looking up pictures online to go with the story because it added so much more character to it for me. I loved the “fight for women’s rights” feel to it and it helped enhance my experience reading this. I would read more like it, only if they focused on a specific point in her life, not as a whole.

3.75/5 Stars