It’s Thanksgiving week here in the United States, which means family, food and football in our house. It also means putting up the outdoor Christmas lights, gearing up for Black Friday holiday shopping and sleeping in a bit later, too. I read a cozy Christmas book, and a fun middle grade graphic novel (I can’t get enough!), discovered what an ASMR room is and have another long list of links (with coupons!) to boost your holiday shopping. Join me!

What I'm Reading:

My December TBR stack is piled high with cozy holiday books and some fun middle grade novels, too. This week, I read one of each to share with you.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

I started reading The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews VERY early on a sleepless Sunday morning next to twinkling holiday lights. It was the perfect holiday reading environment for the perfect holiday book. Andrews introduces us to Ivy, a newly divorced woman who bravely bought a rambling farmhouse, sight-unseen, hours from home in an attempt to start over. What she doesn’t expect is a house full of repairs, missing furniture or losing her job. As she comes to terms with her new reality, a note from years ago captures her attention and her heart. Following her curiosity, she connects with her neighbors, learns more about her new town and gets her creative mojo back in the process. This book will delight, will give you that warm and cozy feeling and will have you finding ways to bring it into your own life, too. Oh, how I loved this book.

The Runaway Princess by Johan Troianowski

I ended the week with another middle grade graphic novel: The Runaway Princess by Johan Troianowski. While fantasy books are not my thing, I know that middle grade readers will devour this book. Readers meet Robin, the mischievous princess who leaves to find adventure of her own. Along the way, she meets magical creatures and human companions as she explores her countryside, learning important lessons along the way. But what really hooked me into this book? The invitations for the reader to participate. From shaking the book and following the maze, to matching numbers and connecting the dots, the reader is immersed in the story, much like Grover does in The Monster at the End of This Book. The illustrations are whimsical, the characters are adorable and I know this will make many middle-grade-fantasy-graphic-novel-fans quite happy. 

What I'm Writing:

Earlier in the week, I listened to one of Amy Porterfield’s earlier podcast episodes while I was walking my dog. She was interviewing Michael Hyatt on how to be more productive in life and in business. So of course, I was listening. But one line literally stopped me in my tracks. I mean, I literally stopped walking the dog to think. Here it is: The purpose of productivity is not more productivity. 

Wait. What? 

THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT MORE PRODUCTIVITY? That is the trap I fall into. If I can just get more done quickly, then I can get more done! But the idea isn’t to get more done, it’s to get what matters most done so we can then do whatever we want. So I spent some time in my notebook unpacking this for a bit. Why do I wear busyness as a badge? Why can’t I ever seem to reach my enough? And if I’m not going to fill my extra time with more work, what the heck will I do since this is what I’ve believed for quite some time?

It’s really something we all need to think about. What’s your purpose for being more productive? Head to your notebook. =)

And if you need inspiration for this, please take a look at the new journal site I found (ANOTHER ONE!). The stickers, affirmations and creative tidbits are stunning….and affordable.

What I'm Learning:

Am I the only one who did not know what an ASMR room was? I was listening to a podcast and the term kept coming up and I kept getting confused. So I headed to Google and found out for myself. An autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a calming, pleasurable feeling often accompanied by a tingling sensation in response to certain stimuli. Essentially, it’s whatever makes you feel incredibly relaxed and apparently, there is an entire genre of videos dedicated to mimicking these experiences. Really. I’m not quite sure what I think of all of this, but I did find this room designed to bring you straight to an old-fashioned library, complete with a crackling fire and page turning to inspire your reading and relaxation.

What I'm Loving:

Oh, do I have more links. I think I need to write a separate post of ALL THE LINKS I’ve shared over the past few weeks so I can dive into some Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday shopping. Let me know if you’d like that in the comments. Here are some more to add to your list, along with some great ideas for boosting your holiday spirit. Think holiday bedding and cookie boxes:

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?