Faith, Community, and Book Reviews
Have you ever realized that it’s a family member or friend’s birthday the night before (or even the day of)? Cue a mad scramble to get a card and maybe a present.
Other events like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and anniversaries may have a habit of sneaking up on you too.
So how do you keep that from happening? How do you avoid the panicked dash or, worse, forgetting until afterwards?
Continue reading “How to Plan For and Keep Track of Birthdays and Special Events”Okay. So, now we know why gift giving is important, and we have ideas for how to come up with good gift ideas, but how do we afford to actually purchase the things we come up with?
While gift giving is a wonderful way to show that you care, it shouldn’t put you in debt or detract from paying bills or buying necessities. It’s just not that important. It’s fine to have wisely ordered priorities.
Continue reading “How to Afford Gifts on a Tight Budget”“I wish I could think of good gifts.”
I’ve heard this a lot. It comes right behind family members and friends staring at blank greeting cards and saying, “I never know what to write.” (Maybe I should do a blog post about what to write in birthday cards?) But back to picking great gifts!
Before I get started, let me say that I’m not claiming that all my gifts are great. However, dreaming up what to give my friends and relatives for Christmas and Birthdays is one of my great joys in life. Seriously. Ask anyone who knows me. I start Christmas shopping on January 1st (if not earlier), keep track of gift ideas and gifts acquired on a spreadsheet, and keep a storage bin under my bed just for gifts. I’m not an expert, but I am definitely obsessed!
Continue reading “How to Pick Great Gifts”Okay y’all. Lets talk about gift giving. Tis the season after all. But, honestly, gift giving is a topic that stays relevant throughout the year. Think birthdays, get well gifts, and moments a friend needs encouragement. Christmas isn’t the only time of year that thoughtful gift giving matters!
I’m going to spend a couple posts on this topic because I LOVE GIFT GIVING!
Continue reading “Why Gift Giving Matters”A few weeks ago, a new friend asked me a question, and I started my answer with something along the lines of, “Well, you know how we’re patriotic about our country?” As the first generation of her family to be born in the USA, her quick answer was, “No, not really. Mostly I hear people talking about how much they hate different things.”
*List updated with links to reviews for books read. Last updated 5/18/18
Christmas has past and the New Year is almost upon us. This week is a popular time for reflection, goal setting, and resolution making. Are you a New Year’s Resolution person? I’m not. However, one of my favorite bloggers has been talking a lot about her process of evaluating the past year and planning for the coming year. (The conversation about planning has been on Instagram story, not her blog.) Her process and enthusiasm for it inspired me to at least spend some time planning for 2018 in the hopes of being more productive in certain areas (like reading and, therefore, blogging). My goal? Read at least two books a month. How to achieve that goal? Make a book list of bloggable books to make it easier to pick.
Four years ago, I contacted my small circle of authors friends to see if they wanted to discount their books for Black Friday and join forces to spread the word. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. This is our third year with a dedicated website for the one-week sale, our circle of authors keeps growing, we’re drawing close to having 1,000 unique visitors check out the sale, and since it’s become way to much work for little old me, Kendra E. Ardnek has joined me as a second coordinator. It’s safe to say, Indie Christian Books has a lot to be grateful for.
Have a hard time knowing if you should give books for Christmas or not? I’m always worried that a friend will already have the book I choose for them. It usually works out, though! There are so many books out there that, unless you choose something like The Lord of the Rings, it’s usually safe enough. Here are a few tips for buying gifts the bookworms in your life will love!
Leah E. Good 