My Creatively Random Life

This year I basically failed my resolutions due to some crazy stuff going on in life that led to ignoring everything and stress eating for months.  2016 is going to be a better year, I can taste it.  This year I am going to set some realistic goals to get life back on track. 1) Keep a planner going with not just appointments but also health related things so that everything is in one place. 2) Go to the gym at least three times a week. 3) Set time aside every week to respond to my pen pals. 4) Be more creative. 5) Do more hiking. 6) Aim for at least three blog posts a week. 7) Comment more on other people's blogs. 8) Get my Inbox to Zero and keep it there at least weekly. 9) Finish 5k run training. 10) Do a 5k run. What are your goals for this year?

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is hosted  Bouquet Of Books  and  Entertaining Interests .  This week's topic is: What is the last text you sent and/or received? Not really anything interesting I am afraid, my fiance sent me "I got the Darth Vader mug.  Of course you can only put dark roast in it."  And I sent back "...", because really what can you say to that?

Currently.... {I read  Jamie Morrow's  Currently every week and I always want to hop on board because it seems like such a fun way to keep you guys updated on the stuff going on in my life so here I am.} Loving... Snow, it actually snowed here this morning.  There's none that stuck around on the ground but it is a start. Reading... I found the Vampire Academy books when our local thrift store was having a sale and I plowed through the first three over the weekend.  They are fantastic.  Can't say I want to watch the movie but I highly recommend the books. Watching... Attempting to finish off this season of Doctor Who before the Christmas special, if only work didn't get in the way. Listening To... Zombie Run at the gym. Thinking About... How we are going to get through Christmas dinner when 1/4 of our house is still not unpacked thanks to how rough the last few months have been. Anticipating... Getting all the boxes unp

I’d like to start by thanking Melissa Ann for letting me stop by to promote my Christmas novella Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family . Santa hats are a holiday staple for many. You can buy them at any store that sells Christmas decorations. My kids have a Santa hat that they’ve nearly worn out. They take turns pretending to be Santa, wrapping presents in whatever they can find and putting them under the tree. I saw a game using Santa hats floating around the interwebs that looked kind of fun. If you’re gathered with a group of friends watching TV, perch a Santa hat on the top corner of the TV. Every time a character in the show ends up wearing the hat, everyone has to do something. It can be used as a drinking game if everyone is at least 21, but even if there are younger people playing, non-alcoholic eggnog or hot cocoa can be used for this. Or maybe you want to use it as an excuse to eat too much. Every time someone w

Blog Tour Schedule Seaside Christmas by Stacy Claflin He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink? Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor. When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about. If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract. Excerpt:   The snow glistened in the sun and crunched under Cruz Hunter’s boots as he walked toward the building that  would soon b

Celebrate the Small Things is hosted by  Lexa Cain  along with wonderful co- hosts  Writing Off The Edge  and  The Cyborg Mom . This week I am celebrating the fact that I am still employed and I don't have to stress majorly about the holiday season. Also we finally put up some decorations in the condo so things feel a little more festive. What are you celebrating this week?

Currently.... {I read  Jamie Morrow's  Currently every week and I always want to hop on board because it seems like such a fun way to keep you guys updated on the stuff going on in my life so here I am.} Loving... Getting to spend so much time with my family over the weekend. Reading... I am reading Deep Six by Clive Cussler, it's a reread but every bit as exciting as the first time that I read it. Watching... Catching up on Doctor Who and streaming The OC. Listening To... Zombie Run for all the exercise. Thinking About... How short life is. Anticipating... Christmas . Wishing...   To take more joy and enjoyment out of everyday. Making Me Happy... All the family Christmas parties happening with my huge extended family.

Seaside Christmas by Stacy Claflin He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink? Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor. When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about. If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract. Meet the Hunter brothers of Kittle Falls… The Seaside Hunters novels are a series of contemporary sweet romances. They’re set in the beach town of Kittle Fal

Celebrate the Small Things is hosted by  Lexa Cain  along with wonderful co- hosts  Writing Off The Edge  and  The Cyborg Mom . This week was a rough week for me, my boss of over 9 years passed away.  I find it hard to find anything to celebrate this week, except for the fact that I got to know this wonderful man over the years. My thoughts and prayers are with his family as they go through the process of grieving for their husband and father.  Life is short and may we all remember to look for the small things to celebrate.

Roman's Holiday by Susan Aylworth Four years after Roman Kincaid was catapulted into stardom as a country-western singer and A-list movie star, he is burned out: exhausted by a grueling schedule, drained by the ceaseless demands of producers and managers, weary of meeting the needs of others at the expense of his own. Leaving a sold-out show in Phoenix, he rents a car and drives north and east, landing in the Painted Desert town of Rainbow Rock. Nearly three years after leaving her old life behind, Lottie Beale is feeding people and baking pies, managing the Kachina Café and tending secrets of her own. When circumstances conspire to give two attractive people some time alone together amid the world-class vistas of the Four Corners, they discover more than either had bargained for. Amazon * Barnes & Noble Excerpt “Ro-man! Ro-man!” A capacity crowd in the Ak-Chin Pavilion chanted his name under the starry desert sky, but Roman Kincaid barely heard it. H

Treasure by S. Smith It’s 2077. There’s no apocalypse, but some things are different. Things like the weather, the internet, and food. In twelve-year-old Clare’s world, blueberry is just a flavor and apples are found only in fairy tales. One day Clare meets Ana, who teaches her about seeds and real food, despite suspicions that such actions are illegal. When the authorities discover the children’s forbidden tomato plant and arrest their mother, Clare and her brother flee. Clare has heard of a place called "The Garden State," and with their bikes, a little money, and backpacks, the children begin a lonely cross-country journey that tests them both physically and spiritually. Will they succeed in their quest to find a place of food freedom? And can they, only children, help change the world? Download your FREE copy of Treasure Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Smashwords * iTunes Excerpt Clare walked faster, clutching the tiny packet to her chest. The

This blog hop is the brainchild of Dani and Jax over at  Cover Girls  and it's quickly become one of my favourites.  It's fast, in list format and I can participate as much or as little as I want. Which is cool, because sometimes life gets busy. So I am just taking topics all willy nilly now as I got so far behind.  C'est la vie! The topic for today's post is phone apps, and boy do I have a few of those.  My five favourites were pretty hard to pick but I narrowed it down for you: 1) Pact Put your money up against doing healthy activities and make money if you complete your pact.  (because sometimes I need the push) 2) Checkout 51 Collect money back on stuff you are buying anyway, I LOVE, LOVE this app. 3) Duolingo My kids are both in French Immersion now and can talk circles around me but I am catching up thanks to Duolingo. 4) Audible I used to hate audio books, now I am so addicted to Audible, great for long walks and distance trips

Celebrate the Small Things is hosted by  Lexa Cain  along with wonderful co- hosts  Writing Off The Edge  and  The Cyborg Mom . This week I am celebrating living so close to work as I have worked all the hours and if I traveled on top of that the exhaustion would be beyond ridiculous. I am also celebrating that we finally seem to be getting into the swing of things in our new home, I was beginning to think that things would be crazy and hectic forever. What are you celebrating this week?

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This morning as we got ready for school I reminded Cat and Ace of the importance of reflection and respect during their Remembrance Day ceremony at school.  As it usually does, the conversation evolved into a discussion of what they have learned about school regarding war, soldiers and why it is important to honor those who serve or have serve in our military.   I know what they learn at home, we have lots of family and friends who have served and some that are serving.  The key word to me there is serve, they are doing this for their country as a whole, which means they are fighting for us.  So that we can sleep at night not in the constant terror that exists in some parts of the world. Today at the assembly my son's class is singing Blowin In The Wind, I had a struggle with that when he was practicing.  When I was his age we had already been asked to memorize In Flanders Fields and that and Oh Canada were the school's contribution to this occasion.  As it should be. I s

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.  Want to be able to easily make pretty décor, personalized gifts, and fun cards for upcoming holidays? Then you need to treat yourself to a  Cricut Explore Air™  — Cricut's very popular electronic cutting machine. It's the best DIY crafting tool to be developed since the sewing machine!  The Cricut Explore Air is versatile, easy to use, and allows for  very  precise cuts. It's also incredibly affordable, especially since Cricut generously discounted the cost by up to $200 on the machine and bundles — just in time for the holiday crafting season!  With the  Cricut Explore Air™ , you can cut over 60 different types of material, including paper, fabric, plastic and vinyl to name a few. The Explore Air also features Cut Smart™ technology, which allows you to cut a wide range of shapes and sizes with exceptional precision, from ¼" tall up to 11½" wide