My Favorite Things by Kimberly Rose Johnson

 

This is my second annual post about my favorite things. I've divided my favorite things into categories and they are in no particular order.

Household Cleaners- I have very sensitive skin so I'm careful about the products I use.  

Dr. Bonner's 18-In-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap is my newest favorite. I dilute it and use it for hand washing as well as general cleaning. It smells super good and it is literally one of the best cleaners I've ever used. Most importantly, it doesn't bother my skin at all!

Norwex Laundry Detergent. I have a high efficiency washer and in my opinion those things don't clean well, so I need an exceptional cleaner. Norwex Laundry Detergent makes my towels feel soft and they have zero scent. I LOVE it. 

Coffee- I discovered two coffees recently that I absolute love: 

Barnie's and Silver Falls. Both are pictured below. After getting headaches constantly from various coffee brands I realized that decaf coffee can be decaffeinated in more than one way. One uses nasty chemicals and another uses a water filtration process. Silver Falls uses a water filtration process and now I no longer have a headache after drinking decaf coffee. I also can't have gluten. Barnie's coffee is gluten free and the taste is Amazing. My favorite blends are in the pictures below.

Apps- I'm a bit of a health nut as well as sweet romance movie nut. I've discovered two apps that feed my hobbies. 

Fiton: A free app you can download to your smart TV,  computer or phone. They have exercise classes that are extremely well done and are constantly updating the content. I highly recommend this app. I use it four to five days a week. LOVE it!

Frndly TV: This is a paid app, but the cost is low. It includes all the Hallmark channels, UP TV and many more family friendly channels. I had so many Christmas movies available to watch this year, I had to pick and choose. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Personal Care- As I already stated I'm a health nut, as such I seek out personal care products that are clean. 

Kopari Coconut Melt is simply coconut oil to be used as moisturizer. It's sold at places like Sephora rather than the grocery store. Sure I could save money and pick up standard coconut oil but this stuff is a luxury that for me is worth the money.

Entertainment- 

Audiobooks are my absolute favorite. I'm on the computer a lot, so reading after work is a challenge for my eyes. Enter audiobooks. I can listen while I cook dinner, clean, drive, or exercise. I even set the timer at night sometimes so I can be read to sleep. Sometimes I actually fall asleep and have to go back to see what I missed lol.

Vinyl records: I'm old enough that in the early years of my life all I had were vinyl records. I recently re-discovered them and have to wonder why I ever stopped using them, other than for convenience. I can't listen to vinyl in the car or on a walk etc...

That's my list for 2022. What are some of your favorite things?

Award winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson writes suspense and romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul. Learn more about Kimberly at https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

What (and how) are you reading? - by @MagdalenaScott

My eyes get weary from spending so much time staring at a screen. That's a common occurrence--not just for authors--but for many of us these days. If it's not a computer screen, it's the phone, right?

In order to give my eyes a break, I've recently started getting more reading done with my eyes closed, or staring into space. (If you see me staring into space, I might also be (1)planning my next novel, (2)wondering what was on my to-do list, or (3)trying not to fall off my stepper.)

I love listening to author-focused podcasts by Joanna Penn, Mark Coker, and Orna Ross. Although I could accomplish this with my phone and a headset while walking outdoors, I know myself well enough to realize that's a bad idea. (Yes, I'm that woman who could walk out in front of a car while focused on what's happening inside her head.)

I can however, get lots of good info from these wise folks while using my stepper indoors on rainy days. A few folks have asked if I have trouble balancing on the stepper. Answer: Not as long as I keep my eyes open. (See above.)

Last year I borrowed a CD-based audiobook from the library--Jojo Moyes's Paris for One. I hadn't listened to an audiobook in quite some time. I had thought I'd do it in the car back when I made more solo trips during a week. But my car stereo didn't like to play the chapters in the correct order. Call me crazy, but that just wasn't ideal for my enjoyment as a "reader."

These days, having an audiobook on my phone is a game changer. Through my public library's connection with Overdrive, I recently borrowed Dick Van Dyke's memoir, Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging. What fun to hear one of my favorite entertainers talk about his life, and his ruminations on the up-side of getting older! In spite of myself, while listening to his voice, I keep picturing the elderly banker he portrayed in the movie Mary Poppins.

I also read on my antiquated kindle e-reader. Looking at a lighted screen doesn't work for me near bedtime, but this old standby works just fine. My most recent read was a short story collection from the magnificent Maeve Binchy.

My bedtime book is always fiction, and it has to be happy fiction. Otherwise, I won't sleep well. Next up for bedtime is a hardback from the library--Jan Karon's To Be Where You Are, a Mitford novel. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't visited Mitford in several years!

What about you? Do you find that your reading habits have changed over time? Do you like audiobooks, podcasts, and/or ebooks, or prefer to hold a physical tome in your hands?

(Note: I also read books by my fellow Sweet Romance Reads authors, but didn't want to mention some and not everyone! Find all of our crew on the Authors Page.)

Try a romance novel on--for sighs!

USA Today Bestselling Author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and romantic women's fiction. A lifelong resident of Small Town America, she invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots barely visible on the map. Romance, mystery, and the journey to be one's best self are all part of a day in her neighborhood. Readers have commented that they'd like to move to the imaginary towns Magdalena writes about, which she takes as high praise indeed.

Magdalena is a practicing minimalist, having downsized from a 3,000 square foot house to a studio apartment, where her Giant Closet continues to resist taming. When not writing at home, she loves to travel--carryon baggage only--and is always pleasantly surprised at the kindness of strangers.

Visit her website: http://magdalenascott.com

Be sure to sign up for the Sweet Romance Reads Newsletter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/k4n4e3

Audiobooks for the Family by Shaleen Kapil

When I begin driving cross-country, as I will be here in just over a week, I love to listen to audiobooks. It makes me eager to get back on the road. But I’ve also learned that the audiobooks force me to slow down my pace (I’m a fast reader, finishing an average size book in 4 hours), and that means that I remember the book for a much longer time.

But since having kids, I’ve had to rethink which books I choose to listen to in the car. I have an 8-year old son and a 6-year old daughter. Romances and mysteries seem inappropriate. I tried one that I thought was sweet and tame enough (while they watched a movie), but it still made me uncomfortable when my son stopped to listen.

Sure, sometimes we listen to kids stories like Geronimo Stilton and The Magic Tree House Series, but they are only an hour long, and I have to feign real interest. So, last year I spent some time thinking of choices the family might enjoy. My list is a little unusual, but here it is:

1. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: Technically a YA book, but it is written with broader appeal. This is more like the grown-up language of the Hunger Games than the childish language of The Lightning Thief. Yet, I have several friends who have read this book aloud to their elementary-age child. The main character has cerebral palsy and a photographic memory. She is brilliant, yet she can’t do the things other children can do.

2. The Girl Who Chased the Mood by Sarah Addison Allen: Sarah Addison Allen always writes lighter, magical books, but this one really shines. Some of her books have darker undertones like murders, but this one is more secrets and less dead bodies under trees (like The Peach Keeper). A girl moves to a town and tries to find the answers to secrets about her family and the town.

3. Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed: A memoir from Strayed about hiking the PCT. This was made into a movie. She does talk about her mother’s death and her own divorce, but I think any questions wouldn’t be too embarrassing to answer.

4. Emma by Jane Austen: How can you be surprised that she landed on my list? Romance in the most gentlemanly way. Emma is safer than explaining why Kitty is in trouble in Pride & Prejudice.

5.The Alchemist by Michael Scott: Again, this is technically YA Fantasy, but it is fun for adults. It is another play on old myths and legends. Warning: there is a lot of violence but it is magical and against mythical creatures, so more like Harry Potter in that way. I fell into this series on accident when I was supposed to be reading The Alchemist by Cuelo (another safe read, but it is more philosophical than fun for a road trip).

What family-friendly suggestions do you have for me this year?

Shaleen is a writer, yoga-teacher, professor, and avid reader. She typically reads up to four or five books at one time. One self-help, one non-fiction (these days on urban planning), one fiction for upstairs, another for downstairs, and perhaps another on Kindle. Find out more at www.shaleenkapil.com or Like her on Facebook.

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