Wild Woman Wednesday

Are you kidding me?  Shut the front door!  Get outta here!  For real?

Wild Women Share!

How great is it when you get together with your besties/gal pals and share information on any and everything?  Last Friday night I had the privilege of going out to dinner with three fantastic friends, and we talked for hours about finance, travel, food, careers, motherhood, retirement options… concepts, notions, laughter and inspiration flowed!

Then just this morning I was chatting with two coworkers and we were discussing finances and how to save money, etc.  It’s amazing the ideas you can come up with, and how one good idea will spark another.

So here’s my frugal “friend find” to share with my Wild Women readers today as we continue in our “Frugal in ‘14” theme…  

I love my Kindle, and I love recipes, and of course the two just go hand-in-hand when you think of how many wonderful cookbooks are out there.  However… it’s all too easy to rack up debt faster than a bunch of good recipes.  What’s a cook-and-book lover to do???? 

I found a great website over at www.moneysavingmom.com, where she lists all kinds of FREE KINDLE BOOKS ON AMAZON!!!!  Oh yeah, woo-hoo, I hit the motherlode!!!  So far this year I have saved over $300 on free books.  Yep, three Benjamins and change!  How great is that?!?!?!  I’ve gotten a variety of different books, and today I snagged several cookbooks.  Here’s the link (which also does include some books for a minimal cost as well):  http://moneysavingmom.com/tag/free-ebooks.  One thing – you have to snatch up these savings quickly over at Amazon, because the free price tag isn’t forever.  If you don’t get it that day, it might go up to full price next time to click. 

I hope this will get you saving and reading today.  Go wild!  And do email me at linda@coachlindabush.com with all your tips and tricks on how you are saving money this Frugal February!  Best ideas will be posted here on the blog!

Blessings,

Coach Linda  

Must Read Monday

I am currently going through a classic book of meditations for a month from the Bible book of John (fourth gospel in the New Testament) by author Andrew Murray.  This devotional is based on Christ’s Parable of the Vine and the Branches in John chapter 15.  In fact, several of my friends and I are going through this spiritual exercise together and then getting together once a week to discuss what we have learned, what questions it brings up, etc.

Thanks to Christian Classics Ethereal Library it is available in many formats, from a book or app you can purchase, to a free download or you can read it online.  I’m going for the “Frugal ‘14” this year (i.e., save as much as I can in 2014), so instead of simply downloading a hard copy (which costs paper and ink), or purchasing the book or Kindle book, or the app, I went to the CCEL website and chose the Read It Online version.  Then, I just saved that web link to my iPhone home screen, so now I can read it just like an app or ebook via my Kindle. 

Andrew Murray (1828-1917) is one of my favorite authors, and I want to take this time to introduce you to his books.  The spiritual insights in all his writings are both comforting and challenging.  The meditations are only about a page each, but are rich and really make you think.  It’s a wonderful way to start off each day.Take a moment to visit CCEL at www.ccel.org, where you can research, study, read and meditate!

Link to all options to read this book: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/true_vine.html

The link to the free read it online option is: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/true_vine.toc.html

I hope you enjoy – exercise your spiritual muscles today (opening your heart, engaging your brain) and may I encourage you to take time to read this book by Andrew Murray!

Blessings,

Coach Linda Bush

Thoughtful Thursday

What’s on the agenda for today, ladies? Exercising your mind/eyes by reading. These days it is so hard to find time to sit and relax, and too often when we do we flop down on the couch, remote in hand, and allow the “plug-in-drug” to take us away like a Calgon bubble bath commercial promises to do! (By the way, if you do watch TV and have TiVo or some capability of recording your shows ahead of time, realize that by fast-forwarding through the commercials can save you about almost half time viewing time!) But I digress…

This morning in my email was a wonderful article about reading by Alan Henry on www.lifehacker.com (a website I highly recommend). It’s entitled, “How to Boost Your Reading Comprehension by Reading Smarter and More Conscientiously”. No, it’s not an ad for a speed-reading course, but a thoughtful view of reading, how we do it, and how we can make it better. It can be found at http://us1.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/show?u=251e609e1dba3888b86c21cc8&id=f17b4be4f6.

I have usually always tried to keep some kind of reading material with me at all times – a magazine, book, something that I can pick up whenever I’m waiting for an appointment, or on the treadmill at the gym, even waiting in line at the grocery store. (Sorry, reading the tabloid headlines and sneaking a peek inside doesn’t count as reading). And while I love the fact that we can read so much electronically, in my humble little opinion there is nothing like reading a REAL BOOK. I love the smell of the new pages, and I love writing notes, highlighting, and the feel of it.
Now with the advent of a plethora of e-readers, and with the Kindle feature on my iPhone, it’s even easier than ever. If you’re not used to reading much, start with a magazine, then a short story, then go for the whole hog and read War and Peace… ummmm… okay, perhaps a bit too enthusiastic… just a book will do! Try a chapter a day.

I’m putting together my yearly reading list – I try to read at least one book a month outside my industry readings, class textbooks and Bible. January I am reading Mark Batterson’s “The Circle Maker” in real authentic book format. I want to try and read a wider variety of subjects this year as well, and include at least one or two classics in the group.

Won’t you join me in exercising your reading option this year? I’d love to hear from you – what are you currently reading?

Blessings,
Linda

Mindful Monday

In the craziness of life, it’s very easy to get caught up in the “dailies” and have very little time for ourselves. When that miracle moment happens and a few spare minutes appear (and disappear) as fast as the dew on the morning grass, we either collapse in front of the TV, or get caught up doing chores, tasks, and other things because we feel guilty if we’re not constantly busy. It’s hard to justify any time spent on self.

To that end, our minds can easily be satisfied with grabbing the quick magazine article, a talk show radio clip, a blog blurb (yes, even this one), or falling into a coma and just sitting staring off into the distance, wondering whatever happened to your brain! Critical thinking, truly deep thinking, is left for the think-tank brain-bank few in the back halls of some dusty library. I know, you may be thinking, “Critical thinking??? Are you kidding?? I can barely think about what’s happening in an hour, let alone strain my brain on anything else!”

When was the last time you read a classic novel (Danielle Steel doesn’t count), or poetry, or picked up a book on something you really wanted to study? I admit it, I often have to keep a dictionary near me when I really want to dig into something that makes me think hard and long, and I can only do a few pages at a time. Are you feeding your brain fast food junk reading, instead of giving it a regular healthy dose of super-brain food? Your brain will get flabby and tired!

Consider flexing your brain and finding a serious, take-one-delicious-morsel-bite of each word book. If you are an e-reader fan, there are all kinds of classics that are FREE for the asking. Upload one of those, and read a page when you’re in line, or at the doctor’s office, or waiting in the car for your kids… it’s only a page here and there, but before you know it, you will have feasted and your brain will be sharper, brighter and satisfied. Believe me, you’ll hunger for more. There’s something wonderful about snuggling down on an autumn evening in a comfy chair or sofa corner with a good book. Bon appetite!

Blessings,
Linda