​Unplugged: Tips for Disconnecting from Tech & Reconnecting with Yourself
 
We live in a world of constant connectivity. You’re never far from a device hooked up to emails, texts, social media feeds, news updates and an endless stream of information.
 
Technology is a wonderful gift. You can FaceTime with your family thousands of miles away or send an important work project to colleagues from your delayed train. But technology is also a distraction and a burden if you don’t allow yourself to disconnect.
 
Do you have difficulty sitting or standing still without checking your phone reflexively? Do you have a hard time focusing on the people around you because of tech interruptions? Is it a challenge for you to relax and unwind away from a screen?
 
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you could benefit from some unplugged time. Take a break from technology by testing out the following tips. 

Set a Power-Down Time 
Every night, about 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed, put away all of your devices. Close your laptop, stash your phone, turn off your TV. Set a recurring alarm to remind you when it’s time to power down. Use this half-hour or hour to do a relaxing activity you enjoy. Read, draw, write, work on a puzzle or play an instrument. 

​Weekly Digital Detox
Once a week, set aside a longer period of time for a digital detox, where you disengage from all technology. Start with a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

If you like it, scale it up to all of Sunday. What do you want to do with all the time you would normally spend playing video games, watching Netflix or scrolling on your phone? What makes you feel happy, healthy and alive?

​Rediscover your interests and hobbies. Get out of the house and try something new. Go for a hike, check out a new café, meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. 

Write It Out
Take a few minutes every day to write in your journal. Tune into your thoughts, desires, hopes and dreams. Ask yourself questions about the past, present and future. Record what you’re grateful for today. Use this time to unplug from external distractions and reconnect with yourself. 

​Mari L. McCarthy’s international bestselling book, Journaling Power, started a movement. Now, Heal Your Self with Journaling Power is igniting a revolution!
You’ll discover the life-changing magic of journaling through moving personal stories told by just some of the thousands of people who have tapped into the proven therapeutic power of expressive writing.
These are people just like you, and their challenges are the same ones you have.
 Heal Your Self with Journaling Power reveals the inner strength and grace that comes with living your life in the present from the inside out. It will help you transform your life and…

• Manifest everything your desire
• Fill you with uplifting positive energy
• Put you on a path to better health and wellness
• Give you the inspiration and motivation to live your best life
• Show you how to use journaling to solve your most pressing problems

Madeline co-authored Blue-Collar Women: Trailblazing Women Take on Men-Only Jobs, co-edited the poetry anthology, The Great American Poetry Show, Volumes 1, 2 and 3, and wrote the poems for two photography books, The Emerging Goddess and Intimacy.

Her poems have also appeared online and in print magazines, e.g., in the 2016 Porter Gulch Review, Yellow Chair’s In the Words of Womyn 2016 anthology, Story Circle Network’s journals and anthologies, the Best of Poetry Salon 2013-2018, and the Vine Leaves Literary Journal: a Collection of Vignettes from Across the Globe, 2017. 

​And her articles have appeared in the Huffington Post, Naturally Savvy, Aging Bodies, PsychAlive, Story Circle Network’s HerStories and One Woman’s Day blogs, and the Memoir Network blog. One of Madeline’s essays has also appeared in the My Gutsy Story Anthology by Sonia Marsh. 
 
Madeline also co-edited Volumes 1 and 2 of The Great American Poetry Show, a poetry anthology, and wrote the poems for two books of photography, The Emerging Goddess and. Besides having many poems published in print and online magazines, writes regularly for Naturally Savvy, and occasionally for PsychAlive, Open to Hope,and Journeys Through Grief and The Huffington Post.

Visit Madeline's Website: http://madelinesharples.com/
On Twitter: Click Here
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Oh my goodness, I enjoyed reading this book so much. The story line starts with Ira, father & husband, and his journey of leaving Poland to make a life for his family in the United States of America. Once in America, as he is saving money to bring his wife and sons to join him, he receives news that all but one son died of the plague. Ugh!

He returns and takes care of business then returns to America with his wife left to raise their remaining son and the baby on the way. Ruth, his wife, mails a pink string to Ira once Ava is born. When enough funds allow, Ira sends for Ruth, Charlie (their oldest son), and Ava. This is when the story shifts from one of Ira and Ruth to that of Charlie and Ava adjusting to their life as Jewish Immigrants and their parents old ways and religion while embracing the new and mixed views of living in America.

You watch Charlie and Ava grow up and as the book concludes, Ira and Ruth come to major realizations and their children need to make decisions that will impact their relationships with each other and their parents. The life of an immigrant isn't easy, especially in the 20's when mixing religions was not accepted as it is today. I enjoyed the ending and it required a tissue. Love wins...this is all I'll reveal.

We didn't celebrate the 4th of July with family or friends this year. Instead we got groceries, ran errands, visited the thrift store, and BBQ'd hot dogs on the grill. A quiet holiday at home for the most part, a very nice change. 

Since I was chilling at home I decided to do a live FB video and apply Avon makeup to half my face so you can see the difference with and without my ten-minute face. My lighting isn't the best but I think you'll get the gist and see the benefits of Avon.

On the FB post, I also included links to each of the products I used. For your convenience, the links are included in this blog too. Most of the items are on sale when this blog went live on July 4, 2019.

If you'd like to earn FREE Avon you can sign up as an Independent Representative yourself. It's like ordering for yourself online but you receive more of the savings and can sell to others to increase your rewards and benefits. Click here to sign up today.

The Rule Breaker’s Guide to Step Up & Stand Out is a potent book that seeks to shine a light directly on the external obstacles, and the inner voice, which deeply prevent us from Stepping Up and Standing Out, and achieving our optimum. The main themes of the book are the three Cs: Confidence, Courage and Creativity.

Georgia's definition of performance, after decades in the world of show business: "it is clear performance means the way you express yourself to the world. It is your choice of words, style and movement. It is your decision to design the shape, shade and colour of your entry into any type of work you want to do."

If you're a rebel through and through, or need some guidance and encouragement to find your rebellious streak, if you want to question the status quo, reach further, smash through the glass ceiling, speak and be heard...The Rule Breaker's Guide is the book for you!
​
Georgia Varjas shares her wisdom, wins and woes to shine a light on how the rules can hold us back, keep us small, and shut us up... and how to change that destructive pattern. With a combination of story and sass, Georgia shows us how to be in total control of our own lives, to show up, step up and stand out.

 -It is your right to question everything -

 I believe we are all born with some talent or creative genius. It may be a gift you have tingling in your soul to sing, paint or write. Perhaps, it is to communicate and lead, or it could be to mend, fix or repair, even care, love and give. But I do believe we all have natural abilities. And, I am also aware of how we ourselves down-grade and conceal our natural gifts and talents.

From an early age, codes, regulations and laws hold us back and keep us trapped in low esteem jobs and painful relationships, while filling our heads with complexes and inhibitions. We end up hiding our natural talents, playing small and denying our skills.

I know I have played small when in reality I had enough competence and experience to complete the task. But I held my self back because I was thinking about what others would think or what if they said something or all that absolute made-up nonsense - basically creating my own diversions and obstacles.
​
And the worst part about it all, I had created such a negative mindset I couldn’t perform to my best ability. I couldn’t show up as a talented person. I actually lowered my standards as a result.
Remember a parent or teacher telling you not to sing because your voice sounded terrible?

Or the professor or trainer who dampened your imagination to write stories, play sports or take up a musical instrument? Or a boss, educator, a person in authority who dismissed you because you didn’t “fit” in according to their rules of race, creed or gender?

These discouragements, these put downs and subversive rules can stop us from developing and achieving what we want for our life.
 But we have choices and opportunities - and we can create them.
We need to stop in our tracks and make note of all those Rules that are not serving us any more. It is about making smart decisions but also acting on them.

Ask yourself, how many times have you made a decision but not acted on it? It often happens, followed by an amazing array of reasons and excuses! We have to learn to prioritise laying out all those things we would love to do - fancy trying - are prepared to give a go or even another go.

Make that list. Take courage, lean on your confidence and bring out your competency. Use your natural skills to overcome those road blocks, brick walls or glass ceilings and honestly love yourself a bit more!

Don’t use your smartness or experience to increase the barriers you live behind. Or the protective bubbles you sit in.

Ask yourself daily: How are you doing with all your dreams, goals and desires? And are they coming together?

It is up to you to pay attention and then act upon those obstacles you  have prolonged in your system for too long.

So even if life is not easy right now - remember life is beautiful. Yes, it takes Confidence and Courage to Step Up & Stand Out - Make Decisions and Act Upon them.

Turn to your voice and pen, they are your most powerful weapons of construction!
 
- Don't hold back - release that genius energy -
Georgia Varjas June 2019 

The birds are singing and brilliance of color fills the view from any window I look. It's a joy and blessing to know the alarm won't need to be set for bit. It wasn't until last night when I deleted all my notifications that I realized I was exhausted and needed a break. Once again my family saw it before I did. I slept in until 6 a.m. this morning, which is an hour and half later than normal.

I contemplated grabbing my Bible and sitting on the deck yet the insurmountable piles of disorganization and chaos surrounding me in every room I walked motivated me to get-r-done. I know myself too well, I would not focus on my reading, the birds singing, or the beauty around me until I have control of the interior of our home. Although I've never watched "Hoarders", our house isn't as bad as episodes my friends have talked about BUT it's the worst I've ever let it go. Hubby doesn't mind but my mother and grandmother would be mortified, this is bad, even for the relaxed in spirit and mind. I've got some work to do before enjoying the deck.

We have enjoyed the deck the past few evenings. Our trusty little grills works great yet thanks to my Dad, a sweet grill will be taking it's place. We're keeping this one for traveling and such because there isn't anything wrong with it.

An added joy of our deck is the opportunity to sit, technology free, and visit with family and friends. With the size and ease of today's cellular devices and assorted technological devices, it is difficult to get away. Our deck is the tech-free-get-away. I look forward to regaining our "home" inside so I can chillax outside with no worries and lists on the inside. 

Some people are gifted to forget about the piles within the house and simply enjoy the beauty and serenity of the deck. I have never been wired this way yet I've grown in the sense that prior to January 2019, I would have chosen sleep deprivation over the messy house. 

As I focus on "renewal" of my spiritual, physical, and emotional health...letting things go and prioritizing are necessary. As I type this I realize it is nearly hypocritical as I should have sat on the deck this morning instead of tackling the piles yet organizing at least one area inside allowed me to enjoy ten minutes outside that I couldn't have thinking about the magnitude of things to do. Life is learning the balance, understanding who we are, how we are wired, and accepting these things. We can't change who we are. If you accept the way you are made and wired, it's easy to keep the important things above the line while letting the not-so-important go. Give it a try.

I'm a planner, there are always lists. As I look forward to the short summer, there are things I'd like to do. They will uplift my spirits, renew my spiritual health, continue a healthier life style, and relaxation of both body and mind.

Here are a few things:
*Walk outside 4x a week
*Continue eating healthy
*Finish weeding the gardens at home
*Finish weeding the rock walkway in our backyard
*Weed the Heidi Allen Remembrance Garden 
*Attend a week long writers' conference
*Rebrand so the blog, podcast, writing, & speaking mesh 
*Update the budget
*Purge stuff we don't use or need
*Clean, I mean CLEAN the house (including the windows, lol)

If you want to buy this book, of course I'll appreciate the book sale but before you run out and buy multiple copies, let me warn you. It's a short book full of lines, it's a journal. I haven't put the words in there, YOU NEED TO BE THE CREATIVE GENIUS and write yourself. Some have been let down when they saw this book because they thought it was a small book on wisdom to help them journal but instead, it's a journal sized to fit in your purse or bag to capture the ideas floating around in your mind. It's an inexpensive journal that can go with you each day. Happy writing!​

I went to the gym bright and early this morning before meeting friends at Dunkin Donuts. The gym was quiet and I started my work out the same as usual, thirty minutes of cardio and then hit the machines for a full-body workout. Instead of ending with more cardio I attempted a couple of the exercises my new trainer, Brandon, showed me. One is your basic plank and the other used the TRX.

Here's the deal, the last time I planked I was able to hold myself up for about five or ten seconds BUT on Thursday when Brandon asked me to plank for the preliminary assessment, I held myself up for 30 seconds! Woo Hoo! As my arms were shaking nearing the thirty second mark, I was shocked. When Brandon said, "done"...I was thrilled and couldn't contain myself. It's good to celebrate our success, small and large. 

In January I started the journey to healthy eating, incorporating exercise, and changing my lifestyle with the help of Dr. Jack Kunkel's knowledge. Six months later I've taken another step and invested in a trainer. I know Thursday's blog asked what you are investing in. In my choice of health, there have been a lot of changes. Up until this past Thursday, none had induced fear. 

The TRX, Brandon, and falling backwards equal fear. 

I have choice to make...Do I face this fear for the sake of health or ask for a different exercise to work the same muscles? 

Hmm...What's a woman to chose? Be sure to check back next week and see what direction I go...forward or backward? I'm thinking either way is forward...

This past January I worked with Dr. Jack Kunkel to improve my health. He shared his knowledge with me, along with weekly check-ins to step up my goals and not let me settle or give up. It was a positive experience, the only negative was the distance between Jack and myself. Although the phone calls still proved to be beneficial, I wasn't gaining all I could.

The greatest obstacle I faced was to start exercising. Once I started though, it's been an easy and forward-moving journey. I have a lot to learn so six months later, we've invested in a personal trainer. Brandon is wonderful. My daughter and I signed up together, I paid the money and took a deep breath.

It's a basic started package, or something like that. We had our first session today. We didn't get into the actual plan or training yet but sat and answered questions about our eating & exercise habits, likes & dislikes, and a range of other things. Similar to the questions I answered in January. I felt good to be able to answer so differently. It was an eye opener and I realized I have been working hard and doing good things and made gains. Gains shown in better health, sleeping, and skin...not on the scale.

The difference with this new investment is it's to teach me how not only to eat and drink healthier but specific exercises to increase strength, balance, and endurance. In order to figure out our individual "plans", Brandon had us do different exercises and such. As he asked us to do certain things, we would each laugh out loud at different times because of our comfort levels. It was fun and I look forward to learning more, improving my health, and the thing I look forward to the most is spending time with my daughter in the process and doing this together. I'm sure we'll but heads a time or two (per session, lol) but we'll be bonding and learning together.

This has been a busy week. On Monday I had the honor to present this year's Empower Federal Credit Union's Heidi Allen Scholarship recipient with their scholarship. Heidi's love of education, sports, and family coupled with her drive to help others is represented through this opportunity for students transitioning from high school to college. It's the first year Empower asked the family to present the award and we are grateful and honored. I pray the students receiving the scholarship embrace their college experience and remember to always be there for their friends and family as they achieve their academic goals. Heidi's memory is alive and her priorities will be remembered thanks to Empower.

Thursday, Friday, and today were spent at the Ride for Missing Children in the Mohawk Valley. The staff and volunteers at the center, the hundreds of volunteers serving on steering committees, and the community have raised awareness and funds all year. The actual day of the bicycle ride is a symbol of hope and determination. Children receive education at school.

Families and strangers come together to remember Sara Ann Wood and all the missing children while spreading awareness and hope so no more children will  be kidnapped and exploited. We look forward to this event every year and are grateful for the outpouring of support. Families of the missing are always overwhelmed and grateful. We travel this journey because we have to.

​The participants, volunteers, and communities involved come alongside us out of love, hope,  and compassion. It's a beautiful thing to experience. Thanks to all who make this weekend of hope a reality. You encourage, inspire, and lift us up!

A few years ago I started writing down the things I wanted to do, you know, goal setting. Through this process I decided to put it into book format. I shared it with a couple friends and they asked for a copy. After their feedback I decided to release it for purchase. There are a couple reviews on Amazon.com already but if you have this book or purchase it after reading today's blog, would you mind leaving a review. Your reviews help authors, and future readers, more than you might know. Depending on the number of reviews a book receives, Amazon will promote the book and add it to "suggested book" lists for other readers based on your review. How neat is this? 

As you look forward and set your goals, this might be a tool and resource to help you on this journey. Thank you for checking it out.

DO YOU. . .

•      Wish you had a different body, face, or personality?
•      Feel less than adequate compared to others?
•      Wonder why God created you?
•      Often criticize your choices and decisions?
•      Long to see yourself through God’s eyes of love?
•      Want to live confidently in spite of your shortcomings?
•      Realize how valuable you are? 

In Hello, Beautiful, Jeanette Levellie and Beth Gormong lead women on a hopeful journey to find lasting beauty in the eye of the beholder: God. This inspirational gift book contains 40 stories based on some of the authors most vulnerable moments, highlighting how God redeemed the pain and taught them how to love themselves. Each chapter of this 40-day soul makeover begins with a Bible verse describing God’s view of us, His precious creation. Chapters end with a special feature, a journaling prompt giving readers the opportunity to apply the principles.
 
Hello Beautiful is designed specifically for women who feel the familiar internal pressure to perform without the satisfaction of hearing “Well done.” We find it too easy to think and speak hurtful words about ourselves while building up other’s self-esteem. Hello Beautiful strives to point out those lies, and replace them with the Truth. Learn the secrets of seeing yourself through love’s viewpoint and shake off feelings of inadequacy. Finally find the courage to look in the mirror and say, “Hello, Beautiful!”

I have enjoyed this devotional so much. I have yet to finish the book because I get absorbed in one of the devotionals so much that I spend time praying, journaling, and reflecting on it for a couple days. I lead our women's Bible study and have decided to use Hello, Beautiful! as our study book. Each week we will focus on a different devotion so we can learn and grow as women of Christ and also as individuals. If you have ever looked down on your self, used negative self-talk, or doubted the beautiful woman God designed you to be...

then you need to read this book/devotional! It's a must read and will encourage, uplift, motivate, and inspire you. You are more than the woman you see in the mirror, you are the beautiful creation God intended and it's time you started to live in this victory.

About the Book:
Mindful Dementia Care is a book of stories and a book of love.It is a book without denial, without any papering over of the challenges that can be involved with being a caregiver, and the sadness, anger, and frustration they may bring. It is also a life-changing source of information that can revolutionize relationships with one of the most vulnerable populations in our midst.

In her decades as a caregiver, Ruth Dennis witnessed the tragic results of the medicalized and institutionalized way of caring for people with dementia. And equally clearly, she saw a better way. Mindful Dementia Care illustrates alternative methods for making a difference and achieving results through care that honors the whole person.

​The key is creating an environment with countless enriching touchstones to the inner person through facilities that are filled with art, animal companions, music, dance, books, laughter, and wholesome food. It is an approach that embraces creative and artistic processes to shape a more loving, spiritual approach for elders and their families.  

This isn't a book I would normally read and I'm blessed to say I don't have close family or anyone I'm caring for that I had in mind when I agreed to join this blog tour. The reason I opted to participate was to learn. I have friends who are living this sad and challenging road with their loved ones. My hope was to be a better friend and support for my friends when they need it and have a resource to pass along for friends and family.

I'm happy to say, the book met all of these expectations and I recommend this book to anyone living the challenges of caring for, or experiencing, Dementia and Alzheimers. It was an interesting read personal experiences and situations as they educate the masses. The greatest message I take away is the amount of time, care, concern, and love they have for their patients and families.

The authors tackle myths, explain some of the known science behind dementia, and break down the "Many rooms in the House of Dementia". I am one of the people who don't understand the differences and how to tell them apart. Even after reading the book, I don't have them straight in my head BUT I have this great resource of hope, healing, and miracles as a resource now. 

If you want to learn more or need some first hand encouragement and information, check out this book. You won't be disappointed.

It's been over six years since the release of Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey and it still sells at least one copy a month. This is exciting to me. I understand to some this doesn't seem like a big deal and it doesn't offer enough revenue to quit my job and stay home like some of the bigger authors BUT it means there are people out there reading and recommending my books.

To have my book still selling each month means people are learning there is hope when we have faith and a relationship with Jesus. It means #Hope is alive and other siblings are learning through my testimony of faith that they are not alone. In 2011 when the idea for this book came to be the hope was to help one sibling know they weren't alone and that they too could survive the loss of their sibling. I'm blessed to know more than one sibling has hope and understands their pain is real, acceptable, and normal. 

I've gone back to read aloud from my book to audiences when I speak and find typos, bad grammar, and other "oops" each time I read it. Ugh! I think most authors will say their first books were their worst yet this is a good thing because it means we are growing in our craft and developing better writing skills and abilities. As I work on my next book I pray for God to guide my fingers and heart so it is the message my readers, you, need to hear. 

The next book won't be like the first, or second, or third. The newest release will highlight growth, reflection, and a step in faith to share on different level than I have in the past. I pray you are ready for this. If you think of me over the next weeks and months, life a pray for God to speak to my heart through my fingers so it's the book you have all been waiting for.

Thank you for reading my books, writing reviews, and sharing them with your friends and families. These are an author's greatest compliments. You are an encouragement to my family and me.

There are things I'm thankful for each day and I try to lift my thanks and praise as I encounter them but then there are some things that require an extra shout out. 

This past January I had the privilege to work with Dr. Jack Kunkel at Revolutionary Wellness to improve my health and change the way I eat, exercise, and live. It was a bold, scary, and beneficial journey. One I recommend and encourage you to invest in. 

I've tried various diets and weight loss gimmicks in my lifetime but as I approach fifty I don't want to diet, I want to change my lifestyle and habits so I can beat genetics. My mother's death at sixty-four was an eye opener as this seems to be a popular number in our family for females. I want to reach sixty-four and say, "Woot, Woot, I'm still at the gym, doing yoga, and exercising." I want to be a healthy grandma who watches her grand babies graduate and become walk down the aisle. Genetics stared me in the face and I have a choice, I can do something to be the healthiest version of myself or continue as is and risk missing some great milestones in my daughter and grandchildren's lives twenty years down the road.

I'm choosing health. It requires knowledge and commitment. The days can be a challenge and overwhelming at times BUT each one is worth it. Check out my video to learn how I did it. This might not work for me but it's the path I am finding success with. Enjoy!

​And by the way, Thanks Dr. Jack!!

Born Under Fire is a historical novel that tells the story of a girl coming of age and her drive to excel despite the devastating effects of long-term war. 

Born in Jerusalem under British rule in 1928, Shula grows up in a world in turmoil as Hitler rises to power and nations enter into war. Amid a landscape of ancient stone ruins next to modern Bauhaus architecture, and desert scrub ending at newly verdant farmlands, Shula grows into her independence as the State of Israel is born. 

Based on the author's mother's life, historical documents and events, Born Under Fire is also about the context surrounding the founding of the State of Israel, as well as the horrors and dangers of growing up in a conflict zone. Shula battles grief and depression due to the shattering events affecting her, her family, and the entire world. Despite this struggle her resilient spirit enables her to reach great heights as a concert pianist.

Rina Z. Neiman’s mother, Shulamit Dubno Neiman, was one of the first generation of modern-day Israelis. Growing up in the suburbs of Boston, Rina watched her mother sing and play the guitar, representing Israel at cultural events in the area. It was her mother who instilled in Rina a deep appreciation for the land and people of Israel. 

Rina lives with her husband and son in Marin County, CA. This is her first novel.

For those who know me, I like to keep it real. Here is a reality and apology, I have not finished reading Born Under Fire yet. (hanging head in shame) BUT I've started it and it's taking me time to read. Part of the issue is that I inadvertently signed up for two book reviews in the same week. The number of hours I have for "fun" reading is minimal so I over-extended myself. In hopes of keeping this blog on schedule, I asked our twenty-year-old daughter if she could read the book for me and give me a synopsis and then I'd write it up. Well...

Here's the deal, she is enjoying the book as well as I am. We have had wonderful discussions about the Jewish culture, world happenings during war times we didn't know or remember learning. This historical fiction is so well written, you want to keep reading to learn more about Shula and her family and at the same time, we find ourselves researching online to learn more about the war and the history of these times. 

It's categorized as a "historical fiction" and the historical details are intense and many. If you are a history buff, you'll enjoy this in depth, and often behind-the-scenes look into times missed in our History books. The fictional story is weaved together so well, my daughter and I both feel as if we know Shula and the family and grieve at some of the decisions they were forced to make. 

Although my daughter and I are both still reading, my daughter is a faster reader than I, she is patiently waiting for me to catch up so we can talk more about the book. To me, this is a WIN! A book that can captivate an near 50 year old and a 20 year old with the same interest level, while stimulating conversation and closer looks into our history is a book to add to one's reading list. 

As we finish reading and discussing this book, I imagine more deep conversations and wonders. These are blessings to count and we send a shout out to Rina Z. Neiman for this great addition to the historical fiction genre. Keep writing!