The Five Minute Friday Link-up community is back at it again with the first prompt of 2022. Each week writers from all over the globe write on the same topic as prompted by Five Minute Friday. It’s a fun way to get creative and to meet others who write and create as well. This week the prompt is: Important.
Check out the FMF community and support the other writers!
Here is my five minutes of unedited writing on this week’s prompt:
With each new year, we find our selves setting intentions or goals. We reflect on growth (or lack thereof) in the previous year and we resolve to make the best out of the next 365 days. Although it is important to orient ourselves toward goals, it is equally important to appreciate the people and memories from the previous year.
While I’m a huge advocate for fixing our eyes on the future and not dwelling on past mistakes or downfalls, there is something to be said about the practice of looking back and taking inventory of those that have shaped us into our current state.
For 2022, I have BIG goals. I’ve drafted resolutions and tried to place time in my calendar to make those goals my 2022 reality. I’ve dreamed and laid a foundation for 2022 to be the year of so many blessings.
But what about 2021?
Like everyone else, the past year had some definite moments of aching. But it’s not as though I experienced 365 days of pain and fear. And if I really reflect, I’m certain there were more victories than failures in that calendar year.
I completed my Master’s program
My school returned to in-person instruction
I received my Covid vaccines and booster
I went to the beach THREE times
I met some pretty awesome people
Many of my friendships flourished
We were able to travel back to England as travel bans were lifted
I planned and executed the launch of my new business
And many more…
You see, there is always a silver lining. As I planned out my 2022 resolutions, I tried to be aware that growth is important to my future, but so is living in the moment and appreciating those blessings in my life now–no matter how big or small they might be.
As promised, here is a mini-post highlighting my Top 5 reads of 2021:
#5- Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce
#4-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
#3-Keeping the Wonder by Dr. Jenna Copper, Ashley Bible, Abby Gross, and Staci Lamb
#2-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
#1- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
You can follow my Goodreads account for more book reviews and to browse my TBR list. I am excited to see where my reading journey takes me in 2022.
In 2022, there are BIG things coming to The Ameri Brit Mom. Make sure that you join the subscription list to be the first to know what’s going on. You can join the subscription in the margin or by clicking below.
Wow! Is anyone else completely blown away that 2021 is just about over? There were times when it felt never ending, but also times when the dates dropped off the calendar so quickly. I will be adding a few miniposts these next couple of days to talk about my 2021 goals and reflecting on the past 365 days, but today I have a fun post for you–so let’s jump in and see how I set up my 2022 Bullet Journal.
First, a disclaimer. I did not originate any of the ideas or terms used in this post. I am a HUGE fan of Youtube Bullet Journal channels and find so much inspiration from artists like Amanda Rach Lee, Caitlin’s Corner, The Plant Based Bride, Julianne Doodles and Shayda Campbell. In fact, I did a shout out to these five women a few months back. Check that out here!
Supplies: For this year’s bullet journal setup, I used…
Crayola Super Tips (Periwinkle, Light Gray, and Charcoal)
Of all the journals I have used in the past the Amanda Rach Lee notebooks are my favorite because the paper quality is fantastic. The pages do not bleed through or ghost. They are also a bright white which makes covering mistakes so much easier than off-white pages.
Title Page
The color scheme I chose for this setup is Periwinkle. For the past couple of years I have used the Pantone Color of the Year as a base to make all of the first pages in the journal feel connected. The accent colors I used were a light gray and a charcoal gray. The title page is full of Amanda Rach Lee doodles which I colored in my color scheme. I love the way this page turned out.
2022 Words of the Year
At the beginning of each year I like to choose words of the year that reflect my intentions and hopes for the next twelve months. This year I am focusing on the words Drive and Passion. This is a page dedicated to those words and how I plan to enter 2022 with drive for the things I am most passionate about.
Goals Page
Because I like to split my goals up into two categories, I used the entire spread for the writing of my goals in 2022. On one side I wrote out my personal goals which include fitness and family and on the other page I wrote out my work-related goals which include blogging, business, and reading. When I complete this page, I will write out a measurable goal for each category.
Grid Spacing and Wishlists
When I sit down to create a new spread I often refer to this page to help me divide my pages equally. I used a mix of Amanda Rach Lee and the Plant Based Bride’s methods on how to set up this page. If you like to make sure that things are lined up I would recommend checking out their explanations on their channels.
Beside my Grid Spacing mock-up I created a place for a personal wishlist as well as a place to record gifts that I give to others. Both of these lists come in handy when someone asks what I want for my birthday or when I’m struggling to come up with gift ideas for others. Also, because I have kept a gift list in my journals over the years, I like to look back and see what I’ve given people in the past to make sure I don’t repeat gifts or to simply reminisce.
Future Log 2022
One of the most tedious spreads to create, yet most aesthetically pleasing is the annual Future Log. This is a “dump” space for all upcoming events or appointments. The bullet journal concept focuses on month-to-month planning and so the Future Log is helpful for events or appointments that may be a few months out.
Brand Ideas
Because I have so many ideas for The Ameri Brit Mom in 2022, I dedicated a page to brainstorming my brand ideas.
Books of 2022
This is a spread to track the books that I read in 2022. One of my goals is to read and review at least two books per month. What I have created with this page is just a skeleton. I plan to put a picture of the cover of each book that I finish on the provided squares and so for now there are just placeholders waiting to be filled.
Quarter 1 Goals Tracker
I am a goal-oriented individual and so when I set goals at the beginning of a new year I truly intend to fulfill those goals and to track my progress. I’ve found that breaking each goal down into small steps helps me to make sure that by the end of the year I have realized all the goals I established in January. This is a page for breaking down my goals for the first three months of the year.
Female Health
Tracking my health and symptoms is very important to me and so I like to create an easy place for me to log all things related to physical health.
Thanks for taking a look at my 2022 Bullet Journal setup. I really enjoy taking time at the end of each year to reflect on previous journals and planning how my new notebook will serve me in the coming year.
In 2022, there are BIG things coming to The Ameri Brit Mom. Make sure that you join the subscription list to be the first to know what’s going on. You can join the subscription in the margin or by clicking below.
As always, my husband found a thoughtful and perfect gift for me this year.
I am so excited about my one year subscription to SkillShare. This is an online platform for learning different skills from others through a variety of online “classes”. There are some courses on bullet journaling, blogging, hand lettering, and photography that I am so excited to dive into. Additionally, I have found classes to support me during the launching of big changes to the blog in January.
Yesterday, I took a short class on using the Cricut to make sticker sheets by Maya Madrid because I also got a new printer and sticker pages for Christmas. Hopefully, I will share more of the skills I learn using this app in 2022.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. We spent most of the day at home playing with and setting up our new gifts. The girls absolutely loved their new Gabby’s Dollhouse and Oculus VR headset. My husband received a full digital keyboard which he is pumped about. I am thankful for my community and church for helping me get that for him at a decent price. In the afternoon, we Facetimed our British family and visited with family in Ohio.
Our family will be heading to the beach tomorrow and I plan to share photos and memories with you to brighten your wintry news feeds. After the long semester of grad school I needed a short trip to look forward to so this trip is somewhat of a graduation gift.
Also, I am less than a week away from launching some of the changes to this blog and I want to make sure you are up-to-date with everything The Ameri Brit Mom has coming in 2022. Please consider joining the email list below to be one of the first to get all the inside information.
Today is day 1 of a brand new year. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and to set your sights on goals for the upcoming one. Recently, I’ve taken on a new addiction–bullet journaling. If you have a few hours to waste on Pinterest take a look at my bullet journal board. I’ve been pinning ideas and creating spreads in my Moleskine for about a week now.
In the final hours of 2016 I decided to review the past twelve months on a page of my bullet journal.
And now that 2017 has officially started I’ve also written out my New Years Resolutions.
Write 300 words per day
Read 26 books of my own choosing
Commit to Gluten-free/Paleo diet
Institute a Family Game Night weekly
Keep a Bullet Journal
I hope your year is off to a great start and that you have written some goals to motivate you in 2017!
This is another one of those posts where I reflect on some of the things that I accomplished this year. In my last post I reflected on my top 5 posts of the year and discussed what about each post made it appealing to my readers. Today, I want to take a look back at all of the books I read in 2015, most of which I already reviewed here on the blog.
Devotional Books:
Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst
David by Beth Moore
Writing Books:
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland
Blog Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho
Other Books:
The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
To read any of my reviews of these books check out my Book Category on the blog.
Just a couple of days ago I finished my last book of 2015, The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.
This book is set in modern day Botswana. Immediately I fell in love with the African setting. I don’t often choose books about Africa. It’s relatively unfamiliar territory to me, but I found myself really beginning to appreciate the land and way of life as described in this book.
Precious Ramotswe is the protagonist of this story. She is a highly intelligent and well-educated woman who decides to use her inheritance to establish the first ever female detective agency due to her desire to help people.
This book is fabulously written and the author does a spendid job at introducing the backstory of each of the characters.
Throughout the book Mma. Ramotswe begins to have some high profile customers and cases and becomes a very successful detective. As a reader I enjoyed the way that each chapter contained a case as it helped to establish a quick pace to the book.
Toward the end, I would have liked a little more explanation about why Mma. Ramotswe makes certain decisions, but I guess that’s why Alexander McCall Smith decided to create a series off of this story line.
I would definitely read another book from this series because a reunion with the unique and beautiful setting and with the wonderful cast of characters would be ideal after the way that this book ends.
In 2016 I will be hosting and taking part in a 24 Book Challenge to widen my exposure to literature both new and old. I would love if you would take that challenge along with me. Please take a look at my post, 24 Book Challenge, for more details and consider being a part of a community of readers who are striving to read their way through the new year.
This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Reflect. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:
Back in March I published a post entitled, Stop Thinking, where I expressed the importance of periodically reflecting on life and the direction you are headed. With those same principles in mind I am going to challenge you to take some time this week and truly reflect on where you are and how well you have met certain goals set for yourself.
I know for me it can be difficult to find time to reflect, but it is essential to becoming better in every area of life. Reflection can also help us to re-prioritize a life that may be unbalanced. And since my blog is all about my balancing act (or lack thereof) I think it is wise to spend some time today in reflection of who I am. Thanks, Kate, for providing me motivation to slow down and reflect. I am going to be vulnerable and honest as I reflect on my faith, family, friendships, and writing progress.
Faith– When it comes to my faith lately I’ve been letting things get in the way of my time with God. I need that time like I need air, and so it is evident when I’m not taking time every day to pray and read my Bible. I never neglect that time intentionally, but I’m guilty of sometimes putting it off til right before I go to bed and then falling asleep before I get a chance to dig in. It’s time for me to take back my time with God and pick up my Bible and declare that I WILL spend time in the Word EVERYDAY! (Even if that means sacrificing a few minutes of sleep) I’m looking for a good Bible Study and a female companion to help hold me accountable to seeing it through daily.
Family– Things are going well with the family. Lately, we’ve been re-prioritizing and taking inventory of the things we have committed to by examining the motives in making those commitments. Every day I look forward to going home and spending time with my family. Arianna is at such a fun age where she has become a human sponge. She is growing and changing at such a rapid pace that I know some big decisions are coming up in the future. Pre-school is on the horizon and in order to make that work in our schedule some things will need to change. We are taking time now to pray and seek wisdom in several areas as we continue to grow and mature as a family.
Friends-Of all the areas I’m reflecting on I feel like the friendship realm of my life is where I’m lacking the most. It’s been hard to spend time with friends like I should with the distractions of the holidays and with being so busy at home. I love my friends dearly, and I hope to have time to reconnect with many of my friends over Christmas break.
Writing-As far as writing goes I’ve found myself in a bit of a funk. Things are going decently with my novel writing (only about four chapters left to go!!!), but I’m finding it hard to find time to write regularly each day. I’m in need of a jump start in the creative writing business. Oftentimes, I find that reading a good, motivational book helps out with that lack of creativity so I’m on the hunt for a good book. Please let me know if you have any recommendations.
The benefit of reflection is that it helps us to set solid goals for the future. Solid goals are those that hold you accountable to a timeline for achieving said goals. Based on these reflections I’ve set the following goals for myself:
Find a Bible Study and a female companion to study with by the end of the year.
Make a decision about pre-school for Arianna and send in applications the first week of January if the decision is to send her.
Schedule a time to get together with friends before the new year.
Start reading a motivational book about writing by January 1.
The Ameri Brit Mom 