​We all have them, empty notebooks and journals, stashed away and we wonder why we keep them, yet unable to toss them in case we need them. They come in different shapes and sizes, but all end up in a drawer somewhere waiting to be useful. Well, here you go, 10 different ways to use those blank notebooks and journals:

1) Book Reviews:
Keep notes so you have them when you go to do your review. You can even print a small picture of the cover, cut it and glue it in.

2) Travel Journal:
Save ticket stubs, napkins and such, add pics from your phone. Just tape or glue them in and add notes about the places and people you saw.

3) Lists:
List movies you want to see, books you want to read, products you want to try, pieces of clothing you wish you had in your wardrobe, or projects you are going to work on. Include a shopping list of things you need for said projects. The next time you are at the book store, craft store or clothing store you don’t wonder what it was you needed to get the next time you went to the book store, clothing store or craft store.

4) Create a Family Recipe Book.
Write everyone’s favorite recipes in one, or cut and glue them. Whatever works for you. Make multiples and give them to your kids as a gift when they move out so they can make Mom's favorite casserole and invite you over for dinner.

5) My Romance:
Document date night, include selfies with your sig other over the years, fun to look back on. Include ideas for future date night.

6) Bible and/or Spiritual Journal:
Include quotes from scripture or your spiritual leader. Cut out things that mean something to you, whether it’s the lyrics to your favorite worship song, quotes from the Dali Lama, or leaves you passed on a nature hike. Include prayer lists. Draw, stamp or use stickers to make it pretty.  Create something you look forward to spending time with to encourage spiritual time in your life, whatever that looks like to you.

7) To Do Lists:
When you think of something on the fly just jot down all in one place. Help rein in your crazy list of what needs to be done so it doesn’t wake you up at night.

8) Sketch or Doodle Book: 
Adult coloring books are all the rage, why not create your own.

9) Health Journal:
Track your fitness progress, measurements, diet, anxiety, depression, sleep patterns, sugar levels, whatever it is that you are “watching”. Keep it all in one place so you can see your progress and observe any patterns.

10) Guest Book/Journal:
If you have a family cabin, RV, B&B whatever. A place people come, a blank notebook on the table is an amazing legacy. We stayed in a cabin last year that had a stack of three. They had been encouraging their guests to write one another for years. I got up wary one morning and read some with my coffee. It was wonderful to hear from previous people who had stayed, tell me about great things to see, local restaurants to eat at or avoid. How the trip was relaxing them, how they were reconnecting with a spouse, all sorts of things. Then we left a note for the next guests.  

​My fab 5 list of ways to get back in the mood, when the mood eludes you.
 
Feeling sexy, or more to the point, not feeling sexy is a battle every woman faces at some point. I know I have, and I know all my friends have… so what’s a lady to do when she would rather take a nap than “Nap” with the Hubby? It’s an easy solution really. Get back on the horse.
 
How, you say? I have so many things to do, you say. The creative juices are just not flowing, you say?
 
Well let me start by telling you, fair or not, sex drive is like an escalator. You are always in motion, and if you are not moving forward, you are losing ground. The good news is switching directions is as easy as flipping a switch (pun intended).
 
Studies show the more you have sex, the more you want it. And the less you have it… well, you get the picture.  So how do you make yourself want to, when the kids, laundry and life in general are calling?
​
1) Stop worrying about what is not happening, and think about what IS happening.
I am as bad as the next lady about missing the here and now while I worry about either what didn't happen last time, or might not happen tomorrow. Meaning, if you are so focused on the fact that last week you never achieved an orgasm, or that tomorrow you have a back sale, you might miss that moment when your S.O. brushed the hair out of your face. When he is close, try to drink in the details. His smell, the way his hair feels under your finger tips. Noticing the details helps you stay in the moment.
 
2) Shake things up. Routine is the death to anything enjoyable. Think about it, even watching your favorite show on TV, if you can predict the ending, you start flipping channels. Try something, anything new. If you usually sleep in jammies, try sleeping in the buff for once. If you sleep in the buff, try sleeping in a satin nighty. If you always change in the bathroom, try standing in front of him while you take your bra off. It doesn't have to be a big deal to shake things up. Sometimes the smallest changes can really throw a monkey wrench in the routine, as you well know. Be that monkey wrench! 
 
3) Move it or lose it. Even if exercise is not your thing, try dancing in the living room, move your hips keep them active and mobile, and the blood pumping. Arousal has to do with blood flow. Scientific fact. Now way around it. BUT you don't have to be an athlete to make things happen, just move. Wiggle your hips from time to time. Wake them up, remind them you're the boss, and they are here to serve you. Find a rhythm that makes you feel sexy. Vanessa Isaac, the creator of Hip Brazil Dance and Fitness says "Awakening your inner rhythm awakens your sensuality."  
 
4) Me time. Quite frankly, it is hard not to resent the amount of time it takes to be intimate with someone else, if you are not making time for yourself. Yes, the world beckons, you are part of that world too, and NEED a bit of joy in your life. I am a huge planner addict, and i will tell you .... make sure you are on the "To Do" list, schedule it. Whatever that looks like to you. You cannot draw from an empty well. You cannot bring joy to your husband or children's day if you have no joy yourself. So start small if need be, but carve out a few minutes each day, week and month to make yourself feel good. Take a few minutes and hide in your room to ....whatever. Once a month make plans with a friend. Take a class, do something that is all about you, and I promise EVERYONE will reap the benefits, including your mate.
 
5) Read something sexy. As a romance author, this may seem self-serving, but trust me "Mom Porn" has its place in the world. There are so many authors and degrees of smut you should have no problem finding something out there that turns you on. And what's wrong with a little pre-game boost to the libido, so long as you turn to the hubby to bring it home?

So there you have it, 5 ways to get in the mood when you just aren't feeling it. Try one or two... let us know what works...or better yet, I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below. So would my other readers! We are in this together! Happy humpday my lovlies!

Okay, so this is not my normal blog post, but running with the whole love yourself theme and after all, Sexy is as Sexy does! So how do you make time to pamper yourself if you are at the bottom of your own to do list? Let me count the ways… 

Trust me you are never going to meet a woman who can squeeze a penny on a time table like me. So these are some of my favorite pampering type activities I have found this summer that I don’t have to save up for, carve two hours out of my schedule, or scour the web looking for ingredients to do. These are all things you can do on a whim. Enjoy…

1) Sugar and lemon juice facial scrub.
Seriously, pour some lemon juice on a cotton ball, dip in in sugar and gently rub it on your clean face, then rinse it off. Your skin will be transformed. If this sounds complicated, I swear it is as easy as squirt, dip and rub. But just in case, here is a link to the video I found it on. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446911963001173918/

2) Home Gel Manicure.
I have tried several kinds and I hate them all. Mostly, I hate my nails. They are thin and blister and peel like there is no tomorrow. I have done the professional tips of all kinds, can’t get em to last more than two weeks. Anyone who says they last 3-4 weeks is dangling a fishhook. Or maybe I just have crappy nails. I’ve tried wraps and drug store gel wannabes. Nope. That is until I found Revlon’s Color stay Gel Envy. OMG. Goes on nice and thin, dries fast, lasts longer than any other nail polish I’ve used then comes off easy as regular nail polish. Love it. It’s a two coat process, but way easier than going to a salon every two weeks. AND… if you look for it you can get a box set that includes the color and top coat. I got it on sale for seven bucks-ish. Splurge!

3)  Foot Softener.
Okay, I admit I only go to get pedicures because my hubby once said my feet were scratchy in bed. I love to go barefoot, unfortunately that wears on my feet. During the summer I found myself wishing I could just go get the bottoms of my feet done weekly. No way I could afford that time wise or money wise. SO, being the problem solver that I am, I hit my beauty supply store and asked for recommendations. They sell the very scratchy thing the salon uses. They also sell callous softener goop (made by Heel To Toe) to use first, and a cream to use after. My hubby now lets me rub my feet all over and no complaints.  And I can do it 3 times a week if the mood strikes me.

4) Free Kindle for PC and/or Smart phone.
I do not want another gadget to carry around, nor do I want the world of free e-books to pass me by. I was cruising Amazon and happened to see in the options to down load a book "Free Kindle for PC". Well heck yeah, sign me up. Same thing in my smart phone. Saw "Kindle for Mobile Device" as a recommended free download. Here is the kicker. If you use the same email to sign up on all devices... they sync up. So when I read on my phone, it says hey you read this book for a while on your other device, shall we turn the page you left off? I showed a gf at work how to down load books on her desktop computer, (so much easier to type and browse) then sync her actual kindle device. Bam! Life made easy, and free in my case.    

5) Hot Toddy- My fav Fall drink.
Good Earth spicy tea, shot of Honeyed Whiskey, actual Honey and a dash of lemon juice. 
A bartender friend made this for me while I was sick and I have been drinking it on chilly evenings ever since. 

So there is my cheapo way to pamper yourself. Pick one and enjoy. Or pick all of them and spoil yourself for next to nothing. 

1) My husband puts socks on under his summer sandals, because he refuses to admit summer is coming to an end.

2) Kiddos are back in school. Can stop walking in the living room to find a gaggle of teenage boys doing horrifying things, last of which was watching Jerry Springer, (not creepy at all.)

3) When getting dressed for work in the morning, my eyes wandered to the side of the closet that requires Spanx, but I don't chance it yet.

4) We go to sleep with the fan blasting in the window, but wake up at some point of the night huddled under the lonely sheet that spent most of the summer on the floor, and ask the other spouse to turn off the fan.

5) Started counting backwards on the calendar to see just how far out I can get away with Halloween Decor miraculously showing up here and there, without the wrath of Hubby. (Supposed to wait until Oct. 1st., never happens.)

You can easily imagine how they jumped to this...

2) Bigfoot 
Have you ever seen a bear walk upright for long distances? If not, follow this link, bear walking up right and get back to me. That coupled with this picture of a bear with a balding desease, it's easy to see how people could spot bigfoot all the time and yet we never find bones (that's the sceptic's big argument.) Once the fur and skin are gone, you are left simply with a dead bear. On the other hand remember, large mountain gorillas were thought to be a myth until 1902. Does it seem possible we have a gorilla-like creature undiscovered deep in the woods of our less developed areas? Mmmmmaybe. I lean toward mutant bear, myself. 

3) Lock Ness Monster

There is a Damn in Oregon, Bonnieville Lock and Damn, where they give tours. The visitor center has 10-12 foot sturgeon on display. We were told back in the 70's when divers went down to work on the damn, they came right back up exclaiming how there were sturgeon the size of school busses swimming below. Sturgeon are immune to the cold, the dark, and are bottom feeders.  Is it possible that a creature such as this, a modern fish with close ties to it's prehistoric ancestors, lives quite happily in Scottland?

4) Dragons

Yes, I believe in Dragons. Or I should say I believe people of yore found 'Dragons' and made lovely stories about them. Have you ever noticed how much a Dragon resembles a dinosaur?

Better yet could you imagine what people of those times thought when they stumbled upon a scene like this?

5) Vampires

Okay granted vampires are a stretch, and Count Dracula was greatly exaggerated by Bram Stoker. Although he was certainly the most famous, he was not the first to write of these creatures. Where did they come from? Fokelore, as with any legend. 

The truth behind the legend? Well, I have a girlfriend with an alergy to sunlight. She actully breaks out in a rash if exposed for any length of time. The poor woman wears long sleeve shirts in summer. Good thing the summers are typically short here in the Great North West. 

Secondly, the medicinal practice of drinking fresh blood has been practiced through the ages. Thank goodness for modern science, huh? Give me a shot, thank you very much. 

Monsters exist because we try to name the unexplainable. Just because we witness the unnatural, a bear walking for example (seriously watch that video), and explain the weirdness by calling it some extrodinalry name, like Bigfoot for example, doesn't mean that it never happened. Quite the opposite. We are so busy denying what we don’t understand rather than accepting it and looking for the reality behind it, a truth which is undeniable. 

The unnatural event has already occurred. The only variable is how we explain it…"Monster".  

The thing about writing no one talks about is this, it is a solitary event in which it does not matter what we look like. Unless you are podcasting, no one will ever see the naked truth. Yes, sometimes the truth is actually naked, or so I've heard. Don't believe me? Look down right now. First off, are you even dressed? Is that spaghetti sauce on your lucky six-chapter-a-night shirt? SO here it is...5 things that instantly make me feel great about myself when I realize I may have ignored myself a little too long:

1) Lip Gloss with tint. (I hate sticky lipsticks) I know it's cliché but when your lips feel kissable, how can you help but write a sex scene. 

2) Add some height to your step. Not spring, height. I can't walk very well in heels, but I love them. They make my feet, legs and butt sooo pretty. But, wobbling in them is not attractive, so I compromise. Platforms are a beautiful thing and so are kitten heels. They don't kill your feet or back, and they don't scream I've given up. A happy compromise.

3) A new bra. I hate, hate, hate bra shopping. Can't stress that enough. I would rather change diapers, than bra shop. BUT...There is nothing frumpier than a pair of DDs swinging in the wing. I am 44. They hang to my kneecaps without proper support. A new bra makes me feel 30 again. 

4) Bobby Pins. Tell the truth, is your hair pulled back in a ponytail? My preferred 'get the hair out of the face so I can type' do is a bun. But I have discover a secret. Pull, twist, insert bobby pin front only, brush the back. Instant style. I then insert a flower to help camouflage that I've not washed it that day. I get more compliments on second day hair NO PONY TAIL than any other. Who knew? Give it a try. 

5) Shave everything! My husband actually called me tarantula legs two days ago. Way to kill the mood honey. I have fine blonde hair so I tend to forget to shave until it's too late. But there is nothing sexier than being sleek and soft to the touch, even if it's your own hand doing the touching.

SO there it is, my go to list for feeling sexy at the blink of an eye. You might ask what this has to do with writing? Sexy is as sexy does. Remember, it's all in attitude, if you are rocking that spegghtti stained shirt, who am I to judge but for God sake, go put on some lip gloss that matches!  

I love books, everything about them. The smell, the weight in my hands, the journey they take me on. Since I was young, I’ve read veraciously. But once I became an author, my appetite became more refined. I found myself actually putting a book down without finishing it. It had never happened before, and when it happened a second time I realized things had changed. I’d developed pet peeves that interfered with my ability to just let go and enjoy the ride. What makes you put a book down? Did it change one you became an author? Or as a fan is there some you can tolerate, and some you cannot? Here are mine:

1) Head hopping. I am reading a novel now, I am half way through and still not attached to any one character. I was to become one with the heroine and be carried away. Maybe become one with hero to get turned on by the level of testosterone. Hey, it’s called fantasy for a reason.  I find the head hopping distracting and a sure fire way to plant me, the reader right in the audience observing, instead of in the action, feeling.

2) Things quivering and trembling. I am so over it. I think that falls under cliché rules. Don’t tell me her lips are quivering from fear or desire. ‘Show’ me her almost pissing her pants or the goose bumps on her flesh. Anything but the tried and true quiver. Yet I see it in so many new authors’ work.

3) “He whispered” My answer to him, grow a pair and tell me what you want, out loud like a grown up.

4) 50 shades of anything. I think our cherries have all been popped at this point. Let’s tuck in the shirttail and use our imagination to find something new without using the word Dom or Sub. Let me clarify, I am not saying don’t use the BDSM genre. Please do, I love it. But if you were writing a new vampire novel would you name your main characters Bella and Edward?

5) Journeys that go on and on ...and on, with no new plot development or character growth. Ya, I get they gotta go somewhere, but do we have to be along for the ride? I find myself yawning and thinking wake me up when something happens. Now for the disclaimer, because my last novel was basically a road trip with zombies. But I truly made an effort for each chapter to introduce something new about the destination or a character, building the tension and need to move forward.

So there it is, my new pet peeves. Before I began writing, although some didn’t excite me, I couldn’t pinpoint why. Now I tend to read with an author’s eye, and find these things distracting.  What distracts you when you are reading?

1) Somewhere In Time
When he takes that one step closer, and you think perhaps for a split second he is going to show her mercy, but doesn't... it makes my breath catch.

2) Thor
She is having no part of his polite goodbye kiss. His smile afterward is priceless and makes me smile right along with him. 

3) Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Neither one can shoot the other, and when he slaps her gun out of the way to kiss her yep, it make me quiver. 'Course I also like how she slaps back for the hell of it after they 'make up'.

4) The Quiet Man
We've all seen this scene in ET, but if you've not scene the orginal movie, it is well worth the watch. Excellent writing and who can help but be a fan of any woman brave enough to slap John Wayne. 

5) French Kiss
I love the passion with which he grabs her while they are kissing, as if he could not help himself. Makes me sigh.

1) "An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises." - Mae West

In other words, GET BUSY! I had to finally start using an old-fashioned datebook and carry it in my purse. I put in it what I want to accomplish the next week and live, live live for those little check marks. Mind you the tasks are simple, ie: one tweet , one post, one marketing contact. Write today. All those little check marks add up to something bigger by the end of the week. But always always move forward.

2) "If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun." - Katharine Hepburn

Rules are a fine line in the literary world. FIrst, you have to know the rules, then you have to shake them up, bend them, break them. Find your own way, and FORGE YOUR OWN PATH. But this can't be done if you don't know the landscape first, least you get stuck in quick sand. And if, by chance, you do get stuck, remember it's just a delay in the journey not the end of it. 

3) "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" - Dr. Seuss

Stand out from the crowd. Be true to yourself. You cannot be everything to everybody. But you are the only one like you out there. Listen to your inner voice and trust it. Everyone gets bad reviews. Everyone. Even Shakespeare had his critiques. The key is to question if there's an oppertunity to learn from it. If not, then ignore it. If so, then take it, run with it and become better for it. 

4) "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Don’t fret about what isn’t or didn’t work. There is no sucess without failure. Otherwise how would we know it when we got there. Think of every hicup as one more link in the chain you have to build to reach your goal. Find another way and keep going. Light your candle and move forward.


5) "There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." - Will Rogers

Never stop learning form experts.

These quotes have shaped me and made me, not just a better writer, but a braver one willing to try new things. Do you have a Quote that spurs you on? Share it in the comments below.

Social Media is not just for Socializing. There are experts (anyone who has sold exactly one more book than I) out there willing to share their extensive knowledge. Be the ‘Young Grasshopper’ to their ‘Master Po’. Soak up all they are willing to teach. Be quiet, listen and learn.

With all the chatter, it is called social media after all, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the carnival barkers harking their wares and people with something to legitimate to offer. Today’s FAB 5 are sites that I have consistently learned something new with each visit. There are, of course many more, but these in particular have helped me hone my craft into something I am proud to share. I hope they help you as well.

http://boostblogtraffic.com/

http://heidicohen.com/

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/

http://www.copyblogger.com/blog/

And if you have any sites you’ve found to be helpful, please add them in the comments. I am ready to learn at the feet of the masters.