50. Day 50! Checking In

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Wow! Day 50!  I'm halfway through with my experiment of 100 articles in 100 days!  So... pulse check on how it's been going.

I'm so incredibly proud of myself for making it to day 50.  I have missed a few days here and there and had to do some updating with my schedule, but I've been extremely consistent for the most part!  I'm excited to see what the next 50 days bring, but I'm also looking forward to what comes after!  My experiment should be done by the end of September.  I have impeccable timing, as usual, because I started a new job last week, and I start my doctoral work on August 24.  Which means... I'll be stretching myself to work on everything.  However, I am not Taylor Swift.  I cannot perform a marathon every evening, write and record new albums, and re-record old albums by day.  I am human, and I'm giving myself the grace to be human. It's not failure. It's change through growth.

I once had a creative writing professor tell me that a story I had turned in wasn't my best work.  He said, "I think this is the story you needed to tell before you could tell any other story." Meaning, it was something I needed to write, to work through, to experience.  That story was serving as a block to my creativity, and I needed to work through it.  This experiment feels very much the same.  It's the story I needed to tell. It's the path I needed to take to practice using my voice, my own voice, not the voice that I've learned to use. After this experiment, I'll be focusing on two articles per week. One related to librarianship and instructional technology, and my Friday Five.  I have found that my Friday Five is the best part of each week, and I refuse to give it up!  Once I'm in my doctoral program, I hope I'm brimming with ideas to share!

One thing that will always stay true about my writing is my vulnerability.  I will continue to share about my battle with mental health, my experiences with Karen (anxiety) and Medusa (depression), and the general overwhelm that I experience as a human.  I hope that my honesty and transparency about my struggles will help someone else feel less alone.

Cheers to 50 days of this adventure!! 🥂🍻

With love, love, love!

Laurie

 49. Tech Tip Tuesday 💻 Collaborative Documents

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

One of my favorite technology tools is also the simplest: collaborative docs!  I think they are overlooked because they seem SO SIMPLE!   One thing I've figured out over the last 8 years of instructional technology... the simple things can be the most powerful!

What is a collaborative document?

It's any type of digital document shared with a group of people.  It can be a Microsoft PowerPoint, Word doc, Excel sheet, etc., or a Google Slides, Doc, or Sheet! The key to this document is that it is editable by anyone.  You don't have sole access to it, so everyone can add their own ideas.  (Yeah... I realize this is a release of control for some of you...)

Why use collaborative docs?

Your learners are practicing a variety of skills during a collaborative assignment:

1. Practice using a technology tool.

2. Sharing their own ideas in writing, rather than verbally.

3. The ability to add their own style (you know they love the fonts and images...)

4. Teaches them Digital Etiquette: how to be a good human online.

Ideas for Using Collaborative Docs:

PowerPoint/Slides: Create a presentation and share it with your students.  Assign each student a slide or assign a group of students to a slide.  Have them complete a project, task, or brainstorming session on their slide. My favorite activity is a "sticky note brainstorm".  I create a slide with a ton of sticky notes (square boxes that they can type in), and I ask them to answer a question.  Think about using this as a bell ringer by posing a question about the topic you're learning or as an inferencing activity: "What do you think happened next?".  

Check out these resources from Ditch That Textbook:

Brain Dump Template - Exit Ticket

Graphic Organizers (the top portion tells you how to do it, the bottom gives you free templates!)

Sharing with Students:

Every platform is slightly different, but the goal is to share your document with students via a link. You want to give them editing rights! 

The share button can be found in the top right corner of most platforms (like Google or Microsoft). Click Share, then choose the option to create a link.  Make sure you check the box that gives them editing rights!

Once you have a link, you can place it easily in your LMS (Schoology, Canvas, Google Classroom, etc).  You could also put it into a URL shortener like TinyURL or Bit.ly if you don't have a way to share digitally with students.

Tips for Success:

1. Set your expectations before you share the document.  You cannot erase others' work, you cannot use the technology to be foul or mean, etc.  (I always like to throw in that I have access to the document.  I can also see every. single. thing. they write, add, or delete.  You can find this under "Version History". Most of the time, the threat is enough to keep them honest.)

2. Start small. I suggest having them answer a question or two or create a single slide before assigning them a huge project.

3. Rewire your thinking.  If you would normally have students "turn & talk" or work in groups, the activity can be transitioned to a collaborative space!

Best of luck!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

2. New Job.  I started a new job this week!!! AHHHH!  Officially on day 5, and I adore it. I feel at home, and I'm ready to dive in and start making some projects happen! My role here will be a combination of working with the TTU Online school and helping faculty create OER materials (things that are free for students & the wider world). I'm learning so much.

5. Publication. In my new role, I'm a tenure-track faculty member.  As part of my tenure process, I'll have to publish, more so than on a blog like this 😂. I'll be working on articles and possibly book chapters, and that makes me both nervous AND positively giddy!  I want to publish in my field. I want to write about things that make our libraries better. But, I also need ideas! I've been working this week on jotting down any idea that comes to me that I could research and start working on!  First project: something to do with the impact of micro-learning on student achievement, and how that can be used to incorporate moments of micro-research into instruction!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

47. Harry Potter 🔮

Thursday, July 10, 2025

I realized today that I haven't written about one of my favorite topics: Harry Potter!!!

I'm a purist fan of HP: I read the books first, and I love them the most.  I've watched the movies a few dozen times, but I don't love them as much as I love the books.  The books bring together a beautifully woven world of magic, fantastical creatures, and rebellion. To say that I love that world is an understatement.

Every time I watch the movies and Harry arrives at the castle, I get a little thrill because it feels like I'm returning home to Hogwarts, just like Harry.

In true fashion, I must now regale you with my house, my Patronus, and my chosen magical creature.

On arrival to their school, each witch and wizard is sorted into a house. This house becomes their family & reflects different attributes of a person. I am a Hufflepuff! Your house is less about who you are as it is about what you value. Hufflepuffs value loyalty, patience, and hard work. We are inclusive, dedicated, and value justice.  Our house colors are yellow and black 💛🖤, and our house animal is a badger. Hufflepuffs are generally seen by the wizarding world as weak, the underdog. Neither the books nor the movies put much emphasis on Hufflepuffs, but being the center of attention isn't really our thing!

A Patronus charm is a spell that portrays pure light and is used to ward off a creature known as a Dementor.  Each person's Patronus takes on the form of a glowing blue animal; usually something of significance to that person. The official quiz for Harry Potter patronus charms labels me with a rattlesnake. Which I absolutely hate... so I reject that choice.  Instead, I believe that your Patronus should reflect pure joy and happiness! Nothing brings me more joy than a burrowing owl. So I have chosen the burrowing owl as my Patronus. Pottermore was just wrong about the rattlesnake...

My favorite magical creature is the phoenix.  Not only does a phoenix play an important role throughout the books, it's story brings me a certain joy.  At the end of a phoenix's life, it will burst into flames, and dissentigrate into ashes.  Looking closely at these ashes, you will see that phoenix reborn as a tiny, baby bird.  I love the beautiful parallel that we can always come back from the greatest traumas and mistakes. We can be reborn of our own ashes.

My second favorite animal is the thestral. Mostly because you can only see them if you have witnessed death. Why I love that, I have no idea. I should probably bring it up with my therapist.

With love, love, love! And so much magic!

Laurie

Finished:

• 1. 1. • 🎧 The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maeve is trapped. Her world was torn apart 7 years ago when she lost her father, and the portal that allowed people to travel between worlds was destroyed.  To find answers about her father's death (and if he really was the one who destroyed the portal), she attends an apprenticeship at the Otherwhere Post.  She is trained in scriptomancy, a magic that allows her to write enchanted letters that transport her to other worlds. 

•  🎧 We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I cannot tell you how weird this book was.  I also cannot believe how much I loved it.  It's one of those books you cannot erase from your mind.  Written in 1962, it's the story of a family that lives in the creepy house up the hill. No one visits, and only one person ventures out.  Two sisters reside in the house with their uncle.  But the oldest sister was put on trial for the murder of the rest of the family.  Arsenic in the sugar bowl was her presumed weapon, and all but the three were killed. She wasn't proven guilty, but that doesn't mean she wasn't.

• 🎧 The Honey Witch by Syndey J. Shields  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read two books about honey, back to back! This one features a witch who pulls her power from honey.  Every remedy, spell, or curse is brewed in a little bit of honey.  This book is full of dark adventure, a touch of mystery, death, and a beautiful romance.  Good vs. Evil. Light vs. Dark.  Witches protecting the land that they believe to be theirs. 

• 📖 Potty Training in 3 Days by Brandi Brucks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was a God-send for training the nephew!  My goodness, this woman knows her shit.  It's such a straightforward (and short!) book, but it helped us potty train my nephew in literally 3 days.  I would send her a goody basket if I could - she's a genius. I highly recommend it for anyone who is potty training or knows someone about to do it!

• 🎧 Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan & Jodi Picoult ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh, how I loved this book.  Jodi Picoult weaves in so much history, lore, and information about her topics. I felt like an expert in bees and honey after reading her book, but I also fell in love with her characters.  How do you handle everything when your teenage son is accused of murdering his girlfriend? When he is on trial for life-in-prison, but says he had nothing to do with her death?  

• 🎧 The London Seance Society  by Sarrah Penner ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the same author as The Lost Apothecary. Set in the 1800s in Paris, this story follows a group of men and women performing seances.  Lenna is looking for answers about her sister's death, and is pulled into the magic of a seance.  I didn't love this book. I really really wanted to because I adored The Lost Apothecary.  It fell flat for me, and I was never pulled into the story.  Boo....  

Want more book reviews? I post a synopsis of what I'm reading every week in my Friday newsletter! Sign up here!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

44. The Color Game

Thursday, July 3, 2025

When my 2-year-old nephew gets bored or needs a distraction, I pull out the color game.  Whether we're on the phone, in the car, in a restaurant, or at home, it never fails to say, "Find me....... something GREEN!" I recently found this works with 10-year-olds. My nieces, M & P were distracted for about 45 minutes this weekend with the color game (which morphed into the shape game, then into the "whatever is on the freaking wall" game.  Granted, we were in Texas Roadhouse, and there was a lot of shit on the walls. Highly recommend this in a Cracker Barrel.

But we can all benefit from the color game.  

Ready?

🟥 Look around and find something RED.

No. Really. Do it.

🟧 Look around and find something ORANGE.

🟨 Look around and find something YELLOW.

Great job! Keep going!

🟩 Look around and find something GREEN.

🟦 Look around and find something BLUE.

🟪 Look around and find something PURPLE.

You have just spent a few seconds away from your screen, which allows your eyes to adjust to things in different places around the room. You have also practiced a mindful minute. You're doing great!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

43. Collections

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

I think that collections are wonderful.  Truly, a collection can tell you so much about a person.  I've always had an affinity for collecting. Just ask my mom & sister who thought my collections of rocks, shells, and stickers were probably a bit extreme...

My first collections were rocks & shells.  I gathered the rocks from everywhere - especially my backyard because my mom had this huge flower bed full of quarter-size rocks!  The shells began after a trip to Galveston with my Grandmother.  She helped me fill a plastic baggie full of shells, and I've never fully stopped looking for them! I would take my collections into the bathroom periodically and clean them.  I'd lay out a towel, grab a toothbrush and soap, then spend hours washing each tiny crevice until my rocks and shells were dirt and sand free.  I'd spend time laying out all of my rocks, and grouping them; admiring how each one of them looked slightly different from all the rest.

Next, came stickers.  I remember buying a huge collection of Lisa Frank stickers that I kept under my bed.  I never really stuck them to anything, but I would flip through the glossy pages all the time looking at my favorites.  A few years ago, I saw an Instagram post that lives in my head rent-free: "If you collected stickers as a kid, but couldn't ever decide where to stick them... How's that adult anxiety treating you?" YUP. Nailed it on the head.

What followed has been a collection of stamps, coins (remember when the 50 states quarters were being released???), and books.

Eventually, all of my collections disappeared.  Thrown away, donated, or tossed back into the rock pile.  But the books have stayed constant.  It's no wonder I became a librarian; being a book hoarder myself!  

Now, I have different collections, and I never hesitate to add to them.  It's a good feeling to have grown-up money and no one to tell you "no". It's also nice to know that it doesn't matter what other people think about my collections. I love them.

I currently collect...

🧶 Yarn

📚 Books

🧱 Lego (with Court, of course)

🏖️ Sand (from our travels)

🎨 Crafts (sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, vinyl & paper crafting, polymer clay, rock tumbling...)

Collections happen when our eyes recognize a piece of our soul in something else.  Keep collecting. 

With love, love, love!

Laurie

42. Job Applications

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Applying for jobs is equivalent to having a part-time job.  The stress alone is enough to drive you crazy, but the whole process has become absolutely bananas.  My first teaching jobs (12 years ago) required me to complete pages of questions: What was your GPA? What was your major GPA? What were your last 12 jobs? Some made me take a test to see if I would "fit" their culture. Although the process to fill out an application is easier and more standardized.  The process feels more tedious.

Finding the Jobs

First, you have to find the jobs, which means you troll 2-12 websites and listservs from various organizations, hoping that something catches your eye.  You update your LinkedIn or Indeed profiles, and maybe decide to post something so that you look "active". You begin looking through the jobs and identify whether or not you have the skills required for them.  You do not.  Because no one does. It's a job application for the perfect person, and you begin to feel inadequate.

Resumes

You must update your resume. If you're like me, you do not keep up with your resume while working at your current job. You must dig through your old files to find the one you used 5-10 years ago (maybe longer), and then you must remember all of the tasks you have performed.  Then, you'll get overwhelmed and decide it's best to just start from scratch.

This resume has to be updated depending on the job that you are applying for.  One size fits all no longer works for resumes because hiring managers want to see that you match to your job description.

Applying for the Jobs

You've polished your resume & feel confident applying to your first job! You click on the "apply now" link and are prompted to create an account.  No big deal! You upload your resume so that the job portal can "fill in" all of your work history. Only to realize that the system cannot accurately read any of your resume, and you have to copy & paste it in anyway.  Answer 3-5 short answer questions, verify that you are, in fact, not an idiot, and promise to donate a lock of hair from your firstborn child if you are selected. 

Almost reach the end of the application when you realize you need a cover letter.  Pray that the window stays active long enough that you don't have to log back in.

Cover Letters

Write a cover letter, but ensure that it matches the job description.  You don't want it to sound too formal, but you also don't want to be too informal. You must tell the story of your experience without restating everything your resume already states. Ask AI to help align your cover letter to the job description, then edit the results to sound more "like you".  Locate the name of the hiring manager (so you can address the cover letter to them), and save!  Realize you saved it as a Word document, and the portal only accepts PDFs.  Resave the document. 

Submit the Application

Return to the portal, submit your cover letter, and declare whether or not you are a veteran or have a disability (Fun fact, anxiety and depression are considered disabilities. We all know I've got that!) 

Rinse and repeat until you have 50 (literally 50) applications submitted, and 50 different logins that you'll never remember.  You will also have a collection of 25+ resumes and 50 cover letters, all saying a variation of the same thing, except highlighting the skills for that specific job.

You will hear back from 10% of those with "we've decided to go in another direction"; the other 90% will disappear into the ether, and you'll receive one interview. 

If you are currently in this process, bless you.  It does feel unnecessary, and it is extremely tedious.  But you can do it. You can do hard things.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

41. Friday 5 🖐️ (on Monday)

Monday, June 30, 2025

Here is your Friday Five (on Monday)! A collection of 5 things going on in my world/my brain.

1. Skating Competition ⛸️. My nieces compete in ice skating competitions all over the country, but we rarely get to see them skate. This year, their national theater on ice competition was in Dallas, so we got to see them skate in person! Let me tell you, watching these competitions was delightful. They are perfectly choreographed, tell some type of story, and all of it occurs on ice skates! The girls’ theater group got 1st in their age group, and I was the most nervous auntie waiting for their scores!! 👯‍♀️

2. Daily Blogs. I’m struggling with the daily blogs. Trying to change up my schedule to incorporate writing into my evening, rather than the work day has really thrown me. I really like my schedule, and I’m having trouble rewriting said schedule to make time for my blog. I’m trying to be kind to myself without giving myself the ability to procrastinate. Last week messed with my schedule, so I’m working toward some consistency this week! I'm going to play around with writing the blog Tuesday-Friday, then reserving Monday for typing up my Newsletter & social media posts.

3. Aunting. I came into my fullest power as a human when I became an aunt. With each added niece and nephew, I’ve leveled up and added more to my aunting abilities! I was born for it. The bursts of excitement and energy, the full-on pouring of love into these tiny humans (or giant adults in the case of my oldest, J). Being an aunt is the greatest joy of my life. I wasn’t meant to be a parent, for a multitude of reasons between myself and Court - and I am perfectly happy with that decision. I get to be the best aunt. 

So happy to be your Laurie, J. (I knew you couldn’t call me ALaurie forever…)

So happy to be your Auntie, M & P. 

So happy to be your LaLa, H.

Full Auntie Powers Activated!!! 😊

4. Mothers of my Nibblets. Did you know that the non-gendered form of niece and nephew is “nibblet”? (It’s what I called H for the first few months of existence!) This is a shoutout to the Moms of my nibblets. Y’all. Thank you for the greatest humans. Thank you for letting me be in their lives, even though I’m fairly certain it’s like a Laurie-shaped hurricane running through your house. 

Finally, thank you for making them and raising them because… LORDY, I don’t know how you do it! 

5. Oil Changes. Y'all know I have a lot of anxiety. Because of that, Court has to pick up the slack when it comes to situations that make me anxious. After a lot of therapy and psychiatry, a lot of pills, and after finally leaving my last job, I am able to take on some of those responsibilities. One of those is oil changes. The prospect of speaking to humans is awful, but having to talk to them about my CAR? Absolutely not. But, today, I took my car in for a SECOND oil change without any hesitation. 

With love, love, love!

Laurie

44. Self-Care for Librarians

Wednesday, June 26, 2025

Today, I had the pleasure of presenting at the TCEA Librarian Conference! My topic was Finding Glimmers: Self-Care for Overwhelmed Librarians. I had 80 participants 😲, which tells me that there are a lot of overwhelmed librarians out there. So I'm sharing a few tips that we discussed!

First, what are Glimmers?  They are micro-moments of JOY, PEACE, and SAFETY.

Trick 1: Notice the small things:

✨ A purple flower growing next to the sidewalk. ✨

✨ A warm cup of coffee. ✨

✨ My favorite colored pencils. ✨

✨ Eating lunch with my husband. ✨

Every time, you notice a Glimmer, you build your capacity for positivity!  After you do it for a few days, you'll start noticing these micro-moments of positivity more and more!

Trick 2: Make. Them. Wait.

This one is a lot harder than noticing small things.  This might make you extremely nervous, but it's worth it!

Scenario: You answer the phone every time someone calls. You return calls immediately. You answer emails within seconds of them coming in. Everyone says you're so prompt and you are always there to help them!

But... that's exhausting, and it's not sustainable. Instead, we practice making. them. wait.

Practice It:

• When you receive a phone call, let it go to voicemail.

• When you receive an email, let it sit.

• Wait for 3-5 minutes longer than usual.

• Call/Email back.

• Extend that length every time.

• Goal - Response in 24 hours.

Why should you do this? In my experience, 75% of the time, the person finds the answer by the time you respond.  The other 25% of the time, it's not an emergency, and they're fine with getting an answer later in the day!

Trick 3: Use Your Phone for Good

We are constantly connected to our work life when we have immediate access to email, texts, and chats from work. 

Using Your Phone for Good:

• Remove email, Teams, and chats from your phone.

• Turn off notifications entirely.

  1. • Notifications - iPhone

     • Notifications - Android

• Silence notifications at night.

  1. • Silence Apps - iPhone

     • Silence Apps - Android

You do not have to be available all the time.  If you think you do, have a conversation with your principal.

Trick 4: Find a Community

Let's build a community of librarians supporting one another through Glimmers of self-care!  If you want to participate, email me, and I'll add you to our list!

libraryladylaurie@gmail.com

With love, love, love!

Laurie

43. Build a Better Question Chart

Tuesday, June 25, 2025

One of my favorite teaching tools was given to me by the Frenship ISD Instructional Coaches.  It’s a chart that can have many forms: Google any form of “leveled question chart”, “higher order question chart”, or “depth of knowledge chart”, and you’ll find something similar.

My version of the chart comes from a version created by Learning Forward Texas.

Each one of these questions fall into a different level of knowledge, so you can more easily create more challenging questions.  Here are a few examples based on a random story about a dog running into a house to steal a bone.

What is the dog doing in the book?

           Answer: The dog is running into the house to steal a bone.

The question has very specific answers and only relies on the learner to “recall” knowledge.

 How might the story be different if it was a horse instead of a dog?

Answer: The horse wouldn’t be able to make it into the house! So it would have had to sneak it’s head in through the door to grab a treat! Maybe it sticks it’s head through a window instead!

 See how the question is different?  It requires them to recall the story, make comparisons between how a horse and a dog are different, and it requires them to combine the information to form a different conclusion (synthesizing!).

Another example:

How do you use the Pythagorean theorem to find the length of the missing side of this triangle?

           Answer: a2 + b2 = c2. You do the math.

           Recall with a little application.

Using the chart, we dig a little deeper with questions like:

How might….

How would…

What should…

Want your own copy of my favorite chart? I’ve created one for you here. I highly suggest printing it out and posting it wherever you plan for your lessons (so you can input higher-level questions) and wherever you teach (so you can ask higher-level questions on a dime)!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

42. Why I never ask about your "why"...

Monday, June 23, 2025

In education, we are frequently asked to name our "why".  We'll be told at the beginning of a conference or PD session to think about WHY we do what we do.  "WHY do you show up every day?" 

When the job requires a full day of being on full display, teaching children of various learning abilities to read, write, math, or otherwise, we are encouraged to find our "WHY".  When the job requires another full day of work (right after the 8 hours we've already worked) to create lesson plans, grade, and input grades, discipline records, and document, we are doubly encouraged to find our "WHY".  

The correct answer to this question is always... the KIDS!  "I do it for my kids!" we'll all say, emphatically! "I do it because I want to see the moment they GET it! That look in their eyes when I've made a difference! It's hard, but I do it for them!"

Teaching has always been a type of service industry.  As teachers, we are told that the job is hard, but we do it to serve our students and our community.  And, we do! Most people don't get into education because they want money. We do it because we feel a sense of accomplishment at teaching little humans (and big humans) to learn, grow, and become curious, intellectual members of society.

But, let's talk about some of the REAL whys... and let's phrase it as "work" rather than "teaching" (because that's what it is).

I work because...

• I need insurance.

• I need to pay my mortgage/rent.

• I need to pay for groceries & bills.

• I need to provide my dog with the life that she deserves.

• I need to buy fun things for myself (like yarn and LEGO!).

• I need to spoil my nieces and nephews with random crap.

I can love what I do, and I can still do it because I need insurance and a paycheck. That doesn't negate the work that I do.

Why did I stop asking teachers about their why?

Because I believe that worth does not lie in the things done within the walls of your school or workplace. My worth lies in the things I do OUTSIDE the school/workplace. I am so much more than my job. 

And I want others to believe that too.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

41. Friday 5 🖐️

Friday, June 20, 2025

Here is your Friday Five! A collection of 5 things going on in my world/my brain.

1. Drive In 🎥.  This week, I went to the Drive-In movies for the first time! It's something that my parents and grandparents always reminisced about, and I'd never had the experience.  I watched the live-action Lilo & Stitch (DELIGHTFUL, by the way!), and here were my favorite things.  

1) I didn't have to walk on a sticky floor, sit in a sticky seat, and find hidden popcorn in my cupholder.  My OCD just cannot handle the thought of those germs.

2) I brought my own blanket and pillow to cuddle during the film.

3) We got to talk during the movie!  We giggled about the things we loved, talked about the characters we hated, and discussed what we liked about the remake.

4) I brought my own Chick-Fil-A lemonade, and it didn't cost me $500.

5) We saw a shooting star.  It was perfect because it was like 10 minutes after Lilo sees a shooting star in the movie!

2. Honey 🐝.  Honey has been a theme in my week!  I finished Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan and started The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields.  Both spend a great deal of time going over the process of beekeeping: taking care of the bees, harvesting the honey, and the healing properties of honey.  I'm always amazed by how themes will pop up in my life like this.  I always take it as a sign: should I start beekeeping?! Should I buy more honey?! Bees are wonderful. My favorite topic that popped up in both books has to do with the death of a loved one.  The beekeeper must go to each hive and tell the bees that their loved one has died. I think that's beautiful.

3. Marketing.  I'd like to turn this whole Library Lady Laurie thing into a full consulting business, where I would be able to train teachers and librarians! (I said it out loud, so now I have to do it...) I've been thinking about marketing a lot recently, and trying to research and learn as much as I possibly can.  Today, I read a "free ebook" on newsletter creation. I'm going to be trying my hand at a few things, so sign up for my newsletter to keep in touch! (And see what experiments I come up with!)

4. Alone Time.  I am an introvert, and I require alone time.  However, I've been extremely consumed by media during my alone time recently: social media, Merge Dragons, TV... I saw something this week that stayed in my brain, which I think I will try (condensing it a bit).  In the context of a long weekend alone, your time should be split into thirds:

1/3 Alone Time: Actual time alone in your home. Talking on the phone or social media doomscrolling doesn't count as alone. This is time you spend with your own thoughts (as uncomfortable as that is). You do hobbies, deep clean something in your home, nap, garden, etc.

1/3 Alone Around Others: This is time you spend with other people, but you don't interact with them.  Sitting at a coffee shop alone, taking a stroll through Target, going to the dog park. You feel less lonely when you interact with other humans, but it doesn't have as much of a draining effect.

1/3 With Others: Time with friends and family where you interact.  This can be lunch with a friend, a walk with your sister, or FaceTiming a family member. Today, mine with be a haircut: I'll be talking and interacting with another person.

5. Haircut ✂️.  Today, I visit my hairstylist, Lindsey.  She is an absolute delight and is the only person I will trust with my curly hair (truly, I wll wait MONTHS for an opening if I have to).  We have been together for 5 years, and I will cry if she ever leaves me.  This woman is an absolute genius with hair and treats my curly hair like the queen it is. Getting my hair done is full self-care. I get to gossip and talk nerdy things with her, I get a deep shampoo and scalp massage, and I get to walk around Ulta and look at pretty nail polish. 

I hope your weekend is filled with beautiful things!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

40. Student-Centered

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

This one might seem like a teacher-focused post, but if you are a parent, a leader, or a supervisor, this one is for you too! 

Student-centered learning means that all learning is centered around the learner, whether a child or an adult. It means that the learners do the majority of the learning through curiosity, exploration, and experimentation. 

Student-centered learning is near and dear to my heart:

1) Because it is held up by evidence and research.

2) Because I've done it and seen it work.

3) Because it's hard as hell to do.

It sounds simple, right? Let the learners be in charge of exploration! But... think about actually letting go of that control. Of planning an entire lesson and not having any say in what students are comprehending. Of allowing them to "get messy" with their learning and guide what they want to do next.  We, as humans, are control freaks.  Teachers, especially, are control freaks. Even those of us with messy desks and no clue what the lesson is tomorrow - we like control. 

So, how do we make student-centered learning happen? For me, it has to be deliberate.  When I create a lesson, a training, or any type of teaching moment, I have to purposefully ask, "Which part is student-centered?" Then, I have to plan backward from that moment.  If I want my teachers to create an infographic on a topic of their choice, I have to think about what they need to know before doing that.  Then, I have to create the learning that they will do.

Direct instruction is easy. Honestly, it's a little lazy, and I'm fully guilty of it as much as anyone! It's so easy to say, "I'm going to show you how to create this infographic. Right here, right now. Watch my screen." But it's much harder to say, "I have to teach them to do this infographic without actually showing them. Do I create a video? Do I create a handout? Do I have an example?" Those last steps require you to plan ahead and create the activities beforehand.

BUT! When you begin the lesson, THIS IS WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS! Suddenly, you are available to walk around and help your learners. You can guide them, answer questions, and allow each of them to explore. Parents, you'll see this when you want to "just do it for them". If you set up some type of activity or interaction, sit back, and let them explore... you'll see a spark.

We always complain that the "fun" has been taken out of education, and it really has been. But this is a small way to allow them to explore and experiment with the things you have to teach them anyway.

Practice by noticing when you are taking control. Are you saying, "just let me show you," or "I'm going to show you one time, then you're going to do it." Once you start noticing it, you won't be able to stop.

With love, love, love.

Laurie

40. Potty Training 🚽

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

We are childfree-by-choice, but I adore my nieces and nephews.  My 2 and a half year old nephew is being potty trained this weekend.  The whole family is on board to make it successful, and my sister has a plan.  I love a plan. I love being prepared, even if I know life doesn't go according to plans! My sister, knowing me as she does, sent me the potty training book to my Kindle: Potty Training in 3 Days: The Step-by-Step Plan for a Clean Break from Dirty Diapers. My mom has read it, my sister has read it, and I finished it today. The Davis women are READY to tackle potty training!

I'll be honest, this kind of scares the shit out of me.  I can teach a kid how to summarize a story. I can teach a kid to analyze poetry and identify why the author uses alliteration or metaphors.  I can teach an adult to run a computer and use technology efficiently.  I can speak to hundreds of people!  But HOW, pray tell, do you teach a kid to go to the potty when they have to pee?!  

I'm amazed by humans every day. I'm putting full faith in my sister as a mother because her intuition skills are out of this world! I believe that we can do this. But I also wonder how many moments will be similar to H's second week of life. When his mom and I were alone in keeping him alive.  We would look at each other, wide eyed, and say, "what in the world just happened? What do we do?" Then we'd burst into laughter and figure it out.

Wish us luck. 

With love, love, love.

Laurie

P.S. I really didn't want to write today. My schedule is changing soon, and I'm trying to adjust when I do these articles.  So in full transparency, I didn't want to, but I did. And now I feel lighter and happier for it.

39. Friday 5 on Monday🖐️

Monday, June 16, 2025

I missed last week's Friday 5, but it's my favorite post of the week! So here is my Friday 5 on Monday!

1. Father's Day.  We celebrated my dad on Saturday by going to a Sod Poodles Baseball game!  The Amarillo Sod Poodles (or Soddies) are a minor league baseball team. Their mascot is a prairie dog, and the games are utterly delightful. My dad has always been a silent watcher when it comes to sports.  He'd watch an entire football game standing up, arms crossed, saying nothing without cheering the entire game (his daughters did not inherit that trait, and you will likely hear us screaming, dancing, crying - *perfect storm*). He loves baseball and football particularly, but wholeheartedly supports anything that Oklahoma University Sooners love.  During this game, he surprised the hell out of me by actually yelling when a ball hit the foul line.  He was laughing, shaking his head, and telling that "'ol boy" on the field that it hit the line!  It was delightful.  He is delightful. It was a wonderful day.

2. The Big Puppy.  My nephew, H, also loves the Sod Poodles.  He was the catalyst for the entire trip because he kept asking to go to the ballpark.  His favorite part is the mascot - Ruckus the Sod Poodle (Prairie Dog). He emphatically refers to it as "THE BIG PUPPY!"  Which the entire family has now adopted.  

There was also a player that was injured during the game, and H was very worried about him.  He kept rubbing his leg and saying "boo boo!" until we showed him the player on the field.  So, in true Davis fashion, we've adopted #5 as our own, as well.

3. Sunshine & Grass.  My daily ritual is to come home from lunch, grab my food, and sit in the grass while I eat.  Lola thinks I do it just for her, so that my food is perfectly level with her snout.  It's my absolute favorite part of the day: touching grass, soaking up the sun, and sitting with my puppy.  All while eating food that I made myself. I've mentioned it before, but there is something special about connecting with the earth.  

4. Jodi Picoult.  I recently found Jodi Picoult.  I know she's been around forever, and she's one of the most popular authors of our generation.  However, I don't tend to love mainstream books, so I just skip them.  It started with Leaving Time, which I read a few years ago.  I was so impressed by her ability to make me care so wholeheartedly about elephants, and I was swept away by her story.  Then, last year, I picked up "A Blind Date with a Book" in a small bookstore.  It turned out to be The Book of Two Ways. I was again blown away by her ability to take parallel stories, a little questioning of reality, and a deep dive into Egyptology and make this amazing story.  Now, I'm reading Mad Honey.  It's beautiful.  I love a story that has an unreliable narrator, and an author that builds the characters throughout the story.  I can't wait to finish it.

5. What's Saving Your Life Right Now?  When I think of the Friday 5, I always ask myself this: "what's saving your life right now?" It doesn't have to be in a literal sense, but it's the things that are making me content, happy, or thoughtful.  It's the things that make my day better - like smelling the lilac bushes on my campus walk, or checking on my garden at lunch.  It's the small things that can save your life (or make it better). Never underestimate that.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

38. Adult Friendships

Thursday, June 12, 2025

The friendships of years 1-18 didn't prepare me for adult friendship.  There were so many fights about whether or not we could share best friends. Ditching your actual friends to tag along with the popular kids. Figuring out how to navigate being friends when you don't share classes with each other. The snarkiness and nights of crying didn't follow my friendships into adulthood. No one told me how hard it would be to make friends and keep friends in adulthood.

In general, my friends have usually occupied the same workplace as me.  It's much easier to be friends - even outside of work - when you're nearby every day!  The problem arises when you leave that place.  How do you keep in contact? What do you talk about? How do you make time for each other? Here are a few issues I've uncovered:

Point 1: They're not in the same "phase of life" that I am.

As a single woman, my friends all moved into the marriage stage before me. It was fun planning their weddings and talking about the future, but they became busier with their spouses (as they should!). As a married woman, most of my friends were in the baby stage - having babies, raising babies, and creating families.  I always felt a little out of sync with what they were doing.  I also felt like I was interrupting their time with their families (see Point 2).

My Solution:

I'm more comfortable with people who aren't my exact age.  I'm not having kids, so I tend to have friends who are older than me (no kids at home) or younger than me (no kids at all).  For me, this has been a game changer. I feel like we have a lot in common because neither of us has to get home to put the kids to bed!

Point 2: I don't want to burden them with my problems.

I have a bad habit of creating narratives for the people around me.  There is no evidence that they would say these things, yet I believe it. I'll reach for my phone to text a friend, and think, "They probably don't want to hear about that." Or I'll stop myself from DMing a friend because I've already shared 4 stories with them. I feel like a burden at times, like everyone around me has other things going on, and they don't want to hear about my issues. I don't want to be whiny. I don't want to be weak.

My Solution:

Honestly, I talk to my therapist about this a lot.  We work together on things that are true. Like, "I want people to reach out to me! My friends want to hear from me!" Or, "I am not a burden. I have needs. I need to text people." Recently, I've been bombarded with Instagram stories about feeling like a burden.  The narrative is always the same: "You aren't a burden!  As your friend, I want to hear from you! I want you to send me random texts! I want all the DMs!" I'm working on internalizing that.

Point 4: I'm an introvert. And I'm just tired.

Having adult friendships is hard enough without adding an extra layer of introvertedness. As an introvert, it's hard for me to spend a lot of time with people.  I have a set amount of "people-ing" allotted at the beginning of the week, and when it is depleted, I can no longer socialize.  It doesn't take much to diminish my people meter: too many people in a store or interacting with new people. When it's done... it's done. The only recovery is my home, my couch, my tv, and probably some wine.  

My Solution:

I have to make plans in advance.  I'm not a spur-of-the-moment, "let's grab drinks!" kind of girl. I need advance notice so that I can plan out my energy for the week.  If I answer, "I can't tonight!" It's not a lie. I truly can't.  I've also found that being honest works wonders.  I'll say, "I just don't have the energy reserves to do that tonight, but what about next week?" We've all been there. It's okay.

Overall, friendship as an adult is hard. We really have to work at it, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.  But isn't that all of life?  If you're still searching for your people, you'll find them. In the workplace or maybe halfway across the country. Best of luck.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

38. Micro-Research

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

This week, I had the privilege of training K-12 teachers & librarians at our Regional Service Center. The topic: Teaching Research When You Don't Have Time to Teach Research! 

Honestly, though, most people don't enjoy the research portion of the year.  No matter the research project, by the end of the project, the students hated research, I hated research, they hated me, and I was sick to death of them. It's round and round answering the same questions and prodding them to do something - anything! - with their project.

That's why I came up with the idea of Micro-Research!  It's not a unit plan or even a lesson plan. Instead, it's a mindset shift for everyone involved in the learning process.  Rather than thinking of Research as a huge project or paper, we think of research as a series of steps.  Each step is taught alongside your existing content, and you never have to stop instruction for the "Big Project".  Instead, you change your vocabulary, you tweak a lesson slightly, and you easily teach research skills in 5-10 minutes!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing these ideas with you and showing you how to embed micro-research into your instruction.  I'm currently working on adapting it for Higher Education, so I'll address all levels of instruction!

Stay tuned because we'll be discussing:

• Research Myths (things you're doing that you don't have to do)

• Research Roadmaps

• Isolating Skills of Research

• Micro lessons that you can teach in the library or classroom!

I'll leave you with these questions:

1. When was the last time you personally did research?

2. What did you research?

3. How did you find that information?

4. Did you write a paper, complete a project for a grade, or cite your sources?

5. Where can you access a research database in your adult life?

Hint: If you Google, you do research. 😘

With love, love, love!

Laurie

37. Tech Tool Tuesday .💻

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

I'm back with another Tech Tool Tuesday!  I'm partnering this one with my favorite instructional activity!  

Let's be honest. We hate icebreakers. We don't want to go all across the room and fill a BINGO card with people who have done certain things. I don't care that you went to Mexico, Sally, I want to know when this meeting is going to start!  We also don't want to touch our toes, do a dance, or any of the other icebreakers out there.  That being said... I force my trainees to do an icebreaker. But, I warn them ahead of time that it's an instructional activity - something they can and should incorporate into their classroom.  People still hate me, but they begin to understand why I have them do it.

The Activity:

You can call this activity "This or That", "Would You Rather", "Questions", or "Tell Me Something".  Make it your own 😘

1. Come up with a list of random comparison questions. Gemini or ChatGPT can help you make things relevant to your grade level! Just type in, "Give me 15 "would you rather" questions for 4th grade. Make them extremely silly." Here are a few of my responses; obviously, edit as appropriate!:

1. 1. • Would you rather have a pet dragon that breathes marshmallows or a pet unicorn that farts glitter?

      • Would you rather have to wear a swimsuit made of spaghetti to school every day or have a pickle for a nose?

      • Would you rather eat a booger-flavored lollipop or drink a glass of worm juice?

      • Would you rather your teeth fall out every time you laugh or your hair turn green every time you sing?

Peek Behind the Curtain:

I always share "peek behind the curtain" moments, so teachers can see that I'm intentionally using evidence-based instructional strategies while training them.  (This makes them less grumpy when you ask them to do an activity because they understand why you are making them do it!) In this case, the peek-behind-the-curtain is about collaboration.  I ask my trainees to do a lot of collaborative work: creating lessons together, being vulnerable with their ideas or feelings, and generally swap ideas.  Providing them with a low-stakes question gets them talking and allows them to become comfortable with one another. I can then ask them to discuss high-stakes topics without waiting for the awkward silences to pass.

Since I've started doing this, my learners will start collaborating almost immediately.  It doesn't take them two hours in the session to become comfortable talking to one another; instead, we can get to work 10 minutes into a training!

What Doesn't Work:

Open-ended questions tend to be harder for people to answer. They're also not as much fun.  If you ask, "What are you most afraid of and why?", the answer is boring. *yawn* However, if you ask, "Would you rather have a spider in your hair or a cow lick your face?" you receive a whole new level of conversation. You find out that your neighbor hates spiders, while the one across from you thinks cows are disgusting.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

36. My Pool 🛟

Monday, June 9, 2025

One quintessential part of summer is the blowing up of my backyard pool.  Once she arrives on the back porch, it is officially summer!! The pool in question is about 8 ft by 4 ft., made of air and plastic, and is just large enough to hold a float!

It all started when I asked Court if we could get a pool. Not an in-ground one that would take a year (or more) to build, but an above-ground 4-5 feet deep pool where I could float and swim a bit. It was a resounding no.  He said, rightly so, that he would be the one to clean it, so he did not want it.  Valid.

Then, I came across a picture on Instagram of a woman sitting in a kiddie pool with a drink in hand. It. Was. Genius!  I scoured Amazon for a pool large enough to hold a float with enough depth that I wasn't bobbing along the bottom. I found my pool, shipped it, gleefully blew it up on the back porch, and filled it with water. She was perfect!

It's been 4 years since that pool came into my life, but she's exactly what I need on a hot summer day. If I have a long day, I grab my book, uncover the pool, and float for an hour or two. I have a lazy Sunday? I grab a drink, put on some music, and float! My nephew comes to visit? It's the perfect size for him to float, practice blowing bubbles, or create body slam splashes!

35. Friday 5 🖐️

Friday, June 6, 2025

Here is your Friday Five! A collection of 5 things going on in my world/my brain.

1. The Storm.  Thursday night, we had a huge storm system come through the Lubbock area.  It started in New Mexico and made it's way across west Texas, producing 7-8 tornadoes. Court was in the oil field in Levelland - 45 minutes to the west of Lubbock - and a tornado tore right through their pad.  All of the men sheltered in their pickups and rode out the storm.  He said the pickup was being moved across the pad by the wind, and he couldn't see 6 inches through his windshield.  The hail smashed into his pickup and shattered his sunroof.  Thankfully, everyone was safe and no one was injured.  Lola and I rode out the storm in the bathroom, spending about 2 and a half hours under a tornado warning.  Lubbock was spared a tornado, but the hail and wind tore through our neighborhood.  I was on the phone with Court, and said, "I think this is the apocalypse." The Bruns family is safe, and things are replaceable.  Today, I'm overwhelmingly thankful for safety.

2. FaceTime.  I'm so incredibly glad that we have the technology to FaceTime!  This week, I talked to 3 of my nieces and nephews over FaceTime, and each time, my heart grew three times larger!  M & P showed me all of their new Pokemon cards followed by their collection of resin animals.  H showed me "tactos" (tractors) and "caaas" (cars) on his way to swimming lessons.  When I FaceTimed my mom to talk to H, she only got out "Hey!" before he started screaming, "LaLa! LaLa! LaaaaLaaaa!".  Seeing their faces gives me life!

3. Library Cards.  I want to do a longer post about how to get different library cards, but I've been thinking about them a lot over the past few months.  My sister & I made a pact to spend less money on books this year.  We have a major problem with buying books, and we read A LOT of them.  Neither one of us has used a library for "real" physical books since we were in high school. (I know, it's strange, just stick with me.)  I use the library for audiobooks and sometimes eBooks, but I've never checked out a physical book from our public libraries.  It seems so overwhelming, even as a librarian, to go into a library, pick out a book, walk to the front desk, and check it out.  It's something I have to work on because only half of the Gossip Girl series is available as an eBook!

4. Teaching Teachers.  On Monday, I'm hosting a librarian training at the Region 17 Service Center! It's titled: "Teaching Research When You Don't Have Time to Teach Research!"  It's the first 3-hour session I've planned in 8 months, and I absolutely love it.  I've missed working out a training schedule and identifying the best way to share topics.  The pacing, the breaks, the flow of information, and the movement.  I truly adore it.  I've loved working through the planning phase, and I can't wait for Monday! I know I'll be exhausted by the end of the day (there's no tired like teacher tired), but my bucket will be filled!

5. Taylor Swift.  I usually listen to audiobooks non-stop in the car, on the walk into work, during lunch, etc.  But I've been in a full-on Taylor Swift mood this week!  I turn on my Spotify, find her page, and hit shuffle. This week, I've been particularly fond of Reputation and The Tortured Poets Department.  I drive my car and pretend like I'm doing karaoke for the masses! (As if I'd ever be caught dead in a public karaoke moment!) Each song ends, and I determine whether or not it would be a worthy karaoke song.  If she sings too high, it's immediately out... And if she sings too fast, I'd be too nervous to keep up... Right now, I'm sitting with Delicate as the perfect song.  Maybe Clara Bow. You'll never know...

With love, love, love!

Laurie

💚 Ownership. If you own a home through a mortgage, you know that the bank technically owns that house.  You are essentially a tenant except you have rights, and you have to fix everything that breaks.  Imagine this: You pay your mortgage every month, yet the bank comes to your house and demands you pay to add a second floor.  Maybe they demand that you re-paint the house to match their company colors - green and black. Maybe they demand that you upgrade your appliances to the most expensive style on the market.  There are rights that come along with ownership. We are able to make decisions that work for us and our family. We can choose a less expensive stove because we can't afford the fancy one that cooks a turkey to perfection (mostly because you make turkey once a year... and really... can we just move away from turkey??). Historically, artists don't own their work if they contract with a label, a publisher, etc. But should they? Should they be able to say what happens to the blood sweat and tears they have poured into their work? Just because it's always been that way, doesn't mean it should be that way. 💛 

💜 Women. You can say what you want, but the research shows us that women are not treated with the same respect as men.  A lot of research. Plus your own personal experiences.  This is the perfect example of a woman, who has been slandered in the media and destroyed across the globe, rising like a phoenix from the ashes and demanding what she deserves.  When we think about our girls - the babies, the young, the adult, the old: what do they see? Is it possible that they see a woman who didn't allow the world to walk all over her, who has grown from her experiences, and become stronger for it.  When we think about our boys - the babies, the young, the adult, the old: what do they see? Is it possible that they see a woman that they can respect and hold in high regard because of what she did, rather than who she is? ❤️ 

🩵 Vulnerability.  One of the key tenants of being human is vulnerability. I love seeing someone so raw and vulnerable sharing her experiences. Haven't we all felt that way: powerless with no one listening to us? Seeing someone else go through that experience with raw emotion about how difficult it has been has allowed me to heal my wounds. I see her vulnerability in her songs and in her letter, in her true pain and pure joy. When you see someone else has gone through it, you no longer feel alone.🖤

🖤Healing.  Taylor Swift's music has helped heal me in many ways.  Red brought me through many a break up. Lover made up the foundation of my Wedding Playlist. Folklore has taught me to grieve leaving a place that was my home. Tortured Poets Department has brought up the tears and fears and words that truly encompass being a woman from ages 0-100. I see in these words, healing for her too. We all work through things in our own way. We write, we sing, we dance, we talk, we exercise, we work hard. But we can't fully heal unless we stop bottling it up.🖤

So, to all my readers: I hope that you can feel joy for Taylor Swift & what this means for her.

With love, love, love!

💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤

Laurie

Finished:

• 1. 1. • 📖 You Know You Love Me: Gossip Girl #2 by Cecily von Ziegesar  ⭐⭐⭐

Blair's 17th birthday is on the horizon, and she's determined to seal the deal with her boyfriend... who might or might not be seeing someone else.  "Uh, oh, B. Looks like you might not be the only girl for Nate..." Her mother has also planned her second wedding for her birthday (I mean, who does that to a teenager?!). Life is not going Blair's way, and it's starting to get to her!

•  📖 All I Want is Everything: Gossip Girl #3 by Cecily von Ziegesar  ⭐⭐⭐

The books begin to deviate from the show wildly! Blair gets a step-brother, a pop star becomes infatuated with Serena, and Nate smokes so much marijuana that he's never not stoned. I didn't love the plot line of this one as much as the first two. But I'm holding on because I know it'll get better! Such an easy read, and set in the early 2000s when I was living my best high school life!  The characters in the books are not quite as "grown up" as the characters in the show, and I like that!

•  📖 Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My sister bought this book for Court, and I ended up reading it first.  A family is vacationing in an Airbnb outside New York when a couple arrives on their doorstep.  They insist that they are the owners of the Airbnb, and they seem to know their way around.  But something isn't right.  What brought them to their vacation house? What is happening in the world? And why is the TV broadcasting an Emergency Signal - not the warning kind... It's a short read, and I absolutely loved it.

• 🎧 Gilded #1 by Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I adore Marissa Meyer! Her Cinder books are one of the few series that I wish had never ended! She does twists on fairy tales, then adds in her own dose of storytelling!  Gilded is the story of a young girl (Serilda) who is blessed by the god of stories.  On the full moon, the evil Erlking and his minions ride through the country, taking children and wreaking havoc.  Serilda finds herself caught in the path of the Erlking and tells a lie that she can spin straw into gold.  The Erlking snatches her up, brings her to his castle of ghosts and dangerous creatures, and tasks her to spin straw into gold. She somehow summons a poltergeist named Gild and begs him to help.

• 🎧 Cursed: Gilded #2 by Marissa Meyer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story continues in Book 2, where Serilda and her lover Gild fight to break the curse on the Erlking's castle.  But the Erlking has plans that are more devious than Serilda can imagine.  Serilda begins to notice that her stories have a tendency to become true, and she might actually be blessed with a golden gift.

• 📖 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy⭐⭐⭐.5

Let's talk about Anna. This book describes two main characters: Anna & Levin.  Anna is an upscale woman married to Alexey Karenin, but finds her life lacking the moment she meets Count Alexei Vronsky.  Suddenly, her husbands face is lacking, his height is disastrous, and she simply can't bear to be near him. She and Vronsky scandalize all of St. Petersburg society by having an affair (which they don't hide in any form or fashion).  Vronsky and Anna run off to Moscow and live in disgrace while Alexey Karenin stays behind to clean up the mess. Levin is a country boy who loves Kitty. He has come to St. Petersburg to court her, but she only has eyes for... Count Vronsky.  The story of their journey is sweet and pure. Levin eventually returns to his farm, and tries to make up his mind about the brewing politics of the time.

I'm not going to tell you the ending, but I was SHOOK. I gaped at the book, put it down, and re-read the page.  

Do I recommend? It depends.  Do you love literature? Do you love a sloooooooow burn with closed doors?  Do you love Russian society? Yes? Try it out! Maybe? Read some reviews!  No? Find something else!

• 🎧 Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher ⭐⭐⭐

This one was recommended by someone on Instagram.  The story opens on Marra, a princess who is on a quest to kill a prince.  A witch has tasked her with three impossible tasks, and we see her in the midst of the second: knitting a dog together with bones and wire.  She succeeds in creating a bone dog, hands bloody from the wire, and returns to the witch to complete the third and final task. Why does she want to kill the prince? Will she succeed?

There's a chicken possessed by a demon, a dog made of bones, a fairy godmother, a knight, and a witch. I'll remember this one for awhile - especially the opening chapter!

Want more book reviews? I post a synopsis of what I'm reading every week in my Friday newsletter! Sign up here!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

32. Karen in Action

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

You might remember that I named my anxiety. Her name is Karen (because she's annoying and no one really wants her around).  Karen can be a quiet mouse, silently sitting in her corner, watching the world through my eyes, soaking in the beautiful things I see or do... then BAM. Something hits her so solidly that she catches fire and starts screaming in panic.  

Last night, Karen started screaming.  What, pray tell, was she screaming about? Were we being invaded? Did we accidentally touch the stove? Was there a DINOSAUR chasing us?! Nope. We had an appointment with the physical therapist at 7 this morning.

Karen decided that visiting the physical therapist was terrifying, specifically the process of checking in, being invited back into the clinic, and doing something with my belongings. Let me take you through a few of Karen's ruminations and the myriad of plans I created to accommodate them. All caps do, in fact, illustrate when she starts screaming in my brain.

Karen: What do we do when we get there? Last time, we were a new patient, so there was paperwork. But there was that moment where the therapist came back and told everyone to come in at one time! Do we check in??

Plan 1: We check in just like we did last time! Then we ask them what we need to do.

Karen: NOPE. We could be wrong. Being wrong is bad.

Plan 2: Okay, we can wait in the parking lot until someone walks in. We go in right behind them and watch what they do.

Karen: BUT WHAT IF THEY ARE A NEW PATIENT?!

Plan 3: We don't have to go. We don't need physical therapy. We don't need to crochet.

Karen: YUP. Perfect plan.

Plan 4: We have to go!  We're going to walk up to the desk and check in. They'll tell us what to do. We can be wrong.

Repeat 2 dozen times until the moment I walk in.

Karen: Last time we brought in our purse, and we had to carry it all over the clinic, and we saw those lockers. Do we use those? HOW DO WE USE THOSE?!

Plan 1: We won't need a locker! We're fine.

Karen: THE PURSE!!!!

Plan 2: Okay. I won't take in my purse. I'll take in my key.

Karen: Oh my gosh. We'll have to pay! Did they have tap? I don't remember, did we use our phone?!

Plan 3: I'll take in my key and the credit card! Plan made!

Karen (after we've arrived at the clinic): YOU WORE YOUR CARDIGAN! What do we do with that?!

Plan 4: I have my key in my pocket. I'll just hold my cardigan and move around! It'll be fine!

Karen: OH MY GOSH! Do you have the credit card? Is it lost? Do we need to freeze it?

Plan 5: OH MY GOSH! Oh, wait, I have it.

Karen (after we've left): YOU FORGOT THE CARDIGAN!! I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!! Someone is going to steal it, and we'll never see it again.

The end.

This is a nonstop conversation anytime something new is happening or I'm visiting a new place.  I would love to say that this is hyperbole, an exaggeration, or a hilarious commentary... but it's really not.  True transcripts, minus the moments where I stare into space because I'm working through a plan to fix Karen. 

If this resonates with you, know that you aren't alone.  You're just as sane as I am!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

31. Abandoned Books

Monday, June 2, 2025

Happy June!!! Lordy, May was a long month!  

Let's talk about abandoned books.  These are not the books that are left on the shelf in the bookstore, screaming after you to buy them. Not the books dropped into donation bins (I actually highly encourage this). Not even the books that line your shelf that you refuse to read because you "aren't in the right mood" - even though you bought that book 5 years ago. 

Abandoned books are the ones that you didn't finish. Otherwise known as DNF! People have very big opinions on finishing books, and I've found there are generally two views:

1. ABSOLUTELY NOT! I started it. I will finish it.

2. YEAH, THAT'S GARBAGE. I'm not reading that.

 There isn't much in between. You either do it or you don't do it. Black and white, no grey.  I fall into the second category.  If I don't love a book, I will probably return it to the library, toss it into my donate pile, or on two occasions... actually thrown the book away. In my defense, both of the books contained massive amounts of misinformation and did not need to be in the hands of others. 

I have abandoned books that my sister loved, were raved about across the book universe, and made every best seller list in the world.  I have abandoned books that made me uncomfortable because the topic made me feel icky, or I couldn't emotionally handle it.  I have abandoned books that bored the hell out of me. I have abandoned books that I knew to be good, but I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to read them. I have abandoned books that I was re-reading and loved the first time!

There are too many good books in this world to waste my time reading bad books. I like strong writing. I like strong plot lines and fun characters! I don't like a lot of violence or scary things. I love fantasy and dystopian stories!  

Books are meant to be enjoyed. If you aren't enjoying it, then you're doing a disservice to yourself and the book.

My challenge: Just put it down.  I know, I have those perfectionist tendencies too! I must finish something once I start it!! It'll make you uncomfortable, but then you'll get to choose a beautiful new read from your bookshelf or library!!

With love, love, love!

Laurie

P.S. I'm abandoning a book today.  4 hours into a 14-hour audiobook.  I'm not saying names - you might love it, and goody for you. I did not.

1. The Giant Nephew Graduates.  Y'all. 18 years ago, I became an aunt.  J is actually my second cousin, but we all know you choose your family.  I loved him SO BIG that I just adopted him as my nephew. This weekend, he graduated from high school!!!! I sobbed the entire time he was walking across the stage, then sobbed again as I watched a video of him walking across the stage (which my husband filmed for me with the absolute best quality and amazing zooming!!!).  My baby. Graduating!  It's such a huge deal, and I'm bursting with aunt pride.  This man is going to do amazing things. He's so incredibly smart, talented, and kind. He loves his family, protects his friends, and runs the most enterprising schemes you can imagine.  Love you, kid. Don't be a dumbass. 😘

4. End of May. May has been the longest month since January.  I swear it's been at least 3 months long.  I feel very worn out this month, which is not something I expected! Usually, May is crazy for educators & parents (I'm neither this year), so I expected it to feel more like a normal month. It. Is. Not. May sucks.  I'm very glad that the lovely June is coming to visit us this weekend, and I can't wait to celebrate summer with her! 

5. Physical Therapy. I finally started seeing a physical therapist for my crocheter's elbow.  It's a real thing for people who crochet a lot! Look it up! I think physical therapists are highly underrated. They know things about the composition of your muscles, tendons, nerves, and bones, and they work those muscles in small movements to reduce inflammation and create strength!  PT is not just for those with an injury or a fall. It's truly helpful - whether you've had shoulder pain for months or a bad back for years. Physical therapy can help you get to the root of the issue!  

With love, love, love!

Laurie

34. The Home Bucket

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

I met with my therapist today (as I do every other week). We discussed that every person has two buckets: your work bucket and your home bucket. Every day, you allot a certain amount of energy to each bucket.  I am horrible about allotting too much energy to my work bucket, and not enough to my home bucket, or I will take energy from my home bucket to supplement work.  This causes me to burn out, and I have less and less energy for home.

The things in my home bucket are precious, and they deserve my full energy - much more than I currently give it. So, my goal is to protect my home bucket.  When I have used up all the energy allocated for work, I will protect my home energy. Even if it means leaving things undone at work.

The Precious Things in my Home Bucket:

• Court & Lola

• My Mental Health

• My Physical Health

• My workouts

• My nieces and nephews: J, M, P, & H

• My sister

• My mom

• My dad

• My friends

• My crochet

• My books

• My family

• My sanity

All of it is important.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

33. Missed

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Yesterday, I missed my very first article - #33 should have been a Monday publication.  I honestly thought that I would be horrified if I missed a day.  Like I had let someone down. Like I had let someone else down.  Instead, I feel a sense of pride that I've made it this far, and I'm excited to keep going.

This is what I did yesterday, instead of writing (which I totally forgot about until 4:30 on Tuesday).  

• I watched TV with my husband (currently binging the newest season of Resident Alien 👽)

• I ordered groceries & picked them up.

• I cooked two giant meals that will feed us all week.

• I snuggled with my puppy.

• I watched Gossip Girl & finished my book.

• I gathered Vitamin D while lying in the sun.

• I colored in my coloring book.

All of this to say, that I spent the day doing things that I love. Things that fuel me. Things that take care of my family.  My perfectionist brain is (surprisingly) unfazed by taking that time for myself.

I hope that when you lose track of time, and you forget to do something - whether important or miniscule - that your body and mind fill with grace.  Because we are humans, and we are doing the best we can.

Now, go touch grass and soak up the power of living things.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

32. Friday 5 🖐️

Friday, May 23, 2025

Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Five! A collection of 5 things going on in my world/my brain.

1. JoAnn Closing.  This week, my local JoAnn Fabrics closed. I used JoAnn almost exclusively for buying yarn and craft supplies, even though we have a Michaels (terrible yarn selection) and a Hobby Lobby (terrible values), I'll have to transition most of my buying online.  For a crafter, walking through their favorite store is equivalent to grabbing a coffee and wandering through Target, and I spent so many hours walking up and down every aisle and squeezing skeins of yarn.  I would imagine the projects I would create, I would chat with other crafters, and periodially assure others that their yarn choices would make a perfect blanket.  When I walked into the store for the last time, it was almost completely dismantled and so very sad.  RIP JoAnn. You will be missed.

2. Court. I appreciate my husband so much. But this week, I had one of those moments where I'm just in awe of him.  He loves his girls (me and Lola) so BIG, and he does so much to take care of us.  He's truly one-of-a-kind and a gem. Sometimes, our relationship feels so easy because he's my best friend, the other piece to the puzzle that is my soul. Sometimes, you forget to recognize how exceptional the person in front of you truly is.  Court, you are exceptional.  I wouldn't want to be married to anyone but you.

3. Gossip Girl. I've been re-watching the Gossip Girl TV series (delightful!) and I started reading the books for the very first time.  The books were published in the early 2000s, so it's extremely reminiscent of high school for me! And the characters aren't quite so glitzy and schemey as in the TV show.  Gossip Girl has been on my screen and my Kindle for a few weeks now, so I'm fully immersed. Probably should take a break. Probably won't. XOXO.

31. Teaching

Thursday, May 22, 2025

I miss teaching deep in my body, mind, and soul.  This time of year, when all of our teachers are striving for the finish line, exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated... When they are simply keeping the children alive.  (Yes, outside world -and administration-, they are keeping the children alive and building core memories. Do not judge them for any of it.) When teachers are saying goodbye to their babies and hello to their summer... I miss it all.

My first year of teaching, I became so unexpectedly overwhelmed with love for my students.  I had never felt so much love for another human being, and I suddenly had 45 little humans to love!  I remember grabbing my chest and crying because the feeling was so overwhelming.  it was that love for them that I put into everything I did, trying to give them as much love as they were giving me. That was the reason I burned out so quickly.  

Working as a librarian filled that gap of teaching in the classroom.  Instead of 85 students, I suddenly had 800! I still taught daily through co-teaching lessons and one-on-one conversations, and I got to be *the librarian*, which was such an ego boost!  Moving to Central Office and district administration was one of the hardest moves I made.  It took me a long time to recover from being removed from classrooms and kids.  I started finding the same amount of joy from teaching teachers as I did from teaching kids - they're all students!

My latest move into Academic Librarianship has been a hard one.  I think that's why I miss teaching so deeply at this moment.  I get small doses of instruction every few months, but it's not even close to watching a kid or teacher grow in their own achievement and self-worth.  I've thought many times, "Maybe I should just go back! Maybe I should just get a teaching job and be an English teacher again!"  But I know the classroom has changed.  The entire landscape of education has changed, and it no longer feels like a place where I can be safe and do what I love.  However, I know that my heart is fullest when I teach, and I need to make that happen more often.  

My friend Kim taught me the power of AND.  I can be happy AND I can be overwhelmed. I can be tired AND my heart can be so full!  In this case, I can miss teaching AND know that a different path is illuminated for me.  I can know that I would succeed as a teacher AND know that my heart, mind, body, and soul cannot handle it.

All the teachers who finish today - GO ENJOY SUMMER!!!

All the teachers that finish next week - YOU CAN DO THIS. JUST KEEP THEM ALIVE!

All the parents - Tag, you're it! GOOD FREAKING LUCK.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

29. Tech Tool Tuesday 💻 - Digital Declutter

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

It's the end of the school year & almost halfway through 2025, so it's time to take a moment and declutter your digital life!  It's so easy to forget that our digital world needs some love just as much as that closet that you've been shoving your stuff into all year (I have one too... It's currently full of files I don't want to file and crafts I decided to abandon.)  The digital world is easier to hide because we don't walk by it every day, but it can also get overwhelming.  

Today's tip is inspired by TCEA's blog post about an "End-of-Year Reset," which I highly recommend!  (While you're there, I recommend subscribing to their blog - scroll down halfway - it's on the right!) 

This post is a bit more targeted to your mounds of digital clutter!

Unsubscribe

If you sell your email to a dozen newsletters & sign up for every "free trial", this tip is for you!

I have a very bad habit of giving my email to anyone who asks.  I want to download a free pdf copy of "Marketing for Your Library"? Yup. Take my email and continue to send me newsletters and requests to purchase for the next 5 years of my life.

However, there comes a time when newsletters no longer serve you.  Go through your inbox and spend 5-10 minutes unsubscribing from email lists.  

Ask yourself: 

"Have I read this newsletter in the past two weeks?"

"Do I find this information useful?"

If the answer is "no", unsubscribe from that puppy!

Delete Emails

Whether you file every email you get, delete on the spot, or leave them in your inbox to rot for all eternity... this tip is for you!

My email is an extension of my brain. Truly, it holds information that I can dump from my brain because it's a quick search away.  However, there is nothing better than an empty inbox... Set a timer and spend 5-10 minutes deleting (not archiving) any email that no longer serves a purpose.  Homework questions from students, old newsletters, that reminder that there is a meeting after work... everything that you do not need to save.  If you use your email as a portion of your brain, don't delete anything important.  

Do this for 1 week and challenge yourself to clear your inbox.  After one week, challenge yourself to delete 10 unnecessary emails a day. Do a 5-10 minute "cleanse" of your inbox every Friday.

Tip: Partner the last two tips & kill two birds with one stone!

Tackle Your Folders

Whether you are using Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, or your computer, this one's for you!  

(If you're still using your computer, please know that you will lose your files at some point.  If you don't want to lose them, set up a free Google Drive or OneDrive. Please. I'm begging you.)

Friends, I love a good paper trail. I have referred back to documents that I've saved years ago to find information. But I HATED my documents folders... until I found a system that works.  I love this setup because it allows me to see the most important folders at the top. 

28. Meet Karen

Monday, May 19, 2025

It's mental health awareness month, so I'm doing another deep dive into my mental health.  I have anxiety. Quite a bit of it, in fact.  When my medicine is working correctly to fix the imbalance in my brain, I live with my anxiety at about a 3-4 (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest).  Without my medication, my anxiety is about an 8. Both of those are my average, everything-is-going-fine level, but they will jump a point or two if I'm under stress or my anxiety is triggered. My therapist said that my anxiety is "debilitating" at its worst, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Although I've had anxiety my entire life (undiagnosed & unknown), the COVID-19 pandemic spiked my anxiety through the roof, like it did to many people.  I suddenly became extremely concerned about diseases, germs, getting sick, dying, etc.  I started seeing a therapist regularly, tried some different medications, and started following all types of mental health professionals on Instagram. There, I saw a post about naming your anxiety and giving it a persona.  For some reason, naming things helps us humanize them, and we begin to treat them differently.

So, meet Karen. My anxiety.  She's aptly named because she's extremely loud and annoying, and no one wants her around. (My apologies to the actual Karens of the world.)

Karen is my constant companion. She's in my head when someone stands too close to me, whispering, "They are probably sick, and you're going to get it now." She panics when I touch something in public, "Why did you touch that doorknob?!  Now we're going to get a disease and die. Wash your hands." And sometimes she just pops up out of nowhere to repeat something over and over: a phrase, a single line of a song, or a comment made by family or friends.

Once I named her, I could actively address what I was feeling.  Rather than telling Court that I "didn't feel right", I could recognize that it was my anxiety and blame it on Karen: "It's just Karen. She's making me anxious."  If you've ever been waiting for a diagnosis, you know that naming something is extremely powerful.  It's the unknown that is scary. "We don't know what's wrong with you," is never comforting.  But having a diagnosis, a name to attach to the thing, is extremely powerful.  Obviously, Dumbledore knew this in Harry Potter because he refused to call Voldemort, "You-Know-Who," like everyone else. But I digress...

This caused me, in turn, to name my depression as well.  Her name is Medusa. She can stop you in your tracks with one look, and she has a really bad reputation. (And not the Joan Jett variety...) When I have a low day, it's no longer because my "depression is acting up", but rather "Medusa is here. She's visiting." It doesn't make it go away, but it almost feels like you have a tangible thing to hold onto.  Because tangible things can walk alongside you, they can be talked to.  Thankfully, Karen and Medusa don't fight, and they stay in their own corners *figuratively*.

May your own Karens and Medusas be kind to you this week. Remember: You are kind. You are smart. You are brave. You are loved.

With love, love, love!

Laurie

27. Friday 5 🖐️

Friday, May 16, 2025

Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Five! A collection of 5 things going on in my world/my brain.

1. Mother's Day.  Sunday, we celebrated my Mom & sister as the most amazing mothers in our lives! It was a perfect day. Sitting in the backyard under the silver leaf maple talking to the family, listening to my nephew hollar "PaPa! PaPa!" across the yard, and even a quick visit to the farm to visit our cows and get dirt.  Visiting Earth is always a reset for me.  If I can spend time with my family, it's a double reset. And if I can get my hands into the dirt in some way, it's a full reset.

2. Gardening.  My Nana always said that you can't plant flowers until after Mother's Day.  It's the go-to saying in our family, and all the women are itching to get plants in the ground from the first sunny day in February until Mother's Day!  I worked all last weekend on getting a new garden bed dug out.  I'm placing it in the alley because we have a ton of room, and I won't mess up the sprinklers (I don't mess with Court's sprinklers!).  I hauled out tons of rock, tilled the soil, carefully dug around some communications lines, and added dirt from my Daddy's farm.  Today, I put up a trellis for my cucumbers, added some plants, and sowed my seeds.  I'll check three times a day to see if my seeds have grown and to talk to my new plants.  Davises were meant to grow things. We were born of the earth.