Girl In Pieces: A Book Review
Red, White, and Royal Blue: A Book Review
Title: Red, White and Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Copyright Date: 2019
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Alex wasn’t born into the spotlight in the same way that his nemesis, Prince Henry, was born into the royal British family. Being the son of the US President brought changes to Alex’s life and a never ending entourage of followers willing to spend hours capturing his every move–like his very public fight with Prince Henry that ended in both of them wrestling atop an expensive cake. When Alex gets himself tangled in the fallout from the fight, he decides to make it up to his mother and her campaign by fabricating a friendship with the Prince.
From an optics standpoint things were clearing up between the young enemies, but upon closer inspection things were only becoming more complicated. All of this time spent together to repair their images turned into more than a bromance, and put two young sons of power in the center of a battle for their own hearts. Alex tried to cautiously enter into a courtship with a Prince, but they both find out that a casual relationship is out of the realm of possibility–they were destined for one another.
In this story of finding love in unlikely places, Alex and Henry must weigh their own happiness against the expectations of two nations that rest upon them. And when keeping their relationship hidden is no longer an option, Alex and Henry must face the consequences of being true to themselves.
Although I found the premise of this story to be a bit cliche and unrealistic there were still some cute scenes that kept me reading. I loved the fact that the President of the US was a progressive female and that the two countries represented in this love story are the same two that are part of my own love story with my husband. This tale also exposes the politics that are so entangled with issues of sexuality that keep people in power from honoring their true selves for the sake of keeping a clean image.
Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. I am looking forward to checking out the 2023 film based on this book, because I have heard a lot of praise from friends and on social media.
I’m re-emerging to the world of writing after having my third child. It’s been a while since I reviewed a book, but in 2024 there will be more to come! Follow me on Goodreads to stay up-to-date with what I’m reading and to see my recommendations.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Season: Five Minute Friday
Maternity leave is officially over and this week I returned to work. I’m slowly emerging as a writer once again and looking forward to things coming up this season with my business. I am jumping back into my Five Minute Friday writing group today. The prompt this week is Season.
With the return to the classroom this week, I am shifting seasons in my life from my cozy maternity leave. Five days in as a working mom and I am already missing those cuddles and smiles. I’m fortunate to work in a school that values me as an educator and that has given me space to emerge at my own pace. For the most part, I’ve been given room to get my feet wet and I’ve treated this first week back as a “First Week of School” and it has helped me ease into my role.
I’ve set three goals for this season:
1. Be Present
I have a tendancy to get wrapped up in planning for the future and missing what is in front of me. May I stay in the moment and recognize each season and each day as a unique gift that I will never get again.
2. Give Grace to Myself and Others
As an Enneagram 1 I can be very hard on myself. I’m skilled at setting intentions for each day, but if something gets in the way of meeting those I can be hard on myself. This can also carry over to how I view others. With such a self-critical lens it’s hard to give grace to others who fail to meet those same expectations. May I remember that as a human it’s okay to not check every single box. It’s okay if the laundry pile gets neglected for a day or if I have to resort to carry out in order to fit a meal into my busy days. This is just a season.
3. Be Curious
This goal is one that my counselor recommended I explore. It means giving myself permission to not know all of the answers. Also, instead of passing judgement on myself for what I used to view as failures I should instead consider the reasons behind what occurred and approach these circumstances with curiosity. Sure, the laundry has piled up, but why have I allowed this to happen? Is it because I’ve been tired? Or maybe have I been soaking up every moment at home with cuddles, smiles, and naps with my baby boy that I’ve been missing all day? What is more important–laundry or my baby?
If you are a parent, chances are some of these things resonate with you. You’ve been in a season where returning to “life as normal” is a giant feat and you mourn the time you spent with a newborn. I’ve been down this road several times now and each time I’ve brought new wisdom on the journey with me. I am far from perfect, but I do believe that going into this new season of life being present, full of grace, and curiosity will help me better navigate the emotions that accompany this tough time.
The Ameri Brit Mom
5 Breakthroughs From A Writer’s Retreat
This past weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico, writers from around the world gathered for a retreat called “A Writing Room”. Ann Lamott, Julia Cameron, SARK, Ryan Spear and Amie McNee were among the speakers slated to inspire those in attendance so it’s not surprising that hundreds of creatives attended either in-person or online via livestream. I attended the event using the Livestream link purchased in advance because I’m only seven weeks postpartum and not even close to ready for that kind of travel. Over the course of the weekend I learned and implemented many new practices and made numerous breakthroughs for my creative work.
Allow me to process some breakthroughs with you…
1. No One Else is Thinking About You
One of the most self-limiting beliefs that Creatives have is that others will judge us based on our work. We allow perceived criticisms to keep us from our full potential and we put our creativity in a box because we fear how the new or different may impact our reputations as individuals or as artists. In defense of our creativity we must recognize that we are a self-absorbed human race. We fret over how others receive us all the while those same people are thinking the same about themselves. There isn’t enough time for these imagined critics to judge us while also worrying about how they are perceived. We waste so many great ideas on these fears that simply are not true. Ann Lamott reminded all of us this weekend that no one else is thinking about you (at least as much as you think that they are) so stop letting them get in your way and create freely.
2. Know Your Roles, Rights, Responsibilities, and Desired Outcomes
Many sessions required us to name our goals and obstacles, but the practice I most enjoyed was led by Ryan Spear, a coach for mental resilience. In his session we listed out some of our roles, rights, responsibilities, and desired outcomes. Mine are below.
3. Give Your Muse an Identity and Make Plans With It
Any artist will tell you that there is bliss in getting into the creative flow and much of the creative lifestyle is spent chasing the high that the flow initiates. Many artists also name their creative inspiration their Muse. SARK would tell you to go a step further in naming this muse and making dates with them. I now have an outstanding morning coffee date with mine and we meet on my Morning Pages. My muse doesn’t have a name yet–I’m open to suggestions.
4. Essential Tools For Creatives
Julia Cameron is the most inspirational human to unlocking my identity as a writer. The Artist Way has impacted my life and changed me in ways I could never count. In her talk she gave a list and description of the Essential Tools: Morning Pages, Artist Dates, Walking, and Guidance. These are all outlined in The Artist Way, a book I recommend every chance that I get.
5. Stop Waiting on Permission From Others
Amie McNee led a profoundly authentic talk centered on the idea of giving ourselves permission to accomplish our dreams. One way this has impacted her life was that she got sick of rejections and waiting on business professionals to validate her work. Instead she decided to self-publish her books, and they have been successful and found their readers. This inspired me because my journey is similar. I got so tired of querying agents and then receiving half-ass rejection or radio silence. The process for traditional publishing is nearly impossible for new authors to get noticed and is dying a slow death to on-demand publication. I decided to self-publish my first book last year–and then found out weeks later about my pregnancy. This talk inspired me to return to that project and rekindled my confidence to take control of the process myself.
These are just some of the breakthroughs I made this weekend. I was inspired to grow, write confidently, and to expand my career as a writer. There will be more to come from me and future works will undoubtedly stem from breakthroughs this weekend. I am so grateful to my husband for giving me the space to attend this conference at my desk. This meant a lot of solo parenting and adventures on his own with our kids for a few days. It means so much that he values what I do as a writer.
There are many projects in the works for me and I want to make sure that you are along for this journey. Please consider joining the FREE subscription where you will receive updates, exclusive offers, and inspiration for your own journey. My first newsletter since my postpartum relaunch will be heading out this weekend to subscribers and I would hate for you to miss it.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Daily List Notepad
Throughout the day the average person has over 6,000 thoughts*.
Some are better than others at sorting through those thoughts, but many of us struggle to organize and remember the important information that filters through the channels throughout the day. We create mental lists and try to carry those around with us. There are many ways we can train our brains to collect information in logical ways, but no single system is beneficial for all neurotypes.
I’ve tried keeping lists in my phone, but those tend to get lost in the appbyss (see what I did there!) and I struggle to remember where I wrote down each byte of information. Through trial and error I’ve learned that my memory best responds to jotting ideas down on paper. My productivity increases when I have a visual of the tasks and ideas I have throughout the day.
This type of thought-management was inherited from my mother who keeps pads of papers in all of her thinking hot-spots (the kitchen, bedroom, car, etc.) Having a cute, pad of paper on which thoughts can land help her to remember those fleeting inspirations that occur while preparing her coffee, doing her makeup, or commuting to work in the morning. Post-it notes are our tried-and-true method and that inspired me to create a small Daily List Notepad.
I know that so many others out there are like my mom and I. Creating handwritten lists increases the chances of remembering what comes to mind at any point in the day so why not invest in an aesthetic page for housing these ideas?
These notes are inspired by my mother’s home. The rooms where she keeps her notes are places she spends the majority of her time and both rooms have subway tile accents. The clean, minimalist theme of these notepads encourages you to organize and remember the information like Mom does before it escapes your thinking forever.
Daily List Notepads come in a stack of 50 for $25 per pad. I use Canva for all of my printed products, and guarantee the quality of each notepad. Invest in your mental health and organization with these Daily List Notepads.
The Ameri Brit Mom
*Healthline citation
Escape: Five Minute Friday
After a busy week celebrating my oldest daughter’s eleventh birthday I am joining my writing companions for a weekly link-up on Five Minute Friday. Today we are using the prompt Escape to unite our ideas. Check out my post below:
From the moment the automatic doors slid open I knew I didn’t belong. The weight of the air in the Cancer Center lobby added ten pounds of gravity to my body. My legs that were strong moments before felt as though I’d strapped a bag of sand around each ankle. As I crossed the threshold I grabbed my husband’s arm as I tried to remind myself why I was checking in amongst these frail patients.
After giving birth six weeks ago I was sent to a hematologist to create a treatment plan based on a blood disorder. My new doctor studied both benign hematology and oncology and practiced at a Cancer Center near the airport. My diagnosis is not cancer nor does it resemble cancer so from the date the appointment was scheduled by the MFM after delivery, I began to dread this appointment. I knew that my presence in this practice would be off-kilter.
The first person I met when I walked into the center was a tall man with a loud voice. He spoke openly about the Good Lord and His strength to help the weak to anyone who would listen. His words, “We all gonna need His strength coz we don’t know what they gonna do to us here,” really resonated with me.
The reality of the diagnoses represented by the other bodies in the room was front and center. There were elderly patients in wheelchairs, caregivers who spoke on behalf of patients too ill to communicate, there were sons and daughters escorting parents to treatments. And yet there I stood amongst the terminally ill. I willed my body to walk right out the door and to escape this scene as my heart took on the weight that had been upon my legs.
Today was a lesson in gratitude. Yes, I’ve had a fair share of health trials over the last year, but my body is still working for me and not against me. Yes, I’ve had to add many medications that have dictated my daily routines, but my life has hardly been touched compared to those surrounding me. Yes, I’ve had to meet with many specialists to create a treatment plan, but my prognosis is great and over time I will likely be able to thrive without medications.
People in my life have been touched by cancer. Some of them have won their battle while others fought til the very end. Seeing so many patients up close was a difficult scene to process, but like the man in the lobby many wore smiles like capes as they returned to a center that had likely become a second home throughout their treatments. Although I wanted to escape the entire time I was in the office, I was also touched by the humility and hope that I saw in both the staff and patients today.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Rely: Five Minute Friday
It’s been a long time since I joined my favorite writing community, Five Minute Friday. I’ve missed the weekly prompts and linkups and so I’m excited to re-emerge in the group. This week we are writing for five minutes on the topic RELY. Below is my unedited five minutes of reflection on this word.
Right now we are in the baby phase when I cannot rely on much of a routine. At five weeks, my gorgeous boy is making big developmental moves. Each day brings something new. He’s starting to let me know when he’s hungry and small smiles are giving glimpses into his personality. The gurgles and coos provide insight into his level of comfort while his screams alert me when the gas is built up in his belly and he needs relief.
While bonding has become our family’s first priority, I’ve had to make amends with the fact that I cannot rely on familiarity to guide me. This is my third baby, but each one has been so different. I’m learning just as much this time around as the others. Methods that soothed older children don’t always work with this one, and his feeding schedule is vastly different. I’m getting more sleep with this baby and I’m hopeful this is an indicator that he will be a good sleeper as time goes on.
I also cannot rely on consistent pockets of time for self-care and productivity. Instead, I take those moments when they come and I don’t let it bother me when I have to go a couple of days without a shower or if I don’t quite finish two pages in my journal before I hear cries coming from the bassinet.
Experience taught me that these days don’t last forever. One day soon I will miss these days, so I’m enjoying them in the present. I awake each day without expectations (as an Enneagram 1 that is counter to my nature) and I let my baby’s needs control how I spend my time. I’m still me and I still write and shower, but I have pivoted what I rely on to capture the fleeting moments with my newborn.
The Ameri Brit Mom
He’s Here!
On August 4th we welcomed our third child.
Camden was 7lb 7oz and 18 inches. His big sisters were over the moon to meet him and smothered him with love. My recovery post-Cesarian has been smooth, and now that we are a month out from delivery, I am starting to feel like myself again.
We are a blessed family and the miracle of life is not lost on us. Our family unit is complete after the birth of our healthy baby boy. Although he was quite the surprise we cannot imagine life without him already. Right now, he is becoming more alert and responsive to the world around him. He makes friends with ceiling fans in any room he visits, and he’s starting to smile when he hears voices he recognizes (or passes gas.) Camden is such a calm and cuddly baby, and I can’t get enough of these quiet moments together.
Over the next several months I plan to get back into a routine of regularly publishing posts and working with my writing and editing services business. However, bonding with my baby and family is my top priority right now. Thanks for your continued support for my work and my words and I am excited for upcoming opportunities and projects that I’ll be sharing more about in the future.
The Ameri Brit Mom
Relaunch of The Ameri Brit Mom
After many months of being closed to writing and editing projects, I am officially relaunching The Ameri Brit Mom Writing and Editing Services. This was a business that started in January 2022 as a way to serve the writing needs of clients from all over. As an editor, I have had the privilege to work with people on projects like essays, novel manuscripts, resumes, social media profiles, letters, and presentations.
Working with clients to help them communicate effectively and confidently brings me joy. Each project gets special attention from an editor who has spent 13+ years as an English educator and who holds a master’s degree in English. If writing isn’t your thing, or if you just want a second pair of eyes on your work, then allow me to come alongside you with your project.
I also offer products to encourage more pen-to-paper communication through aesthetic downloads and prints. As part of my relaunch I am offering a new product– Lunch Box Notes.
These notepads contain 50 sheets of customizable messages that can easily be slipped into the lunch box of your child or friend. You can choose from three designs for $25/pad. I am using Canva for the prints so please allow up to 14 business days for delivery.
If you have a project you would like to refine or edit, you can request services below. All pricing can be found in the survey.
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Next Chapter
It’s been a while.
And today I feel ready to explain where I’ve been since taking a few steps back from The Ameri Brit Mom in January. First of all, it had been my intention to spend the beginning of 2023 focusing on myself and family. However, my two weeks off turned to twelve when I received some surprising news just before the turn of the New Year.
I am expecting my third baby in August of 2023!
I laid low during the first trimester for several reasons:
-Those first weeks of pregnancy kicked my butt. I was exhausted at all times and so I listened to my body and slept as often as I could.
-I was afraid if I kept going with posts that somehow I would let slip about my news, and I really wanted to wait until the second trimester to confirm any suspicions.
-I had some complications with my last pregnancy in 2018 and I am considered high risk. There are a lot of appointments, medications, and fears already surrounding this pregnancy and I just wasn’t ready to share that journey yet.
Now that I am safely nestled into the second trimester I am feeling good. My energy levels are higher and I’m handling appointments, medications, and fears a lot better than before.
I am excited to share with you that this baby is a BOY! He is already so loved and has two amazing big sisters who will spoil him once he joins our family.
2023 didn’t start the way I envisioned it, but I must say that now that I’ve had time to process and adjust that I am excited for the trajectory the year is sending me on. A few of the BIG projects I had planned for the year may get pushed back a bit, but I still have exciting things to bring to the site and business in the coming months.
Thanks for continuing to support The Ameri Brit Mom, and I cannot wait to share this new chapter with you!
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom 