Dreams, etc. // Minneapolis Lifestyle Blog

Books

9 Books to Add to Your Fall TBR

Happy Friday, friends! Fall always feels like a great season to read. The air turns crisp and you can go outside to find a nice pile of crunchy leaves to read next to without worrying about overheating. 🎉 Here are a few of the books I’ve read so far this year that would be great additions to your TBR list, pile, or shelf(ves) this fall!

Note – Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything using one of the links I’ll make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Looking for some books to add to your fall TBR? Here are 9 books I read this year that are worth a spot! // dreams-etc.com

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Life

April, May + June in Photos

Hello. Hey. Hi. Bonjour.

It’s been a few months! In a nutshell, the last few months have been filled with: a lot of introspection, a flooded room, a lot of work, a complete rearrangement of my living space, and a friend moving in (for a few months, at least). I thought a good way to ease back into this blogging thing would be a quick peak at the last few months. I haven’t taken a lot of photos recently, but it was fun to look through everything. I’ve been so focused on a few things that I’ve forgotten about some of these moments.

In a nutshell, the last few months have been filled with: a lot of introspection, a flooded room, a lot of work, a complete rearrangement of my living space, and a friend moving in (for a few months, at least). Here's a peak! // dreams-etc.com

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Creativity

Share Your Voice + Be Heard // 5 Lessons from VoxCon

In February I went to New York to attend VoxCon, a conference about becoming a communicator who can’t be ignored. It was an amazing experience! I walked away with a notebook filled with takeaways and a huge booklist. My mind was swimming as I processed all the information that I took in. There was one session in particular that was actually kind of healing for me on a personal level–and I don’t think I’m the only one who felt that way, because by the end there were a lot of tears in that room. It helped me solidify my vision and why for this blog and I left inspired and filled with purpose. And as a bonus, I finally convinced the friend who told me about the conference to sign up for Instagram. 😂 I’ve been working on that one for a few years and in a restaurant in Midtown, she finally created her account!

Back to the conference, I finally narrowed down my notes to five lessons that I think can apply to a wide variety of creatives and I’m excited to finally share them with you today! Let’s just dive right in.

Note – Some of the links in this post might be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through the link, I’ll make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

VoxCon 2018 took place in New York City and was designed to help people become communicators who can't be ignored. If you'd like to share your voice and be heard, here are five lessons I took away from VoxCon this year. // dreams-etc.com

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Books

Book Review // The Mindful Day by Laurie Cameron

I had a guest post go up over on Jasmine Maria this week, with 7 tips for solo travel. If you’ve had an interest in solo travel, but are a little apprehensive, I totally get where you’re coming from! I was to. So I compiled some of the things I learned through my first solo travel experience to share! I plan to have more posts ready to go here next week. I needed a little bit of time to work on some projects and get some breathing room in my schedule. And it was unintentional, but that’s the perfect segue into my book review for today!

Note – I received a copy of the book from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About The Mindful Day

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: National Geographic (March 27, 2018)

For overscheduled professionals looking to incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives, this step-by-step guide draws on contemplative traditions, modern neuroscience, and leading psychology to bring peace and focus to the home, in the workplace, and beyond.

At the pinnacle of the digital age, it’s hard to imagine packing one more thing into our overwhelmed lives. But new research shows that simple daily exercises can change the way our brain works, improve focus, lift our mood, create stronger connections, and help us develop greater resilience. In this enriching book, noted teacher and mindfulness expert Laurie Cameron provides an everyday road map to cultivate inner peace and navigate any situation with control and clarity. Timeless teachings and straightforward practices designed for busy schedules–from the morning commute to back-to-back meetings to family dinners–show how mindfulness can transform life at home, in the workplace, and beyond. A personal guide for women who have leaned in, men who want to be more effective, and professionals looking to optimize their lives, this book will help readers lead their lives with intention and purpose.

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Life

Dear March

Dear March,

You went by relatively undocumented — and most of the photos I did take were of people. Gasp. I know! Actual people. My mom would be proud. But it also means most of the photos won’t make it to the blog. Oh well. It doesn’t hurt to step back and take a break sometimes. Even if that break came in the form of the flu.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Reflections on March: Corgis, lots of coffee, greenery, an extended winter, + the flu. // dreams-etc.com

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Books

Book Tour // The Wild Inside by Jamey Bradbury

Note – I received a copy of this book from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About The Wild Inside

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (March 20, 2018)

“The Wild Inside is an unusual love story and a creepy horror novel – think of the Brontë sisters and Stephen King.” – John Irving

A promising talent makes her electrifying debut with this unforgettable novel, set in the Alaskan wilderness, that is a fusion of psychological thriller and coming-of-age tale in the vein of Jennifer McMahon, Chris Bohjalian, and Mary Kubica.

A natural born trapper and hunter raised in the Alaskan wilderness, Tracy Petrikoff spends her days tracking animals and running with her dogs in the remote forests surrounding her family’s home. Though she feels safe in this untamed land, Tracy still follows her late mother’s rules: Never Lose Sight of the House. Never Come Home with Dirty Hands. And, above all else, Never Make a Person Bleed.

But these precautions aren’t enough to protect Tracy when a stranger attacks her in the woods and knocks her unconscious. The next day, she glimpses an eerily familiar man emerge from the tree line, gravely injured from a vicious knife wound – a wound from a hunting knife similar to the one she carries in her pocket. Was this the man who attacked her and did she almost kill him? With her memories of the events jumbled, Tracy can’t be sure.

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Adventures

2 Restaurants Worth a Visit to Madison + a Vlog

Happy Wednesday, friends! I’m FINALLY here with my final video on my weekend trip to Madison, WI last December. If you missed it, my mom and I went to visit a relative who lives there and we decided to go in December so that we could see the State Christmas Tree, which we used to visit when I was younger. We had so much fun that we definitely want to go back to see more of what Madison has to offer and visit the city when it’s really at its peak: spring and summer. (We’ve been there during warmer months before, but it’s been awhile.)

Today I have two restaurants that you should totally go to Madison for, if all the cool stuff about the city doesn’t excite you. And I have a vlog from our trip. So, without further ado, here are the two restaurants.

Two restaurants you NEED to go to Madison, WI so that you can go to them + one that I need to go back so that I can see if it's as fantastic as I remember. (So you should check it out, too!) AND a peek at our trip through a vlog!

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Books

Book Review // Love Unleashed by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

Note –  I received a copy of the book from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Love Unleashed

Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: National Geographic (March 6, 2018)

A book for dog lovers everywhere. Celebrating the amazing relationships shared with our four-legged friends, each story recounts the love of dogs and the powerful ways dogs impact our lives.

In this heartwarming collection of stories, readers meet 38 incredible dogs who have gone above and beyond the job description of best friend. Each uplifting story provides an inspiring look at the animals who change our lives. Meet rescue dogs who learn to serve others, working dogs who go beyond the call of duty, and underdogs who surmount extraordinary challenges on the road to finding their forever home. This treasury of man’s best friend features photographs and personal anecdotes from those who have been touched by the selfless love of a beloved pet.

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Books Creativity Life

6 Ways to Beat Distractions + Focus on What You Love

Happy Monday! Last week, you guys… last week was a rough one. I came down with a stomach bug and spent most of the week in bed and asleep. I pulled out my computer a few times to send a few emails and get a little bit of work done, but every small task I completed was followed by a nap, so I realized I wasn’t in the best shape to write anything substantial. The thing I noticed is that once I realized I was sick I started making a to-do list of things to get done for work, when really what I needed was to get some rest. There was a time when getting sick meant sleeping and reading, but those are two things I don’t take a lot of time for, even though they’re what I need to truly feel rested. Reading in particular is something that I’ve been missing. Yes, I’ve been reading, but it’s often a few chapters here and a few chapters there, slipped into in-between moments so that I can make sure I get my reading in. I’ve been able to get lost in stories, but not the way I used to. And I miss them! I also know that there are periods in life where you’re more distanced from books. That’s what I’ve been reminding myself when I look longingly at a stack of books that I want to immerse myself in. But, it’s also what I’ve been reminding myself for a few years, so I finally realized that if I’m going to read a book the way I’d like to again, I need to be more intentional about it and make sure that it fits into my life. We have to be intentional about all the things that are important to us. So, while I was sick last week I did get some work done, but I also took time to get some reading in. And it felt so, so good!

We have to be intentional about doing the things that are important to us.

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A big thing I noticed was how distracted I was when I sat down to try and read. That’s probably another thing that has inhibited my reading the last few years. It really concerned me when I realized that it was taking so long to get through one chapter just because I was so distracted. I used to have a decent attention span, where did that go? (Hint: a little device we’re all so attached to.) So, I decided I needed to fix the distraction problem. If you’d like to take time to read–or accomplish any task that requires some focus–here’s how I beat distractions to finish a book!

It can be so hard to do the things we love to do in a world that's all about being connected. When I realized I was too distracted to read even a little section of a chapter of a book straight through, I knew something had to change. Here are 6 ways to beat distractions and do what you love! // dreams-etc.com

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Life

12 Ways to Pull Yourself Out of a Funk

Happy Friday, everyone! Except that… I’m not feeling very happy today. I’m not unhappy, I’m just… discontent. In a funk. I’m fine and it will pass, but… I just wanted to have share these feelings that I’m living with today, because we all get them. What was it for me? I read some news articles at the beginning of the week that left me feeling pretty down. I think it’s so common these days. We’re exposed to so much heartache–even things that, before the age of the internet–we wouldn’t have encountered. And then there are those stories that just hit you hard. I read one of those this week, then read another one that shattered my heart even more, and now I’m just scanning headlines so I know what’s happening in the world until I recover. That, combined with a few other things and ended with an encounter that started my day yesterday and left me frustrated and even more exhausted than I already felt, has left me in a funk. The “I don’t want to see or talk to anyone” kinda funk. If you need further proof of the funk, it’s currently noon on Friday and I have yet to open the blinds, much to Mina’s chagrin. She would love to bark at whoever is walking by the house that she can’t see but she just knows deep down is there, whether they actually are or not.

What better time to write about pulling yourself out of a funk than when you're actually in one? Today I'm sharing 12 ways to boost your mood and pull yourself out of a funk, inspired by the one I've been in this week! // dreams-etc.com

Since I’m in a funk, I thought I would reschedule the post I had initially planned to share today and instead share a few ways to pull yourself out a funk. If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that I believe in feeling all the feels, even the negative ones. But I also believe if you’re not feeling positive about things, you need be aware of how long they last and pull yourself out of them before they drag you down. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work.

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