Lindsay Recommends Two Incredible Authors

Hello friends, and welcome to Natalie Belle Blog! Since I’m going on vacation this week, my little sister is taking over my blog post. You may be familiar with her by now because she’s written several great posts on my blog, and today’s is no different! As a history buff, she wanted to share her thoughts on her two favorite authors. We hope you enjoy Lindsay’s latest post, and make sure to leave a comment below!

I don’t really read a lot of the same authors just to see what I like but I have found two that I really enjoy and definitely want to keep reading and see when new books come out. 

Jenny L. Cote.

I absolutely love her books and how exciting they are! The categories of her books are history, fiction, fantasy(in that order) so you can learn a lot and still really enjoy the book without getting bored. Her books are called the Epic Order of the Seven and it’s about five animals, a black cat (Liz), a scottie (Max), a ginger cat (Al), west highland terrier(Kate), a mouse (Nigel), and their “spiritual” leaders, a mountain goat (Gillamon), and a lamb (Clarie). They are immortal animals and help make history happen. The book series starts off about Noah’s ark and then her new book that comes out September will be her third book about the American Revolution in 1777. I have read the two other books about the American Revolution and I’m currently listening to an audio book of her first book. If you want to find more about her books (highly recommend) check out: https://www.epicorderoftheseven.net/

Libby McNamee

Same with this author her books are really exciting and are not boring one bit. I have read both of her books, Susanna’s Midnight Ride: The Girl Who Won The Revolutionary War, and Dolley Madison And The War Of 1812: America’s First Lady, and I loved them and found them both super entertaining. Susanna’s midnight ride is a book about a girl who has to warn General Lafayette about Cornwallis trying to capture him while Cornwallis is at her family’s plantation and it’s based on a true story. And Dolley Madison is dealing with the War of 1812 while helping her husband and president, James Madsion. Both of there books are so much fun to read and it’s in first person so you can get an idea what they were thinking. Also she is researching a new book: The Union Spymistress: Elizabeth Van Lew Of Richmond, and for now there is no news of the release date. For more information about her and her books (again, highly recommended), check out here:http://libbymcnamee.com/ 

Thanks for reading and hope you will check out these authors, Huzzah!

The Impact Of Music

Hello friends, welcome to Natalie Belle Blog! I hope you had a fantastic week as I did. In honor of being accepted into Tri-M Music Honor Society and the advanced choir at my school in the past two weeks, I’m sharing a few ways music has impacted my life!

For context, I’m an introvert to the core. I’ve always hated the spotlight being on me, leading to why during multiple mandatory performances as a kid, I stood in silence. I decided to join chorus in eighth grade, however, and have continued it through high school. I still don’t like being the center of attention, but as you’ll read, I’ve learned to face that fear and grow into it to discover an appreciation for music.

I couldn’t include every way music has shaped me into the person I am today (because there are too many), but I hope this post inspires you to reflect on the ways it has worked in your own life!

Music Has…

1. Created Some Of My Closest Friendships

The majority of my closest friends are in choir class with me. When our teacher showed us a video at the beginning of freshman year of a past student explaining how they met some of their closest friends through choir, I mentally dismissed it, thinking it would never be me because I only knew one person in my class. How the tables have turned! I quickly met some of my best friends I have today that I likely wouldn’t have if I never took chorus.

2. Taught Me That Hard Work Really Does Pay Off

As a teenager, it can be difficult to get the motivation to work hard, because there aren’t many chances to see how it blossoms really until you start getting accepted into colleges. In chorus, it’s easy to slack off sometimes because you can rely on people around you, lip-syncing is simple, and it’s a physically demanding course. I always put in all the effort I am able to, which paid off when it came to audition season. You already know how the story ends, but it’s such a rewarding feeling to see how you earn something directly from hard work, especially since I’m not a strong singer.

3. Connected Me With The People I Love

Outside of friendships, music has created and strengthened my other relationships. For example, songs I hear on the radio can remind me of a certain family member, and listening to music on road trips with my Mom on road trips is one of the highlights of the whole thing. From infancy, I took music classes with my mom as well. My grandfather plays the clarinet and saxophone, and I love getting to listen to his talents at work. (Love you, Poppy!) Also, my concerts are a big deal in my family and brings us all together to celebrate. Last weekend, I had three grandparents in town to attend my spring concert!

4. Created Unique Memories

Every year in chorus, we perform at a Music Performance Adjudication (MPA) to get feedback on our skills, which I already know will be one of the first things I remember down the road when I think of high school choir. Today, we’re attending a choral competition and visiting Busch Gardens. I’ve never been there before, and probably wouldn’t go if it weren’t for the opportunities I’ve had in choir! Next year in advanced choir, I’ll have even more opportunities to travel and perform around the community as well, which I can’t wait for.

5. Taught Me Teamwork

Singing in a choir is different than a group project. Since it’s an elective, the majority of kids actually want to be there, making us on the same page about what we want to achieve. It takes everyone in a choir to be successful, and it’s fun to celebrate each other’s wins that lead to our own when we accomplish our goals.

5. Given Me Appreciation For Music Creators

I don’t know what my life would be like without music. Between the radio, choir, church, and more, I’m always tuned in. Realizing how much I am impacted by it makes me recognize and admire how much work goes into creating much as well.

6. Connected Me To God

I love worship music, and it truly brings me closer to God and evokes feelings that can’t be found through anything else. It also reminds me that God gave us the gift of music- making me all the more grateful!

In what ways has music impacted your life? I’m interested- let me know in the comments below! As always, thank you for reading my post, and I hope you’ll join me again next Saturday!

❤️,

Natalie B

6 Quick Ways To Relieve Stress During Finals

Hello friends, and welcome back to Natalie Belle Blog! With the school year coming to a close and final exams coming up, I wanted to reshare a post I wrote last year about mental resets! Studying and test-taking can be stressful, so the methods below are a few ways I like to take care of myself during this time. They only take a few minutes or seconds, which is perfect when you are pressed for time. Enjoy and happy studying!

Hi friends! I hope your week was excellent! I’m trying to savor these last few weeks of summer break and relaxation before school starts again. This time of year brings a lot of changes, like new schedules, schools, sports seasons, the transition from summer to fall, and more. It’s super easy to get overwhelmed by everything happening or even just thinking of it, so today I’m sharing a few quick ways you can de-stress throughout the day! It’s really important to prioritize your mental health, but sometimes just getting started on it is difficult. All the methods listed in this post can take five to ten minutes each, so you can use them at any point in your day. Let me know what your favorite is in the comments below!

1. Step Outside Your House/Move

A change in environment and some fresh air for even just a minute can clear your mind. It can be as simple as taking a break from whatever you’re doing to walk to the mailbox, feeling the grass on your toes for a few seconds, or you could take a walk around the block and look at the flowers. Nature is always such a healing remedy! If you can’t go outside because of the weather, any movement in general will also probably help.

2. Deep Breaths

In my mind, I always think deep breathing is overrated until I actually do it. Closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths eases stress, lowers your heart rate, and makes you thankful that you simply have breath in your lungs if nothing else. There are also many apps/YouTube videos for guided breathing, and some have music or nature sounds too!

3. Organize Something

I don’t know about you, but having things in order makes me calmer and more motivated. It’s nearly impossible not to feel better after you organize or clean something. My favorite way to get a productive, quick clean in is to set a timer for any amount of minutes and try to get as many things done as I can in that window.

However, what you choose to organize doesn’t have to be physical- it can be a grocery list, a colorful to-do list (not to add more stress, just to have everything in one place. Add color to make it happy!), or a “brain dump”- just jotting down whatever comes to mind when your pen touches the paper.

4. Have A Conversation With Someone

I’m sure you can agree with me that conversations with some people can do more harm than good (😂), but relationships are important. Conflicting schedules and just being “busy” makes it harder to connect with the people around you. Just texting a friend and asking how their day has been or catching up on FaceTime for a few minutes is beneficial to both you can them. Having someone who listens to you and offers advice is great for when you feel down or “stuck”.

5. Listen To Music

Everyone has a few favorite songs or music genres, and it can be used to bring a few minutes of happiness into your day. One of the great things about music being so diverse is that you can choose whatever vibe you want to feel. Different songs and genres channel different feelings, so if you wanted something to calm you, you could listen to jazz or instrumental, or if you just want a mood boost you can make a playlist of all your happy songs! And you don’t even have to stick to one type of music, my playlists are all over the place,

6. Self-Care

Sheet or peel-off facemasks always put me in a better mood! Splashing your face with cold water, putting lotion on, taking a shower, using a facial cleansing brush, etc., always leave you feeling fresh afterward and are good sensory breaks.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some good ways to de-stress this week! Also, comment some suggestions for future posts you’d like to see on my blog. I’m open to anything and everything!

❤️,

Natalie B

Recent Reads: My Takes On Three Books

Hello friends, and welcome to Natalie Belle Blog! I hope you had a fantastic week and are having as amazing weather as I am this weekend. Warmer weather means summer reading is just around the corner. Today I’ll be sharing my takes on three books I’ve recently read, so you can get inspiration for your upcoming reads!

Rivals by Katharine McGee

Rivals is the third book of my favorite series, American Royals, which follows the life of the fictional royal family if America was a monarchy. Given that after reading this book, the American Royals series is still my favorite, this novel was a hit for me! I can’t explain much of the book without giving spoilers from the previous two editions, but it had some great plot twists and ends with a cliffhanger. I love that each book alternates between multiple narrators because it paints a fuller picture of what is simultaneously happening throughout the lives of the family members and also makes the character development on point. Overall, I’d rate this book a 4/5, and if you haven’t read the American Royals series before, this summer is a perfect time to start! The fourth book in the series is coming out later this year.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

The Paris Library alternates between two narrators: Odile, a young librarian living in Paris during World War II, and Lily, who is the neighbor of elderly Odile in the 1980s. The novel uncovers Odile’s past while Lily and Odile’s unlikely relationship evolves in the future. I loved the connection between these two characters while the years go by as they develop their own stories. I think we can all see a little bit of our younger selves in Lily, putting into perspective how important it is to have an older and wiser mentor in life. This book was one of the best I’ve read in a while, and I give it a 5/5!

Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Love & Luck is a sequel to Love & Gelato, one of my favorite novels I’ve read, so I had high expectations. Essentially, the original takes place in Italy and follows Lina as she explores the country to fulfill her mother’s dying wish. It was all-around amazing and made me feel like I was in Italy accompanying Lina throughout the entire book. Love & Luck is focused on Lina’s friend, Addie as she explores Ireland with her brother and his friend over the course of a few days. I wish I enjoyed this book more than I did. I loved the scenery, but the plot wasn’t as compelling and only happens over the course of days rather than weeks. There wasn’t much “wow” factor for me, so I’d give this book a 2.5/5. I did read the original two summers ago, so the problem could be that I’ve just outgrown the level of reading or my standards were too high. Regardless of my opinions on this book, I’d definitely suggest reading Love & Gelato over the summer! (Don’t watch the movie though, and don’t get me started about how much I hated it.)

What’s Next?

I have many books on my to-read list, but the next I’m checking out from the library is A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman. I read a few pages of this book last summer but got too distracted by the other books I was reading to commit to it. I’m giving it another shot, and hopefully it’ll be worth it.

What are your favorite summer reads? Leave recommendations in the comments below!

❤️,

Natalie B

(All book cover images are from GoodReads)