Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Sunroofs and Shoeboxes by Jaime L. Mathews. This blog tour was organized by Lola's Blog Tours. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as a great guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the book. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!
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Author: Jaime L. Mathews
Publication Date: October 19 2021
Print Length: 345 pages
Genre: Self-Help, Non-Fiction
Genre: Self-Help, Non-Fiction
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From the health benefits of opening the sunroof of your car and letting the sun in, to turning shoeboxes into treasure troves of memories to cherish, Jaime L. Mathews shows you the positive side in the things of every day life.
Seeing the beauty in the mundane goes a long way towards leading a happy life. But the daily practice of gratitude is a muscle that needs to be flexed regularly. Jaime teaches you to look at life with a brand new set of eyes, every day. Eventually, you won’t even need to think about it, and you will start to see opportunities in the biggest challenges, see the extraordinary in the most ordinary things, and your outlook on life will be changed for the better.
So flex those muscles now, and take a deep dive into the unbridled enthusiasm and contagious optimism of Jaime L. Mathews.
Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *
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EXCERPT:
Music-Minded
On one Spare the Air day, in an effort to do my part for the environment, I ditched my car, strapped the running leash on my dog (I am still awaiting the day that horribly long rope trips me while running down a major thoroughfare), tuned into my favorite music mix, and away we went. The morning air was invigorating, a perfect time for some good old unexpected health revelations.
As I ran to the beat of my favorite tunes, I couldn’t help but think about how healthy music can be. I stress the word can because as most of you know, music lyrics and artists can and have been associated with some devastatingly sad situations (take for example the song “Dust in the Wind,” the song most played by people right before they commit suicide). What I mean by healthy music are those songs you sing in the car or in the shower, hum at work, run to, dance to, and maybe most importantly, those songs that elicit memories. Music creates a perfect little moment for reflection. And reflection is healthy.
How would we ever know how far we’ve come if we can’t measure it against where we once were? Music gives us the time to reminisce about past experiences and past relationships, times of happiness and sadness, emotional growth and physical changes.
When we have these nostalgic moments, we have the choice to: a) dwell on the “good ol’ days,” wishing we were somewhere other than where we are right now, or b) realize that where we are today is the product of all those memories, all those experiences that we are flooded with when a song plays. Music is motivation. It can move us from a place of complacency to a place of momentum. Music can (literally!) move us out of stuck places.
So the next time you tune in to your favorite radio station, iTunes mix, or even an old-fashioned CD, remember that music will get more than your feet moving… it will get your mind moving as well.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jaime L. Mathews is the author of Sunroofs & Shoeboxes, a collection of the little nuggets of wisdom she has found in the little things of everyday life.
Educated as a journalist and an educator in holistic health, Jaime has had an eclectic career path which included journalism positions at the Orion and Natural Awakenings, being the wellness director of an exclusive fitness resort and the business owner of a hair salon and a fireplace retail store.
But between the many hats she has worn throughout her life, the one she is most proud of is that of mother and mentor to her little ones. Jaime, her husband, and their five children live on a farm in California.
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GUEST POST:
- How I came up with the book title, Sunroofs and Shoeboxes
by Jaime L. Mathews
by Jaime L. Mathews
When thinking of my book title, Sunroofs was always going to be in the name. Why? Because it was the very first nugget of gratitude that I wrote about. It started my gratitude journey and to this day, is still something that reminds me of that writing journey and is something that always brings me right into gratitude. As a mama who has a two-hour commute to take her kiddos to school each day, we spend a lot of time in the car. And our sunroof is almost always open. It is a several-times-per-day reminder about the sweet little things in life.
Shoeboxes was not as easy to nail down in the title. But a little background on me: I LOVE a good scavenger hunt. As a kid, my parents did scavenger hunts for big presents at Christmas, at Easter and sometimes even for birthdays. When I became a parent, I equally enjoyed the squeals of laughter and joy as my own would search for clues in order to find their treasure. But I also love the written word, so my scavenger hunts always, always rhymed. Every clue was a play on words and a rhyme time good time. There is something so fun when I hear a compilation of words that flow so strategically, and so rhythmically. So, I knew that I wanted another "S" word that would roll off the tongue after Sunroofs. I scoured the pages of my journey and remembered how poignantly my story about shoeboxes stood out. These rectangular shaped boxes can hold so much value, memories and insight. And, who doesn't have a random shoebox lying around? Why not offer up a way to utilize that box for some good old joy, happiness and gratitude?
The other reason for my book title is that, I would venture to say that someone might question how you can train yourself to see the beauty in the mundane is something as silly as a sunroof or for that matter, a shoebox?! You have the read the pages to find out!
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GIVEAWAY:
Five Winners: paperback of Sunroofs and Shoeboxes by Jaime L. Mathews. (US Only.)
Ten Winners: eBook of Sunroofs and Shoeboxes by Jaime L. Mathews. (Open worldwide.)
(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prizes. Lola's Blog Tours and the author assume all responsibility for the giveaway.)
Thank you for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read.
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