#betterYOULandL | organizing & books

hi friends! Today we have Lizzie Davis sharing her organizing tips and telling us all about her online BOOK CLUB! I haven’t been much of a reader until this past year. I got involved with Lizzie’s book club on her instagram and I love stopping by during the month to see what people are saying about the books. Cheers to a book club with zero pressure, no awkward live discussions (I usually admit I didn’t read the entire book) or travel time to get there. Just pull it up on your phone and it’s there any time you need it. Lizzie is also the queen of organizing. She is a mom on the go every single day, exploring New England and New York City. Can’t wait for all of you to get to know her.  love, Jenna

Hi I’m Lizzie Davis. As a mom of two young boys, I have found that a little planning goes a long way.  I feel like my best mothering self when I am out and about in the world exploring it with my kids.  I love seeing things through their eyes and exposing them to new experiences, ideas, and places.

Every Sunday night I sit down at my desk with my computer, calendar, and notebook.  I’m old fashioned in the sense that I still use a paper planner and note book rather than my phone.  It just works so much better for me because I get too distracted on my phone.  I love being able to see all the details of my month at a glance.  Plus I’m more likely to use it if it looks cute!  For years I used the Kate Spade planners but two years ago switched to the Sugar Paper LA planners which you can buy at Target!  I’ve used lots of different notebooks but the Rifel Paper ones are the same size as my planner and I just slip them into my purse together easily and they hardly weigh anything at all.  I plan out my week day by day including the little things that need to get done like when I’m going to make it to the gym and when I’m going to go grocery shopping.  I hop on the computer to see what’s happening around the area that week or month so I don’t miss anything fun.  I check out local websites for ideas or even fun instagram accounts.  I even love reading guidebooks.  One huge asset I have found is joining a facebook group for moms who live in my town.  I can’t recommend this enough.  I learn so much on that page, everything from fun activities at the library, to important product recalls, to preschool and summer camp recommendations, and the local grocery store renovation! Also a few websites to get fun ideas for outings in your area– www.mommypoppins.com and http://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids and http://redtri.com/

this week | plotting & planning (obsessed with this) | 111 places to go, every city option

I’m a strong proponent that women need women – we are all in this together and can benefit so much from each other.  I love to connect with others and learn from them.  I have also found that one of my favorite forms of learning comes from reading books.  So when my friend came to me with the idea of The Social Book Club I was instantly a fan.  It’s an online book club via instagram for the modern gal.  I love to read and love to connect with others but found that as a mom I rarely make time for either of those things.  In that sense an online instagram book club is the perfect fit for me.  Rather than finding a babysitter and going to discuss a book just once at the end of the month, we discuss our book picks all month long and our readers can check in whenever they have time to check instagram – maybe they are standing in line at the grocery store, or nursing their baby, or eating lunch – but they can check into the book club and be uplifted or inspired by a quote from the book or though provoking question relating to the story.  I love using social media in this unique and positive way.  At The Social Book Club we read worthwhile words and books to better us.  I’ve met wonderful people through the book club, many of which have turned from online friendships to real life friendships.  I couldn’t do it without the small team we have running the book club, which has also provided me some of my dearest friends.  Being in a book club stretches my mind to grow, helps me feel connected, and gets me thinking out of the box.

Top books for women/mothers
– Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin: This book is about embracing our personality and creating positive lifelong habits.  The author says, “Habits are the invisible architecture of our daily life.  We repeat about 40% of our behavior almost daily, so our habits shape our existence, our future.  If we change our habits, we change our lives.”  I read this book around New Years and  a few months before turning 30 years old.  Sounds dramatic but the ideas in it on how to create good, long lasting habits have changed my life.

– Wonder by R.J. Palacio:  I think every parent should read this out loud with their kids, and I look forward to when my kids are old enough to do so.  The story is all about being brave and kind even when it’s not popular to do so.  The same story is told by several of the characters, which teaches us that everyone has their own struggles and we rarely understand the whole picture.  My favorite line is “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.”