New Year’s resolutions have never really convinced me to like them. They start off sounding so clairvoyant and engaging, packed to the brim with optimism, in the same way that the baristas at Starbucks pack my hot cocoas to the brim with whipped cream. They are dripping with hope, oozing with confidence, pulling tight on your motivational heartstrings… and then two weeks go by, and you suddenly have no faith in getting on the treadmill, have no desire to eat more foods green in color, and have no idea why you ever thought you could give up your daily cup of coffee. You say “to hell” with those resolutions you so methodically planned out and wrote down; you throw the jotted down desires away to avoid the thought of failure, and slink back to all the habits of the previous year.

So while the ball dropped in New York City, and thousands of people cheered on TV, and my family clamored outside banging pots and pans on a quiet suburban street, and I stood holding blinking bright sparklers in my hands, I realized that I didn’t want just any old resolutions. I wanted goals and plans that lasted awhile, goals and plans that stuck around for the long haul.

And after reading a little book titled The Happiness Project, I thought, “Who doesn’t want a little more happiness in their life?” And while I devoured the carefully crafted prose of the author’s year-long quest to implement ways to be happier, month by month and step by step, I realized that I could do that, too.

Instead of setting one widespread resolution for the year (which would most likely disappear after two weeks and the initial procrastination), I’m setting small goals for each of your twelve months. I’m writing them all down in a pristinely blank journal and I’m sincerely hoping that they all have tiny checkmarks next to them by the time you’re through with me and I’m ready to flip the calendar page over to another January.

Through endless inspirations, lots of thought, and a little bit of planning, your twelve months will include these items, along with plenty more:

• cooking more meals
• transforming this blog
• keeping in touch
• finding a good workspace
• researching curiosities
• learning to relax
• reading 35 books
• carrying a notebook

And throughout all of this, I’ve been yearning to give you a nickname: the year of optimism, or the year of possibility, or even the year of filling all the blank journals I own (which would happen only in my wildest of dreams…). I want you to help me take on a life of my own, to get up and go and keep going. I think I’d like to call you the year of progress; I think that distinction will suit you and me quite well.

I’m ready for you–
Sara

Every day teaches us something. Whether it’s monumental + life-changing, simple + useful, or doesn’t end up showing its intended purposes until days, months, years later, there is a gem hidden in every single day. Thanks to 2012 for teaching me these things (+ plenty more).

1. The people you meet via social media can end up being your closest friends.
2. It’s terribly difficult to find an outlet in NYC.
3. There is a bug known as a “spider cricket.”
4. Cleaning out your closet can be insanely therapeutic.
5. It can also lead you into a severe case of “going down memory lane.”
6. It’s possible to share a bed with someone for two months and still be BFF’s afterward.
7. Red jeans really do come in my size.
8. A handwritten letter has more power than a drafted email.
9. The Eiffel Tower sparkles at night.
10. You should never, ever, ever change yourself for someone else.
11. There is such a thing as “catfish.”
12. Southern folks sure do know how to eat.
13. Taylor Swift just keeps getting better.
14. Wearing patterned socks puts me in a better mood.
15. You shouldn’t feel bad for saying “no” to something; there’s probably a good reason for it.
16. The frightening feeling of airplane turbulence is worth it to see your destination.
17. There is always comfort in between the pages of a book.
18. The people you think you know inside and out can always surprise you.
19. Diner pancakes always test better at 2 AM.
20. The phone works both ways.
21. Double-decker buses really are cooler on the streets of London.
22. If you want to accomplish something, you can’t sit around and wait for it.
23. It’s really nerve-wracking to have your dinner served to you by ninjas.
24. Spending a night with your girlfriends always trumps the bad mood you were in.
25. Joseph Gordon-Levitt really is just as adorable in person.
26. Putting pen to page after a long hiatus feels just as good as the first time you did it.
27. Sometimes it’s a good idea to bite your tongue.
28. You shouldn’t have to settle.
29. Peppermint potato chips should not be a food item.
30. There is always space for you to try something new.

Cheers to all of you; here’s looking at a beautiful + bright 2013.

So I find it funny that I run out of words when trying to describe how special More Love Letters is to me. Because, really, it is just that amazing. An organization that scripts handwritten notes to those who need them most? I was hooked from the very instant I found the website, a month after Hannah Brencher founded it. And I could not have asked for a better gem to find hidden in the tangles of the internet– because this team has become my family. It has produced some of my closest friends. It has provided me with support, advice, inspiration, dreams, and so, so much more. And for all of that, I am beyond grateful.

Whenever a letter request rolls through my inbox, I pull out my box of stationery (yes, a whole plastic storage container devoted to housing the pretty notecards I’ve stockpiled over the past year) and script a little love. Yes, to someone I’ve never met. But to someone who needs the love most of all.

And during the holiday season, what is better than spreading a little love and joy? Nothing. That’s the meaning of Christmas, after all! And to sign, seal, and stamp a letter? It’s really very simple.

Over at More Love Letters, we’re celebrating the holiday season by hosting the 12 Days of Letter Writing, where we write letters for a different deserving recipient for each day from Dec. 3-14, and mail them off in secure little bundles by the new year. And you can join in on the process– sign yourself up for the requests, write for as many of the remaining requests as you are able, and submit some mail to our P.O. Box; it’s a greedy little thing that loves seeing the post pile up.

Even if you can’t dedicate yourself to all of the days, consider writing for at least one or two. Perhaps this request, on our 5th day of letter writing, will get your pen moving:

Love Letters for Johnathan

“Johnathan celebrated sixth months sober just a few days ago. In his short two decades of life, he’s seen parents divorce, a brother die, and numerous friends stunted by drug addiction. He was just recently promoted at work and is finally feeling better about his life and himself. His letter requester wrote, ‘I believe that I will not always be a part of his life, although we are both major supports for each other right now. I want for Johnathan to learn and always remember that no matter how many people he loses, there will always be more love to be found and that he will never have to be alone as long as he remembers never to stop searching for the light.’ We have such an opportunity to bless this man’s life. Please help us in sending him a big ol’ bundle of love.”

Writing to Johnathan?
Drop your letter in the mailbox by Dec. 14, addressed to:
More Love Letters
Johnathan’s Bundle
P.O. Box 2061
North Haven, CT 06473

Not sure where to begin? Peruse our starter kit.
Want to know more? Read up on our mission.
Interested in who’s behind this? Meet the team.

Also! Connect with us on Twitter & Facebook.

Be sure to also check out my fellow Day 5 featured blogger, Giulietta.

I hope you’ll join me in scripting out some love for Johnathan– and that you’ll join in on the future endeavors of More Love Letters to spread love and light all year long. Sending you beautiful blessings.

We’ve been trenching through Christmas tree farms to find the perfect tree each year for quite some time now, and it is the first event of the season that signifies all of the joy that is yet to come. We all pull on our boots and mittens, pile into the car, and hike up the hills through the snow and mud inspecting each evergreen to find the perfect one for our living room. One of my other favorite traditions? Decorating it. But that’s for another post.

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

If you know me at all, you know that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my ideal man. You might also know that I’m a huge fan of his collaborative production company called hitRECord. So when hitRECord announced a tour date in Philadelphia three days after my birthday, it was like a sign that this was the perfect birthday present for me to give myself.

And let me tell you, this show was freaking. rad. If hitRECord is ever putting something on near you, GO. It’s creative, expressive, interactive, hilarious, and really worth it. I mean, they’ll soon be having their own TV show, too (and you know who will be tuning in every time… this girl).

Here are some of my favorite RECords that were featured during the showcase.

Dragon Egg: Tiny Film

Strawberry Bootlaces

Mademoiselle Noir

Yes Were Sinking

loops (we can go back)

(That last song was stuck in my head for the entire week following the show. I mean, it’s so catchy.)

I didn’t think it was possible for me to love Joseph Gordon-Levitt or hitRECord more… but now I do.

This was the November pick over at my virtual book club, Close Reads Cafe, in our partnership with The Write Teacher. We’re announcing our December book pick on Saturday; sign up for our newsletter to get in on the action.

To Sum It Up: From GoodReads: “Tayari Jones unveils a breathtaking story about a man ‘s deception, a family ‘s complicity, and two teenage girls caught in the middle. Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon ‘s two families–the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich yet flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, as well as the destruction, they brought to one another ‘s lives.”

Strengths & Weaknesses: Jones does a wonderful job of illustrating the behind-the-scenes complexities of each of James Witherspoon’s families, and the emotional tides that both daughters, Dana Lynn and Chaurisse, experience. The writing definitely pulls at your heart strings; the portrayal of her characters easily connects the readers to them, and allows us to sympathize with each character individually. This technique also allows readers to measure up their ideas of right vs. wrong– by having a strong empathy and connection to the characters, readers are forced to dissect and process the happenings of the novel with more consideration to come to new conclusions on morals and a possible plot resolution.

Rating & Recommendation: 3/5 stars. This was definitely a book that made me think and pulled at my emotions, but it wasn’t a “life-changing” experience or a book that I’d necessarily rave about. It was worth the read, though.

Shop for this Book | | More Book Reviews

It’s nice to sit around the dinner table on Thanksgiving and recount what you’re thankful for over a plate piled high with turkey and mashed potatoes, but it’s safe to say that we can count our blessings every day, because there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

A few things I’m thankful for:

1. My family, because life wouldn’t be as exciting, fun, or loud without them all.

2. My core group of friends, who’ve been there for so long and don’t seem like they’re ever going to be anywhere else.

3. Opportunity and possibility, and a new year with hopefully more of those two attributes in store.

4. Time to enjoy the little things, to find new things to learn, to stop and marvel.

5. An amazing organization called The World Needs More Love Letters, and the beautiful ladies on that team who shed light into my life every. single. day.

6. And Hannah Brencher, who never stops inspiring me with her creativity, her kind heart, and her friendship.

7. Books, and the new outlets I get to enjoy them in. (Close Reads Cafe and The Write Teach)

8. Putting pen to page.

9. My cat, who has been putting a smile on my face since 4th grade.

10. Wool socks.

11. Baking.

12. The start of the Christmas season.

13. For having what I have, because it is certainly more than enough.

As you count your blessings during this thankful time of year, remembering to pay them forward, whether it’s through a donation to a beloved charity, taking time to volunteer, or a simple random act of kindness. “A good deed brightens a dark world.”

Always be kinder than you feel.

I was so moved by the original Random Acts of Kindness that started this project that I knew I had to try my hand at my own list of 23 acts in honor of my birthday. So I did just that, over the course of the week that my birthday fell on. What a better way to celebrate than by giving back a little to others?

23 “Random Acts of Kindness”

1. Helped celebrate She’s the First‘s 2nd annual Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off by baking cupcakes with the STF chapter at Bryn Mawr College. She’s the First is not-for-profit that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world. (They’re also in the running to win $1 MILLION dollars this December through the American Giving Awards!! Vote for them from Nov. 27-Dec. 4.)

2. Went to a local shelter and helped the children there with their homework.

3. Returned stranded shopping carts back to their stores.

4. Left a letter to my postman, inspired by The World Needs More Love Letters.

5. Donated canned goods to a food drive.

6. Donated toys to a children’s Christmas drive.

7. Left some spare change on a vending machine.

8. Made a donation to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I spent time when I was younger for two open-heart surgeries.

9. Took my aunt’s dog for a walk. (Apparently he’s camera shy.)

10. Donated my old children’s books to a local library.

11. Put change into expired parking meters.

12. Left love letter notes in books at Barnes & Noble, inspired again by The World Needs More Love Letters and the #LoveLetterLibraryProject run by The Write Teacher.

13. Held doors open for others throughout the day.

14. Donated children’s books through Barnes & Noble to a local school.

15. Left love letters on parked cars. (Another plug for More Love Letters. Over at MLL, we’re gearing up to start our 12 Days of Love Letter Writing from Dec. 3-14, and are collecting love letters to baristas until the end of November. Join our cause?)

16. Made a donation at Panera for the WMMR Camp Out for Hunger.

17. Pumped someone’s gas.

18. Rearranged books on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. (I do this almost every time I visit the store, but with the start of the holiday chaos, I figured their staff could use a little extra help.)

19. Dropped off recycling.

20. Made cards to contribute to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, an organization that encourages supporters to make cards for hospitalized children in an effort to bring them a little joy.

21. Donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

22. Created donation bags for the classrooms at my little brother’s school, where they’re currently collecting Campbell’s labels for education.

23. Made a donation to Operation Christmas Child. (I had hoped to make a shoebox for this amazing cause, but missed the deadline. If you ever have the chance to contribute to this amazing cause, do it. It is so simple and gratifying.)

I can say with certainty that this was one of the most interesting and exciting birthdays I’ve yet to experience. And I will probably end up doing this again sometime… maybe to mark turning 25?

Last Minute Shout Out’s & Thank You’s

The Birthday Project, for being so incredibly inspiring
Marie Torto, for helping me find this project in the first place
my Mom, for giving me ideas of tasks to accomplish
Liza Rubin & Makenzie Albrand, two of my best friends for helping me think of ideas
& tagging along to spread kindness & take photos
Leonora Fleming, for helping me find a STF bake sale to jump on to
the girls of STF at Bryn Mawr, for allowing me to join them in baking for the night
the team of More Love Letters, for being incredibly inspiring all the time
Claire Biggs, for loving this idea & believing that I could accomplish it

…and anyone else who is inspired by this and plans to do the same to mark a big occasion– be sure to tell me all about your adventures with random acts of kindness; spread that love.

Finally– I’d ask that you’d show this post a little love: tweet it, share it on Facebook, pin it, email it to your friends. I want to spread this idea so that we can spread a little more kindness into the everyday.

Happy birthday to me.

the Best for Book News

New York Times Books
Huffington Post Books
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Lunch
PubPerspectives
Literary Blog of The New Yorker
GalleyCat
Shelf Awareness
Barnes & Noble
iBookstore
Oprah’s Book Club

Book Reviews

NY Review of Books
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Barnes & Noble Review
Kirkus Reviews
L.A. Times Reviews
Goodreads

Some of my Favorite Authors

J.K. Rowling
Laurie Halse Anderson
Stephen Chbosky
Jodi Picoult
Emma Donoghue
Meg Cabot

Publishing Companies

Random House
Simon & Schuster
Penguin
HarperCollins
Macmillan
Hachette Book Group
McGraw-Hill
W.W. Norton
Scholastic
The Overlook Press

and Some for Fun

Forgotten Bookmarks
an account that features items left behind in books

UNYPL
a candid photo series of readers on the New York subways

@novelsounds
a reader who likes to pair YA titles with good music

and for any grammar lovers…
Grammarly & Grammar Monkeys

And of course, be sure to visit my little virtual book club @CloseReadsCafe. If you love good books and hot beverages, we’re the group for you.

I first heard Randy’s music through a band he was in with some other friends called A Day Behind. But I really picked up on his individual talent when he would perform at coffee houses in our high school library. From doing covers of Death Cab for Cutie and The Killers, to strumming the soft tune of Wagon Wheel, to singing his own original lyrics, Randy could really captivate an audience by story-telling with his guitar.

Randy Scott – Nothing Left EP

And now the best part… he’s got a new EP. ‘Nothing Left’ is a 5-song creation that displays the elements of Randy I’ve always loved: gentle acoustic guitar, and spirited, driven lyrics. The first track, Fire Red Eyes, starts the record off with almost spiteful, biting lyrics, the kind that make you want to sing loud and tell off your ex. Daylight or a Dream is a little more free-spirited, infused with questions and pondering, the perfect song for any 20-something dealing with the new experiences of their future. And then there’s a track titled Oliver and I, a sweet melody about a boy and his faithful dog. My favorite, though, is probably the final track, Who We Are: “we don’t know who we are, so we put on a show…”

Randy is currently a full-time volunteer for Invisible Children, traveling the country to inspire people to take action to bring a 26-year long child soldier conflict to an end. He goes anywhere–schools, churches, colleges, it doesn’t matter–and shows films, hosts workshops and calls people to advocate for peace in Central Africa, alongside his teammate from Africa, who was directly and personally affected by this conflict. To support the Invisible Children movement, visit their website.

Connect with Randy Scott:

Download his EP “Nothing Left”

Like his Facebook Page

Follow him on Instagram