Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Sunroofs and Shoeboxes by Jaime L. Mathews. In Sunroofs & Shoeboxes, Jaime L. Mathews compiles the nuggets of wisdom she has found in the commonplace, so you can do the same.
This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 29 November till 19 December. You can see the tour schedule here.
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Sunroofs and Shoeboxes By Jaime L. Mathews Genre: Inspirational nonfiction Release Date: 2 November, 2021
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Synopsis
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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.
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grat·i·tude. The dictionary defines gratitude as, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
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When was the last time you heard someone say, “I am so grateful,” and actually mean it?
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When was the last time you felt grateful? Not just a time where you felt lucky, but a time where your whole body and mind felt genuinely grateful and blessed all at once.
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The word “grateful” is thrown around so much in our society. We send up our yogic prayer hand and bow our heads, which seems to have become the universal display of gratitude; much like the peace sign is the known signal of its meaning. But gratitude is a two-way street. It is not only the appreciation for the kindness shown to us; it is also the reciprocation of good to others. It is more than just giving thanks. It is returning that thanks so that others also have something to be thankful for. It is in these moments when we experience being grateful and in turn, our lives feel more fulfilled, healthier, and we ultimately feel happier.
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So, how do you start feeling genuinely grateful?
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Within these pages, you are about to read nearly a year’s work of intentionally looking for health and gratitude in situations, scenarios, and during times when you might least expect it. Do you think it’s possible to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic and find something to be grateful for? Can you eat pizza and feel so good and healthy that Paleo diet followers everywhere would be utterly stumped? What about losing your pet? Can you be grateful when Fido goes missing? You can, because sometimes we have to go through a lot of gunk to be able to see the good. Each challenge or hardship offers a gift. The gift is being able to see new gold that you would have otherwise ignored. Remember, the good and the bad exist together. You cannot see one without the other.
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Sunroofs & Shoeboxes shares some (actually a lot of) stories that I hope will inspire you to know, feel, and then practice seeing that gratitude, which is one of the only things we can control in our lives. When we grab hold of what our mind thinks about, we empower ourselves to experience greater health, increased happiness, and gratefulness. Are you ready?
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About the Author:
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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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There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Sunroofs and Shoeboxes. Here are the prizes you can win:
– 5 winners will each win a paperback copy of Sunroofs and Shoeboxes (US Only)
– 10 winners will each win an ecopy of Sunroofs and Shoeboxes
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
THE THANKFUL UNICORN
Author: Haley Rose
Publisher: Flowered Press
Pages: 68 (softcover) 28 (hardcover)
Genre: Tweens/Teens/Adults
My Review
I start every day thinking about something to be grateful for. And then I write it down, along with a few words about things I’m happy about. It’s a great way to start the day positive. So I was excited to get my hands on The Thankful Unicorn.
What a delightful little book. Each page has a list where you can write down what you are grateful for, your dreams and goals, what you love about yourself and your affirmations, along with a quote. The opposite page has whimsical illustrations of a unicorn which you can color. I broke out my big kit of colored pencils and markers and transformed the pictures into sparkling, magical wonder.
While this may appear to be a children’s book. I believe it is something for all ages. It feels good to open it up and read what I had written and be inspired to make the most of each day. And I love unicorns!
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BOOK BLURB:
If you like unicorns, you’ll love The Thankful Unicorn! The coloring book and gratitude journal in one.
The Thankful Unicorn is filled with inspiring quotes, positive actions and whimsical unicorn scenes that will be sure to delight even the young at heart, leading to a more confident, kind and creative child.
This innovative and uplifting book is all about building self-esteem, promoting positivity and inspiring creativity in young girls and boys.
Laura Emily teaches us to appreciate and notice our inner being.
By taking the reader on a journey through her own experiences, Laura teaches us to listen to the
universe and allow ourselves to follow the path the universe is trying to take us on. She tries to
make us understand that even though we may not think the universe is on our side or that things are
not meant to happen, something has not happened yet because we, as individuals, are not yet ready
to receive this event. Once we accept the universe’s plan and allow things to happen, whether they
are good or bad, only then can we truly reach our full potential.
Laura Emily, also known as The Happiness Coach, considers it her mission in life to help uplift the
planet and encourage a shift in the consciousness that people have today. Laura currently does oneto-one coaching through her website, http://www.beagoodsoul.com, to help others achieve their
goals, fulfill their dreams and awaken their connection to the Universe.
. “I enjoyed every day and was grateful for every morning, every afternoon and every evening. I
surrounded myself with people I loved and people who made me feel great. As the months rolled on
I started visualising my life to come surrounded by great friends and a wonderful man. I did not
visualise this to bring it to me, I visualised it only because it made me feel wonderful. Looking back
I can see how aligned I was to the Universe because I spent everyday happy. I would drive to work
and say in my mind, ‘I have the most amazing husband, friends and family.’ Eventually, this image
of a handsome stranger became a familiar image in my mind. I saw a checked shirt and an
impressive physique with thick hair that I could run my hands through and a sense of humour that
always kept my cheeks rosy. Many times in my visions he would stop by for a cup of tea and ask
for ‘a real cup of tea made by a real English lady,’ as he was not English himself. Sometimes I would imagine him busy at work in his office, sometimes I would imagine him relaxed and playing
his guitar to me and sometimes we just danced in the rain in Central Park. One of my most popular
visions was him and I walking through the park, dancing, talking, laughing and sometimes he
would stop me in my tracks and sing to me. He adored me and his spirit made me fly. To me, he
was real. He was so real that anytime I felt down I would go to him in my mind. I remember a
particular time that I was feeling incredibly sad and I was crying in my car on my way home. I
relaxed myself and went within and poured my words out to myself. I spoke out all my feelings and
frustrations, but I did it as if I was with him and telling him about my day. After I had done this I
naturally visualised his response. He was so gentle with me, he was kind, he spoke to me with love
and comforted me. To be honest, I did not even realise I was doing this because it just all came so
naturally. Like I said, he was real to me and after he comforted me I felt a lot happier.
“Then, one day, after having an inspiring conversation with my older brother, I decided to book
a trip to New York City. It was a place I had been to a couple of times and have always wanted to
eventually live once I found a way of doing so. After hanging up the phone with my brother I
walked into my job that day and told my boss I would be leaving. Many people laughed at me,
some told me I was irresponsible but I was making decisions with my heart now, not my head, and
in that month my life changed once and for all.
“On August 8, 2015, two weeks before I was due to fly, a message popped through on a social
media website from a handsome gentleman in the United States. When I say handsome, I mean the
most handsome man I had ever seen with the kindest blue eyes, the biggest smile and the most
intoxicating laugh I had ever heard. After a brief chat, he wished me well and left the conversation.
I was desperate to talk more. I did not know his name or where he was from but I wanted to. I
wanted to know everything about him. It was not just how I felt about him, it was how he had made
me feel through a few words we had shared back and forth. He had so much energy it was
infectious.
“The next day he reached out to me again. I was over the moon. The more he shared his life
with me the more I realised how wonderful he was. He was kind, generous, ambitious, funny and he
loved the Universe like I did. His name was Bobby. He was a business man doing extremely well in
his field. He had toured in a band for many years previously and he still liked to play guitar and sing
now and then when he had the time. He had written many beautiful songs and sang many to me. His
voice was unique and totally perfect and I could barely listen to a song without feeling a rush of
emotions.
“When he asked me what was going on in my life I told him I was traveling to New York City
for a month. He was so excited about the idea and keen to hear about my adventures. Within a
couple of days he had asked me if he could fly over from where he was in San Diego and take me
out because he thought it would be a shame if we never got to have lunch together. I was thrilled.
We made immediate plans and within two days he had his flight and hotel booked and time off from
his hectic job.
“A week later there I was in an apartment on the Upper West Side, which was perfect and
everything I had visualised. Three days after I landed he knocked on my door. I ran down to let him
in and finally got to see those blue eyes in front of me. His trembling lips kissed me and it has been
magic ever since. He spent five days with me before he flew back home and I was grateful for every
minute. We explored the entire city on foot. We shared tasty food over storytelling and the driest
wines we could find. One of my more memorable evenings was sitting at a beautiful restaurant
enjoying Italian food and wine. After the meal was over he leaned in and asked if I wanted to walk
with him to Central Park for a dance. I was beaming from ear to ear as we walked up one block to
where the park was located. Here, we shared our first dance and as we did, it began to rain. There I
was, dancing in the rain in Central Park just as I had visualised. It only rained for about three
minutes. To me, it felt like the heavens had opened to allow me the moment I had once visualised
where he and I were dancing in the rain under a tree in Central Park. I thank God for that moment
still.
“The very next day we were walking alongside the park again and he turned to me and asked if
I liked the idea of getting married in Central Park. I was lost for words. This was something I had
always wanted but never expressed to him. It was like a moment of perfect fate had brought us
together, like he could read my thoughts, like I was stepping into my own self created future. Later
that day he walked me to a spot in the park that he said would be great for a wedding. It was a busy
area but we managed to find a spot to stand and enjoy the view. As we did this I heard some music
playing in the background but not just any music. It was a piece of classical music that I used to
play and visualise walking down the aisle to many years prior. Where was it coming from? I looked
around to see a man playing the cello and playing this exact piece of music perfectly. All I can say
is that I was absolutely stunned. Not only that, after pointing out how beautiful this music was to
Bobby he then turned to me and said, ‘I have always wanted this song played at my wedding. It
would be perfect for you to walk down the aisle to.’
“To this day he still asks for his cup of tea from a real English lady and I always say yes.
Everything about him is what I visualised and nothing has been left out. This for me was my biggest
moment of realisation that we can create exactly what we want and as long as we always go with
thoughts of love we will always receive.
“I believe that if I had not followed my instincts to leave my job and get on that plane then we
may not have met. Our instincts are our inner being guiding us and our inner being never gets it
wrong. One thing I have learned these last few years is to only make decisions out of love. Do not
make haste. Do not make decisions out of fear or revenge or anger because sadly, they will not end
well. Living in alignment will always bring you what you want.”
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GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR LAURA EMILY
To be honest, being a writer was never in my plan but I did love reading growing up. It wasn’t until I felt I had so much to share that I just had to write it down and that was how ‘Embracing your Divinity’ was born. I had been through so many changes in such a short space of time and I knew others would have experienced things similar so I wanted to help them. I realised that so many people felt powerless within their lives and I wanted to change that. I wanted to show people what they could really do. We are all so powerful and we have so much support that we may not even realise. If there is anything about your life that you do not like you have the power to change it.
I just wanted to share my knowledge with everyone.
This story is the tree trunk to my enlightenment. Starting with my own journey, I have branched out and been blessed by receiving the time and wisdom of many good souls who wish to also share their stories with you. These souls are not just any souls, they are my friends, relatives, inspiration and masters of these teachings. Some are all four, and I have been lucky enough to meet them along my precious journey.
Some have discovered the Law of Attraction and turned their lives around, some have had the pleasure of finding happiness and enjoying alignment, some have experienced physical manifestations, some have healed themselves and others are simply living in amazement every day as to what they can achieve. I hope that you can relate to our journeys and that they give you comfort in your awakening.
As an example, here’s an excerpt from ‘Embracing your Divinity’. It’s my true story of how I manifested my boyfriend…
“I enjoyed every day and was grateful for every morning, every afternoon and every evening. I surrounded myself with people I loved and people who made me feel great. As the months rolled on I started visualising my life to come surrounded by great friends and a wonderful man. I did not visualise this to bring it to me, I visualised it only because it made me feel wonderful. Looking back I can see how aligned I was to the Universe because I spent everyday happy. I would drive to work and say in my mind, ‘I have the most amazing husband, friends and family.’ Eventually, this image of a handsome stranger became a familiar image in my mind. I saw a checked shirt and an impressive physique with thick hair that I could run my hands through and a sense of humour that always kept my cheeks rosy. Many times in my visions he would stop by for a cup of tea and ask for ‘a real cup of tea made by a real English lady,’ as he was not English himself. Sometimes I would imagine him busy at work in his office, sometimes I would imagine him relaxed and playing his guitar to me and sometimes we just danced in the rain in Central Park. One of my most popular visions was him and I walking through the park, dancing, talking, laughing and sometimes he would stop me in my tracks and sing to me. He adored me and his spirit made me fly. To me, he was real. He was so real that anytime I felt down I would go to him in my mind. I remember a particular time that I was feeling incredibly sad and I was crying in my car on my way home. I relaxed myself and went within and poured my words out to myself. I spoke out all my feelings and frustrations, but I did it as if I was with him and telling him about my day. After I had done this I naturally visualised his response. He was so gentle with me, he was kind, he spoke to me with love and comforted me. To be honest, I did not even realise I was doing this because it just all came so naturally. Like I said, he was real to me and after he comforted me I felt a lot happier.
“Then, one day, after having an inspiring conversation with my older brother, I decided to book a trip to New York City. It was a place I had been to a couple of times and have always wanted to eventually live once I found a way of doing so. After hanging up the phone with my brother I walked into my job that day and told my boss I would be leaving. Many people laughed at me, some told me I was irresponsible but I was making decisions with my heart now, not my head, and in that month my life changed once and for all.
“On August 8, 2015, two weeks before I was due to fly, a message popped through on a social media website from a handsome gentleman in the United States. When I say handsome, I mean the most handsome man I had ever seen with the kindest blue eyes, the biggest smile and the most intoxicating laugh I had ever heard. After a brief chat, he wished me well and left the conversation. I was desperate to talk more. I did not know his name or where he was from but I wanted to. I wanted to know everything about him. It was not just how I felt about him, it was how he had made me feel through a few words we had shared back and forth. He had so much energy it was infectious.
“The next day he reached out to me again. I was over the moon. The more he shared his life with me the more I realised how wonderful he was. He was kind, generous, ambitious, funny and he loved the Universe like I did. His name was Bobby. He was a business man doing extremely well in his field. He had toured in a band for many years previously and he still liked to play guitar and sing now and then when he had the time. He had written many beautiful songs and sang many to me. His voice was unique and totally perfect and I could barely listen to a song without feeling a rush of emotions.
“When he asked me what was going on in my life I told him I was traveling to New York City for a month. He was so excited about the idea and keen to hear about my adventures. Within a couple of days he had asked me if he could fly over from where he was in San Diego and take me out because he thought it would be a shame if we never got to have lunch together. I was thrilled. We made immediate plans and within two days he had his flight and hotel booked and time off from his hectic job.
“A week later there I was in an apartment on the Upper West Side, which was perfect and everything I had visualised. Three days after I landed he knocked on my door. I ran down to let him in and finally got to see those blue eyes in front of me. His trembling lips kissed me and it has been magic ever since. He spent five days with me before he flew back home and I was grateful for every minute. We explored the entire city on foot. We shared tasty food over storytelling and the driest wines we could find. One of my more memorable evenings was sitting at a beautiful restaurant enjoying Italian food and wine. After the meal was over he leaned in and asked if I wanted to walk with him to Central Park for a dance. I was beaming from ear to ear as we walked up one block to where the park was located. Here, we shared our first dance and as we did, it began to rain. There I was, dancing in the rain in Central Park just as I had visualised. It only rained for about three minutes. To me, it felt like the heavens had opened to allow me the moment I had once visualised where he and I were dancing in the rain under a tree in Central Park. I thank God for that moment still.
“The very next day we were walking alongside the park again and he turned to me and asked if I liked the idea of getting married in Central Park. I was lost for words. This was something I had always wanted but never expressed to him. It was like a moment of perfect fate had brought us together, like he could read my thoughts, like I was stepping into my own self created future. Later that day he walked me to a spot in the park that he said would be great for a wedding. It was a busy area but we managed to find a spot to stand and enjoy the view. As we did this I heard some music playing in the background but not just any music. It was a piece of classical music that I used to play and visualise walking down the aisle to many years prior. Where was it coming from? I looked around to see a man playing the cello and playing this exact piece of music perfectly. All I can say is that I was absolutely stunned. Not only that, after pointing out how beautiful this music was to Bobby he then turned to me and said, ‘I have always wanted this song played at my wedding. It would be perfect for you to walk down the aisle to.’
“To this day he still asks for his cup of tea from a real English lady and I always say yes. Everything about him is what I visualised and nothing has been left out. This for me was my biggest moment of realisation that we can create exactly what we want and as long as we always go with thoughts of love we will always receive.
“I believe that if I had not followed my instincts to leave my job and get on that plane then we may not have met. Our instincts are our inner being guiding us and our inner being never gets it wrong. One thing I have learned these last few years is to only make decisions out of love. Do not make haste. Do not make decisions out of fear or revenge or anger because sadly, they will not end well. Living in alignment will always bring you what you want.”
