Meadowland Wall Calendar Reviewed

Sam Timm 2017 Calendar For Lovers Of Nature

Calendar Year 2017 from Pixabay.com

I am still a little old school when it comes to keeping track of the days of the year. I love to keep at least one wall calendar in the house and I have a lovely one to monitor the months of 2017 to share with you.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a gorgeous wall calendar with the art of Sam Timm included on each of the 12 month sections.Each month showcases one of his incredibly detailed paintings of scenes from a meadow land including birds that are seen in his native Wisconsin. Mr. Timm would appear to be connected to my soul as he sees the same beauty surrounding his life as I do in mine. 

Several of the pictures in this wall calendar include my favorite bird, the cardinal. Although there is not one picture that I dislike, I think my most favorite is the one for August which shows two gorgeous cardinals resting on sunflowers. It just takes my breath away. That image also happens to be the cover image of the wall calendar.

I was also delighted to see that for the month of April (the month of my birth) the picture chosen was of a male and female cardinal perched on a fence among daisies. March which is the month of my husband's birth is a lovely painting of a male and female deer. Anyone who knows me knows my spiritual connection with the deer and would see the symbolism that this picture would have for me.

Sam Timm is not just an artist but also a minister and I think that might explain his choice of scenes to paint. He is a man of faith and it comes through in the images he chooses to share with the world. He obviously sees the beauty of our creator in the simplest of images in the wild. A couple of birds surrounded by flowers or a bald eagle flying over a church. The wonders of nature and creation caught in a glimpse by this most talented artist.

The calendar itself is published by Lang so the paper is a high quality and the pictures are so beautiful that I will probably keep them even after the year of 2017 is complete. They would be lovely to frame!

So, if you are like me and like to have a wall calendar in your home or office and also enjoy nature scenes, birds and flowers I can highly recommend this 2017 wall calendar showcasing the art work of Sam Timm. I am pretty sure that you will not be disappointed!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Inspirational Calendars for Women

I love this time of year, when summer starts winding down, school supplies fill stores' shelves, and it's time to start looking at calendars for the upcoming new year. Why start looking at next year's calendars in August? Because there are so many beautiful new designs coming out and it can take me weeks to choose a favorite!

This year I got a head start, poring through the selection at Calendars.com. For 2017 I knew I wanted an upbeat inspirational calendar, one that would lift my spirits each time my eyes fell on it. I like lots of color, engaging artwork, and positive messages that make me smile but also make me think. And since I am one, I specifically looked for inspirational calendars for women.

After many enjoyable hours of browsing, I've finally narrowed my choices down to three favorites. Here's what I've decided.


Since color and engaging artwork are on my list of requirements, it's no surprise that I was immediately drawn to Suzy Toronto's calendars. Her 2017 "Don't Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle" wall calendar is bright, beautiful, and covered in the engaging art that the artist is known for. There's a bit of a "flower power" message on the cover and a huge amount of positivity that fills the insides.

Suzy Toronto's Don't Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle 2017 Calendar

One thing that I especially like about the Suzy Toronto inspirational calendar is that her artwork isn't limited to the upper half of each monthly spread. She carries the design, and each monthly message, through to the bottom half, too, beautifully decorating not just the corners of the page but the holiday squares, too. In the sample shown, for instance, the cute shamrocks and pot of gold make St. Patrick's Day stand out on the March page. I love this calendar and know that I won't tire of looking at it.

Blessings for Life 2017 Wall Calendar

The "Blessings for Life" wall calendar with scripture also is filled with beautiful artwork, but the mood is a little more subtle. I adore the whimsical art collages from the Velvet Lime Girls that remind me of colorful doodles. The theme of the calendar is hope, grace, and love and an uplifting short Bible verse is included each month.

This is a high-quality calendar with linen-embossed pages and would make not just a perfect calendar for any woman's home or office but would be a fabulous choice for a special gift. I'm thinking that this calendar will look perfect in my colorful "quilts" bedroom.

Mary Engelbreit "Life Happens" 2017 Desk Calendar

If you prefer your inspiration and encouragement in daily doses, here's a page-a-day desk calendar that's worth waking up to each morning. You've probably already identified the artist.  Yes, this is the Mary Engelbreit 2017 "Life Happens" calendar, with a page for each day of the year (Saturday and Sunday share a page). Each day when you tear off the preceding date's page, you can count on not only an adorable, whimsical piece of art but a related, short, uplifting, inspirational quote to go with it. I can't decide which I like better, the quotes or the art! I want to put this desk calendar in the kitchen where I'll see it first thing so my brain will have all day to mull over the wisdom that permeates each message. "Every flower must grow through dirt" has been popping into my head frequently since I first saw this page. I love it and bet you'll love it, too.



So, these are my current top three favorite inspirational calendars for women, each with its own touch of whimsy and dose of wisdom. Which one is your favorite? 

If you like all of these calendars, as I do, you might appreciate this link for free shipping.
Calendars.com - Free Shipping On Any Order Over $35

P.S. Calendars make great gifts!

~Susan
Read more of my reviews here.

(Note: I may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article.)

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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New Year's Resolutions and How to Keep Them

Reviewing New Year Resolutions

Time to make your
New Year's resolutions!

Have you made a New Year's resolution for 2017? Better hurry, you're running out of time! Or maybe you don't bother with resolutions anymore since you have a "Fail!" history when it comes to keeping them. That's true of most of us, but you don't have to fail at keeping resolutions. Here are three things to do to keep your New Year's resolutions, along with some specific tips.

When it comes to keeping resolutions, the secret lies in turning the resolution into a goal, making a plan, and keeping yourself motivated enough to stick with that plan. Let's talk about how to do all three.

1. Turn your resolution into a goal. Instead of "I resolve to lose weight this year," get more specific: "I will lose 10 pounds in the next three months." When you're specific, it's much easier to make a plan in order to reach the goal. And when the goal sounds reasonable, you're far less likely to become overwhelmed and quit before you ever get started. You may really want to lose 40 pounds this year, but that sounds so difficult! Losing 10 pounds sounds so much more doable, doesn't it? And when you reach that 10-pound weight loss goal at the end of three months, then repeat it in the next three months, then again and then one more time during the year, the 40 pounds you originally wanted to shed will be gone!

Is "exercise regularly" one of your resolutions? Get more specific than that. What kind of exercise? Have you thought about it? I'd suggest walking, the simplest exercise of all. Set a goal to work yourself up to 10,000 steps a day as quickly as possible and maintain that pace for the rest of the year. All you'll need is a pedometer, a calendar on which to record your progress, and a plan, which brings us to step two.

2. Make a plan to meet your goal. For the weight loss goal, you'll have to decide what you're going to do in order to lose those 10 pounds. My plan would be to simply eat less at each meal. That works best for me and probably will for you, too (seriously, you'll be amazed at what eating smaller portions can do for you). Plan, too, on eliminating all sugary drinks by substituting good, old-fashioned water. (Please avoid diet drinks with artificial sweeteners which actually stimulate your appetite.) Making just those two changes in your diet is a great plan, easy to stick with, and really will help you lose weight.

Plan: Add steps by taking your dog for regular walks.

As for a plan for meeting the exercise/walking goal, if you don't do much walking in the normal course of a day, you may need to dedicate 10, 20, or 30 minutes a day specifically for walking and accumulating steps. Choose a time of day to walk and stick with it. If you miss a day don't stress about it, just do it the next day. Additionally, make small changes in your routine, such as parking at the back of the parking lot when you go shopping. Take your dog for regular walks and extend the walk a couple hundred steps each day. That three-part plan will help you succeed in meeting your 10,000 step goal. After 21 days (that's how long it takes to form a habit) you'll realize that you're finding more ways to take more steps and actually enjoying the challenge. 

3.  Keep yourself motivated. Even when you turn the resolution into a goal, then make and carry out a plan to reach the goal, you'll probably lose focus and lose your motivation at some point during the year. There are various ways to deal with that, especially if you realize that adjusting your plan is fine and much, much better than losing track of your resolution/goal altogether, causing you to just give up. 

Developing daily habits by making the plan part of your daily routine will help keep you motivated. In addition, it's good to plan periodic rewards so that there's always a tempting carrot on a stick hanging not far down the path you're traveling on. Plan ahead of time to treat yourself by buying something special (maybe new earrings?) as a reward for accomplishing half of your total weight loss goal.  Plan to reward yourself with a new pair of walking shoes, perhaps, once you've walked and recorded your steps for six weeks in a row. 

Motivational materials with positive messages to read daily can go a very long way in keeping you focused and on track. Thousands of people love the motivation they find in the Life's Little Instruction Calendar. Each day's calendar page contains a thoughtful, usually light-hearted or even humorous message to help you start your day.

As you change the date each morning, read that day's entry purposefully, with the intent of learning something that will reinforce your positive mindset.  Memorize, read aloud, and/or meditate on each day's message. Tape the calendar page to your mirror or put it on your refrigerator door where you'll see it often.

Apply the positivity you find each day to your own life and let that positivity motivate you towards your goals. And remember that with each page you pull off the calendar, you're that much closer to accomplishing what you've set out to do this year! 

So let's review. I believe that anyone can keep a New Year's resolution if they follow the three steps discussed above: Turn the resolution into a goal, make a plan to meet the goal, and stay motivated in order to carry out the plan. 

Are you up to the challenge?

So tell me, have you made a resolution for 2017? What motivates you? Care to share? I'd love to read your comments below.

~ Susan
Read more of my reviews



"Almost Midnight" and "Dad and Dog" photos property Susan Deppner, all rights reserved

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

 

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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