My name is Ajarae, and I’m a recovering overworker.
My name is Ajarae, and I’m a recovering overworker.More
Aja’s Favorite Things
The Beauty of Body Oil
Skincare Tip of the Week: Add a soothing body oil to your lotion and moisturize right after showering to keep your skin soft and supple all winter. My favorite oil is a lavender concoction from Ole Henriksen. It smells SO delicious. Enjoy! https://www.olehenriksen.com/p-43-lavender-body-oil.aspx
Stay sharp with brain games!
As many of you know, I just traveled back to home to New Jersey to celebrate my birthday and attend my high school reunion, and it was BABY TIME! I finally met Mimi and Steve’s baby, Lily, attended Uma and Roland’s baby shower, and saw my sister Xavier pregnant for the first time! It was so wonderful to meet (and anticipate meeting) the newest members of my family!
I also spent some quality time with my beloved grandmother and it was tough to witness how far her Alzheimer’s-related dementia has progressed. My MommaDo was once always THE sharpest and wittiest person in the room, and it frustrates her to not be able to remember events that just happened. I’ve recently discovered a great online tool called Lumosity and I recommend it to anyone who’ll listen. With short, daily online training sessions, users are improving their memory and attention, and it’s fun and affordable.More
Support BookPALS
As many of you know, I read to first graders at a nearby elementary school, and it’s one of my favorite activities. Our organization, BookPALS is celebrating 20 years, and we’re asking for $20 donations from our supporters. And if you’re a SAG/AFTRA member, consider giving a couple hours of your time each week and join us as a reader. You’ll love it.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
One thing you should know about me is that sometimes I go into bookstores or libraries and select books to read based on nothing more substantial than the fact that I like they way they look, feel, and smell. Somehow they speak to me, and I pick them. Most people think that’s weird, but I prefer my method even over Amazon.com’s recommendations for me. (gasp) I really hope libraries and bookstores never completely go away.
So I needed some books to take on my retreat to Maui this January. And I saw this one at a bookstore. I like wives. Find them interesting. Also, I’m going to Paris this year with my friend Shalaina. So I took this one along to Maui. (Along with six other books I already had in queue.) So… most people understand that when you bring 7 books to Maui for a week, you’re not going to finish them. No way, right? But I get over-ambitious. And I knew I wouldn’t have my laptop and so I was a bit afraid of being bored. Little did I realize that wouldn’t be an issue AT ALL, but I digress. Long story short, I’m not finished with this novel yet, but I’m enjoying it so much that I wanted to blog about it. It’s about Ernest Hemingway and his wife, and their marriage and his work and relationships with other writers and artists of the time. Warning: the plot is a little depressing, but the prose is so nicely written that it’s such a pleasure to read.More