community – Britt Skrabanek

Thank You

Releasing a book is unsettling, and I don’t believe that ever changes. Essentially it’s delivering your heart and soul to everyone in the world—not knowing what will happen, not knowing a damn thing, actually.

Thankfully from sunup to sundown on Tuesday I was comforted by you lovelies. Some of you already bought NOLA FRAN EVIE. Some of you did that AND shared the heck out of my book in social media land.

I was truly overwhelmed by the congrats, woohoo’s, yippee’s, hooray’s, yay’s, and woo’s gracing the comment section of the release post that day. The buzz on Twitter and Facebook made me smile my tushie off.

Wow, you guys…THANK YOU.

It was brought to my attention that I was ranking awesomely on Amazon.

I didn’t believe it, because it’s just little ol’ me after all. But there NOLA FRAN EVIE was all day, kickin’ it with the top 100 of Amazon’s Bestsellers in the Sports category.

It was very neat.

Yesterday I managed to get through a long day at work with my book release hangover. My cat editing team was pretty tuckered out…

Today life is back to normal.

Now comes the time for—fingers crossed—some reviews. A new reader commented on my release post…

“For those who have read this book and enjoyed it – do the author a huge favor and please take a moment to post a review on Amazon! (no we’re not related!) Reviews mean a lot!”

Um, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Let’s face it, we all read reviews before we purchase anything these days, right? As you all know, I am a little indie author who depends on you guys—my shining community—to spread the good word. A few minutes of your time to leave one would be magnanimously appreciated.

That brings me to NOLA FRAN EVIE on Goodreads! Click right here, loves.

For my Goodreaders out there, be a doll and make sure to add the book to your “currently-reading” or “to-read” lists when you have a sec. I wanted to share NOLA FRAN EVIE’s first bit of praise from a current reader on Goodreads…

“I’m meeting 3 distinct women that share a common past life. I’m looking forward to see which ‘girl’ I’m going to bond with. Too soon to tell. It is definitely not too soon to know how well Britt writes. I like her words a lot. Fine job Britt!!”

And if you haven’t scooped up your copy on Amazon yet, I’ll leave you with a shout-out from a dear friend of mine to see if that persuades you a bit.

“Hey! Do you like to read? Do ya like to read cool books written by rad humans?! PERFECT! My friend Britt Skrabanek wrote a book….so go buy it! Bonus, it’s only $3.99 on Amazon! That’s cheaper than Starbucks, and oh so much better. #SupportIndieAuthors”

AMAZON

AMAZON UK

Thanks a bunch, sweet friends! Hope your weeks are filled with beauty, sunshine, and awesomeness! Much love…Britt.

Home Is Where the Writing Is

Yes, those holes in the Yoga mat were caused by a no-good cat.

Home Is Where the Writing Is.

Silly spin on a cheesy saying? Alright, maybe a little bit.

When I woke up today and looked at my tattered (fourth?, fifth?, sixth?) draft of The Bra Game, I didn’t feel overwhelmed. A goofy grin spread across my sheet-wrinkled face.

Since uprooting my life two weeks ago, writing has seemed like another planet to me. I thought I would be able to manhandle my creative drive and keep the momentum. But already I knew that I wasn’t the same gal I was before The Accidental Spirit Quest.

It’s not that I haven’t been inspired, it just seemed so impossible to become still enough to handle it. To give my writing the attention it deserved.

This week I began editing again. And, it feels really awesome.

The end of this crazy novel project I started a year and a half ago is in sight. Through a full-time job, a 200-hour Yoga teacher training, my mom’s breast cancer, and a cross-country move I am proud to say that I somehow persevered.

Writing was my constant through all of the change, as it always has been and always will be.

I want to take a moment to thank the blogging/writing/reading community. After a few days of getting settled here, I hung out on my pretty new patio and opened my laptop with uncertainty.

Was my blog even still there?

Had it been hijacked or had it run away?

Or, did somebody finally realize all of the monumental gibberish I’ve been spouting in cyber public and hook my neck with a cane to yank me off the stage like a cartoon?

But, there sat my little blog. There you all were. Like a sweet place to come home to.

Getting back into the swing of things has been challenging. Thank you all for sticking it out with me.

I love the way we support each other, laugh our asses off, and share pieces of our lives. And to think…we are from all walks of life, from all corners of the map.

I mean, how cool is that?

A Coach’s Lesson, in 6 Words

Happy Wednesday, fantastic friends! Just wanted to reblog this fun/inspirational piece from Eli over at Coach Daddy. He masterfully coordinates these “6 Words” posts, bringing peeps from all over together to dish out 6 words about various subjects. Along with yours truly, 50 other bloggers, readers, and strangers dished out 6 words based on the prompt “What’s one thing you learned from a coach?” Being that I grew up dancing, I added these six amazing words from one of my ballet teachers…24. “Forget everything, be true, just move.” Be sure to check out the rest of these one-liners for some mid-week warm fuzzies (and some good laughs) over at Eli’s place.

Just a dad ...

You can learn a lot from a coach.

Not all of it’s good. I remember a frustrated soccer coach who slammed his notebook to the turf after our team scored, then barked out the F word. Hayden, then playing U8 soccer, turned to me, mouth open slightly, and blinked several times.

I swear a light bulb illuminated above her head.

Thanks, coach.
Many other lessons are far less R-rated. Well, some.

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The Food Crusade

Two years ago my husband and I made a life-changing health pact.

At the time, local and organic were buzzwords whispered by bearded hipsters, embraced by loving tree huggers, and practiced by dexterous Yogis.

We shopped unenthusiastically at our regular grocery store, which was cheap and conveniently located a block away. Back then, grocery shopping was a chore.

I learned an important lesson during my lifelong battle with severe migraines. Preventive care was the only way to win. Regular sleep, tackling stress, and moderate exercise seemed to do the trick. It only made sense that dietary improvements would be the next logical step.

Since going organic, I’ve had possibly one or two migraines in the past couple of years, but they were minor. Previously I had several debilitating ones per year.

I teach dance to 20-50 kids each week—busy times of the year I’m around more than 100. Although it’s a germ extravaganza, I rarely get sick.

Bonus benefits for my hubby and I include: consistent energy, restful sleep, and weight loss. In conclusion, we feel better than we have ever felt in our lives.

Luckily for those of us here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have Outpost, a local co-op brimming with natural wonders from end to end. For a small annual fee, we are owners, proud advocates of a necessary food revolution.

We are currently being featured on their website as “I Love Outpost” enthusiasts…

“Grocery shopping here is not an errand, it’s like going on a field trip. A feast for the senses, buying local encourages us to be spontaneous and daring with our meals based on the availability of fresh produce.”

A lot of us just don’t know any better. Hey, I grew up with frozen dinners and fast food, too. In the end, none of that is food and you bet your waistline you darn well know it.

The biggest excuse I hear for not shopping organically involves cost.

First, I’m going to level with you. Our weekly grocery bill did increase when we made the organic switch.

The primary reason for this involved eating more at home, another significant component of our health pact. With beautiful, savory ingredients at our fingertips we didn’t want to eat out as much. In turn this saved us money we were overspending at restaurants, channeling directly into our home supply.

Why shouldn’t we splurge on groceries? We’re getting plenty of bang for our buck. Food keeps us alive. Don’t worry, it’s a sound investment.

Alarmingly, Americans spend less of their incomes on groceries than other countries. This scarce amount is further wasted on processed meals bundled in nifty packages of convenience. Outside the grocery budget, money is handed through drive-through windows at fast food conglomerates, blindly encouraging the world dominance of chemically enriched meal impersonations.

Not only do these food imposters not nourish us properly, they damage our health. And, that brings us to health care.

Just kidding. I won’t go there.

My point is to take a look at yourself and your kitchen…take a really good look. Slow down and evaluate. Your health should never be an afterthought.

Go local. Go organic.

Get started by finding the right food provider near you…

Co+op, stronger together
Local Harvest

Get educated and spread the word by watching…

Food Fight
Ingredients
Food Matters