A shout out to Anne at Modern Mrs Darcy  for introducing me to What I’m Into … I’m linking up with the hostess Leigh Kramer and sharing what I watched, read and pinned this month.

The best thing about this particular January is that it’s finished, quite frankly. I started the month signing my first publishing contract, which was AWESOME … then the flu arrived and stuck around for far too long. By the time we all recovered, I felt like I was scrambling to catch up with life. But I’m a glass half-full kinda girl and when you’re sick, at least there’s plenty of time for reading.

What I’m Reading:

I’ve discovered the wonderful world of Advanced Reader Copies. Free books in exchange for an honest review? Sign me up! I just finished Denise Hunter’s Dancing With Fireflies releasing March 11th from Thomas Nelson. If you’re a fan of inspirational romance, you might want to check this one out. Don’t you love the cover?

I’m a few pages into  and loving it. This is the book club pick for my virtual book club on Goodreads. I bet there will be some great discussion, based on the questions already posted by the moderator. If you’d like to join the group, click here .

What I’m Watching:

I wasn’t going to, but I couldn’t resist checking out the new season of American Idol. I’m loving the revamped panel of judges. The audition coverage is over and Hollywood week starts next Wednesday, so if you haven’t started watching, it isn’t too late.

We unsubscribed to cable TV a few weeks ago. I can’t believe it. Haven’t missed it for even a second. We bought a Roku and also an HD antenna so we still pick up the major networks and a couple of other obscure channels. We rely on Amazon and Netflix for our entertainment now. I started watching Sports Night late one night when someone in my house was coughing uncontrollably and keeping me awake. This show is a pleasant surprise. How did I miss it the first time around? I heart Peter Krause.

After reading several of the other blogs in this link up today, it’s abundantly clear that I need to check out Sherlock. I had no idea it was such a huge hit.

I had a freelance writing project (my first one) due today that involved ladies figure skating. Needless to say, I’ve watched a lot of figure skating. With the winter Olympics coming up, I’m looking forward to watching Polina Edmunds skate for Team USA. She’s confident, fearless and spunky. Did I she’s mention 15 years old?

What I’m Pinning:

I pin rather haphazardly, but I saw the Nutella container in my pantry a few minutes ago and I’ve been thinking about this recipe ever since. Can you say “yum” ?!

Attention Grabbers:

I’ve read Glennon Melton’s Momastery blog on occasion. She’s unconventional in her “truth telling and hope spreading”. I don’t always “get” her. But this post and also this one showed up on my Facebook feed this week and they both really made me think, for completely different reasons. First, I’d be a much better friend, spouse, mother, sibling if I put a little more thought into the questions I asked. The people that I love being with the most are the ones who take the time to ask me about what’s really going on. Secondly, wouldn’t our schools be incredible if more teachers embraced this idea?

In all the hype leading up to the Big Game this Sunday, I’m most excited about watching Derrick Coleman play. He’s a fullback for the Seattle Seahawks who happens to be hearing impaired. There’s a very inspiring battery commercial based on his story. It went viral, but in case you missed it, you can watch here . He was contacted by a parent of twin girls who were also inspired by his ability to play professional football while wearing hearing aids. He wrote back and told the girls not to be discouraged by their own hearing impairments and that he’d love to meet them. I just read this article stating he surprised the girls with tickets to Sunday’s game. Incredible.

So there you have it. What I’m into. For more great recommendations on everything from books to Stitch Fix, jump over here and join the fun. We’d love to hear from you.