Restorative Reading and Writing for Wellness

It’s time for my annual notebook stack reveal!

Today, I’m sharing my 2025 notebook stack: all the notebooks I’m using and loving and why. Right now, I’ve got a stack of 7 notebooks I’ll use across the coming weeks and months…and maybe one or two more up my sleeve, too. 

I’ll begin by answering the top 3 questions I receive every time I release my annual notebook stack episodes: Why so many? Why are they so different? How often do you write in them?

Then, I’ll walk you through each of my notebooks: what they are for, what they look like and how they feel, how I’ll use it and how often I’ll write in it.

Finally, I’ll end with a mic-drop question that could change the way you think about notebooking and journaling forever.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/12/31/my-2025-notebook-stack-revealed/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

It’s Christmas Eve!

A couple of weeks ago, I released my gifting episode: Gifts for Restorative Reading & Writing. It was such a popular episode and everyone LOVED the homemade coupon I created for you to give to a friend and enjoy a reading and writing session together. 

And now….I’m giving you to you! =)

In today’s episode, I offer a heartfelt holiday greeting and invite you to read and/or write with me for thirty minutes to the backdrop of beautiful, instrumental holiday music.

Read a festive book, write in your notebook or simply savor the festive music and give yourself a well-deserved break.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/12/24/the-best-holiday-gift-ever/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

As we move through December, I find myself alternating between filling my home with holiday spirit and decluttering EVERYTHING as I think about starting fresh in the new year.

Can you relate?

And while I’ve recently sorted and refreshed my bookshelves, it’s been a long while since I have done the same for my notebooks and I have a stack that’s ready to topple over. 

But it’s not so easy to decide what to do with them. Do I keep them? Toss them? Do something else?

In today's episode, I’m exploring four things that we can do with our old notebooks and journals in hopes that I can make a decision about my own pile.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/12/17/heres-what-to-do-with-your-used-notebooks/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

It’s gifting season and our Inboxes and social feeds are flooded with gift guides and recommendations, often with the same overlapping recommendations. 

That’s why I have something different for you!

Today, I’m sharing a collection of unique gifts for the reader and writer in your life (and YOU!) who is working to grow a restorative reading and writing practice.

Come listen as I catch you up on what restorative reading and writing is and offer a collection of different ideas to gift yourself and others. You won’t want to miss this first one. Trust me….it’s FREE!

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here:
https://www.alitlife.com/2024/12/10/gifts-for-restorative-reading-and-writing/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

This might just be my favorite episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast so far. =)

Today, I’m exploring all things cyclical living and notebooking with Rebecca Rankin of the Women’s Moon Wisdom podcast. Rebecca is here to help us explore a sustainable, holistic and cyclical lifestyle to balance our mood, boost energy, beat overwhelm and feel good in our body while living with intention. 

We talk about what cyclical living is and why it matters, how journaling and notebooking pair perfectly with cyclical phases and practices and much more. I even have a couple of my own aha moments that I’m incredibly grateful for, too.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/12/03/the-power-of-cyclical-notebooking-with-rebecca-rankin/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

I love talking about my reading rules and I have one particular reading rule that you might not expect: I cannot read holiday books until December 1st.

Not at all.

While I love anything and everything to do with the holiday season, I like to restrict my holiday reading to only one month out of the year so it is filled with holiday bookish anticipation.

So now that December has arrived, it’s time to bring out the holiday TBR stack.

Today, I’m sharing 7 of the holiday books that are on my TBR stack. I’ll share the title and author, the hook from the publisher and why I cannot wait to read it. Let’s get into the holiday spirit together through books!

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/11/26/books-on-my-holiday-tbr-stack/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Today, I’m exploring a genre that I’ve never talked about on the podcast before: cookbooks!

Traditionally, cookbooks were simply the keeper of recipes, but today, they are so much more. They’re also part memoir, part non-fiction, part exploration and beyond. 

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the micro-genre of cookbooks as self-help tools. We’ll explore three things cookbooks provide (beyond recipes!) and I’ll offer five of my favorites for you to explore. Let’s kick off a season of winter wellness with some cookbook reading!

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/11/19/reading-cookbooks-as-self-care/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Are you wondering how to stay healthy this holiday season and give your immune system a needed boost? Look no further than your favorite books and notebooks.

Today, I’m diving into the benefits of reading and writing on our immune systems. We’ll talk about 5 indirect effects of reading and 3 direct effects of writing that you need to know about during the upcoming cold and flu season. Once you’re convinced, we’ll explore three one-word questions to help you strengthen your literate life, too. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here:
https://www.alitlife.com/2024/11/12/boost-your-immunity-by-reading-writing/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Any time of the year is the perfect time to start a gratitude practice, but November offers a particular invitation to count our blessings, be grateful for what we have in our life and seek joy.

Today, I’m sharing ways that we can show up to our notebooks in five different ways to embrace a season of gratitude. We’ll explore gratitude lists, notes and letters, doodles and sketches, creative spreads and daily logs. There’s something for everyone here. 

Come listen and start your own gratitude practice today!

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/11/05/5-ways-to-practice-gratitude-in-our-notebooks/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

It’s time for my annual Holiday Notebook episode!

Years ago, I created my first holiday notebook out of sheer desperation to better manage the holidays.

Now, it’s a tool that I cannot live without.

Come listen to what a holiday notebook is, how you can make one and why you need to start yours today.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2024/10/29/my-holiday-notebook-2024/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Patreon community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit