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Celina- HR Director

Recovering Perfectionist

Juggling a busy family gets hectic, but I'm always reading bits of everything. I like to run and adventure in my "free-time" -- and of course flop out with a great book! I prefer stories with a happy ending and non-fiction titles that inspire me to do better. I read cookbooks for the pictures mostly and I'm always looking for new ways to keep things simple. I know a book is good when I make time to read it - these books are THOSE books! Come read with me.

Recommended Reads

6 months ago

这是我recen一瞥t reads. Confession: I have jumped on the Colleen Hoover train, and I am not mad about it. She's mastered the hook that keeps me turning the pages until I reach the end.
There's a reason why the library has a gazillion copies of this book! Everybody is reading it.
Can't get enough of Atlas? Continue the "It Ends with Us" story with this sequel novel.

Fresh Outta Quarantine

2 years ago

One of the great things to come out of 2020-2021 was my increased reading for fun. When the daily news on COVID numbers became too overwhelming and the social media feeds went sideways, I turned to (mostly) fiction to escape. Here are some of my recent favorites, including some that have been around for a few years that I finally got a chance to enjoy. Add them to your reading list!
Why did I wait so long to read this? With rumors of a pending movie, I had to read the book. And what a story! I'd venture to guess that #thebookwasbetter.
我爱时期小说,再次我发现myself learning a little history along the way. This book opened me up to the author, who has many other great titles!
Fall for it! This first in the two book series is such a fun read. If you're like me, pick a Saturday and just read it cover to cover in one day. Then check out "The Happy Ever After Playlist," and read it the next weekend.
I'm here for the light romance! Read the book, then create the playlist on your favorite streaming music account.

Summer Reading

4 years ago

It's summertime, which for me means more time in the car getting to and from our family adventures. Lucky for me, this also means some extra time to listen and read! Here's what I'm checking out.
Any "Dawson's Creek" fans out there? This one's for you!

New Reads

6 months ago

This list is totally poupourri and includes a few recent favorites that I have stumbled upon through my scrolling of Instagram.
"Researcher. Storyteller. Texan. Courage is contagious. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver."
This is currently on my nightstand. It's a new release from the author of "The Lilac Girls."
A gnarly, rather controversial look inside a privately run prison in Louisiana.

Picture Books for Grownups

6 months ago

For those times you just want to flip pages like a magazine and learn something new.
Read this and then go back and follow @lauraiz on Instragram.
Simple ideas for updating the look of your home. Gorgeous!
This is a thing, and I'm loving it!
Lots of great inspiration, especially if you have a real camera lying around gathering dust (me!).

Whatcha Reading, Celina?

5 years ago

Curious about what I'm currently reading? I'll admit it's a little hodgepodge, but here's a peek into my most recent checkouts!
I'd heard this book featured on NPR and had to check it out after hearing the interview with the author.
In anticipation of Emily St John Mandel's visit later this fall, this book is a must read.
Ever check out travel books? MCL has tons of resources to help make traveling a breeze!

Books I've Recommended to My Girlfriends

6 months ago

If I could spend most of the day reading a book and ignoring the rest of the world (and the never-ending laundry in my home), I'd choose something like this.

Parenting 101

6 months ago

These are my favorite go-to titles related to being a mom. Some funny, some educational, all lead me to being an awesome mother. You can ask my kids!
This book started as a blog and is one of the best out there, IMO.
Do parents still read parenting books? If you do, then don't miss this handy guide to dealing with cavemen children!

Real Stories I Loved... and Read to the Bittersweet End

6 months ago

There's nothing like reading an incredible TRUE story. These are a few favorites of mine that I couldn't put down.
An absolutely amazing story that is now a movie, "Lion."
This story had me hooked from the very beginning! Can you believe there was a time that ingesting radium was considered exclusive? If you're like me, this book will have you thinking about all the potentially harmful things we expose ourselves to every day without thinking...

Get in the Kitchen, Woman!

6 months ago

This list is dedicated to my sister who has a cute sign in her kitchen that reads, "I only have this kitchen because it came with the house."


In 2002 when I was first married, my husband joked that one day I would be the mom making macaroni and cheese and fish sticks for dinner. I'll never forget standing in our tiny kitchen and thinking there was no way I'd be that way. He…
From the creator of WellnessMama.com comes a cookbook with easy to follow recipes and ingredients you can pronounce and buy without going online to find.
Have you tried spiralizing? Pick up one off Amazon and trick your kids into eating fun shaped food.
Hello easy clean up!
I'm not a vegan, so when these recipes call for a strange sounding fake cheese or meat substitute containing walnuts, I use the real thing. Tons of great "throw it together in a bowl" recipes, which are my current fav for dinner these days.