Book Review and Giveaway: Notes from a Blue Bike

~~ This Giveaway Is Now Closed ~~

Today I am sharing with you a review of "Notes from a Blue Bike" by Tsh Oxenreider which was released earlier this year. Admittedly, the title was what first drew me to the book because as you probably know, I love all things bicycle related. However, the book, which is subtitled, "The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World" is really about so much more than the author's blue bike. 

In today's society, where we are constantly going here and there and caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, it is rare that we actually slow down to catch our breath, let alone attempt to slow down the pace of life. Even I, being single and having no children or husband to shuttle around and look after, often find myself exhausted from the week's activities; so, I can only imagine how those of your with families feel by week's end. 

In "Notes from a Blue Bike", Oxenreider tells the story of how she and her husband decided to intentionally slow down amidst the chaos of every day life. The author and her husband had been living overseas and then all of a sudden found themselves unexpectedly living back in The States. Having been used to a slower paced life while living in Turkey, the commotion of Austin, Texas, was quite a transition for them and their family. The Oxenreider's found themselves, in short, unhappy with their lifestyle and they longed for the more relaxed life they had experienced while living overseas. 

The family ended up moving to Bend, Oregon (also home to US Cyclist Chris Horner, just saying, y'all!), hoping that a smaller town might cure the problems of hurrying here, there and yonder, but as it turns out, it wasn't the city that was the problem. The Oxenreider family suffered the same hectic lifestyle in Bend that they had in Oregon. It was when Tsh took a trip to visit friends in Virginia that she outlined a map to her family's blueprint for a less chaotic and more intentional way of living. 

The book is very well written and really reads closer to a novel than a biography of sorts. Mrs. Oxenreider's story telling flows easily through the pages of the book, making it an easy read. By no means is this a "how to" book on changing your lifestyle or for creating an intentional life for your own family, it's just the story of how the Oxenreiders were able to do this for their own family which may in turn help or inspire you to make changes for your family. 

More about the author: Tsh Oxenreider is the founder of TheArtofSimple.net (previously Simple Mom) a popular community blog dedicated to the art and science of simple living. She's the author of "Organized Simplicity" and "One Bite at a Time", a regular contributor to (in)courage.me, an advocate for Compassion International, and a top-ranked podcaster. A graduate of the Univeristy of Texas, Tsh currently lives in Bend, Oregon with her family.

The nice folks at Shelton Interactive have arranged for me to provide a copy of "Notes from a Blue Bike" to one lucky reader. If you are interested in a copy of this book, just leave a note in the comments section of this post. The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, and the winner will be announced on Friday, July 25. Thanks for reading, and good luck!