Notes from a Blue Bike

The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World

By: Tsh Oxenreider

Narrated by: Tsh Oxenreider

Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Life is chaotic. But we can choose to live it differently. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we do have the freedom to creatively change the everyday little things in our lives so that our path better aligns with our values and passions. The popular blogger and founder of the internationally recognized Simple Mom online community tells the story of her family’s ongoing quest to live more simply, fully, and intentionally.

Part memoir, part travelogue, part practical guide, Notes from a Blue Bike takes you from a hillside in Kosovo to a Turkish high-rise to the congested city of Austin to a small town in Oregon. It chronicles schooling quandaries and dinnertime dilemmas, as well as entrepreneurial adventures and family excursions via plane, train, automobile, and blue cruiser bike.

Entertaining and compelling - but never shrill or dogmatic - Notes from a Blue Bike invites you to climb on your own bike, pay attention to who you are and what your family needs, and make some important choices. It’s a risky ride, but it’s worth it - living your life according to who you really are simply takes a little intention. It’s never too late.

©2014 Thomas Nelson (P)2014 Thomas Nelson

Tsh is lovely

A nice, simple book. Tsh is lovely, and this book served as a good reminder of how to live a simple life.

Great book with great nuggets of wisdom!

I thoroughly enjoyed it! it was informational and encouraged you to think out of the box and be intentional with your family, time, and money but it was not condemning or preachy. instead I found this book to be both eye opening and inspirational.

Great read!

Really inspiring book. Enjoyed the authenticity and approachable nature of this book. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys good stories, intentional living, and authentic view of life.

Articulate, visual, and insightful read

Tsh is unique with quirky and imaginative ideas for intentional and simple living in society

Nothing earth shattering but ...

The “principles” can be found in 1000s of other places. The presentation, and the message’s anchor truths left this listener with several questions of interpretation. I felt the entire story could have been presented in a much less lengthy bundle, about 2 plus hours less. On a much more positive side, the principles gathered are what many reader/listener needs to sort out their current living and financial situations. Having said such, it does make the finding and gathering process as simple as point, click, and buy the book.

Inspiration to last a lifetime

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes. I think this book is an excellent guide into living simply and helping those understand that it is possible to live in a way that is not deemed normal in society, but saves you money, gives you joy, and leads to great adventures.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I think the very end of this, where she talks about the debt and such that sh once had should have been nearer to the beginning instead to help build a picture of what life was like for them in dealing with that before being where they were in a more current state.

Have you listened to any of Tsh Oxenreider’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not before, no. I like her.

Do you think Notes from a Blue Bike needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

If she feels she has more to say, sure! This is fine as is, in my opinion.

Loved this book

What made the experience of listening to Notes from a Blue Bike the most enjoyable?

Loved her voice and message. Resonates well with my tribe. Hoping for another title by Tsh.

very encouraging

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

yes, it was very encouraging to hear a mom who has traveled over seas and rolled with the punches for coming stateside again.

Would you recommend Notes from a Blue Bike to your friends? Why or why not?

I would--- parts of it--- some of it is very pointed at a particular age group.. like school age parents, or travelers.. but over all it's an interesting read.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Tsh Oxenreider?

only if she wrote it.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

nope

Any additional comments?

although i liked this book and enjoyed listening to it.. it felt like i was getting "taught" instead of just hearing about how one family makes it all work. If i would have picked this up ten years ago I think most of her suggestions would have been better heard on my part. In conclusion, I like travelogue books and wish it would have been based more on that then living simply.

good story - terrible audio editing

If you could sum up Notes from a Blue Bike in three words, what would they be?

careful, methodical, narrow.

What didn’t you like about Tsh Oxenreider’s performance?

the editing between sections was terrible. it wasn't her - she was good - and authentic, but whoever clipped the sections together didn't give any space between sections. this annoyed me to no end.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

not the lifestyle for me, but a good book about perspective. the audio editing is what killed it though, unfortunately.

Thought provoking ideas for family

This book has encouraged me to think about how I can make changes in my family to be more intentional about our priorities and values. Tsh's perspecutve is a breath of fresh air and it counter to mainstream, which I love. Her narration is very good and I appreciate hearing her story in her voice. I like how the book is later out: by topic and not chronologically. This is a must read for any parent, especially if you want to travel with your family.