Friday, September 30, 2011

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!






Carry Yourself Back to Me by Deborah Reed

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up on Kailani's site. Here's my question:

Are you the oldest, youngest, middle or only child?

My answer: I'm the baby. I have 2 older brothers.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. This week's BTT asks . . .

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?
2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?
3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?

I'm sure I was read to as a child; however, I don't remember it. I remember always reading a book in bed. I just LOVED books and would choose to read a book over anything else. That being said, I don't think I'm a fan of being read to. I prefer to focus on the words and read it myself. It's much to easy for me to be distracted by the sound of someone's voice or what they're wearing or how they're speaking as opposed to what they're actually saying. With respect to audio books, I've tried them on long trips in the car and I just don't like them. Again, I am too easily distracted. When I read, I want to see the words. I sometimes read aloud, I think to regain focus on the words if my mind is wandering elsewhere.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

One of My Guilty Pleasures

I have no idea how or why my obsession with plates started, but I have a pretty decent collection. Today I picked up my latest fix at Home Goods - the store that just makes everything better.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but I enjoy decorating for almost any holiday, season, event, or time of year. This includes plates. I have a 3-plate rack on my wall in the foyer and a 3-tier server on my dining room table. Needless to say you can't decorate for a holiday without swapping the appropriate plates into these areas as well. Hence, my collection.

The best place, I have found, to get holiday and seasonal plates is Home Goods. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I go there. Some of the plates are sooooo pretty. I almost don't need an event or occasion to buy them.

I did note that I was in need of some plates for the Fall season for my 3-tier server (at least it sounds like a good excuse). This is what I found today:

Perfect! If I were to design the plate that I was hoping to find, this would have been it. I just love them! And they were only $3.99 each!!

If ever you're feeling down, take a trip to the nearest Home Goods. You're guaranteed to find SOMETHING that will cheer you right up.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I Miss Those Endless Days of Summer

I honestly thought that once my 5 year old started full-day Kindergarten in September, I would have much more time to blog. Boy, was I wrong.

For the past 3 weeks, my calendar has been jam packed. I have appointments in the morning. I'm taking the 2 year old to mommy & me classes. I'm food shopping more. It just seems like the mornings are super busy and fly by, then it's time for lunch with the little guy, then it's time to pick up my 5 year old from school.

I'm hoping this is an unusually busy time and things will eventually slow down. I'm so far behind on my reading it's ridiculous. I just want to curl up on the couch with a book and read a few hours away. Oh endless days of summer, how I miss thee!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday Saying


"Seven days without prayer makes one weak."
~Allen E. Vartlett

Feel free to share your Sunday sayings or quotes or feelings in the comments below. Enjoy the day everyone!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

Heading to our town community day.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up on Kailani's site. Here's my question:

If you were going to a Broadway show, would you choose a musical or drama?

My answer: Tough choice, but probably a drama.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

No 2 Brothers Are Alike

Now that my 5 year old is in school all day, I have a chance to do things with my 2 year old alone. I signed him up for a couple of classes through our county park system. We started this week.

I know you're not supposed to compare siblings, but holy smokes. These two brothers couldn't be more different if they tried.

I, of course, have noticed the difference at home with certain things - their sleep habits, their eating habits, their general demeanor - but now that I've started classes with the 2 year old, the differences are vast.

The older one loved taking these classes and would sit and listen to stories and make the craft and basically do what he was told and what was expected of him. To this day, he's an excellent student. He's on-task. He listens. He participates.

Baby boy is . . . how should I say . . . a nightmare. He wants no part of story time. He talks to me. He picks up other books. He wanders around the room. Anything but sit and listen. When it's time to do a craft, he has to complain about it first and then I eventually coax him over to kind of, sort of complete it. He is very independent. A non-conformist. I would go so far as to say a baby rebel.

I realize we just started classes, and he'll eventually (fingers crossed) get the hang of a structured environment. I feel pretty confident in saying that I pity his teachers when he starts school and wish them well in dealing with him on a daily basis. May they have greater success than I.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!







There but for the by Ali Smith
A Secret Kept by Tatiana DeRosnay
Loose Diamonds: And Other Things I've Lost and Found Along the Way by Amy Ephron
Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found by Sophie Blackall
The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

Monday, September 19, 2011

Musing Mondays

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays. This week's musing asks . . . How often do you read a book, just because you’re in the mood to read it? (not because you’re obligated to for a book club, or a challenge, or for review)


I am in the midst of trying to finish reading several books for a challenge and am terribly frustrated by it. I have TONS of books that I feel like reading that are just sitting there, waiting for me on my shelf, but I feel obligated to read the ones I've committed to reading for this challenge. I keep telling myself I'll feel a sense of great accomplishment once I finish the "challenge" books and can then treat myself to whatever I want to read afterward. I'm still struggling though.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday Saying


"A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content."
~Proverbs

Feel free to share your Sunday sayings or quotes or feelings in the comments below. Enjoy the day everyone!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

6WS

Call Me Cate at Show My Face hosts Six Word Saturday. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.

Love these clear, crisp Fall mornings.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Aloha Friday

Kailani at An Island Life started Aloha Friday. Want to play along? I ask a question, you answer the question in the comments. You can also ask your own question on your blog and link up on Kailani's site. Here's my question:

Chocolate milk, strawberry milk or plain milk?

My answer: Chocolate milk all the way!!

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!









The Winters in Bloom by Lisa Tucker
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell
Raised Right by Alisa Harris
An Accident in August by Laurence Cosse
The Submission by Amy Waldman

Thursday, September 15, 2011

I Don't Want to Go to School

For the past 3 days, my 5 year old has been crying before he goes to school. He keeps telling me he doesn't like it and he wants to stay home with me. He's breaking my heart.

This is somewhat of a surprise to me since he's been in preschool since the age of 2. Granted this is a full-day kindergarten program so I suppose the transition from 1/2 day to full day could be creating part of the problem.

He's also complaining about the "crafts." He says the crafts he does are not as good as the ones he used to do. I can safely say they're not really doing "crafts" in kindergarten. They're coloring and cutting and pasting but I definitely wouldn't call what the resulting product is a craft. Welcome to the world of grade school, little man.

I told him we can do special crafts at home or take a special class, but he's not biting. He simply doesn't want to go to school.

I hate to out my son, but he came home the other day with wet shorts. I'm treating it as, and praying to God it was, simply a one-time accident and not some rebellious behavior to express his dislike of school. I am not prepared to take on that battle.

Needless to say, the first full week of school has been a struggle. I'm sure we're not the only ones dealing with the "I don't want to go to school" mantra. I just know there are a long 9 months ahead of us.

Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading. This week's BTT asks . . . Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you went right back and started re-reading it again?


I have never finished a book and started re-reading it right away. I am usually so pleased that I finished one and can move on to the next in my pile.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS.
•Share the title & author, too.

"There is a drill in my mouth. My brain is white and it feels as if it's f***ing melting. I cannot breathe. Agony."
~p. 69, "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey

Monday, September 12, 2011

Musing Mondays

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Musing Mondays. This week's musing asks . . . What is the one (or maybe two) qualities a book must have for you to pass it along to your best friend as a “must-read”?


Given that the book first and foremost has to be well-written, I love the unexpected in a book. If there's a plot twist or a character does something "out of character", I thoroughly enjoy that. There's nothing worse than a predictable read.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Friday Finds

MizB at Should Be Reading hosts Friday Finds. What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!






Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why Fifty is not the New Thirty by Tracey Jackson
The Winter of our Disconnect by Susan Maushart
Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian
The Legacy by Katherine Webb
Unmeasured Strength by Lauren Manning