Dear reading, come back to me.

via Idea Mom via Optimist Kitat via Pinterest

I basically stopped reading altogether towards the end of my pregnancy up until now. My husband got me a Kindle for Christmas and I did some major reading on it right away, but that quickly dissipated as I got more fatigued. Now, I miss reading and I am ready to start again. I'm still trying to find my motivation though. I read to Eli all the time and I want to instill in him that reading is important, but that's not going to do much if he doesn't see his mama reading too. So I better get back into it now. I read Insurgent by Veronica Roth this month and really enjoyed it. Of course, it was the next book in a series that I love so it was an easy read. My goal is to only rent 1 book at a time on my Kindle since they expire in 14 days. If I have more than that then I think I will get overwhelmed. Now, I just need to decide what books to get!

What book suggestions do you have? I read pretty much anything!

I have converted.

Via amazon.com

I was always against e-readers. I like the feel of a book in my hand and being able to rent as many library books as I want, knowing that my library will always have them (even if I have to wait for a reserve to come in). Plus, I carry a big purse so it was no problem to always throw a book in to have with me at all times. I just didn't think reading would be the same on an electronic device.

After thinking about it a lot, I mentioned to Jon that I thought a Kindle might be nice to have so I can use it while I'm breastfeeding. He got me a Kindle Touch for Christmas and I've read 3 books on it already. I swear I read faster on it and my only theories are that 1) I can see the percentage of the book I've read so far and I always push myself to get to a certain percentage before stopping or 2) I can flip the pages simply by touching the screen. I'm probably crazy, but my love of reading has finally surfaced again after going through a dry spell. I really think it will come in handy once the baby comes too and hopefully I will be able to continue to read!

One of my concerns with an e-reader is having to purchase books. I read a lot and usually only get library books because I don't want to spend so much money on a book I'm only going to read once. My library is linked up to a digital system so I can rent books for free. However, I don't think all the books I want to read are digital so I may still need to read paper books every now and then! That would be my only complaint so far with the Kindle.

How do you feel about e-readers?

Currently reading.

I just love Betty White. I watched The Golden Girls every single Saturday night with my grandma when my parents were out bowling. I still watch it anytime I happen to catch it on TV....and I still find it hilarious. I really should own the boxed set! More recently I have loved her in The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Her character just cracked me up. This book is a super easy read and sounds like she is just sitting down and having a conversation with you. I recommend her latest book if you are a Betty White fan too!

Are you a The Golden Girls and/or Betty White fan?

My latest likes.

My current read...

Goodreads summary

My new favorite drink...

With a little bit of sugar and milk....yum.

My favorite team...

Browns football! That's Peyton Hillis by the way - Madden cover boy.

My favorite snack...

Yeah, that's a bunch of pickles. I'm such a cliche.

What are your latest likes?

I love The Hunger Games.

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? It's pretty incredible. I have not met one person who has not liked it. I know it's recommended often, but if you haven't read it, then you definitely should! Guys and girls alike are into it. Anyways, they are coming out with a movie based on the first book that I have been eagerly anticipating. They debuted a very small sneak peak at the VMA Awards last night so here is a teaser trailer!

Books and stuff.

Source via Pinterest

Now that I will be subbing again, I will constantly have a book with me. I like to read before school starts after I've read through the lesson plans, during prepping periods and sometimes during lunch if I'm feeling unsocial that day. I actually am going to be doing a long-term assignment starting towards the end of October so I won't be doing as much reading at school, but I have a couple of months until that happens! So, my question for you is...What are you currently reading? Or, have you read any good books lately that you would like to recommend? I asked my Facebook friends and got some good suggestions, but I find it's good to get as many suggestions as possible!

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I just started The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It's a dystopian novel that was written back in the 80's. You can click the link above for a short synopsis. I've heard good things about this book so hopefully I'm not disappointed.

Currently...

Eating...

Strawberry scones made from this recipe. It's a great lazy Sunday breakfast.

Reading...

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a fascinating read. It's about a woman that had her cells taken from her by doctors without her permission. They became the first "immortal" cells grown in culture and are still alive today and have been used to help in many medical breakthroughs. The book is about Henrietta's life and about how her cells have helped science.

Watching...

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Now, don't laugh. I typically don't watch shows like this, but since it has to do with gymnastics I thought I would check it out since it's on streaming Netflix. I watched the first episode yesterday and even though it was a little cheesy, I will probably continue to watch a few more episodes to really make a decision on it. I just can't help but find gymnastics shows interesting!

Random.

Here's just a few things I've been doing lately...

Drinking...

Yes, I know it's not fall, but it feels like fall here in Ohio this morning so I decided to break out my pumpkin spice coffee. Unfortunately, it's running low so I will definitely need to buy more before the actual fall season gets here. This is a local company that I found at our farmers' market last year!

Eating...

Now that I am home during the afternoons (before hopefully finding a summer job!), I can experiment with new lunches. This is a baked tortilla with tomato sauce, spices, spinach, red peppers and feta cheese. It tasted like a very thin crust pizza...so good!

Reading...

I just started this book so I really haven't made an opinion on it yet, but it sounds pretty interesting. It's about a woman who sees a "Have You Seen This Child?" flyer and the boy looks identical to her adopted son. She then investigates herself to find out the answers.

What are some random things you are up today?

What has happened to me?

For years I said that I would never be into the Twilight books and thought they sounded pretty stupid. I'm just going to come out and admit it here...I WAS WRONG. I started reading the first book on Sunday and now I am almost halfway through the 3rd. I also watched the first 2 movies already. Seriously, what is wrong with me? I am a little embarrassed at how into the series I am. Please, tell me I'm not the only one.

Yep, still sick.

I don't think I've ever been sick for as long as I have. Well, except the time I had chicken pox and was basically forced to stay inside for half the summer. I think this is worse though since I don't get sick days as a substitute teacher. No work = no money. My illness has now turned into pneumonia. I'm really glad I finally decided to go to the doctor and not just waved it off as something that will go away on its own. I have antibiotics now so hopefully I can kick this thing! Therefore, my weekend did not turn out as I had originally hoped. It was definitely low-key and not really noteworthy...but it was nice to lay around with Jon and watch a couple of movies (Grown-ups & Toy Story 3)! I also got a chance to read The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman today. It was a quick little mystery read and kept my interest throughout, which is always a plus.

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My sister-in-law and I did get a chance to make some chocolate-covered strawberries, which was the only thing I planned to do that actually happened. They are delicious and hopefully I won't eat the rest of them in one sitting. :) I plan to answer the Ape House questions of the week tomorrow so stay tuned for that if you are part of the book club!

How was your weekend?

Reading rainbow.

Did anyone else watch Reading Rainbow when they were a kid? I remember regularly watching it in elementary school in class. I LOVED it. Of course, I was a huge nerd who loved to read so I totally got into it. Um, I still love to read so I guess that still makes me a huge nerd, right? I'm ok with that. Anyways, my husband and I randomly started to sing the song tonight and I thought I would share. Here's a little video to refresh your memory:

Did you watch Reading Rainbow as a child? Does anyone know if it's still on?

Bitter cold.

via Design Crush via aspidistra

It is one cold weekend here in Ohio. I did venture out a little today to catch up with my sister-in-law and to read magazines at Barnes & Noble. I am definitely in for the night though. I just want to relax by the fire & dive into a new book. Next on the list is Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. I read the first chapter so far and it sounds like it's going to be interesting! I hope you all are staying warm if it's cold where you are...and enjoying the warmth if it's warm where you are!

What are your Saturday plans?

Gray, rainy day.

Going back to work after having a long weekend is rough. To combat the grayness of the day I've been drinking tea and finishing up my latest read. Quick review of Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult - I thought it was a pretty good book, but I did get bored for 100-150 pages in the middle to end of the book because that section seemed to drag on and didn't really lend much to the story as a whole. The book picked back up for the last 100 or so pages and tied the entire story together nicely. I think the main storyline was mostly riveting and makes you think about laws and if certain circumstances warrant them to be broken. It's not my favorite Jodi Picoult book, but it wasn't that bad of a read!

January Reading List

Do you ever read a book by an author, hate it, then decide that you could never possibly read another book by that author? That happened to me a couple of years ago with Jodi Picoult. I read part of The Tenth Circle and absolutely hated it. I finally picked up another Jodi Picoult book (after a lot of urging from a friend) back in the fall and decided that I was definitely wrong about her! House Rules was a captivating read that took me no time at all to finish. I just finished Salem Falls and enjoyed that one as well. I urge you to give an author you put on the back burner another chance this month. Here are my books I would like to read this month:

1. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

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 2. Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain (because I loved The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes)

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I am going to get back into the groove of reading slowly so that's why I only chose 2 books this month.

What's on your reading list?

Random Tidbits

I love bulleted lists. So here are just a few random thoughts:

• I've always loved dance. I even was a dancer myself for a few years, along with many, many years of gymnastics. My favorite dance show has always been So You Think You Can Dance and I've never really wanted to watch any others. However, I randomly decided to tape Live to Dance this week and have cried at least 3 times watching it today. Thank God my husband isn't here because I am sure he would mock me mercilessly for this. But really, how can a little 9 year old break dancing, an elderly couple still enjoying dance as if they were much younger, and an entire love story told in dance form not touch you?
• I got on a reading kick a few months back and read a ton of books. However, that kick ended about 2 months ago and I think I've read 1.5 books since. I want to change that. Hopefully in the next few days I can share my reading list.
• My goal this year is to really love where I live. We moved here in August and it hasn't been the best transition for me, but I would like to change that. More thoughts on this later as well.
• I really need to update my Ipod. My goal is to get that done this month and to put on a few new bands/artists. I need to expand my current listening!
• I've had a few cooking fails this week. My poor husband has had to suffer through some not so appetizing meals. So the new rule in the house is that I am allowed to make 1 new meal a week that features foods we have never tried before. Fortunately I am still allowed to make new recipes with food we know we like!

On My Reading List

I thought I would list the books that I would like to read in the next few months...or however long it takes me to get them & read them.

Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster

Pretty in Plaid - Jen Lancaster

Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster 

*All the Jen Lancaster books are stories about her life written in a hilarious fashion.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett - about the mistreatment of black women working in white people's homes just before the Civil Rights movement.

A Homemade Life - Molly Wizenberg - memoir with stories that revolve around recipes.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti - Giulia Melucci - written about the men she has dated and recipes that she associates with them (apparently I really like memoir/recipe books!)

The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes - Diane Chamberlain - a story about helping to steal the Governor's wife, then having to change her identity and keep the secret about what really happened. Ok, that was pretty vague, but you can click over to Amazon to read more!

Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin (and then the rest of her books if I like this one) - chick lit. A girl falls in love with her friend's fiance. I've heard good things about the series so I thought I would check it out!

We Thought You Would Be Prettier - Laurie Notaro - witty memoir of a dorky girl.

As you can see, I really like books that are memoirs, based on history, or chick lit. I do have a lot of books at home that I also want to read that are based on various events of history, but I won't bore you with that list!

I think I just became addicted to Swaptree.

Have any of you heard about the site Swaptree.com? I joined awhile ago and did 1 trade (probably while I was on break from school) and then never did anything else with it. However, now that I am finished with school I actually have time to read for fun! In fact, I just finished reading 2 books this week - A Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell & Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. 

I definitely recommend both books. The first is memoir-like, with a focus on the author's life and her reflections on historical events. The second is a memoir about a girl from Chicago who lost her high-paying job and how it affected her high-spending life. Oh, and it's hysterical. Her writing has actually made me laugh out loud and want to read passages to my husband, who had no interest in it of course. 

So back to Swaptree. You list all of the books you have that you would like to trade and then list the books you want to read. The site does the searching for you and lets you know when you have a match. Or you can browse to see what you can get with the books you have listed. It costs less than $3 to mail books (they provide the shipping label you can just print out or you can send it at the USPS). You can keep them as long as want (meaning...forever if you really want the book) & they have way more titles than the library. It's even cheaper than buying books that cost $.01 on Amazon because they automatically charge a $3.99 shipping fee. Oh, and if you aren't an avid reader...they have CDs, DVDs and video games too. I added a bunch of books to my "have" and "want" lists and it has already initiated 4 trades. 2 books are sitting in my mailbox waiting to be mailed out already! 

I guess I can check off reading 2 books from my February goals!

Thursday happenings.

DRINKING: magaritas tomorrow for girls' night while the boys have their campout. Found this margarita set at TJ Maxx tonight...it comes with a pitcher, 6 glasses, stirrer, and salt dish. However, my set only had 5 glasses...oh well, the whole set was only $10!

WEARING: to a wedding next weekend. Ordered off Gap.com and came in the mail today!

READING: during my downtime. The first book I found at a thrift store this week for 50 cents and the other I borrowed from the library today.

A new spin on things.

So obviously working on my goals hasn't been working out. I've accepted that fact and moved on. However, I still want to accomplish many things on my list. I will just work on them a little more slowly than what I've laid out for myself.

I read a book over the weekend and it was wonderful to just sit & not have technology staring me in the face. In fact, Jon and I have decided to cancel our cable for the summer and I'm thankful for that. Hopefully I will see people more, get productive things accomplished, and work on this list of mine! This is the book I read:

I've had this book for awhile now - I think I picked it up at Goodwill or the library book sale a few years ago. I really enjoyed it. Of course I've always loved Judy Blume books and this is the first adult book that I've read of hers. It gives great insight into the ups and downs of relationships. It definitely makes me appreciate the ones I have, and miss the ones I've let slip away.

I have really been into reading decorating & organizing blogs lately. I have a bunch of DIY projects that I want to do. I just want a more "clean" feeling in my home without all of the clutter. (or at least conceal the color in pretty little boxes!) We are currently looking for a new place to live, but the things I want to work on will be ones we can take with us. Here is an example of something I want to do:

I have a basket that is similar to this (but smaller and not so Easter-basketish) and in a purplish tone. I want to spray paint it white and put in the bathroom to hold our CD's since right now they are just stacked next to the CD player. I think the basket will make them look a little neater!

**I decided to upload a picture of my basket. So here is my basket - and I intend to spray paint it white as pictured above**

The handle detail

Numbers 12, 13, 14, 17, 27, 37, 38

I didn't complete a lot of my goals this week that I have set for myself. I have not "failed" at my goals, however. I am just going to strive to complete them and not beat myself up for not doing something last week. It's only the first week for a lot of my goals! I have time. Additionally, I understand that life can get in the way - it was supposed to be my last week of work, but for unforeseen reasons I am now working the next 2 weeks a few hours here and there to help out. So last week became a weird week and I lost motivation.

Number 12: I did keep in touch with my parents this past week, even though most of our talking was random little moments about my car and me coming to visit this week.

Number 13 & 14: I did not keep in touch with my brother or Grandpa this week so I will need to work on this! This is an especially important goal for me so I really want to focus on this.

Number 17: I hung out with friends this past Friday night. I got invited to Adrian's mom's house for dinner so I went with him and Erin to eat and then to Korrin's house later that night to hang out and play Apples to Apples.


Number 24: I completed Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I enjoyed the book and have decided to let others enjoy it too by joining swaptree.com. In fact, someone has already requested the book so I am going to send it out later this week!

Number 27: This is one goal that I have kept up on! I have read the main highlights from cnn.com and msnbc.com through Google Reader. I have found that this is a great way to get a daily dose of the news.

Number 37 & 38: I did not complete my exercising for this week. I need to work on some type of schedule so that this will be easier for me to do. I did find some old magazine articles on various exercises so I do intend to use these for strength training and even a little cardio too. Additionally, I rented 3 DVDs from the library that I want to try out. This goal is one that I am really going to have to kick my butt to get done because when I get busy exercising is usually the first thing to go!