Babies, Books, and Signs

Sponsor me!

2012-02-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

Ok people. ConBust 2012. How have I never heard of this awesomeness before?! It is a sci-fi convention here in Massachusetts, aimed towards women. How freaking sweat is that? It is going to be March 31st - April 1st.

Guest this year include:

Stephanie Dray - I squeed when I saw her name. Love her!

Tamora Pierce

KT Pinto

Elaine Cunningham

Tons of other scifi/fantasy authors.

Gaming and other geekdom!

So here's the deal peoples. I want to go. But I need a sponsor. Hubby won't let me pay for it out of pocket. So if you represent a geeky/sci-fi/fantasy product, let me be your personal billboard.

I will wear your t-shirt, give away your swag, be your own personal walking, talking, fangirl-squeeing advertisement.

If you are interested, please email me at lindseyaylward@yahoo.com. Thanks!!

A little humor for you

2012-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I've been MIA for a few days. We will be back to our regularly scheduled blog posts tomorrow, complete with giveaways and reviews and fun times. But until then I leave you with this...

Wordy Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

I just have to share the story behind these pics. I was vacuuming the floor, and CJ is terrified of the vacuum. The hubby put him on the couch with his lovey and his guitar. CJ sat there crying and strumming his guitar with his one hand. All I could imagine was him singing "Nobody knoooooows, the troubles I've seen....."

Top Ten Tuesday -

2012-01-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

Top Ten TV Guilty Pleasures

1. Pretty Little Liars - Sometimes this show infuriates me. Where are their parents when they are in life or death situations?! Why are teenagers so melodramatic? Why does everyone in this high school have perfect skin and hair?! I keep telling myself I'm only going to watch it until we find out who A is, but I'm probably just lying to myself. The four main characters are just gorgeous and flawless. I want to hate them all but they're adorable.

2. Real Housewives of New Jersey - This is the only housewives show I watch. I love these girls. I used to love Jacqueline, but she has annoyed me this past season. Caroline is still my hero and I hope to be a mom like her. I love the new additions of Kathy and Melissa. They are both so sweet and funny. Teresa is a nut. End of that story.

3. Supernatural - Sometimes campy, sometimes over-the-top, always awesome. Dean's one-liners alone make this show completely worth it. I even got my husband into it.

4. Gossip Girl - Again, where are their parents?! I love Blair. I love her clothes, I love her self-serving attitude, I love her on-again/off-again love for Chuck. I keep giving this show up and then going back to it. So bad, it is good. I don't understand why this season Blair has stopped washing her hair and doing her eyebrows.

5. Doctor Who - I don't really feel guilty about this one because it is the greatest show ever. Stephen Moffat is an evil genius. My mind is still blown over the River Song reveal. Wow.

6. Revenge - This show is so over-the-top with the drama. I can't wait to see how it all ends.

7. Spartacus - The blood, the gore, the violence, the sex. LOVE IT. Actually, not going to lie, the sex scenes are so gratuitous I have to look away. I'm such a prude.

8. Once Upon a Time - Have you seen this show? It is so freaking good. I'm almost not ashamed because it is so good, but since it is about fairy tale characters, I'll add it to the list.

9. Psych - This show is soooooo funny. I love the dynamic between Shawn and Gus.

10. Mob Wives - Another hot mess of a show. I don't really like any of these characters the way I do with Real Housewives, because they are all mean and insane. But I kind of love Renee for some reason. I just want to hug her and tell her she's beautiful. And OMG Big Ang this season. Love her to death.

Mom Confession Monday (2)

2012-01-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

From the time the baby goes to bed (at approximately 830) until when the hubby gets home from work (at approximately 1130), I have my headphones on and I am rocking out like it is my job. My favorite jams are things that either aren't appropriate for the baby or that the husband just refuses to listen to. My top favorites are anything by Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, and Flo Rida. "Oh hot dayum, this is my jam...." You can take the girl out of the ghetto, you can't take the ghetto out of the girl.

Not appropriate.

During the day, I listen to "appropriate" music like Adele and my boyfriend Josh Groban. Don't get me wrong, the baby and I rock and we dance our little tushies off, it is just usually to Veggie Tales (Ceeeeebuuuuuuu!) and The Ants Go Marching. But at night, all bets are off. I am rocking out with my --- out. I am dropping it like it is hott. And it is. Hands in the air, doing my trademark "white girl dance". Ain't got no shame... so long as no one is home to see.

Appropriate.

So what about you, what is your mom confession this Monday? Link up below!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

It's that time again. Everything we made for dinner last week was freaking delicious. I mean really. The beef stew was to die for. I even liked Craig's split-pea soup. He made it a little spicy and it made it yummy. I had it with a grilled cheese sandwich. There's still some in the fridge if you'd like to come over for lunch. :)

So this week, we are keeping it simple. Lots of leftovers. Craig made a big turkey dinner this weekend, so we will be having turkey sandwiches quite a bit. I'm ok with it. Turkey is yummy. I'll also be using the turkey to make Pumpkin Turkey Chili. My friend made it and she said it was delicious. So here's our plan...

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Tuesday - Leftover Chili
Wednesday - Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Thursday - Leftover BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Friday - Spaghetti
Saturday - Mark and Sara-Marie's wedding!!!
Sunday - Craigy steaks and salad

So what are you cooking up this week?

Gaaah!

2012-01-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

Gaaaah!!! I was just taking pics with my digital camera for a review and I dropped it. Now the dang thing won't even turn on. Anyone have any recommendations for a good, relatively inexpensive digital camera? I had a Nikon Coolpix L22 and I liked it, but I think I need something a little more fancypants.

In other news, good job Patriots!

Weekly Wrap-Up

2012-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Cool kids on the way to the dr's office.

On Tuesday, CJ had his 18-month check-up. He now weighs 23lbs, 9oz and is 32.5 inches tall. He's average for weight and in the 25th percentile for height. Not surprised there. I can't believe he only weighs 23lbs. This child does not stop eating from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. First thing in the morning he says "ba" for a banana. Finishes banana, asks for an apple. Eats the apple, asks for milk. Finishes the milk, asks for juice. It doesn't end.

Perfectly content before the doctor came in.

The doctor is a little worried because CJ still isn't talking much. The doctor is old-school (he was the hubby's pediatrician too) so he's not at all impressed that CJ can sign pretty much everything. He says that if CJ doesn't double his word count in the next 3 months, he will have to send him to early Intervention. I'm honestly not worried. CJ has no trouble at all communicating. He knows exactly how to tell us what he needs. Furthermore, I've been told that I was a late talker, and when I finally did start talking, it was in complete sentences. I'm not saying that is what is going to happen with CJ, but I'm not that worried. We talk to him all the time and he hears us talk to each other all the time, so he'll talk when he is ready. Tonight, I was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to him and he started sort of babbling and singing along. So I think that singing to him might get him to at least verbalize a little more. We'll see.

Welcome to New England buddy.

On Wednesday, CJ and I had a lunch date. We went to Chunky's Cinema and Pub, a local movie theatre, for their monthly kid-friendly movie. This month it was The Lion King. I've never seen the Lion King without my little sister with me, so I was texting her randomly through the movie. Normally I would never do that, but it is fine at this movie. They don't turn the lights all the way down and they serve food and drink and the kids are allowed to run crazy through the theatre. I've never seen any kids do that, but apparently it is allowed.
CJ really wasn't all that interested in the movie. He said cat a few times when he saw the lions, he signed monkey when he see Rafiki. Even the music wasn't impressive to him. I got a little verklempt when Mufasa died. "Help!! Somebody!! Anybody..." I tell you, that was probably one of the saddest moments of my childhood. But yea, CJ wasn't impressed. He was more impressed with the little girl next to him, who he was a horrible influence on, and his dinosaur nuggets. It was also a pain trying to keep him from getting to the giant buckets of popcorn they leave on the table. The lady across from me kept putting in front of her daughter which in turn put it in front of CJ. Once I told her he was allergic to the butter, she kept it away from him. I feel bad that I have to be that mom, but I really don't want to have to use his Epi-Pen on him.

Trying to impress the little girl sitting next to him.

Thursday was a relatively uneventful day. Craig let me sleep in, yay! Then I had a great tutoring session. Then CJ and I hung out all day while Craig made split-pea soup. Yum! Today we ran errands and had another uneventful day.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2012-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

I'm doing my own Top Ten Tuesday again this week. Hope you get a laugh out of it.

As a preface, my mom is a single lady (no one better be putting a ring on it either) and I don't have a dad. Don't feel bad, I'm fine. I survived with some amazing ladies, an awesome grandfather, and a wonderful uncle, so I'm ok with it. But my mom and I were talking about her finding a new beau, so I'm putting my ideas out there on who I would like to be my new daddy. Another addendum, most of these men are a lot older than my mom, like old enough to be her father. But my mom is a really young mom, so most of the men her age (like Donnie Wahlberg) are too young and hott to be my dad. That would just be weird. Only two of the people on this list are even within 5 years of my mom. But, I've decided she needs herself a silver fox. So here's my list.

Top Ten Men I Wish Were My Dad

Perfect father figure right here!

1. Donald Sutherland - I have always felt like he would make the perfect dad. Obviously Kiefer's behavior indicates that my not be completely true, but he just looks so fatherly. I would listen when he talked. I would respect him. Even if he is a Canadian.

2. The Undertaker - The closest in age to my mom. Since the first time I saw him wrestling on WWE, I decided that he would be perfect for my mom. I don't know what it is, but I think they would be a good couple. He is married to another wrestler unfortunately.

3. Kevin Nash - He just recently came to my attention as a viable father candidate. I don't know as much about him, but I think he'd do just fine. Definitely seems like my mom's type and he's not too much older than her.

Double 0 Dad

4. Sean Connery - Unfortunately, Sean has a bit of a domestic abuse problem, so he might not be a great choice. But come on, how awesome would it be if your dad was Bond?!

Look at those baby blues.

5. Peter O'Toole - I decided I wanted Peter O'Toole too be my dad when I was a kid and I saw Lawrence of Arabia. Unfortunately, he is about 100 years old, so I don't think my mom would go for him.

"Life finds a way."

6. Jeff Goldblum - He would be hilarious as a dad! I wouldn't understand anything he said because he talks like a crazy person, but he's still awesome. And he was in Powder. Bonus points right there.

Apparently Glee reads my blog. They just cast Jeff Goldblum as one of Rachel's dads on the show. Copycats.

7. Robin Williams - I love Robin Williams! He was awesome in Jumanji, and he has commercials out currently with his daughter, so obviously he's a good dad. He seems to be over his little substance abuse problem, so they'd be good to go.

8. Patrick Stewart - "Make it so, number one." He'd probably get sick of me saying that to him at every get-together. And thanks to google, I now know that he is in fact, not a homosexual. So hello new daddy.

9. Gary Oldman - He had me at Dracula. I know my mom will approve of this one.

10. Michael Caine - Way too old for my mom, but would make an awesome dad. Have you seen The Dark Knight?

So if you are any of the people on this page, and you are interested in going out on a date with my mom, let me know. I can hook it up.

Remembering The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am obsessed with Martin Luther King, Jr. Up until a few years ago, I would generally spend this day in bed with his books, sobbing to myself. He is one of the greatest men that ever lived. I truly think that if he was still alive today, the world wouldn't be in half the sorry state it is in. He was an inspiration and a humble wonderful human being. I met his son once when I was younger. He was incredibly nice and sweet to me, even though I'm sure it was rather weird for him to hear from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little white girl what an impact his father had. I hope that you all take a moment today to reflect on his legacy.

2012-01-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

Menu Plan Monday

Planning our menu worked out great for us last week, definitely going to continue this. So here's this week's yum yums. It is really cold out (9 degrees) so we are having a lot of stew and soup this week.

Monday - Crock Pot Beef Stew (in the crock pot now!)

Tuesday - Leftover crock pot beef stew

Wednesday - Spinach, tortellini, and grilled chicken salad

Thursday - Split Pea soup (we have a ham bone to use)

Friday - Burgers and Fries

Saturday - Dada is making steaks! Yum!

Sunday - Maybe a date night.

Last week's hits were the sun-dried tomato penne and Paula Deen's avocado, egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches. If you've got any great quick, easy, and yummy (preferably dairy-free) recipes to share, let me know! I'm learning to cook so I'm down for trying anything!

TBR Intervention (8)

2012-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

So the last time I did the TBR Intervention was December 3rd. Whoops. I was supposed to read Life of Pi. Aaaand I didn't. Whoops again. I'll try to do better this week/month.

I'm going to read The Last Boleyn.

I've had this on my tbr list since 2008. The baby was actually pulling books off the bookshelf today and handed this to me, so I guess it is time I read it. I haven't read a Boleyn book in a few months so this should tide me over for a while. I love me some Boleyns. Wish me luck!

CJ Goes Marching

2012-01-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

We just got Just Dance Kids for Christmas. CJ loves to dance to the music. It is a really great work out for me too. This is CJ dancing to The Ants Go Marching. He's obsessed with this song.

Walgreens and Express Scripts

2012-01-13T02:01:00.001-08:00

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

You may have recently seen on the news something about Express Scripts and Walgreens. It is all a little confusing, so I'm going to break it down.

Express Scripts is a company that provides prescriptions to places like hospitals and pharmacies. Recently, they decided to change their contracts with many of their providers. One of those was Walgreens. Walgreens decided that they did not want to continue their contract with Express Scripts because Express Scripts was unwilling to negotiate. Walgreens wasn't seeking to make more money, they simply wanted the prices to stay where they were, but Express Scripts wasn't ok with that. (For more information, go to Walgreens and Express Script)

If you get your prescriptions from Walgreens, this may affect you. If you have Tricare (military health insurance), this might affect you. Because Walgreens cannot fill Express Scripts prescriptions, you may have to go to a pharmacy that is not convenient to you. You may have to pay a lot more since Walgreens is one of the least expensive pharmacies out there.

Fortunately, Walgreens has come up with a way to help you out. The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club. An individual can join during a special January promotion for only $5, or $10 for a family membership, and receive savings on more than 8,000 brand name and all generic medications. More than 400 generics are available with a three-month supply for less than $1 a week. Regular annual membership is $20 for an individual and $35 for a family.

For more information, go to your local Walgreens pharmacy or check out Walgreens on Twitter or Walgreens on Facebook.

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop (Jan 13-18th)

2012-01-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

This is a giveaway hop, so check out I Am a Reader, Not a Writer to see the other over 200 blogs who are doing giveaways!

I will be giving away one of Barefoot Books Books for Bedtime (under $19.99).

I highly recommend these choices which are huge bedtime favorites in my house :

To enter, just fill in the rafflecopter form below!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2012-01-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors that I wish Would Write More Books

1. George RR Martin - I've said it once, and I'll say it again. PLEASE FINISH THE SERIES GEORGE!!! If he dies before the end of Game of Thrones, I don't know what I'll do. Cry. Burn the copies I have. Throw a fit.

2. Michelle Moran - I love her writing style and the way she brings history alive. I think she's got a ton more books in her so I'm not too worried.

3. Libba Bray - I wish she would write more Gemma Doyle books. I love me some Gemma and Kartik.

4. JK Rowling - I really wish we could have some books written when Snape was in school, or when Snape was growing up. Anything really. ANYTHING!

5. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - I know he's dead, but I need some more Sherlock Holmes stories in my life. I love them, but it gets old reading the same story over and over and over again.

6. Sarah Addison Allen - I love reading her books. They are enchanting and beautifully written and make the South come alive. I hope she writes a ton more.

7. Neil DeGrasse Tyson - I love his books on astrophysics. He takes something crazy complicated and makes it easy to understand. Hopefully he'll continue to do so.

8. Lauren Willig - I love her Pink Carnation series. I hope it never ends!

Those are the few I can think of. I love Stephen King and Phillipa Gregory, but they write so many great books I can't keep up!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

I just last week started making a menu plan for the week. I just couldn't stand waiting til 4pm every night to try to figure out what to make to eat. So now I plan it all out and get all the ingredients ahead of time. So now after CJ's nap, I get right to cooking.

Well here's what I have planned for this week.

Monday - Sun-dried tomato penne
Tuesday - Sloppy Joes
Wendesday - Tex Mex Crock Pot Chicken
Thursday - Leftover Chicken + Rice
Friday - Paula Deen's Egg, Avocado, Bacon, and Cheese Sandwich

Anything that has cheese in it, we just do the cheese on the side so that CJ can have it. If it calls for milk, we use soy milk.

Craig is off on the weekends, so he either cooks or we go out or we go to his mom's for dinner. So we plan that then. I'm just starting to learn to cook proper meals, so I'm excited. :)

Book Review - A Kingdom's Possession by Nicole Persun

2012-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

My review : A Kingdom's Possession is the story of a runaway slave and a runaway prince. You wouldn't think those two character would get along, but they do. Max is the runaway slave. On the day she finally manages to escape a lifetime of slavery, the goddess Adahlia falls to earth and inhabits her body. The mythology is that as punishment for being a friend to humanity, every once in a while, Adahlia is punished by being forced to inhabit a human body. For some unknown reason, this time, Max is chosen. Johnny, the runaway prince, happens to see Max on the day she escapes. They then stumble into each other while she is on the run from slave-hunters and he helps her escape.

It isn't until after they escape together that Johnny realizes that Adahlia is in Max. As prince, he has been told the story of Adahlia. He reveals to Max that the rest of the mythology is that whichever land kills the human holding the goddess will become incredibly powerful.

From then on, it is a fight to get Adahlia out of Max without killing her. They meet all cast of characters, such as a living phoenix and the rest of Johnny's family - including his twin brother Perido. There's action, adventure, and of course, a little bit of love.

There was only one thing I didn't like about this book. The names of the characters and places. They just seemed inconsistent to me. Twin brothers, one named Perido and one named... Johnny? A country called Valta and a country called.... Alice? That was really my only pet peeve about this book. Otherwise it was really good. I rated it 3.5 stars. I would recommend it to YA and fantasy fans.

I received this book from Booktrope Publishing in order to review it. I was not required to write a positive review. This review is 100% my own opinion.

Vinnie Jones Teaches CPR

2012-01-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Watch this video. It might save someone's life someday.

Also it is funny.

"We need a volunteer who ain't breathin'.... Here's one I made earlier."

Video is copyright to the British Heart Association. I only post it because it is freaking awesome.

Review - Aveeno Naturals Stress Relief Body Wash

2012-01-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hubby works at a nursing home and is therefore around germs all day long. So it wasn't really surprising (but still really gross) when a few months ago, we all caught scabies. If you don't know what scabies is, google it, but be ready for some gross images. It was disgusting. Luckily, the baby was barely touched by it. As soon as we started taking the medicine, hubby's rash went right away. Mine took a bit longer, but eventually was all gone too.

Unfortunately, after all of the scabies was gone, I still found that I was crazy itchy. My skin was incredibly dry and I just didn't know what was going on. So I finally went back to the dermatologist to see what was up. The derm said that my skin was now very sensitive, and due to over-washing, very dry and therefore itchy. The itchy + dryness was causing me to even get some eczema. Her recommendations were to stop bathing so much (say what?!), not to use harsh soaps, and to look into aveeno lotions.

Well for Christmas, Santa (or the hubby), put some of Aveeno's Stress Relief Body Wash into my stocking. Let me tell you, it is heaven. It contains chamomile, ylang ylang, and lavender to soothe away you stress. The scent is wonderful, but very very light. It has the perfect amount of suds when you use it with a loofah. It also contains oatmeal, which creates a barrier on your skin to keep you moisturized. It has made my skin so less itchy it is amazing. Not only that, but the hubby mentioned the other day that my skin is softer. Ooh la la.

I highly recommend this if you have itchy, dry, or sensitive skin. Even if you just want a nice, soothing body wash, this is perfect for you. It is available at Amazon or at drugstores near you. (Or ask Santa to bring you some.)

Fun Meme Friday!

2012-01-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Go count the number of books on your shelves. How many are there?

Uhmmm.... Do I have to tell you? I have over 122 print books on my shelves. I probably have more than 200 on my nookshelves. Hopefully when I get to heaven, all these books will be waiting for me to read. If we really do get to choose our heaven, mine will be a library filled with books.

What are some of your reading goals for the new year?

I am taking part of a bunch of challenges, so I'd like to finish those. I'd like to read at least a book a week. I'd like to finish all the books I have for review, and I'd like to read a lot of the books I have on my shelves.

What is the weather like where you are and do you like it?

I live in Massachusetts, and it is really cold right now. I don't like the cold, but this has been a really mild winter, so I'm not too bothered by it yet. If it stays this cold until April (which it probably will) I will change my mind about it.

When you are sick, what do you seek comfort from?

Bed. When I'm sick, all I want to do is sleep and shower. Showers sometimes make me feel better. I just lay down like I'm taking a bath and let the water wash over me.

What do you need to do before the end of the month?

Go to Sara-Marie and Mark's wedding! Wahooooooo! Other than that, nothing.

Have you ever served on a jury?

Funny you should ask. I never have, but I received a summons to jury duty for the first time this week. It's horse patootie. The hubby had to do it just last month. Gah! I don't wanna. Civic responsibility my butt.

If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?

Although I freaking hate birds with the utmost passion, I would want to be one. Just so that I could fly. Also poop all over everyone and everything and get away with it. True story.

Everybody eat a falafal, it never ever tastes awful.

2012-01-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

In honor of the dinner I made tonight....

Falafel is my favorite food, eat it and I'm in a real good mood.

Georgia's Disgusting "Anti-Obesity" Campaign

2012-01-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

Have you been reading hullabaloo about this campaign against obesity in Georgia? It is absolutely digusting. Pearmama likens it to "fat-shaming" and that is exactly what it is. How can everyone be up in arms about bullying with anti-bullying campaigns all over the place, and then be ok with this? What is this, if not bullying? Do these children want to be the poster-children for obesity. Is the little girl going to be at school and get shoved into her locker for being "that fat girl on tv"? I hate to say this, but human beings are already capable of being horrible without the government's permission. Kids already pick on the fat kids. Now when they are in trouble, they can just point at the commercials and billboards to show where they learned it from.

Here's my thought on overweight children. Are they unhealthy? I don't care how much they weigh. Do they go outside and play? Can they run around a bit like kid's do? Then who gives a crap that they're bigger than other kids. Some adults are bigger than other adults. Some kids go through puberty before others. We come in all shapes and sizes. I thought that is the message we are trying to get across to kids - we are all created equal. Unless you're fat, then you're disgusting and worthy of being made a mockery of. Is that the message we want to send to them?

Let's compare these two kids.

Child A - This child was considered "skinny. She ate whatever she wanted, mostly things that weren't healthy, and weight was never an issue. She didn't go outside and play any sports. She spent most of her time inside reading a book.

Child B - This child by today's standards would be considered a "fat" kid. He was bigger than most of the other kids. Meanwhile, he played every sport he could and spent most of his time outside running around. He ate (mostly) nutritious meals.

Which kid is healthier? Well according to Georgia, Child A (that's me by the way) is. Any doctor would tell you that Child B (my husband) was definitely healthier.

As a parent, I would much rather my child looked like one of the "fat" kids and yet was active and ate well.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents on how I find the Georgia Anti-Obesity campaign to be completely disgusting and counter-productive. What do you think?

Children's Book Review and Giveaway - Why? from Owlkid's Books

2012-01-04T22:51:00.000-08:00

Why? 10th Anniversary Edition by Catherine Ripley

Luckily, CJ isn't quite at the stage where his favorite word is "why?". From the looks he sometimes gives me, I know that it is going to be coming real soon. It is a good thing that I got a copy of this book from Owlkids Books to review. I was a very curious child and I know CJ is going to be the same way.

Why? by Catherine Ripley is a handy reference for all those times when your child asks you "why?" when you tell him something. For example, has this ever occurred? Mom : Go brush your teeth. Child : But why?! Well, thanks to this book, you will now know the answer.

The book is divided into six different sections. They are bathtime, supermarket, nighttime, outdoor, kitchen, and farm animals. Some of the questions answered include "Why do I yawn?", "Why do dogs sniff everything?" and "Why are peaches fuzzy?". Each chapter also ends with a "bits" section that gives you a little bit more information on that section's topic. Did you know that birds don't have teeth to grind their food? So they eat dirt and stones to grind the food up in their gizzard. Who knew?

This is a really great book for those curious kids. It is also good for parents to read beforehand, so that when your child starts asking you questions, you can seem like even more of a genius than you already are.

Great illustrations by Scot Ritchie.

Why? The Tenth Anniversary Edition is available at Owlkids Books or at Amazon.

Or you could win a copy here at Babies, Books, and Signs. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this book for review from Owlkids Books. I did not receive any other compensation for my review. My review is 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

My Own Top Ten Tuesday

2012-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

I was going to do this at the end of the year, but ran out of time. So here it is at the beginning of 2012. These are CJ's...

Top Ten Bedtime Books

I'll See You in the Morning Board Book

A cute rhyming bedtime story showing that mama always watches over while you sleep. The images show a little boy and his teddy bear so I show CJ and say "Look there's CJ, and there's lovey (his lovey) and they are in bed." It's short and sweet with lovely pictures. We got this at his baby shower.

"I'll be here if you need me. I'm only steps away.
So close your eyes and go to sleep, and dream of a brand new day."

Goodnight Moon Board Book

I don't think I really have to state why this is one of both CJ and I's favorites. It's just a great children's classic, that everyone knows by heart.

"Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering 'hush'"

On the Night You Were Born

What child doesn't love to hear about the night they were born. The words for this book sound like a song and is based upon Psalm 139 : "For your are fearfully and wonderfully made".

"For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
has the world ever known a you, my friend,
and it never will, not ever again."

Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby

I got this for CJ to represent his auntie, my best friend Silvia, who was born in Kenya and speaks swahili. I remember hearing her mom say "lala salama" sometimes at bedtime. I think this is more my favorite than CJ's. He loves the pictures, which are absolutely gorgeous oil on watercolors. The illustrator is from Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.

"I lift you out of the kanga. You and I sit by the gentle fire next to our home with the golden thatched roof, watching the tall clouds, watching the night come."

Night Night Blessings

I got this book a while ago free for review, and it quickly became one of our favorites for bedtime. It helps lead us on our prayers, thanking god for everything that he's given us that day. The images are adorable, CJ always points to the dad and says "dada" because he has a mustache just like Craig does.

Starlight Sailor (currently on sale)

This beautifully illustrated story is based on the old poem "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight." Then it follows as he sails through dream-land where all his wishes come true.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: And Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes

Another great collection of bedtime nursery rhymes. The images are just darling in this one. Great for little ones.

How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?

This is one of my personal favorites. The book goes through a bunch of animals getting ready for bed. Their respective mommies and daddies ask the little ones how many kisses they want before bed. It ends with a little girl and her dad, then a little boy and his mom. CJ points at the little boy with his mom and says "Mama!"

"How many kisses do you want, princess pink? Daddy asks Little Girl with a wink. I want a HUNDRED, says Little girl, One on my nose and one on each curl."

Three Bedtime Stories: The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Little Kittens.

This is an old hand-me-down book for someone. It just got introduced to the bedtime rotation recently, but its already a hit. It is a "Little golden book", but in a larger hardcover format. It has the three classics stories of Goldilocks, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Little Kittens (who have lost their mittens). CJ is currently obsessed with cats so that is his current favorite.

Good Night Cape Cod (Good Night Our World series)

We don't live on the Cape, but CJ's godmother does. She got him this book for his baby shower and he loves it. It is based on goodnight moon, but says good night to things found down on the cape, such as summer baseball players, canals and bridges, and even cranberry bogs.

All books, images, and quotes are copyright to their respective authors and publishers.

A-Z Challenge 2012 - Linky Error

2012-01-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

So this is all my fault, and I apologize. I didn't realize that linkytools is now a paid service when I used it for the linky for this challenge. Because of that, the linky has been deleted. There is a new linky. If you would like to re-sign up for it, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you and I apologize for the confusion!

The link is here on the main A-Z challenge page. Thanks again!

Random Reads (2)

2011-12-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Random Reads is an awesome meme just started by I'm Loving Books. The meme is another one to get rid of books that are on your to-read list. The catch is, you are not choosing the book, it is being chosen randomly for you. In my case, I'm going to use random.org. I have 1320 books on my Goodread's to-read list. I'm going to put in 1-1320 on random.org and see which number it gives me. Then I'll read that book, provided I have it or the e-book isn't ridiculously expensive. Easy peasy. I'm going to be participating once a month.

Last month, random.org chose Life of Pi. Did I read it? Nope, sure didn't. Didn't even crack it open. Or open the file, since I have it on my nook. It was just a crazy busy month, and I didn't even bother to start it. Oh well. Back into the to-read pile it goes.

Let's see what random.org has in store for me this month.

(As a side note, last month I 1320 books on my to-be-read list. I now have 1375. I need to read some damn books.)

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. When random.org chose this, I was going to skip it and have it choose another one. I just have too much epic fantasy going on right now. (I'm still slowly reading through Dance with Dragons because I don't want it to end.) But then I read what is quite possibly the greatest book review in the history of book reviews. If I could find a way to post the link to it, I would. It is on the goodreads' page and is by a guy named Michael.

So long story short, I hope to read the book The Lies of Locke Lamora this month. In addition to finishing the book I'm reading for review (A Kingdom's Possession - it's really good, go check it out) as well as Dance with Dragons, Mistress of Rome, and any other books that might tickle my fancy this month. Gah!

A-Z Mini-Challenge #1

2011-12-31T20:03:00.000-08:00

As part of my A-Z Book Challenge, there are going to be monthly book challenges. I will post them on the first of each month (at least I'll try to), and you will have the entire month to complete the challenge, write a blog post about it, and enter onto the linky. If you don't have a blog, just leave a comment on this page with the book you read that goes with the challenge.

For every mini-challenge you complete, you will get one entry into a drawing. At the end of the year, I will pick one name from all of those entries, and you will win the book of your choice from The Book Depository. Yay free books!

Here's mini-challenge number 1...

In honor of New Year's and all of the Resolutions people are making, read one book relating to your New Year's resolution. For example, if you are giving up chocolate for the year (cuz you are nuts), you could read a book with chocolate on the cover, where a character works in a bakery (where they have chocolate), or the title is also the name of a type of chocolate (The Three Musketeers). It can be pretty general. If you can somehow relate the book to your resolution, it counts.

So good luck, and thanks for taking part.

Heartsy Deal on one of my Etsy Favorites!

2011-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with the artist Solocosmo on Etsy. I have a bunch of her works in my house including these:
(All images copyright of Solocosmo.)

Absolutely gorgeous right? Most of the images are available in various sizes from ACEO to 11in by 13in. I love her also because she is both a full-time artist and mother. Love it. Before you head over to her Etsy page to purchase, check out her deal going on Heartsy. Currently you can get either $40 or $50 worth of her gorgeous images for only $18. You better believe I was all over that.

So what is heartsy? It is an awesome deal page for those who love all things handmade and crafty. They feature different etsy shops daily. Click on the button below to read more and join.

Top Ten Characters of 2011

2011-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Characters of 2011

I apologize that most of these are from the Game of Thrones/ Song of Fire and Ice series, but George has me wrapped around his little finger. His characters are awesome!

Cleopatra Selene - I feel like this was the year of Selene. First I read Cleopatra's Daughter, then Lily of the Nile and its sequel Song of the Nile. I think there was another one in there too. She was a great character in all of the books.

Photo from the GoT Wiki

Jamie Lannister (Game of Thrones) - I have read a lot of books in my life. I have fallen in love with many characters. I have hated many characters with the utmost fire. Never have I done both with the same character, until Jamie Lannister entered my life. Damn you George RR Martin!! The man throws a child out a window and yet I have still come to love him. Favorite quotes : "There are no men like me. There's only me." or "The things I do for love."

Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones) - Damn you once again George RR Martin!! You make me feel inappropriately about a dwarf. (The book's terminology not mine.) To me, Tyrion is the heart and soul of the whole Song of Fire and Ice series. He's the only character who just simply is who he is, no shame, no hiding. Love him. Favorite quote: "Never forget who you are, for surely the world won’t. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you." or "Lord Tywin Lannister, in the end, did not shit gold."

Jon Snow (Game of Thrones) - I really want him to end up winning the "game of thrones". I know that technically that can't happen since he is now on the Wall and is part of the Night's Watch, but a girl can dream. I'm ridiculously jealous of Ygritte even though she's dead now. Best quote : “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.”

Gregor Clegane/ The Hound (Game of Thrones) - To me, The Hound is THE tragic hero of the Game of Thrones series. Underneath that face half burnt off by his brother and his cruel exterior, is a good man who just never got the chance to be a good man. He's gone by where I am in the series, but I'm still holding out hope that he will reappear. Best quote : "There are no true knights, no more than there are gods. If you can't protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can. Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don't ever believe any different."

Also from Game of Thrones/ A Song of Fire and Ice : Arya Stark, Brienne of Tarth, and Davos Seaforth.

Nefertari from The Heretic Queen - Nefertari is looked down upon for being part of the old heretical family and only wants to be free to be herself. She was gorgeously written and so relate-able. I loved her in this book.

CJ's Top Ten Baby/Children's Books of 2011

2011-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

CJ's Top Ten Books of 2011

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell - I can't tell you how many times we lifted the flaps on this book. The book is cute and small yet sturdy enough to handle countless flap-lifting. Which animal will the zoo send next? I used this to teach CJ animals sounds and signs.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle - I don't think this one needs much of an introduction. This is a classic for all the right reasons. About halfway through the year, when we got to the page with the food on it, CJ would pretend to eat the food. Still one of my favorite book memories of this year. Such a goober.

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You by Dr. Seuss - I got a lot of practice back in the day reading this one to my little sister. CJ loves to hear me make all the sounds that Mr. Brown can make. I'm pretty much an expert at noise-making.

Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz - CJ loves these books by Karen Katz. The images are freaking adorable, and he loves to find the body parts under the flaps.

Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro - We did a lot of lifting the flap this year as you can see. This is another cute one with animals and the sounds they make. It is also a really small book, about the size of my hand, so we take it with us when we go out.

Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick - We had a slight issue in the beginning of the year when CJ started teething. I honestly don't remember where we got this book from, but CJ loves to read it. He doesn't bite at all anymore, because he knows "Ouch! Biting hurts!". I love the pictures in this one too.

Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton - We don't actually own this one. We've borrowed it from the library a couple of times, and I have the Nook App that sings and tells CJ the story though. We love it. I use this in my sign language classes because kids love to hear the animal sounds and make the signs.

Big Board First 100 Animals (First Words) - We still read this one almost every day. CJ loves to just sit down and look at all the pictures of the animals. Sometimes I'll catch him looking at the horse and making the sign for horse. Such a funny little goober.

Fisher Price My Little People Farm (Lift the Flap Playbooks) - Sometimes the best things in life are free. This book is one of them. We got it from someone who just gave us a bag of children's books.
We've read it over and over again. One set of pages is shapes, then colors, then animals. It is really cute.

Star Wars ABC - This one is courtesy of my nerd husband. The only words CJ knows are mama, dada, nana, and Boba. Seriously. You turn to page 2 and say "B is for?" and CJ yells "Boba!". It's hilarious. So if you or your husband are Star Wars fans, you definitely have to get this one.

This post contains referral and affiliate links. If you purchase a book after clicking on one of these links, I get a small percentage of the cost. The money made is used to provide more giveaways and fun stuff here at Babies, Books, and Signs and is greatly appreciated. :)

Happy Anniversary!

2011-12-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

Today is the hubby and I's 2nd anniversary! Yay us!

We went out to dinner at the restaurant we got married in, and then went home to get the baby because a) we're lame and b)the baby is sick.

I love you bubba, I don't know what I'd do without you in my life! Mmmmmmmwah!

Goofs for life!

Top Ten Book Covers of 2011

2011-12-27T07:18:00.000-08:00

I am very guilty of judging books by their cover. As such, most of the books I choose have nice covers. So here's my top ten favorite covers of 2011.

Top Ten Book Covers of 2011

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Best of 2011 Giveaway Hop!

2011-12-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Go here to see over 100 giveaways!

This book giveaway is open to anywhere that the Book Depository delivers. I will be giving away any book (under $20) that I gave 4 or 5 stars to in 2011. You can see the list here. If the book is part of a series, I'll give you either the first one or the next one that you need to read. To enter, just fill out the raffleclopter form at the end. Thanks for stopping by!

Here's some of the choices :

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

Go to Confessions of a Bookaholic to see other Top Tens and sign up.

Today's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read in 2011

George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series - I am obsessed. I started reading this at the beginning of the year along with my husband. I was taking it really slow, because I knew that there were only 5 (so far). I didn't want it to end so I prolonged it as much as possible. I'm still reading the fifth book, Dance with Dragons. This is an epic fantasy series set in The Seven Kingdoms. There are dragons, shapeshifters, knights, kings, queens, and the sexiest dwarf ever. George is supposedly writing 2 more, but since he is a notoriously slow writer, it may be a long wait.

Sarah Addison Allen's The Girl Who Chased the Moon and The Peach Keeper - I love Sarah's writing style. She makes the South seem like this luscious magical place. All of her characters seem like they could be your best friends, but they all have some little bit of magic about them. In The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Emily returns to her mom's hometown to find that the wallpaper in her mother's bedroom changes to suit her mood and there seem to be ghosts floating around the backyard. In The Peach Keeper, two girls who were never friends in high school find themselves becoming entwined when a dead body is discovered at an old mansion with ties to both of their families.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua - Many people were disgusted by the author's honest portrayal of how she is raising her daughters. I found it interested and refreshing. Obviously, there are some things that I would never do, such as tell my daughters that I'm going to burn their teddy bears if the don't play the piano perfectly. But there is absolutely no question that Amy loves her daughters fiercely, and only wants the best for and from them.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - When I read this book, I became obsessed. I was obsessed with the character Cleopatra Selene and author Michelle Moran. I went out and found every book I could find with Cleopatra Selene in it, and then found every book Michelle had written up until that point. I ever pre-ordered her Madama Tussaud book. This book focuses on Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Mark Antony and the more famous Cleopatra. The book follows her from her young life in Egypt, to her life in Rome, to her life in Mauritania. The writing is so beautiful and vivid.

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran - This book follows her book Nefertiti. The main character Nefertari is Nefertiti's niece. Her royal family has fallen out favor and they are branded as heretics and traitors. As such she is mainly left to roam freely, until finally the Pharoah's aunt takes her under her wing. She is then educated and raised to be just one of Pharoah's many wives. I loved how strong Nefertari was as a character. She didn't just bow and scrape and do what she was told. She was able to think for herself. I recommend all of Michelle Moran's books.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - If a character in a book can make you so mad that you throw the book across the room, the book is obviously well-written. This story, set just before the Civil Rights movement, will make you hate all white people as racist morons. Except Skeeter, she was cool. The story concerns black maids to uppity white women who are either racist pieces of crap, complete psychos, or complete morons. As mad as this book made me, it was still one of my favorites from 2011.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (I got them in HC for Christmas, wahooo!!) - I resisted reading this until after the third book came out. I just didn't think it would suit me. Boy was I wrong. I love this trilogy. Each book was amazing, there wasn't a lull in the action at all. Set in Panem, which is North America in the future, the book concerns Katniss, who seems like your average girl. When she is selected to represent her country at the Hunger Games, her whole word falls apart. Katniss becomes the unwilling emblem of a rebellion against Panem. Such a great trilogy. Definitely recommend it for YA and action and sci-fi fans.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells - I read all of Wells' Divine Secrets books, so I knew I would love her writing when I picked this one up. I absolutely fell in love with the main character Calla Lily and her hometown of LaLuna, Louisianna. The book starts off when she is young and finds her first love Tuck. Then she grows up and Tuck moves away to go to college and never comes home, breaking poor Calla Lily's heart. Calla Lily moves to New Orleans to get away and learns more about herself and her heart. The writing is luscious and beautiful and makes the South come alive.

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray - After I read Cleopatra's Daughter, I wanted to read every book there was about Cleopatra Selene. Unfortunately, there aren't many. Luckily, I did find this one by Stephanie Dray. This book takes a different approach to Selene's story. In this one, she possessed magical powers that she can't control, courtesy of the goddess Isis. These powers both intrigue and terrify Octavian, who in these books is just plain evil. I usually don't like magic in my historical fiction, but Stephanie does it perfectly. It really is believable and not at all, over the top. There is a sequel, Song of the Nile, which Stephanie actually let me read and review for this blog. :)

Shiver, Linger, Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls Series) by Maggie Steifvater - I am reluctant to read paranormal YA because I feel like most of it is Twilight rip-offs. However, the cover of Linger intrigued me for a long time. The wolf sort of just standing in the forest looking out looked really interesting. When the nookbook was on sale I caved and bought it. I am so glad I did. I ended up reading all 3 back to back. I loved Sam and Grace, the main characters. This was so much better than Twilight. There are werewolves, but they're just regular people who happen to turn into wolves. They aren't cursed or magical, it is all rather scientific. The love between Grace and Sam, although it happens fast, is actually quite believable. Definitely a must-read for any YA fans, even if like me, you don't like paranormal YA.

Up tomorrow, top ten book covers of 2011!

2012 Challenge (8) - Eclectic Reader Challenge

2011-12-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

The aim of The Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge is to push you a little outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different genres.

Join in:

The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 201. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2012

Create a blog post committing to your participation in this challenge.

* If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing or a similar site Just include your name and a link to your shelf.

Post your name, blog name, and the direct link to your challenge post in the Linky using the link below

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Select, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books.

* You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.

* Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

Genres

Literary Fiction
Crime/Mystery Fiction
Romantic Fiction
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Non Fiction
Horror
Thriller /Suspense
Classic
Your favourite genre

Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement and /or the challenge image badge to the post.

Share your review with other challenge participants by posting your name/blog name and title of the book with a direct link to your review in the Linky.

All participants that complete the challenge by December 31st 2012 will be eligible to win a book of their choice to the value of $15 from bookdepository.com (or paypal funds of US$10) to be drawn via random.org Jan 1st 2013.

The Hobbit Trailer!

2011-12-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

Good luck sleeping tonight folks.

My inner LOTR fangirl is Fah-reaking out right now. Bilbo has always been my favorite character. In the first movie, when his face transformed into the scary face, even though I knew it was coming, I screamed at the top of my lungs. My uncle used to read me from The Hobbit when I was sick. I call him Uncle Frodo and he calls me Billy Bob Baggins. It's just our thing. I might have to fly to Colorado just to go see this movie with him.

So anyway, don't worry, this won't be the last you hear about The Hobbit movie. :) I'm definitely going to be re-reading The Hobbit this year.

"What's a Bagginses precious?"

Thorin Oakenshield <3

Busy Weekend!

2011-12-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

The cake, isn't it cute?

Sorry for the quiet blog the last few days. I had a pretty busy weekend. I was out of town (back in my hometown actually) to throw my cousin a baby shower. It went really well. Everyone behaved themselves and I absolutely love my cousin's fiance's family.

The father-to-be & friends trying to see who can eat a jar of baby food the fastest.

CJ wondering why the big guys are wasting all that good baby food.

My cousin (her tiny belly) and her fiance opening presents.

I didn't get any pictures of the decorations. I made a cute little bunting that said Caleb. There were streamers everywhere and a big "It's a boy!" sign. It was good to see my Nana and cousin. I don't get down to see them very often.

So other than that, nothing to big going on here. I'm trying to make a quilt as a Christmas present. CJ has been having a really rough time going to bed at night. I think being out of town messed with his sleep schedule too much. It's just going to get worse with Christmas coming.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T08:06:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

Go here to sign up.

Top Ten Books I Want Santa to Bring Me

Honestly, I have all the books I need, but I wouldn't say no to these additions.

1. Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro - I love this show and I love Buddy's family. I'd love to read more about his dad who just seems like he was a really great man. This has been on my wishlist since it came out.

2. And Furthermore by Judi Dench - I freaking love Judi Dench. The only actress I love more is Maggie Smith (who should also write a book). I hardly ever by non-fiction even though I love biographies and memoirs. I'm sure this book will be amazing.

3. Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey - Can you just look at the cover of this book? It just screams Lindsey please read me. I'm sure I'll cave and buy it soon.

4. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz - This cover looks delightfully creepy and I love fairy tales.

5. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury - This seems like it is a mix up of a regency novel and Egyptology which is pretty much book gold in my book. Love the cover too.

6. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston - I love the idea of this book. A story told in scrapbook style. The story sounds good too, about a woman mixed up with a married man.

7. The Dictionary of Imaginary Places - This book is like an encyclopedia of fictional lands. Being the book nerd I am, I can't wait to read it. Narnia, Neverland, Middle Earth... they're all in here.

8. Religious Signing - This book teaches you how to sign religious words. I'd love to be able to teach CJ to pray and sign.

9. Jane Austen Made Me Do It - Lauren Willig is one of the contributing writers to this compilation. I love her books and I love Jane Austen so I'm sure I'll love this.

10. Mirage : Napoleon's Scientist and the Unveiling of Egypt - I'm a big Egypt nerd, so this book about how Napoleon "discovered" Egypt and all of its glory, thus creating Egyptomania back in Europe, sounds amazing.

I happen to know that I'm getting this beauty for christmas from my Secret Santa. It contains the B&N leatherbound editions of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Dracula, Huck Finn, and Wuthering Heights. While I hate Wuthering Heights with a wuthering (not a word btw) passion, I loooove this set enough to deal with it. I want to replace all my beat up paperback classics with these beautiful leatherbound editions. I already got the children's set.

Fun Meme Friday!

2011-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

(Click on image to be taken to host.)

1. Do you like your middle name or are you embaressed by it?

I was always embarrassed by my middle name because I was named after my aunt who is quite literally, a crazy person. When I got married, I change my maiden name to my middle name, and now I love it.

2. Have you ever seen a white Christmas?

I think a better question is have I ever not seen a white Christmas? I grew up in New England and Colorado so there's almost always been snow on Christmas. I'm not sure whether it is going to happen this year though.

3. Looking back, have you accomplished what you wanted in life up to this point?

I haven't really accomplished much of anything that I intended, but I'm ok with that. What I wanted to be and who I became are two completely different people. I'd much rather be a wife and mother than a pilot. Not that I couldn't do both if I wanted to, but I don't.

4. Do you prefer baking or cooking?

Definitely baking. Baking leads to yumminess.

5. Which website do you spend the most time on?

Besides this blog, facebook and google reader.

Go here for the host.

What blog post has gotten the most comments/activity this year?

Other than blog hops and giveaways, the most comments have been on my A-Z Book Challenge. Lots of people joined that, so yay!

Go here to sign up.

What is the best Christmas present you've ever received?

Two years ago, I got married 2 days after Christmas. That was the best Christmas present I have ever received.

Worst/funniest white elephant present you've ever received?

In elementary school, we did one of these. It was such a bad idea. I grew up in a really poor town, so I don't understand why they thought any of us could afford to buy a present to give to some random kid in our class. Well my mom took this ginormous oversized foot-shaped comb and wrapped that. The person who got it was sooooo mad. I wouldn't admit that it was me who gave it.

Is your Christmas tree plain and simple or wild and crazy?

All of the above? I will only allow white lights in my house. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. We don't have a big Christmas tree this year, we have 3 small trees. We have one all-white tree covered in mostly white ornaments. That's the wedding tree. Then there's a regular tree covered in regular ornaments and finally there is the all-black Nightmare before Christmas tree. We like to mix it up around here.

How do you iron your clothes?

On the very rare occasions when I iron my clothing, I do it with an iron on an ironing board.

How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must bake" items?

I usually bake one or two things. This year I'm going to make a pumpkin pie for my bro-in-law, some sort of fancy cupcake (last year I made Irish car-bomb cupcakes), and I need to make something sugar-free and dairy-free for the baby. Not sure what yet.

Go here to sign up.

When you've read a book, what do you do with it?

This all depends on the book. If I loved loved loved it, I keep it. It goes on a special shelf I have just for books that I absolutely love. If I love it, and it is something that I want my children to read someday, it goes onto another special shelf I have just for that. Otherwise, I give it away. I'll either paperbackswap it or give it away on here or bring it to the used book store. I have over 1000 books on my bookshelves, so I just can't keep books that I don't absolutely love anymore. Sometimes it makes me sad to give them away, but until I have the Beast's library from Beauty & the Beast, I just can't hoard them like I want.

Jane Austen's Birthday Giveaway!

2011-12-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today, in honor of Jane Austen's 236th birthday, I am giving away a copy of Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners.

Goodreads' description : This book talks about how to pay and return formal 'calls'; how to refuse a proposal of marriage; who should lead off the dancing at a country-house ball; and what to wear for a morning walk. Today such social niceties are largely ignored or forgotten, but they underpin all of Jane Austen's timeless novels and are explored and dealt with in this highly original book. Written as if intended for Austen's original readers in the Regency era, and illustrated with exquisitely witty watercolours, Jane Austen's "Guide to Good Manners" is a light-hearted, entertaining and instructive little handbook of etiquette as depicted in Jane's novels and letters. It will not only offer sound wisdom and pearls of advice, but also encourage the modern-day reader to look back at Jane's work with a new and deepened appreciation.

To win a copy, please become a follower (on GFC/Facebook/Feedburner/twitter) and leave a comment below telling me a) where you are a follower and b) Who is your favorite Jane Austen character?

The Polar Express Playdate

2011-12-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

A local movie theater in my town Chunky's Cinema Pub has a free monthly kid's movie. It is great because they don't care if kids run around or are loud or throw their food at the screen. Ok they might care if the food gets on the screen, but otherwise it's all ok. This month's movie was The Polar Express. I've never been to this theater before, so it was an adventure for CJ and I. They let us into the theater at 11. We sat down at tables in these big comfy chairs and got to order lunch. CJ had the Donkey and Dragon Fingers (chicken fingers) and I had the Pirates of the Caribbean quesadillas. We got our lunch really fast and then we waited for the movie to start. CJ loved it. He was mostly interested in his chicken fingers and the fact that there were other kids he could see running around. But I was really impressed with how well he behaved. He sat in the high chair for 90% of the movie. Towards the end, I let him down so he could run because I knew he was going to start screaming if he didn't. The camera battery died right as we got into the movie, so my pics are only from before.

What do you mean you don't want animal crackers?!

Fine. More for me.

Literally running into the theater.

Why's it so dark in here?

No more animal crackers!?

Let me double check.

Never mind I found ketchup. Yum!

If you are ever in the Haverhill MA area, check out Chunky's and see what is playing. I plan on going with Craig on date night sometime soon. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

Thrift Store Book Booty

2011-12-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

CJ and I were supposed to go to a play-date early Tuesday morning, but it was cancelled due to the dad being sick. We were all dressed up with no place to go, so I convinced the hubby we should go to downtown Haverhill for lunch. I then convinced him we should go to the thrift/antique stores that they have down there. CJ needs a bureau for his bedroom so we've been on the lookout. Well, we didn't find a bureau, but I did make out like a bandit on some children's books. Craig wanted to kill me. He said I was a hoarder. CJ likes books, I like books, I like CJ, CJ gets books. It's quite simple really.

So here's the goods.

Some Dr. Seuss books & Strega Nona (which I almost bought new the other day). 50 cents each.

Bunch of Sesame Street books 50 cents each.

A few Golden Books (25 cents each) and 4 kids movies ($2 each). I just realized that All Dogs Go to Heaven isn't even opened yet! I think CJ will love Finding Nemo.

So these are all going to be wrapped to be opened Christmas morning. Maybe. We'll see. I want a ton of stuff for him to open. I think he's going to love that part the most.

So what do you think? I did good right? Tell my husband that, k?

Barefoot Books Sale on Gift Titles

2011-12-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

Go to my marketplace and search for "presents" to see all the great titles on sale.

They include :

The Gift

The Barefoot Book of Pirates

The Barefoot Book of Princesses

Arabian Nights

The Barefoot Book of Dance Stories

Storytime : First Stories for Telling

Arthur of Albion

Awesome titles. Go check 'em out!

Review and Giveaway : Beauty Queen by Libba Bray

2011-12-13T02:41:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I love (ok am obsessed with) Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle Trilogy. LOVE IT. So I've had her book Beauty Queens on my wishlist since the dawn of time. My Bookworm Santa sent it to me this month. Wahoooo! I managed to read it in three days, which normally wouldn't be a big deal. Since I now have a 1 year old, it is.

So here's the review:

Goodreads' Synopsis: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

My Review: When the book started, I was a little iffy. The characters were hard to get a handle on, but I think might have been intentional. As the book went on, we learned more about the background of each contestant. The book alternates between point of views, so that was interesting. There is Miss Texas, who is big and loud and very stereotypical of Texas. She's a proud card-carrying member of Femmes and Firearms and her dad is in the Army. She and Miss New Hampshire, the contestant who joined in order to infiltrate and show the seedy side of the beauty business butt heads. There's Petra, who seems like the perfect girl but has a big secret. Then there's the two "token" ethnic beauty queens Nicole and Shanti. Once you really get to know these girls, you start to root for them to escape the island.

Unfortunately, this island isn't what it seems. In a Lost-like twist, there are other inhabitants of the island. Do they have sinister intents or could they be used as allies? And what happens when the bodacious pirates from a "reality" tv show end up on the island too?

Although it doesn't seem it from the review or synopsis, this book is almost a pro-feminism book. Each of the characters grows in their own womanhood throughout the story. Like Tiara says during her interview "I've learned that feminism is for everybody and there's nothing wrong with taking up space in the world, even if you have to fight for it a little bit, and that if you don't feel like smiling or waving, that's okay. You don't have to, and you don't have to say sorry."

I gave this book 3.75 stars. I didn't love it like I loved A Great and Terrible Beauty, but it was still a good book. I'll definitely be giving it to my teenager daughter to read someday.

For now though, I'm giving it away to a lucky reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CJ Meets Santa

2011-12-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

Last year CJ sat with Santa, but he was only 5 months so he was just a chunky lump on Santa's lap. This year, I expected a full-on exorcism moment. I was pleasantly surprised. CJ did AWESOME with Santa. It was so cute I couldn't even stand it.

My mother-in-law and I went, and it was the same Santa as last year. I think he may have gotten sober in the last year. Last Christmas, he didn't speak and just stared at the camera. This year, he happy and jolly. The story he told us was hilarious.

CJ was sort of peeking at him while other kids were getting their pictures taken. When it was his turn, Lisa (mother-in-law) picked him up and brought him over to Santa. She set him down on Santa's lap. Santa started talking to him. The look on CJ's face was priceless. I almost wish we had gotten that picture instead. CJ was staring straight ahead, but his eyes were to the side, as if he was listening intently but didn't want Santa to know. The picture lady kept yelling CHEESE to get CJ to smile. Since he is severely allergic to milk, he doesn't know what cheese means. I yelled SPAGHETTI! and he cracked up. So that's what the picture is. The boy loves him some spaghetti.

So as we are waiting for the picture to print, CJ and Lisa are chit-chatting with Santa. Santa informs us that CJ told him that when he grows up he is going to be a southpaw (lefty), play professional baseball, sign a multi-million dollar deal, and take care of all of us. I don't know if this Santa is the baby whisperer or what. Craig's dad was a semi-professional baseball player and he's already said that CJ shows signs of being a lefty. (Obviously that could change any time.) It was just really funny.

So how cute is my stinkypoo? I mean really.

Mom #Confession Monday

2011-12-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

So let's keep it real moms (and dads). We aren't perfect. So let's use this day to make a little mom confession.

Here's mine.

Some (ok most) days, unless I'm leaving the house, I don't change out of my pajamas.

Unfortunately, I don't look this cute in my pajamas.

Eeek. Feels good to get the off my chest.

So any mom confessions you would like to make? Feel free to share them with me. Should I create a linky?

My Bookworm Santa

2011-12-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to The Magic Attic for hosting Bookwarm Santa. Just last week I received an amazing package filled with 3 books from my wishlist.

I received Beauty Queens, Allison Hewitt is Trapped, and The False Princess.

I also received a really cute picture of my secret bookworm Santa's dogs. Thank you so much secret Santa!

2012 Challenge (7) - An Abundance of Books' 2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge

2011-12-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

This is the last one, I promise!!

I think since I have a toddler who loves books, this one will be easiest.

Click on the picture to be taken to the sign-up blog.

The Details

Timeline: January 1, 2012- December 31, 2012
Select your level:

Level 1 - Read 12 picture books

Level 2 - Read 16 picture books

Level 3 - Read 24 picture books

You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. If you do list your books in the beginning, you can always change them later on.
Crossovers with other challenges count.
Digital books count
Re-reads count as long as you read them in 2012 and you post a new review for the book.
You can join anytime

I'm going for level 2 - Read 16 picture books. I'm pretty sure I can do 24, but I will start with 16.

Fun Meme Friday!

2011-12-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

I'm not sure what they are called, but my friend Joni makes them. They're amaaaazing. When she made them for my company when I was in the Army, everyone wanted the recipe. She's gonna send me some for Christmas, so yippee. I can't even describe what they're like besides FREAKING DELICIOUS

What is your favorite holiday movie and why?

The Grinch. I mean hello. It's the Grinch.

Is there a gift you bought for your children that you wish you hadn't after they opened it?

Not yet.

What is the messiest room in the house at this moment?

My bedroom. It is just the catch-all for everything. Especially since I don't have a craft room, there are just craft supplies in every nook and cranny. The dresser is piled high with stuff too. There's a pile of clean laundry by my husband's dresser and a basket of clean laundry by mine.

What is the furthest you have driven for the holidays?

My grandmother once flew herself, her husband, and me to Denver, then we had to drive from there to Fort Collins. While that isn't normally a long drive, it is when your grandmother is insane and her husband is driving on the wrong side of the ride in Denver.

Pet peeves?

Ignorant people. Rude people. Bad grammar.

Typical day from wake up to bed.

8-830 : wake up with the baby

830-930 : Nurse baby in bed so I can sleep a little more

930-10 : Breakfast

10-12 : Play/read/sing/dance/amuse baby. Clean randomly.

12 : Lunch

1 : If hubby is gone, this is nap time, otherwise it's more keep baby amused time.

2 : Naptime if it isn't already.

3 -4 : Wake up from nap, have a snack

4 - 5 : Play/read/sing/dance/amuse baby. Clean randomly.

430 - 530 : Make dinner, feed baby.

530 : If dada is at work, call and say hi.

6 : Tubby time for baby.

6 - 7 : Read books until bedtime.

7 : Nurse baby, put him to bed.

730 : Take out dog, feed dog.

8 - 11 : Clean, do random stuff, blog.

1130 - bedtime : Hang out with the hubby when he gets home from work, read, then bed.

I live a very exciting life people.

Pizza or pasta?

I love them both!!! I'll go with pizza.

Finish the sentence - One book I was I had written is...

Gone with the Wind or Lord of the Rings or The Great Gatsby.

Favorite sport?

I don't play any sports, but if the Sox are playing, I enjoy watching baseball.

What book do you think that everyone should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your friends?

I would probably go with Peter Pan and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Join up at GReads!

Book to Movie: Which book turn movie do you feel did the best adaptation? What about the worst?

Excellent question.

Best : Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yea they added some bullsh*t about Arwen, but other than that, it was amazing seeing Middle Earth come to life. I loved Viggo as Aragorn.

Worst : Beowulf. The CGI version. Beowulf is one of the most beautiful works ever written. The crap CGI and ridiculous voice overs in the CGI version (with Angelina Jolie) just made me really freaking mad.

Barefoot Books Singalongs 25% #Discount

2011-12-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

These are some of CJ's favorites. We highly recommend Portside Pirates (watch the video below), The Animal Boogie, and Up,Up,Up. To purchase, just click on the link here to go to my online marketplace.

Win a Study Bible and/or Ipad 2! #giveaway

2011-12-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

From now until December 24th, simply like the New Living Translation facebook page and you will be entered to win a bunch of great prizes. These include a Life Application Study Bible Family pack and an ipad 2! Anyone who enters automatically gets a free download of the Book of Luke bible study. The family pack that you can win contains 5 hardcover study bibles, one for each member of your family.

So to enter, just click on the link above for the facebook page, like the page, then enter to win! Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Silent Sunday has become Wordless Wednesday, just fyi.

Please don't call child services. He was simply helping auntie put the drinkies in the fridge.

Cloth Diaper Reviewers Needed

2011-12-07T12:37:00.001-08:00

I've been using cloth diapers with the bambino since he came home from the hospital. Cloth diapering can seem really expensive at first, but is actually cheaper in the long run. To help you get started, would you like the chance to receive and review cloth diapers for free? I know I would. If you are interested in testing some of Kebbie's Diapers, please go to Midnight Mommy to see more information. You must be a cloth diapering mommy blogger. Good luck!

Christmas Decorations & Baby Bites

2011-12-07T04:13:00.000-08:00

We've got all the decorations up. CJ has no idea what they are for, he just knows he wants to pull them all down. I thought I'd share some pictures of our Christmas decorations and what has been going on lately.

Mantel place.

I love the way the mantel looks. The flash kind of ruined it in this picture, but it looks really pretty. Last year we got those nutcrackers for Christmas. One is Sherlock Holmes and one is a female soldier. CJ loves the two piggies on the end. He points up at them and starts signing pig and making snorting noises. Such a goof. We currently don't have an elf on the shelf, we have a Jack on the shelf.

We apparently have a lot of Christmas themed stuffed animals. Next year I plan on decorating CJ's room with these. I also plan on making a Christmas tree forest every year. There is the start of it on the left side. Don't you just love the three wise men? I love them. We got them at the Christmas Tree Shops.

I love this tree! Craig and I got married two days after Christmas. We asked our guests not to bring any presents except for a small ornament to start our Christmas decoration collection. So that is what on this tree. They're mostly white so I thought they'd look nice on the all-white tree.

At CJ's age, the house can get a mess. It is really hard to keep up with it. The only cleaning secret I have is that I pick up as I go. If I'm going in a room, I grab something from the room I am currently in that has to go into the room. Once the baby goes to bed, I do a thorough clean sweep. Well, relatively thorough. I like a lived-in home.

In other, un-holiday-related news, CJ is teething like whoa. He woke up for 3 nights in a row and we couldn't figure out why. Finally, I poked my finger along and his gums and found bumps bumps bumps. The poor thing. I've been giving him a little Tylenol before bed and he seems to be sleeping much better. He got one more tooth along the bottom right, but I expect by the end of the week he'll have 3 or 4 more. Poor guy. He doesn't look too upset here though, because he has "sgettis".

Here's my new favorite picture of the stinkybutt. Giving mama kisses. He loves to give kisses. For some reason he puckers just his bottom lip. Adorable. I make good babies.

"I am sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls and Great Cleaners."

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-12-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by Broke and Bookish.

Ten Childhood Faves

I'm really lucky that I have a 18 month old right now, so I'm re-reading a ton of childhood favorites and finding some new favorites. So this is an awesome topic. Here goes. This is in no particular order.

1. Nancy Drew mysteries - I so wanted to be Nancy Drew, girl detective. I don't think I had all of the books, but I had plenty of them. I'm working on getting all of these plus all the Hardy Boys series for my kids. So if you want to send them my way, I'd be mighty appreciative.

2. The Boxcar Children - More mysteries involving child detectives. I so wanted to be one of the Boxcar Children. Yea they were essentially homeless and parentless, but it seemed a lot better than what I had going on. They always had each other and were always on adventures. Loved this series. I actually just got a new one from netgalley to review, I'm really looking forward to it.

3. Tuck Everlasting - This is the first romance that I ever remember reading. I remember the descriptions of the forest and the spring and everything just being magical. The idea of living forever was just perfect. This was one of the first times I read a book that didn't necessarily end happily ever after.

4. The Secret Garden/A Little Princess - I put these together because I had this amazing hardcover edition that had both of the books together. I loved these stories to death. They're still one of my favorites.

5. The Outsiders - I've talked about this book before. I love this book. It's in my top 5 books of all time. I could not love this book more. I don't remember how old I was the first time I read it, maybe 10? It spoke to me. Ponyboy was my soulmate. At least I was pretty sure at the time. Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold.

6. The Bible - Even if you aren't Christian, I believe every child should have a great illustrated copy of the bible. I had two, and the were both amazing. I wish I had them now. The illustrations were gorgeous and the stories were lush and wonderful. CJ has one that he got for his baptism and I can't wait to start reading that to him.

7. Black Beauty - Broke.my.little.heart. I remember I was really sick and someone gave me this to read while I got better and I sobbed for days. This book is so beautiful and sad. The story of a horse from the horses point of view. Loved it.

8. Kidnapped - This was one of the first classic novels I read. If you've got a reluctant reader, I'd recommend this. Following the adventures of David through the Scottish lowlands, across the sea, and beyond. There isn't a boring moment in this book.

9. Treasure Island - More adventures from Robert Louis Stevenson. This isn't just a muppet movie folks. What kid doesn't love pirates? I started off with the Great American Classics version and eventually read the full thing. I just actually bought a 6 book set from Barnes and Noble with this in it for the baby.

10. Sherlock Holmes - I used to try to train my mind to work like Sherlock's but it just didn't work. I also wanted my very own Watson. My husband IS a nurse so maybe I got my Watson after all. I would recommend this for slightly older and/or more mature children.

Hill's Science Diet Dog Food

2011-12-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've spoken a little bit about my dog Kami. Well we just switched her dog food to Hill's Science Diet. I received a free large bag to try out. I was skeptical because my dog doesn't really care about her food. Generally, she eats it because she has to. She doesn't eat to enjoy her food. That's what CJ's scraps are for. Well, she now enjoys her food. I got the chicken and rice sample and as soon as I poured the food into her bowl, she came running over to scarf it up. Let me tell you, my dog does not run for anything. So I'm sold on this for just that reason.

But there's also a ton of health benefits that come along with this new dog food. It provides everything your dog needs for a balanced diet. That includes carbs - to give your dog the energy to run and play, protein to provide the building blocks for strong muscles and healthy growth, fats & oils to help with vitamin absorption, vitamins to provide antioxidants to strengthen the immune system and minerals to help your dog grow and stay strong. Check out PetMD for more information.

I received a free sample of Hill's Science Diet Dog Food, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Mercy House Kenya

2011-12-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before on this blog, my best friend was born in Kenya and came over to the US when we were in the 3rd grade. Her family are some of the warmest, most amazing people I've ever met. Her mom especially just blows my mind with how beautiful a person she is. Her brother Evans blows my mind with how much of a pain in my butt he generally is when he sees me, but I love him anyway. (He's also about to be a daddy to twins so yay!!)

Having grown up with these amazing people around me, Kenya has a huge place in my heart. So when I read this article over at We Are That Family, I knew I had to share. Kristen is the founder of Mercy House, a home for young girls in Kenya who are homeless and pregnant. Mercy House provides a home for the girls (many of whom are under 18), pre-natal care and nutrition, and teaches work skills. You can even buy some of their work right on there website, at the shop.

During this time of year, when our hearts are already in the spirit of giving, let's help out these girls. There are many ways you can help, the most important of which is to pray. I plan on finding a way to become more involved with this organization, and I hope you can too.

Children's Book Review - Love Twelve Miles Long

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Love Twelve Miles Long by Glenda Armand

Love Twelve Miles Long is a children's story about Frederick Douglas and his mom. Frederick lives at the master's big house while his mom lives 12 miles away. Once a week or so, she walks the twelves miles to visit her baby boy. Frederick lives for these moments. At the end of his visits, his mom tells him about the 12 miles that she walks. Each mile is for something different. The first mile is for forgetting. She uses that first mile to forget how tired she is and that she is a slave. The second mile is for remembering. That mile she uses to remember her boy Frederick and how smart he is. This goes on until Frederick is curled up on his mat, fast asleep. When he wakes up, his mother is gone. He is sad, but he remembers her story and realizes that while the ocean and the sky are too big to measure, he knows that his mother's love for him is twelve miles long.

This was such a cute story, I absolutely loved it. The pictures were gorgeous. It was great that it told Frederick Douglas' story but when he was a child. I definitely recommend this book to add to your child's collection.

The book is available at The Book Depository and on Amazon.

I received this book to review from NetGalley. I was not paid for this review and I was not required to write a positive review.

Not so silent Sunday

2011-12-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to write a post thanking Mom to Bed by 8 because I won a copy of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows from her. My husband and I sobbed our way through Deathly Hallows in the movie. We also plan on naming our 4th son Severus. We only have 1 son currently, but they're all named. Ask me about it if you'd care to know the rest. I kind of freaked out when I won. It was quite funny.

This is how I wanted to react :

And this is how I actually reacted :

So thanks again. And thank you for giving me an excuse to use some funny gifs that I've been saving for just such an occasion.

Signing Sunday

2011-12-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

I feel like I haven't been doing enough signing on this blog. Since it is partially supposed to be about signing, I wanted to fix that. So (hopefully) every Sunday, I will be doing a video post where I will teach a few signs. If there are some signs that you would like me to teach you, please let me know.

This week we are going to learn the signs for Winter, snow, snowman, Christmas, Hanukkah, and tree.

Please let me know what you think below, and please pardon my appearance. I'm was all ready for bed. :)

Literary Blog Hop!

2011-12-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not quite sure if I've got this blog hop figured out. So other participants, correct if I'm wrong. I believe the dealio is that this blog goes on all the time, but there is just one question a month, and you have to answer it in the first 4 days of the month.... And the books have to have some literary merit.

Well here goes, assuming that I am correct.

This month's question is as follows :

What work of literature would you recommend to someone who doesn't like literature?

This is a tough one. I recommended that my husband read Gone with the Wind and that didn't turn out so well. He recommended that I read The Paladin and Dune, and that hasn't worked out yet either. So I might not be the best bet to recommend books. Too bad I have a book blog, mwahahahaha.

Ok, but seriously. This is a tough one. I love The Great Gatsby and I think it is an easy one to understand. It's short so it won't frustrate you and I think it'd be a good introduction to "literature". You could also start with a "children's" book like Peter Pan or Treasure Island. Those sort of adventures can lead you to more and more books. They're also not so simplistic that you'll feel like an idiot for reading them. I think Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the first "literary" books I read and I was hooked. After that I read Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, et al.

So those are my recommendations! Thanks for stop by!

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge

2011-12-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

This is my first time entering the paper mama Photo Challenge. My photos are by no measure professional looking, but I think the cuteness of CJ makes up for it.

Rules:

These photos need to be focused around your children. This means they do need to be in the photo. Furry children are accepted! As far as I'm concerned my cats and dog are my kids too!
Limit of ONE submission per person.
You must be the photographer of the photo you submit.
The paper mama reserves the right to remove any entrant without any given reason.
You do need to have a blog to enter.
All photos need to be rated PG!
Each entry must have a link back to the paper mama blog.
Each photo needs to be linked up by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on every Thursday.
Photo challenges start early morning on each Saturday.
Have fun!

This week's challenge is your favorite photo from November, so here's my entry.

Baby's First Haircut

TBR Intervention (7)

2011-12-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't participated in this meme from Books4Juliet over the past few weeks because I've been trying to catch up with reviews. I'm still not caught up with reviews, but I figure I can choose one book from my TBR list to read this month. So let's see what it is...

Since I'm reading it for my Random Reads, I'm going to also read it for my TBR Intervention. Is that allowed? Life of Pi has been on my tbr list since October of 2008 so I think it should be allowed.

Christian Book Review : A Year with Jesus

2011-12-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Goodreads' description : A 365-day devotional featuring the actual spoken words of Jesus as presented in the Bible.

Too many times the impact and grandness of the actual words Jesus spoke, as recorded in the Bible, are lost in the telling of the story.
In A Year with Jesus, the primary focus is to allow the scriptures that contain Jesus' dialogue to uniquely speak to the reader. The author follows each reading with insights and applications to help explain the context and nuances of the text. The unique titling of each meditation and the nontraditional themes and organization help bring Jesus to our daily lives

My review : I've been reading this book daily for about a month now. I absolutely love it. I've only gotten to the "Love and Hate" section. I can't wait to get to the rest which include "Truth and lies, arrogance and humility, and friends and enemies". It is great to hear exactly what Jesus said about certain topics. It puts the bible into perspective and shows how you can relate it to your everyday life. This book is obviously a little preachy, but not in a bad or annoying way. If you are buying this book, you are probably looking for a little guidance in your life anyway, so it isn't a bad thing. The daily devotionals are a bit longer to read than other devotionals I've read, but I liked that about it.

I'd definitely recommend this book to any Christians who are looking for a daily devotional or to someone who just wants to look a little bit closer at Jesus' life.

I received this book for free from Booksneeze. I was not paid for my review and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Top Ten of 2011 Blog Hop Sign-Ups

2011-12-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hop on over to Fiktshun to sign up for the Top 10 of 2011 Blog Hop.

For the last week of December, myself and (currently) 78 other bloggers will be rounding up our favorites of 2011. I've changed one thing on the topics. I haven't really found many book boyfriends this year. Sad face. So instead, I'm doing CJ (my 1-year-old)'s favorite books of 2011. We read about five books a day, so he has quite a few that he loves. Hope you'll join the fun!

The schedule will be as follows:

Monday 12/26 – Top 10 Books I’ve read in 2011

Tuesday 12/27 – Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

Wednesday 12/28 – ~~Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011~~ CJ's Top 10 Books of 2011 today

Thursday 12/29 – Top 10 Characters in 2011

Friday 12/30 – Top 10 Books I’m looking forward to in 2012 (Also on this day, we’ll each be adding some kind of a recap of the total number of books read, pages read, etc.)

Join my A-Z Book Challenge!

2011-12-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

In 2011, I challenged myself to read a book starting with each letter of the alphabet. Well, I failed, but just barely. So I've decided to re-challenge myself in 2012, and invite all of you along! So here goes.

Technical Stuff

This challenge will run from January 1st, 2012 until December 31st, 2012.

You can join anytime.

If you are blogger, leave the link to your actual post about this challenge.

If you are not a blogger, leave a link to where you will be keeping track of this challenge.

So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z challenge.

A - Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A - Atonement B- Black Beauty C - The Count of Monte Cristo D - Dances with Dragons etc.

OR

B - The lazy way (how I do it) : Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Hope that by the end of the year you have read one book for each letter. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

Each month, I will add another challenge to this main challenge. It might to read a book with both A and Z in the title or to read a book with 3 words that all start with the same letter. I might host a few random giveaways too for good measure. If you've got some idea for the mini-challenges, send them my way!

Since it is really hard to find titles beginning with X, the letter X just needs to be in the title somewhere.

So to join along....
1. Write a blog post about this challenge and whether you are going go with A or B.
2. Add the button to your blog.
3. Attach yourself to the linky.
4. Follow my blog so that you can see when I post the monthly challenge!

Thanks Liz for asking which kind of book blogs can join. Answer: ANY KIND. You don't even have to have a book blog. Any blog at all or no blog at all. All are welcome.

Thanks Darlene for asking and yes both e-books and audiobooks count.

Fun Meme Friday!

2011-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

Go here to sign up.

What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?

My husband and I got married 2 days after Christmas, so we asked that our guests bring us Christmas ornaments as gifts. I got a white tree from Oh My Crafts and I put all of the ornaments we got on there. It's all white and prettiful.

Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you the last minute type?

I generally finish the big stuff early and buy a few little things towards the end.

When do you turn on your heat?

In our current apartment, I don't. We live in this little hidey corner of the building, so there are people on pretty much all sides of us plus two floors below us. The heat that those people use just kind of encircles and cocoons us. It's awesome. When I get up in the morning, I generally throw a load of laundry in the dryer and that makes it pretty warm.

Do you ever wish your blog was private?

If it was, it'd be more of a journal than a blog, no? I have a journal-type thing already so that just would seem like a lot more work for no reason.

Do you put deodorant before or after you put on a shirt?

Generally before, but sometimes, I forget and have to go back and do it.

Go here to sign up and see the other participants.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

The only person allowed to write a book about my life is me. Also, my husband and I have discussed this and the title we came up with is "Dropped the Ball". As in, these are all the people who "dropped the ball" in raising me.

If you could have a signed copy of any novel, what would it be and why?

It'd be great if I had some signed Shakespeare that I could sell for a few million. I would love a signed edition of The Great Gatsby though. I just love that book. I don't even know if there are any signed versions of it though.

Horror or romance?

I generally like suspense more than horror, but I'd probably choose horror over romance.

If you could choose only one time period and place to live, where would it be and why?

Ancient Rome. So much was happening then, it just seemed like it would've been an amazing time period. It is a toss up though between Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt. It would be amazing to see the pyramids when they were shiny and brilliant to look at and the Sphinx wasn't staring at a KFC. (No really, she is.)

Do you prefer a bunch of small gifts or one big expensive one?

Smaller ones would probably be more personal so I'd prefer those.

Go here to sign up.

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books?

This is sort of a more recent thing due to self-publishing. Bad grammar/spelling in books. I've read a couple of self-published books which look like they weren't edited at all. I mean, the least you can do is have your mom give it a good once over. Not all self-published books are like this, but some are. That drives me nuts. I cannot take your book seriously if you can't use proper grammar or spelling.

Random Reads (1)

2011-12-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

So random.org chose #184 which was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. So my goal is to read this book by the end of the month. If I recall, it's a pretty short book so I should be able to read and finish it.

MG/YA Review and Giveaway : The Magi

2011-12-01T00:44:00.000-08:00

Goodreads' Description : Thirteen-year-old Elijah Hawk has never heard of the Magi. He doesn't know about the secret power they have. He has never been to Savenridge, the Magi city hidden deep inside the northern forests. Most of all, Elijah is unaware of the dangers hunting him, in search for something he has. After one terrifying night, however, all of that changes!

My review : This book was so good! I wanted to read it all at once, but the baby wouldn't let me! The book centers on Elijah Hawk, a seemingly normal guy with a normal family. This all changes one night when his family is murdered. He escapes from the murderer and goes to live with his uncle. There he learns that he still isn't safe. His uncle goes missing and he is sent to a boarding school. While he thinks he is safe at the boarding school, he isn't happy, mostly because the headmaster and instructors are horrible to him. One of his teachers Master Roddick, helps he and his room mate escape from the horrible boarding school and get to Savenridge.

In Savenridge, Elijah finally starts to find some answers, about who his family is, where he comes from, who the Magi are, and why anyone would be out to hurt him. He also starts to make friends and has some pretty awesome adventures. He learns that there are people who are able to harness the elements of air, fire, water, and earth to create magic.

This story has everything in it, magic, evil henchmen, wizards (called Magi), and elemental powers. To me it was a sort of cross between Avatar (the airbender, not the blue people) and Harry Potter. The only problem I really had with the book was the way the characters interacted with each other. Maybe it's because I'm now old (only 27!) but the way the teenagers spoke to each other just didn't ring true for me. They were extremely polite, even when they were mad or upset. Other than that, great book. I'd definitely recommend this to any fans of middle grade and young adult books.

I rated this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you Kevin for letting me read your first book, I look forward to the next.

Would you like to win a e-book copy of The Magi? Just leave a comment below with which element (air, water, fire, earth) you think that you would be in control of if you were a Magi.

December RAK

2011-11-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

It's time to sign up for the December RAK. All you have to do is sign up, send someone a book, and hopefully get one in return. This is more about giving than receiving, but if everyone gives, everyone should end up with a book!

My wishlist is in the left column of the blog. I'm more than happy to accept used books and ARCs (so long as that's legal). If you'd like to participate and send me a book, just sign up and then email me to get my address.

November Random Act of Kindness

2011-11-30T01:54:00.000-08:00

This month I actually received a book, wahoo!! I honestly can't remember who I sent one to. If it was you, let me know!

I received Crossed from Maria at To Read Perchance To Dream. Thank you Maria! I just finished it so I'm going to send it out to her soon.

If you would like to participate, go to booksoulmates.blogspot.com to sign up.

2nd Annual Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books!

2011-11-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

I win, you win, they win!

This is my entry into the Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books. If I win, I get $500 worth of books, one person who comments on this post wins $500 worth of books, and the charity of my choice will receive $500 worth of books. That's a lot of books!

The charity I choose is World Vision. I am a huge fan of their work. I currently sponsor a child in India named Daniel. The best thing about donating to them is that you know exactly where it goes. You can donate $100 and know that you are giving one family a goat and two chickens. You can donate $18 and know you are giving a family three ducks. It's just a great feeling to know exactly how you are helping.

So if you would like to get an entry into this contest, just leave a comment below. You'll win the same set of books that I win. So I hope you like my choices!

For CJ:

For Craig and I:

Phew! That took a long time. I wanted to get every single one of their books. They have an amazing selection.

So again, to enter you can 1. just leave a comment below, and/or 2. do your own post (rules here). Good luck!

One Stop Christmas Blog Hop

2011-11-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my stop for the One-Stop Christmas Blog Hop! I will be giving away one of the Barefoot Book story collections. They can be found here. They included The Barefoot Book of Pirates, Knights, Princesses, Ballet Stories, Mother and Daughter Tales, etc. All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know which book you'd choose if you won and then fill out the rafflecopter form! The only mandatory entry is the comment, but you must use the rafflecopter form after you leave that comment. Pretty simple I think. For all the other giveaways, check out the linky below!

Silent Sunday

2011-11-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

Day 13 - Your Favorite Writer

2011-11-26T10:56:00.000-08:00

Usually on Saturdays, I participate in TBR Tuesday. I'm behind in my book reviews, so I'm going to be skipping TBR Tuesday until January. Sorry guys!

For my 30 day book challenge, the topic is my favorite writer. I don't think I have any one favorite author. I used to be obsessed with Alexandre Dumas, but I think I'm better now. I love Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Mark, Twain, etc, but I don't know if I'd say that one of them is my favorite. For a while, my favorite contemporary author was Phillipa Gregory. I devoured everything that she wrote as soon as it came out. I still read her books, just not as voraciously. I think currently my favorite author would be Michelle Moran. As soon as I read her book Cleopatra's Daughter, I went out and got the rest of them : Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, and Madame Tussaud. She has the same ability as Phillipa Gregory to put you back in time with the characters. I've also been getting a little fangirl regarding Neil Gaiman lately. I'm also a huge Stephen King fan. I'd probably faint if I ever met him. Anywho, so there's my answer. All of them basically!

The end of Google Friend Connect

2011-11-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

So apparently google is getting rid of google friend connect. To continue to follow my blog (please), just click "subscribe to my blog" in the top left, or just click below. Thanks!

Subscribe in a reader

Thanksgiving Angst

2011-11-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

I've been struggling a little bit lately with the thought of Thanksgiving. I love the idea of a holiday where family gathers and gives thanks for all that they have. What I don't love is the rest of the propaganda surrounding Thanksgiving.

I grew up in Massachusetts, where all this peace, love, and thanksgiving supposedly happened. In school, we were taught this great story about how the pilgrims and the indians gathered together and had a wonderful meal together. As a kid, I ate this up. What a lovely story. People of different backgrounds joining together in harmony?! What could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing, except that the story is complete bullshit.

Now I don't claim to be a historian, and I don't really want this blog to get all political. I've genuinely been struggling whether I wanted to touch on this at all. But after reading Simon Moya-Smith's blog post today about homeless natives in Denver, I knew I had to post something.

So let's think about this. How many truly Native people do you know? Probably none right? Like I said, I grew up in New England, in Massachusetts, a state named after the Massachusett tribe. I do not know a single Native person. Oh I know plenty of white people who claim some sort of "indian" ancestors (my own family members included), but I don't know any true Native people. So obviously that great coming together of different groups didn't really work out for them.

While the facts of where Thanksgiving truly came from are hard to find nowadays, the general thought is that Thanksgiving was officially declared by Governor William Bradford after the Pequot massacre 0f approximately 600 indians living near the Mystic River in 1637. He wrote "A day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children." It was signed into law that, "This day forth shall be a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots.". For more of this story, please read this article. This is not mentioned in the history books because the victor always writes the history.

In 1970, Plymouth celebrated the 350th anniversary of the "founding" of Plimouth Plantation. They invited Frank James, a Wampanoag indian to give a speech during the festivities. Before the speech was to take place, the people holding the celebration asked to read a copy of his speech. After reading it, he was told he was not allowed to give that speech and that one of their people would write one for him. He refused. His speech is available here. Please read it.

I'm not saying that I don't want you all to celebrate your Thanksgiving your way. I would just like to hope that tomorrow, you'll take just a second to reflect on the truth of what really happened and what is still happening to the real founding fathers. I ask you to please read this article by Simon Moya-Smith I Am Not A Mascot: Homeless Jimmy, Burger King and Lakota Corner to get just a little perspective on where many Natives find themselves today.

As for me, I will be raising my son to celebrate thanksgiving-the act of being thankful for the things that we have that others may not. When he's older and in school, he will not be participating in any sort of Thanksgiving plays that depict the accepted (and untrue) version of Thanksgiving. I will be teach him the true facts behind Thanksgiving, and I will teach him not to take everything he learns as fact. I will raise a son who takes what he's taught and then finds the truth for himself.

I apologize that this blog post is very different from my usual happy-g0-lucky posts, but I find that I have a hard time being happy-go-lucky in regards to Thanksgiving.

For more information regarding the myth of Thanksgiving, please check out these sites:

http://brokenmystic.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/the-truth-about-thanksgiving-brainwashing-of-the-american-history-textbook/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-schiffman/the-thanksgiving-truth_b_1105181.html

Jon Stewart Preaches

2011-11-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jon Stewart for taking the words right out of my mouth.

“And just like with the Catholic Church, no one is trying to take away your religion, in this case, football. They’re just trying to bring some accountability to a “Pope” and some of his “Cardinals” who fucked up. So don’t worry, on Saturday, you’ll still get to go to ‘services’ against Nebraska. No one’s going to take that away. Because, obviously, you’re young. And that would be a traumatic experience. And we wouldn’t want that memory to scar you for life.”

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

Check out http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/

Top Ten Authors I'd Like to Have Over for Thanksgiving Dinner

Mark Twain - By all accounts, he was a great conversationalist. I think he'd be the life of the party.
Alexandre Dumas - I'd also need a translator. His books were a huge part of my childhood.
Michelle Moran - She's really into history so we could geek out about all kinds of historical characters.
Stephanie Dray - She and Michelle could compare their opinions on Cleopatra Selene.
Phillipa Gregory - We could talk about Anne Boleyn for hours.
Anthony Bourdain - Someone has to make the turkey and amuse the husband.
Dr. Seuss - He can play with CJ and teach him rhymes.
Neil Gaiman - We can geek out over Doctor Who.
JK Rowling - I mean really.
Charles Dickens - Hopefully we could get him to smile. I feel like he probably didn't smile much when he was alive.
Stephen King - I can't believe I left him off. He's pretty much my favorite contemporary author, plus he's only a few hours away up in Maine, so he could come too.