Bookworm: Me Before You and Before the Fall... (November 2016)

Me Before You  by Jojo Moyes

The hot streak continues. As someone who hates abandoning books, I dread titles that will slow up my reading flow. Me Before You certainly continued my trend of enjoyable reads. I saw the trailer for the film before I even knew about the book, and it piqued my curiosity. Still, I was afraid it would be too cheesy of a love story for me to completely engage. I regret ever doubting this book because I absolutely loved it. For those unfamiliar with the story, Me Before You centers around Lou, a Brit in her late twenties, who is trying to obtain work after the cafe she has long been employed by closes down. Lou lives with her parents, sister, nephew, and grandfather trying to function on a meager budget. Given the lack of appealing options at the unemployment agency, Lou takes a chance and finds a job attending to the needs of a wealthy, once vibrant, young professional, who, after a motorbike accident, is now a quadriplegic. This book made me laugh, broke my heart, and kept me turning pages from beginning to end. It made me ponder tough topics like physician assisted suicide and the limits of love without seeming preachy or definitive. The British vernacular may be distracting to some (I was well seasoned from the Bridget Jones series), but I honestly don’t think it’s strong enough to be a deal breaker. The characters were realistic, refreshing, and well developed. I can’t wait to see the movie.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

This popped up as a suggested read for me online. The blurb sounded interesting-- a passenger plane crashes off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Among those on the fight are a billionaire media mogul, a soon-to-be-indicted financier, a gorgeous flight attendant, and a suffering artist who paints disaster scenes. With this cast of characters, and an alternating point of view, how could this book not be interesting? Each chapter kept my attention, and I found the story to embody the disaster theme--I didn’t quite see the big picture, but I couldn’t look away. The pieces did fit together by the end, but I felt the ending to be a little anti-climactic. Still, I enjoyed the read. It is evident that Hawley is a good writer, another credit of his includes the television series Fargo, which I love. I’m not sure I’d recommend it for all. Don’t get me wrong; I think most would dig it, but it’s not one I’d push on somebody who asked me if I had read any good books lately.

DIY: Washcloth Bouquets

These are easy to make and awesome for a baby shower or visiting a new baby in the hospital/home. I made one from my son’s for my nephew’s baby shower.

Materials: 8-10 washcloths, a piece of scrapbook paper, tape, ribbon (optional), and tag (optional)

Directions: 

1. Take piece of scrapbook paper and roll into a cone. Secure cone with tape.
2. Usually washcloths come pre-rolled, but if they don’t, roll the washcloths and fill the cone.
3. Embellish with ribbon and a tag.

As usual, I took a crappy picture. Trust me, the final product was super cute. 

Things I'm Obsessed With... 11/26/16

Shakeology- I understand that many of your newsfeeds are currently blowing up with friends trying to peddle all kinds of products. This is in no way, shape, or form a solicitation for your to purchase Shakeology. I just want to share that it is something I am currently obsessed with. I’ve seen friends of mine walking around with the shakers for years now, but it wasn’t until my neighbor, Shannon, made me one that I really realized how great I felt. I had more energy, my junk food cravings were not as strong; yet, I was still skeptical as I tend to be a person who can be influenced by the placebo effect. Anyhow, the sample packets I purchased had run out, and I can honestly say, after a week of having daily shakes, it wasn’t until I did not have Shakeology that I really noticed how much it had affected me in a positive way. Despite how the Beachbody consultants break it down, it is still very costly ($5 per one serving packet if purchased ala carte), but I do make it a point to buy some whenever I have the cash because I truly did notice a change in my appetite, energy level, and overall mood.

Lularoe leggings- I know this post is probably starting to look like just another advertising ploy, but I swear I am simply posting about what I love, and I love Lularoe leggings. Believe the hype! They are truly buttery soft and oh so comfy. My favorite part, though, is all the fun patterns. And, despite their boldness, they pair really well with flip flops or boots and a solid colored tee or tunic. I’ve even worn mine under a dress. The cost is $25, and I know there are places you can get cheaper leggings, but I honestly believe you get what you pay for when it comes to Lularoe. I’m excited to branch out and try some of their other options, particularly the pencil skirt and possibly a shirt, although those still seem a bit expensive to me (roughly $35).

This Is Us- I’m only five episodes in, so I may be a little premature in labeling as an obsession, but this show is fantastic. I thought the trailers were intriguing, but it was word of mouth that got me watching. It’s difficult to summarize the basic premise without giving away any of the many twists, but This Is Us tells the story of seemingly unrelated people (all turning 36) whose connections are revealed. The characters are engaging, the plotline is fascinating, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Most of the TV I watch is trashy (I’ll own it), so I don’t tune in to many drama series, but I’m so so glad I started watching this one. I hope I don’t end up regretting this post if the rest of the season sucks, but I highly doubt it.

Bookworm: I Just Finished... Orphan Train, First Comes Love, and We're All Made of Molecules (Boom! September 2016)

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein

This was one of the eight books I intended to read this summer. In reality, I read one, but I’ve been getting in a better groove since school started.Orphan Train was a wonderful pick for my first read of the new (school) year. Orphan Train switched in POV between an abandoned teen on the brink of aging out of the foster system and an orphaned child of the 1920s who has been sent west on a train in the hopes of finding a kind family to adopt her. Each individual story was compelling, but the heartbreak of the orphan train (a real thing) and its after effects was especially heart wrenching. A community service sentence ultimately brings the two together in what felt like a really solid read. Is it in my top five? No, but Orphan Train is a book I would recommend for teens and adults.

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

Whenever I’m in a reading slump, Emily Giffin is bound to bust me out of it. Coming off a summer of far less reading than I expected, Orphan Train helped me pick up steam, and First Comes Love followed it up strong. Everyday relationships are always at the heart of Giffin’s novels, but this time she focused more acutely on the dynamic of a family broken by the loss of their “golden son” at the young age of 25. The book begins with an omniscient look at what all of the characters were feeling the night he perished, and then shifts back and forth between the perspectives of his two sisters. This was by no means a life changing read, but I felt totally satisfied with it from beginning to end, which doesn’t always happen for me lately. I’d recommend this book wholeheartedly, and I can’t wait to dive into my next one--a young adult novel.

We’re All Made of Molecules by Susan Nielsen

At one of last year’s faculty meetings, my coworker raved about this book. She had been having trouble getting into any story since her mother died a few months earlier, and she credited We’re All Made of Molecules with rejuvenating her love of reading. This novel swaps points of view between Stewart, a child prodigy who recently lost his mother to cancer, and Ashley, a self-centered popular girl whose mother is dating Stewart’s dad. Not only are Ashley and Stewart both coping with the end of their biological parents’ relationships, but they are also moving in together. This is an awesome book from start to finish. It deals with some tough topics (homophobia, divorce, death, sexual assault) in a completely appropriate manner that somehow still manages to be realistic and honest. Albeit young adult, I’d recommend this book to anyone.

Bookworm: I Just Finished... Twisted and Who Do You Love? (August 2016)

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

I almost didn’t write up a post for this book. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it was honestly one I grabbed off my classroom bookshelf to keep me entertained while my students completed their spring writing prompts. A couple of boys, who I know are reluctant readers, used Twisted for their book trailers, and it sounded pretty decent. It was definitely a young adult read, but I enjoyed it. Laurie Halse Anderson rarely disappoints in the plot department. Twisted is about a high schooler named Tyler who has gotten tired of being the unpopular kid. When he tries to gain attention via graffiti, he is forced to take accountability for his actions through community service. As Tyler tries to clean up his reputation, his journey is complicated by his dysfunctional family, his crush, Bethany, and her super-douche older brother, Chip. As mentioned before, it’s well-written and entertaining, if you don’t mind YA fiction.

Who Do You Love? By Jennifer Weiner

I’m just going to come right out with it. I really did not enjoy this book. It pains me to type this because Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of her work, even her short story collection. And, while I’ve had favorites (Good In Bed, Little Earthquakes, All Fall Down), there have been others that weren’t quite as memorable, but were still pretty darn good. I kept stalling out on this one. It wasn’t so much the plotline--there were definite moments throughout that caught my attention--but the sex scenes woven in and out felt super cheesy and distracted me from an otherwise sweet love story. I’ll leave it at that because I truly love this author and how she stands up against a literary double standard, but this one just didn’t work for me.

Mama Blacksheep... Parenting Fail Turned Win

All parents have them… Those moments when that nagging question creeps into the back of our minds--am I doing a good job? And, chances are, most of us are doing just fine by our kids. Yet, we still get the feeling when we’re less than perfect, and none of us are, that maybe we should be doing better.

The other day, my four year old, Chace, asked me if he could read me a story. I was curious since he doesn’t read how he was going to pull this off. When I asked him what book, he said I’m just going to tell you the story. He proceeded to tell me a pretty damn good version of “The Three Little Pigs.” I was proud of his ability to remember the entire plot, but I found myself wondering where he learned the tale. It wasn’t one we had read together. He told me his teacher, Judi, used to tell it to them. I then spiraled into a negative head space that went something like this….

I should be telling him more stories. We haven’t been reading as many books lately. Is he bored staying home with me all summer? What else does he know that I don’t know he knows? I should be a better mom. Am I not doing enough activities with them? Am I not teaching him like I should be? I mean, I’m a teacher by profession for Christ’s sake.

Chace then asked me if I knew any stories to tell him. So, I gave him a completely butchered version of “Little Red Riding Hood.,” which he totally loved. This helped shift my mindset from the negative self-talk. It’s hard to juggle all of the roles we play in life. And with our kids, it’s impossible to get it all right all the time. Instead of letting moments like this haunt me for the rest of the afternoon, thus exacerbating my feelings of ineptitude, I needed to think about how to take these gut check moments and turn them into parenting wins.

I remembered Chace talking about sock puppets at one point, so I thought it might be a fun multi-day or at least multi-step activity to make some sock puppets representing the characters in “The Three Little Pigs,” so we could act out the story. The sock puppet creation would be one project. Then we would need to build the three houses. Finally, we could bring the story to life through a puppet show.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that every time you feel guilty for checking your email and not completely tuning in to your child’s tenth performance of the “Hot Dog Dance,” or turning on one more show to give you time to flip the laundry or start dinner, you should need to prep and put on a full-scale puppet show performance (I’m a teacher who’s home for the summer). I’m just saying don’t let it ruin your mood.

You could miss making a really great memory by dwelling on your shortcomings.

Mama Blacksheep: Family Mini-Vacation 2016

We're off!!!

This year, during Dave’s week off from work, we took a mini-vacation to the White Mountains and Belfast, ME. After visiting Santa’s Village last summer with our neighbors and absolutely loving it, we decided to give Storyland a shot. My in-laws spend their summers on the Penobscot Bay in Belfast, Maine. Since Storyland is on the eastern side of the White Mountains, we figured we’d take a trip over there to spend some quality time with family after our time at the park.

I am a total prepper, compulsive almost, so it was necessary that I check the website a gazillion times prior to visiting. First, I just wanted to know the basics--hours, ticket cost, etc. I revisited several times to check out the park map and also read some blogs to get some tips from people who have already made the trip.

We left on a Thursday morning at around 7:30, and, with a pit stop, arrived at Storyland at around 10:00. We opted to not bring a stroller, knowing that if we all of a sudden decided we needed one, we could rent. We managed the day without and just carried around a backpack with diapers, wipes, PBJ fixins, and snacks.

I took some advice I read on the blogs and we headed to the left when we entered the park. It seemed like more people were going right, so we were able to hit the first several rides with very little crowdedness, even enjoying some time on the splash pad. Honestly, we didn’t wait very long all day. We hit up the left side of the park hard, enjoying lots of rides that both Chace and Andrew could experience.

We had a little snack when we got to the farm area with the ride-on tractors. We then hit a couple more rides before deciding to have lunch at the pavillion. While we did pack sandwich supplies and planned on purchasing drinks (too heavy in backpack) and maybe a small snack, we overdid it a little and bought some food as well.

As I expected, the boys did not have as much gusto after lunch as they did before. We rode the teacups and then tried the Polar Coaster, but that was a no-go (Andrew was an inch too short, and Chace got cold feet).

We ended our day at around 2 o’clock with a ride on the train. It was a great way to finish up, but I also kind of wished we had ridden the train first since it gives you a good overview of the park. While there were a few things on the right side we didn’t get to, I thought that four hours was pretty solid for a four year old and a two year old.

We spent that evening at the Storybook Inn. It was literally right next to Storyland, which was super convenient. After we settled in, we spent a little time at the indoor pool and then went to dinner at the Spaghetti Shed.

My grandmother's license plate used to say "BKIND," so I thought it very appropriate that we saw this sign at a restaurant serving her favorite food. 

We went to bed early and slept in, signs that we got our money’s worth at Storyland. We left for Belfast at about 10 am. The kids were cranky at first since they hadn’t worked out their morning energy, but both eventually fell asleep for part of the three hour ride.

The best part about our trip to Belfast was that it was a surprise for Dave’s parents. The anniversary of the passing of Dave’s brother was the next day, so they were very excited to have family close by for support. Dave’s sister Kristen and her family were also there, so the kids were able to spend some time with their cousins. We headed straight for their RV resort and said hello. Then, we let them get back to work and checked into our hotel (a mere 500 yards from my in laws’ place).

We had some lunch and let the kids play on the lawn. We also took a dip in the indoor pool. Dave and I even got to spend a blissful five kid-free minutes in the hot tub. We headed back over to the RV resort for happy hour. The kids played on the playground while Dave and I got to meet some of his parents’ friends. At around 7:30, Kristen and her family arrived, so the kids had a great time running around and taking rides on the golf cart. We had a nice campfire and some quality family time. It was a wonderful night.

The next morning was a little rough as Chace’s swimmer’s ear returned. We had initially planned to spend a good portion of the day in Belfast, but given the rain and Chace’s obvious discomfort, we headed for home at around 11:30.

Not quite as energetic on the ride home. :)

We arrived home at around 3:00, rested and exhausted all in one. Isn’t that the way when you vacation with kids?

DIY: How To Make Diaper Babies

I’ve made these a couple of times now. They add a cute bit of pizazz to a baby shower gift basket. Most recently, I made them for my friends, Katie and Tracy, who are expecting a daughter in July.

My original inspiration.

Materials (for 6)- 6 washcloths, 3 pairs socks or mittens, 6 newborn or size 1 diapers, 6 safety pins, hot glue gun (optional), 12 googly eyes (optional)

1. Roll the diaper like a burrito (or joint) the long way and place a sock or mitten around one end (non-gathered end is usually the best for not having any design on the babies’ faces).
2. Use a washcloth to swaddle the other end. Secure with a safety pin. How to swaddle:

3. Use a hot glue gun to add googly eyes. Or, draw on simple eyes with a black marker.
4. Use to dress up a gift basket.

DIY: How to paint a mason jar with a chalky, rustic finish.

I just love the look of painted mason jars, which I recently experimented with for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. They are fairly easy to pull off as well.

My inspiration. See link. 

The Link I Used As A Guide

Materials- paint brushes (bristle or foam; I used foam), chalkboard paint, finish paint, sandpaper

1. Start by covering the jar with a coat of chalkboard paint. This acts like a primer and also adds to the rustic look when the final product is distressed.

2. Turn the jar upside down and cover with thin, even coats of paint, allowing plenty of time to dry in between. Plan on about 3 coats of paint. Wait until the final coat is complete to paint the bottoms of the jars. This will allow you to use this surface area to rotate the jar.

3. When all coats of paint are completely dry, use sandpaper to rough up the finish to your desired level of rustic-ness. I used it to go over the lettering, which created a rustic-light look.
   
   
   
   
4. Embellish as desired.