A Lesson In Appreciation

A few weeks ago we celebrated Labor Day. Well, if you are a coupon gal like me you know there were NO new coupons in the Sunday paper. I follow Grocery Game and on those weeks the list is lean if there is a shopping list at all.  

This time I decided to just let things go. We had been having a rash of not quite finishing things due to what were dubbed 'better choices' by the kiddos so I thought if they didn't have the choice they could just eat what we had. 

Let the whining commence. You should have heard these kids. "Mom, WHY aren't there any (pretzels, yogurt, fruits, milk, cheese sticks, lunchables, cookies). WHY don't you go to the store?" The next day- "You DIDN'T go to the store!" It was escalating now to outrage. It's not like there was NOTHING to eat mind you. Just no first, second or possibly third choices. We finally broke open that half box of graham crackers and finished off those nilla wafers. We even dug up some old candy from various birthday party pinatas. I thought it was fun. Clearly I was alone! The picture above is what the fridge looked like the day I finally went shopping a week later :) 

Ever try this at your house? Would you? 

I Can Paint!

Here is the project update I promised you previously. This is another Pinterest inspiration post. Let me begin by saying that Eric chose the tile in this bathroom when we built the house. It has been plaguing me from that day forward.....until NOW! You see, it is one of those patterns that has various tiles in the set. There are basically four different tiles, each with a different color (a slate, a goldish, a pinkish, a gray). Do you KNOW what it has been like to try to choose a wall color or a towel color to go with these?? 

It's the darn undertones...nothing I liked looked good. Here is what would happen. I would pick a color I thought was clearly a neutral brown or gray at the store. I would get home and it would be totally green? or pink? or peach? I'm telling you; it's the darn undertones. I take no leave of them, I send no compliments to their mothers! (Sorry, I had a Pride and Prejudice moment there)

I just lived with nice builder white for several years. Then one day I couldn't take it. I just grabbed the color we had the most of in the house, a peachy beige from the living room and had at it (that's the top/before picture). It was a change. I don't know if it was ever an improvement. It was just something else to look at. Have you ever just NOT been able to look at builder white a moment longer? Well, I knew the color was still wrong but I didn't know how to fix it. 

Then one day I was standing in the shower when I noticed that whatever random body wash mesh sponge thingy (I'm sure that's the technical name) I had was looking REAL nice with the tile. I let some time pass but each time I took a shower I thought 'I think this might make a good wall color in here'. Then my mesh sponge thingy and I took a trip to Home Depot. (BTW, don't you LOVE those new HUGE color cards they have now, like the size of 4x6 photos?? They really help). The winner was Mid Day Mocha from Glidden. It is a gray with purple undertones (purple, it was a purple undertone I needed. Ah HA! Gonna beat you now demon tile!)

Then I had to wait....wait....wait for the Labor Day rebate sale (you DO know that most major holidays you can get a $5 rebate on your gallon paint purchase at the old HD, right?) Now, the hard part. I have never painted a room. I mean, I HAVE helped. I have cut in or moved drop cloths or ya know, directed (when I was pregnant) but Eric has always done the bulk of the work. This time he was occupied with one of his freelance jobs so it was all up to me. And I am happy to say two things: 

1) I can paint a room! 

2) I LOVE the color (and Eric does too). 

This makes me happy! Have you painted anything recently? What is your process? 

Scenting Out a New Author

This is a new author for me. I actually got this book recommendation from a fellow blogger. I just wish I could remember who! 

So, when it came in at the library I was a little nervous. For some reason I thought this author was gonna go all Nicholas Sparks on me. But, once I started it, I found out I couldn't have been more wrong. I really enjoyed this medium weight easy read. (This is the book Tina Fey's Bossypants lost out to on the nightstand. I'm SORRY, I TRIED!!) I really enjoyed the opening scene. Young, fresh and a little sexy. From there, some excellent characters are introduced and the story unfolds in a series of flashbacks to the era of the crime. I won't spoil it for you. 

If I had to compare it to anyone I would say it reminded me of a vintage Mary Higgins Clark novel. Kind of a Mary Higgins lite version in the sense that it was about a young woman looking for the secrets to an event from her childhood. There is some romance, a mystery, and a great story about human interactions-- particularly in a small town. I highly recommend it and I would love to hear from you if you have read this author before as to what of hers to pick up next! 

Photo from here

Money Jars

I am trying NOT to get totally lost on Pinterest! Ya know? So, I have made up my mind to try something off my boards every week. I have another project that I will update you on soon. But, this was a quick one that I had really needed to do for awhile.

We just started giving the kids allowance and letting them handle their own birthday money. I was carrying all their money in little wallets in my purse but that meant that every penny they had (except their church quarters) got spent EVERY week.

We wanted them to do some saving up for things that cost more than a dollar. But, with me having it all with me at all times, it was hard to make them do the 'one week wait to make a big purchase' thing we were trying to implement. (I should note here that this would be a good thing for ME to implement too Hahahahahaha. We are trying to raise kids somewhere between the way Eric and I spend which is basically that he never does and I'm the impulse spender!)

So, you can see from the pic that I finally made them their little savings jars. Now they can see their savings and it's easy for them to open and count it which they LOVE to do. It's a nice alternative to a piggy bank because I can even stick a gift card in the wide mouth jar. I just used some stickers and some stamps/markers. The jars are left over and washed out from some salsa.

What are you actually DOING with your Pinterest?

That's a Wrap

You sit down to eat. You take a bite. You have two thoughts at once: 1) This is really good! and 2) I can make this at home!

This recently happened to me at Jason's Deli with the mediterranean wrap from their lite menu. (After I scraped off the olives...sorry, I know that took some of the mediterranean out of it for you but I do NOT like them. And, yes mom, I HAVE tried them!)

I am happy to say that I picked me up a cucumber at the store and made my first reconstruction attempt last weekend. It was Yum!

I know wraps aren't THAT complicated but here is what I did: plopped some roasted red pepper hummus on the tortilla, threw on some sliced cucumbers and red onion, lots of turkey (I would SO not have put hummus on my turkey sandwich before this), and some spinach (it's what I had already).

To make it more authentic you would put back in the tomatos (I forgot to buy one) and the black olives and use shredded lettuce.

Don't you LOVE when you pretty much already eat/like ingredients but suddenly they are put together in a new way? I like to try new things when I'm out to eat. How bout you??

Photo from here

This Book Lacks Nothing

Wow! A book that leaves you inspired, feeling like you want to do more for others, and doesn't let your poor husband get ANYthing done because you want to read him half the book out loud. That's what this book is!

I gotta admit that 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' in not a book I would have EVER been curious enough to pick up and turn over but man, oh man it's a great read. Let, me first say I despise non-fiction. I mean, if I want to get depressed I watch the news, if I want to be concerned I watch Frontline, and if I want to be inspired I watch Nova. Well folks, this is all that rolled into one. And, once again, I have the book club to thank.

A brilliant story told from the point of view of a researching writer, a daughter of the title character, and various researchers. It lays out the medical developmental of cells in culture over the last half century. You will be shocked, you will be awed, and you will be touched. But mostly you will not believe what has happened in medicine in just a handful of years and that ONE little fluke began it all.

I encourage you to pick this up even if it is WAY outside your usual genre. You will be a better person for it. And so will the world.

Photo from here

This Book Needed Help

Here it is, the exception to the rule. A movie that is WAY better than it's book.

I know, I know. I am pretty much in the minority here. Everyone LOVED the book, everyone READ the book, everyone told everyone they knew to read the book.

Sorry, I only finished it because it was assigned for my book club. Otherwise I would have stopped about half way. Where was the editor? Why did we have to read all that drama about Skeeter and her mom and boyfriend. Pointless I say. But, I know, YOU all LOVED it.

Well, for once I was happy to see a book turned into a movie. My first thought when I saw a preview was "Oh good. I'd LIKE the movie version!" And I was right!! I thought they made all the editing cuts that should have been done in the first place. 6 chapters down to one screaming match (THANKYOU!) and alot of pointless conversation implied by a few brief scenes (YEP).

**spoiler alert** I have to say my one objection was how they changed the story of Constantine (Skeeter's maid) and her daughter. My first clue was when they revealed some information in practically the first scene that in the book was saved till the end. Hmmm. But, then I saw why...they changed the whole story. Was the point not to make us hate the mother? This mystery was the whole motivation for Skeeter to begin the book from the point of view of the help. In my opinion, the story revealed in the movie was not a big enough payoff. I preferred the shock value of the story in the book.

Well, the bottom line here is that there is something for everyone. If you loved the book you will definately enjoy the movie. If you don't intend to read the book, then the movie is wonderful.

What did you think? Love to hear your thoughts!

Photo from here

Smokey Plot

Need an EASY read? Here is your author.

I have eaten up this series since my mom introduced it to me many years ago. I know summer is over but this definately belongs to the beach read / don't take it too seriously (how COULD you) cartagory. I would describe it as lighthearted, slightly mysterious, with some romance here and there.

The picture is of the latest book but the titles all go by number. So, the first in the series is 'One for the Money' and so forth. (I always get annoyed when I don't know which book is the first in the series!!)

A few notes:

1) There will be a movie based on the first book next year with Katherine Heigel as the lead. This will be interesting. Not who I would have cast. I was thinking more along the lines of Nancy Travis. Regardless, unless it TOTALLY bombs (according to rotten tomatoes) I will plan to see it.

2) This author has a TON of other books outside the sequentially titled Stephanie Plum novels but I have not enjoyed them so after 2 attempts I have written them off.

3) If you are embarassed by laughing out loud in public spaces then read these books in the privacy of your own home....don't say I didn't warn you!

4) There is some language. So, if that offends rather than entertains avoid these.

Happy Reading!

*On my nightstand: Bossypants finally came in....will begin soon, find out what all the hype is about!

Photo from here