Alright, in no particular order, here is a list of books I've read recently and LOVED....
Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels:
Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones....hmmmm, I adore this author. Love Howl's Moving Castle and the Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Brilliant.
The first Ranger's Apprentice book....soooooo great! This is the perfect book for boys around 11-14 years old. (and for nutty moms who love kids books!) I NEED to get the second one.
Dragon's Spear by Jessica Day George....love all three of her dragon books
Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt...woo-hoo! Lindsey did such a great great great job with her first published book. So proud of her!
The Season by...can't remember....loved it though. Great murder mystery/romance YA novel set in Victorian England. Handsome guys in fancy clothes and girls in beautiful ballgowns. Fun, right?
Frozen in Time....This book was such fun! Two kids get frozen cryogenically (sp??) in 1956 (or something like that) and then woken up in 2010 by their great-nephew and neice (I think that's how it was...). And they have A LOT of questions about what happened to them, what happened to their father and then how they deal with all the new technology is so great. Really fun. My 11 yo loved it, too.
Picture Books:
Robomom and Baby Brains
Stand Straight Ella Kate
Not a Box (this is one we've checked out before...but we love it so I figured I'd share)
Ladybug Girl
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy
If you get a chance, check them out!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Yay! Prizes!
So. I'm not so good at the watching what I eat thing. blech. It's so hard to get going! Therefore, I've made a deal with myself. For every 5 pounds I lose I get a prize.
Yay! Prizes! Huzzah!
Maybe, just maybe, I can trick myself into following the carrot.....and eating it. yum. (ptoowie!)
So, you may be wondering, "What is the wonderful prize Erin is going to reward herself with first?" Oh! I'm so glad you asked. You're such a kind and thoughtful friend, always wondering about my ever-so-exciting life. You're awesome.
Okay, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. I'm thinking my first prize in my FREEDOM FROM FLAB will be this....
So cute, right? I stumbled across Green Cotton's shop on Etsy last week and I LOVE her clothes! And they're so reasonably priced, as well. How could it not be instant love? Mmmmm, I love Etsy. So awesome. And I'm trying to get my own Etsy shop, Chickadee Tree, up and running again. So far there's just hats in there, but SOON there will be some totally super fantabulous upcycled purses. Woah. I probably just made you want to rush right on over and buy one. Too bad. Haven't gotten them made yet, my friend. But SOON I will. :)
Now I've just got to lose 5 pounds so I can order that lovely dress/top. I think it would look great with a white three quarters tee from downeast underneath and paired with some cute jeans....hmmmm, kind of a fall look.
I'm down 1 pound.
4 to go. Where's those carrots...
Yay! Prizes! Huzzah!
Maybe, just maybe, I can trick myself into following the carrot.....and eating it. yum. (ptoowie!)
So, you may be wondering, "What is the wonderful prize Erin is going to reward herself with first?" Oh! I'm so glad you asked. You're such a kind and thoughtful friend, always wondering about my ever-so-exciting life. You're awesome.
Okay, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. I'm thinking my first prize in my FREEDOM FROM FLAB will be this....
So cute, right? I stumbled across Green Cotton's shop on Etsy last week and I LOVE her clothes! And they're so reasonably priced, as well. How could it not be instant love? Mmmmm, I love Etsy. So awesome. And I'm trying to get my own Etsy shop, Chickadee Tree, up and running again. So far there's just hats in there, but SOON there will be some totally super fantabulous upcycled purses. Woah. I probably just made you want to rush right on over and buy one. Too bad. Haven't gotten them made yet, my friend. But SOON I will. :)
Now I've just got to lose 5 pounds so I can order that lovely dress/top. I think it would look great with a white three quarters tee from downeast underneath and paired with some cute jeans....hmmmm, kind of a fall look.
I'm down 1 pound.
4 to go. Where's those carrots...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Freedom From Flab
Wow.
What a super, fun, busy, crazy and just all around GREAT weekend. We blessed our wee Molly on Sunday and were so pleased and grateful that so much of our family came. Our parents and all of our siblings and their families were there except for my cute sister in law, Ninoska who was sick and my oldest brother, Fred G and his fam. They live up in Oregon. We are so blessed with such great families! I will get pictures off my camera soon and post more about this fun weekend.
Because, truly, this post is really about a different topic...
Fat.
To be a bit more specific...
MY fat.
And my plan to do something about it. (I could get really cheesy and talk about the fact that I AM DECLARING MY OWN INDEPENDANCE FROM MY FLAB....heh heh.)
My thinking is that maybe if I make a public announcement about my intention to get rid of the weight, I will think twice about picking up pizza or making a large batch of chocolate chip cookies or simply burying my face in a large piece of yummy cake with a side of cookies and cream ice cream? Hmmm, it's worth a shot. :)
Last year, before I got pregnant with Molly I lost a bunch of weight on the American Heart Association diet, which isn't really so much a diet as it is just a sensible way to eat food. There isn't any extreme craziness. Nothing is outlawed. Basically it tells you what real portions are and how much you can have at each meal. It worked really well for me. Now I just have to get back into the groove. And also find time to get my bum moving...maybe treadmill walking with Molly in her sling? Hmmm, not sure I'm quite that dedicated yet.
But I think posting about this will help . It will make me accountable. If anyone wants to join me on this, you're more than welcome. We could share emails about our great love of broccoli and carrots....about how we really don't like chocolate after all....and that running until we collapse feels GOOD.
It's worth a shot, right?
What a super, fun, busy, crazy and just all around GREAT weekend. We blessed our wee Molly on Sunday and were so pleased and grateful that so much of our family came. Our parents and all of our siblings and their families were there except for my cute sister in law, Ninoska who was sick and my oldest brother, Fred G and his fam. They live up in Oregon. We are so blessed with such great families! I will get pictures off my camera soon and post more about this fun weekend.
Because, truly, this post is really about a different topic...
Fat.
To be a bit more specific...
MY fat.
And my plan to do something about it. (I could get really cheesy and talk about the fact that I AM DECLARING MY OWN INDEPENDANCE FROM MY FLAB....heh heh.)
My thinking is that maybe if I make a public announcement about my intention to get rid of the weight, I will think twice about picking up pizza or making a large batch of chocolate chip cookies or simply burying my face in a large piece of yummy cake with a side of cookies and cream ice cream? Hmmm, it's worth a shot. :)
Last year, before I got pregnant with Molly I lost a bunch of weight on the American Heart Association diet, which isn't really so much a diet as it is just a sensible way to eat food. There isn't any extreme craziness. Nothing is outlawed. Basically it tells you what real portions are and how much you can have at each meal. It worked really well for me. Now I just have to get back into the groove. And also find time to get my bum moving...maybe treadmill walking with Molly in her sling? Hmmm, not sure I'm quite that dedicated yet.
But I think posting about this will help . It will make me accountable. If anyone wants to join me on this, you're more than welcome. We could share emails about our great love of broccoli and carrots....about how we really don't like chocolate after all....and that running until we collapse feels GOOD.
It's worth a shot, right?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
New Pics of My Girls
This is a bit of a repeat if you also read our craft blog, Cheap Cheap Chickadee, but here are some pics of my cute girls. My friend, Sundi sent me a link to some fun shirts sold on etsy. Matching Big Sis and Lil Sis shirts. Too cute, right? So, of course, I had to make some...
And while I was trying to get Zoe to smile and look good for the camera, I noticed our wee monkey was trying to do some smiling of her own...
I love that picture! Especially since she is sporting a Frohawk(...Fohawk?...whatever they're called).
Molly smiled for "real" for the first time last Saturday. I was holding her all swaddled up and Ryan said something about her being hot. Well, she smiled at that! Silly girl.
I sure do love those boys of mine. And I definitely wouldn't trade them for a house full of girls. But I am very very happy we had another girl!
And while I was trying to get Zoe to smile and look good for the camera, I noticed our wee monkey was trying to do some smiling of her own...
I love that picture! Especially since she is sporting a Frohawk(...Fohawk?...whatever they're called).
Molly smiled for "real" for the first time last Saturday. I was holding her all swaddled up and Ryan said something about her being hot. Well, she smiled at that! Silly girl.
I sure do love those boys of mine. And I definitely wouldn't trade them for a house full of girls. But I am very very happy we had another girl!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Focus
So, I've had a bit of an epiphany lately.
I don't want to go into detail, but one of our children can be a bit of a problem at times. A lot of times. With a few different issues.
And when he wants attention from those around him, I don't think he knows how to get good attention. Instead he tends to seek negative attention. And I realized something this week. Something that's made me sad...
We've been focusing on the wrong things. All the wrong things. We've been focusing on the things he does wrong. That's what we talk about (or...let's be honest...that's what we shout about...) And, ya know what? When you're focusing on all the negatives of a person you're not as sweet or loving with them as you would be if you were focusing on their positives. And, don't get me wrong, there are many many positives. He is a brilliant and wonderful boy. But I think I've lost sight of that a bit.
Also, I'm a firm believer in the idea that what you focus on is what you get more of.
So, for the last couple days, I've been focusing on all the good things. I've been trying harder to give this little one the attention he needs and to reach out to him more. I have to say that I was really struggling at times. I just wasn't sure how to handle him. But I feel so much happier now.
What do you focus on? And do you want more of it?
I don't want to go into detail, but one of our children can be a bit of a problem at times. A lot of times. With a few different issues.
And when he wants attention from those around him, I don't think he knows how to get good attention. Instead he tends to seek negative attention. And I realized something this week. Something that's made me sad...
We've been focusing on the wrong things. All the wrong things. We've been focusing on the things he does wrong. That's what we talk about (or...let's be honest...that's what we shout about...) And, ya know what? When you're focusing on all the negatives of a person you're not as sweet or loving with them as you would be if you were focusing on their positives. And, don't get me wrong, there are many many positives. He is a brilliant and wonderful boy. But I think I've lost sight of that a bit.
Also, I'm a firm believer in the idea that what you focus on is what you get more of.
So, for the last couple days, I've been focusing on all the good things. I've been trying harder to give this little one the attention he needs and to reach out to him more. I have to say that I was really struggling at times. I just wasn't sure how to handle him. But I feel so much happier now.
What do you focus on? And do you want more of it?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Doing the Robot
I signed Weston and Emmett up for a bunch of 4-H classes this summer. And I'm really happy they wanted to take the beginning sewing class. They had the class yesterday and they were absolutely thrilled with their projects...
And, yes, they are doing the Robot move. Goofy boys.
They got to make bookmarks and bean bags...
And then drawstring hankerchief bags...
I'm not sure what move they were doing here.
The class was only $6 each. Brilliant, right? Weston will be taking a babysitting and child care class in a couple of weeks. They're going to try out a Kid Chef class. Emmett is excited for a Books to Movie Class where they're going to read How to Eat Fried Worms, do some activities to do with it and then watch the movie (this is over three days) and that class was only $6, too AND they get the book. Weston is also going to take a rock class and a geocaching one. I'm hoping to get them into the next sewing class, too where they'll make pajama pants, a pillowcase and a service project.
Most of the activities are for kids over 8 but they do have Cloverbud activities once a month for 5-8 year olds. I signed Sam up for those for the next two months. They were only $3 each! Score! I love it when the kids get to try new things.
4-H is awesome!
And, yes, they are doing the Robot move. Goofy boys.
They got to make bookmarks and bean bags...
And then drawstring hankerchief bags...
I'm not sure what move they were doing here.
The class was only $6 each. Brilliant, right? Weston will be taking a babysitting and child care class in a couple of weeks. They're going to try out a Kid Chef class. Emmett is excited for a Books to Movie Class where they're going to read How to Eat Fried Worms, do some activities to do with it and then watch the movie (this is over three days) and that class was only $6, too AND they get the book. Weston is also going to take a rock class and a geocaching one. I'm hoping to get them into the next sewing class, too where they'll make pajama pants, a pillowcase and a service project.
Most of the activities are for kids over 8 but they do have Cloverbud activities once a month for 5-8 year olds. I signed Sam up for those for the next two months. They were only $3 each! Score! I love it when the kids get to try new things.
4-H is awesome!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cheap Cheap Chickadee *LINK FIXED!*
My cute friend, Sundi Pace asked if I wanted to start up a craft blog with her and I was all for it. It's still a bit of a work in progress, but we're having fun posting the fun crafts and such we're doing. I added pics and a link to a fun corduroy pleated purse I made and a link to a tie pattern. Also check out the fun flower tutorial Sundi put up....
Cheap Cheap Chickadee (luckily my sweet friend, Colleen pointed out that this link wasn't working...urgh. Now it should work...)
And sometime soon we'll be giving away some crafty swag.
So, make sure you check back often!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)