What I'm Into - July 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
I won Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World in a giveaway this month, and it just arrived yesterday! I haven't started it yet, but it's about finding balance in 7 key areas of life (Fitness, Finance, Family, Field, Faith, Friends, and Fun. I always struggle with finding balance, and this is an international bestseller, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Can't Miss Television:
Well, it's the middle of summer so most of our viewing material is coming from the library or Netflix. But I was sad to hear today that Big Bang Theory has been postponed. So sad! The cast can't agree on their contracts, so although it's been renewed, they won't film anything until everyone is happy. Hoping they figure that all out in time for the season to start!

Movies I've Watched:
You can always tell when the TV seasons are over for the summer, because we default to a lot of movies. This month we've been using our inter-library loan program to borrow movies for free!

We watched 13 movies this week, so I'll just share a couple of them:

Butter - This is a political comedy about a butter carving contest. It's actually really funny!

The Watch - Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn take on an alien race who is trying to invade the earth, and fight them off....in a Costco. Lol! it's a funny plot line, but not for kids.

Zombieland - This movie is ridiculous and funny. Four people are the last people on earth after zombies have taken over. And they are trying to get to a theme park to pretend like it is the old, pre-zombie days. It's so cheesy. Lol!

Iron Man 3 - We love the superhero movies! We really need to figure out how to escape the house long enough to go see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Chips and Salsa: It's been a really long, really hard month for us. I always go back to my comfort food when that happens. I can eat chips and salsa all day, everyday, and be perfectly happy!

Happiness is:
The two dates I had with Sean in July! One was a lunch date while our kids were at our church's Respite Care for families of special needs kids. The other was a quick 45 minutes lunch yesterday when my mom came over to play with the kids for a bit. Love getting to go out with my hubby!

What I'm Looking Forward to in August:
Yep, just going to say it: I'm looking forward to preschool starting again. Those few hours are amazing for my sanity and the kids love it SO much! The kids talk about school every day even though we've been on summer break for awhile.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
I won Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World in a giveaway this month, and it just arrived yesterday! I haven't started it yet, but it's about finding balance in 7 key areas of life (Fitness, Finance, Family, Field, Faith, Friends, and Fun. I always struggle with finding balance, and this is an international bestseller, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Can't Miss Television:
Well, it's the middle of summer so most of our viewing material is coming from the library or Netflix. But I was sad to hear today that Big Bang Theory has been postponed. So sad! The cast can't agree on their contracts, so although it's been renewed, they won't film anything until everyone is happy. Hoping they figure that all out in time for the season to start!

Movies I've Watched:
You can always tell when the TV seasons are over for the summer, because we default to a lot of movies. This month we've been using our inter-library loan program to borrow movies for free!

We watched 13 movies this week, so I'll just share a couple of them:

Butter - This is a political comedy about a butter carving contest. It's actually really funny!

The Watch - Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn take on an alien race who is trying to invade the earth, and fight them off....in a Costco. Lol! it's a funny plot line, but not for kids.

Zombieland - This movie is ridiculous and funny. Four people are the last people on earth after zombies have taken over. And they are trying to get to a theme park to pretend like it is the old, pre-zombie days. It's so cheesy. Lol!

Iron Man 3 - We love the superhero movies! We really need to figure out how to escape the house long enough to go see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Chips and Salsa: It's been a really long, really hard month for us. I always go back to my comfort food when that happens. I can eat chips and salsa all day, everyday, and be perfectly happy!

Happiness is:
The two dates I had with Sean in July! One was a lunch date while our kids were at our church's Respite Care for families of special needs kids. The other was a quick 45 minutes lunch yesterday when my mom came over to play with the kids for a bit. Love getting to go out with my hubby!

What I'm Looking Forward to in August:
Yep, just going to say it: I'm looking forward to preschool starting again. Those few hours are amazing for my sanity and the kids love it SO much! The kids talk about school every day even though we've been on summer break for awhile.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - June 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
I'm still working on The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple by Dr. David Stewart. I think you should just assume that this book will be on the "What I'm Currently Reading" list for awhile. It's very interesting, but very long. I find myself taking breaks to read other things so that I don't get burned out. But I'd rather read it slowly and enjoy it rather than force myself through it and hate every moment.

I did manage to read (and finish!) another book this month though! I read Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern. It's a book about how to use essential oils with pregnancy, babies, and kids. It was an easy read and is a great reference book to have in my library. Not that I want the kids to get another ear infection, but if they do, I know what to do for it!

Can't Miss Television:
Under the Dome: So keep in mind that we are on a TV delay since we don't have cable. We caught the first episode of "Under the Dome" on CBS.com, but then we had to wait for the series to hit DVD. Our turn finally came up to borrow it from the library, so we watched the first season this month. If you haven't seen it, this giant dome comes down over a town and cuts them off from the outside. They are trying to figure out how to escape when even a military bomb won't budge it.

Movies I've Watched:
You can always tell when the TV seasons are over for the summer, because we default to a lot of movies. This month we've been using our inter-library loan program to borrow movies for free!

Young Adult - I don't know why Sean even bothered putting this one in our Netflix queue. It was worthless and completely pointless. Yep, not even going to recap it. It was that boring.

Silver Linings Playbook - It's a romantic comedy about two people with psychiatric issues who are trying to put their lives back together and find a reason to keep going. They work together on a dance for a competition, as they try to figure their issues out.

Gangster Squad: It's a gangster movie with Sean Penn, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling. I think that pretty much sums it up!

Back to the Future, Back to the Future II, Back to the Future III - I thought I'd just put these all in the same bullet point. This was my first time seeing these, so I felt like I was catching up on some pop culture. I can definitely see the appeal of these when they were released in the 80's. But I think watching them once is good enough for me.

The Help - This was a fantastic movie about the relationship between Caucasian and African American women during the 50's. It had some really emotional scenes, but I thought it probably portrayed the interactions well. And I would imagine that those interactions probably haven't completely disappeared.

The Zookeeper - I think Kevin James is funny, but is it just me, or does he play the same guy in every movie? Anyhow, this movie is about a zookeeper who can talk to animals, and the animals help him get the girl. It wasn't a bad movie, but it was forgettable. 

X-Men - This is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this movie. While the X-Men are not Sean's favorite superheroes (and I tend to defer to him on all superhero matters), he chose this movie, and I liked it as much as I have in the past! 

Yummy in My Tummy:
Salads: I've really been enjoying a lot of salads over the last month. Unfortunately, my salads are really boring. I could eat a salad from Chipotle every day and be happy (and very broke). I need to figure out some salad inspiration for my own kitchen, but I don't want anything to time consuming. Salads are supposed to come together quickly, right? Hmmm...any ideas for me?

Happiness is:
Extra time with my family coming up over the next few weeks! I like July!

What I'm Looking Forward to in July:
I don't know that "looking forward to it" is exactly right, but I'm hoping to start pricing stuff for the fall consignment sale over the next few weeks. I will definitely be happy come September if I actually get started now!

My annual stint in the Fireworks Tent that partners with Hillcrest Transitional Housing start tomorrow! It's a much anticipated "break" every summer. :)


I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
I'm still working on The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple by Dr. David Stewart. I think you should just assume that this book will be on the "What I'm Currently Reading" list for awhile. It's very interesting, but very long. I find myself taking breaks to read other things so that I don't get burned out. But I'd rather read it slowly and enjoy it rather than force myself through it and hate every moment.

I did manage to read (and finish!) another book this month though! I read Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern. It's a book about how to use essential oils with pregnancy, babies, and kids. It was an easy read and is a great reference book to have in my library. Not that I want the kids to get another ear infection, but if they do, I know what to do for it!

Can't Miss Television:
Under the Dome: So keep in mind that we are on a TV delay since we don't have cable. We caught the first episode of "Under the Dome" on CBS.com, but then we had to wait for the series to hit DVD. Our turn finally came up to borrow it from the library, so we watched the first season this month. If you haven't seen it, this giant dome comes down over a town and cuts them off from the outside. They are trying to figure out how to escape when even a military bomb won't budge it.

Movies I've Watched:
You can always tell when the TV seasons are over for the summer, because we default to a lot of movies. This month we've been using our inter-library loan program to borrow movies for free!

Young Adult - I don't know why Sean even bothered putting this one in our Netflix queue. It was worthless and completely pointless. Yep, not even going to recap it. It was that boring.

Silver Linings Playbook - It's a romantic comedy about two people with psychiatric issues who are trying to put their lives back together and find a reason to keep going. They work together on a dance for a competition, as they try to figure their issues out.

Gangster Squad: It's a gangster movie with Sean Penn, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling. I think that pretty much sums it up!

Back to the Future, Back to the Future II, Back to the Future III - I thought I'd just put these all in the same bullet point. This was my first time seeing these, so I felt like I was catching up on some pop culture. I can definitely see the appeal of these when they were released in the 80's. But I think watching them once is good enough for me.

The Help - This was a fantastic movie about the relationship between Caucasian and African American women during the 50's. It had some really emotional scenes, but I thought it probably portrayed the interactions well. And I would imagine that those interactions probably haven't completely disappeared.

The Zookeeper - I think Kevin James is funny, but is it just me, or does he play the same guy in every movie? Anyhow, this movie is about a zookeeper who can talk to animals, and the animals help him get the girl. It wasn't a bad movie, but it was forgettable. 

X-Men - This is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this movie. While the X-Men are not Sean's favorite superheroes (and I tend to defer to him on all superhero matters), he chose this movie, and I liked it as much as I have in the past! 

Yummy in My Tummy:
Salads: I've really been enjoying a lot of salads over the last month. Unfortunately, my salads are really boring. I could eat a salad from Chipotle every day and be happy (and very broke). I need to figure out some salad inspiration for my own kitchen, but I don't want anything to time consuming. Salads are supposed to come together quickly, right? Hmmm...any ideas for me?

Happiness is:
Extra time with my family coming up over the next few weeks! I like July!

What I'm Looking Forward to in July:
I don't know that "looking forward to it" is exactly right, but I'm hoping to start pricing stuff for the fall consignment sale over the next few weeks. I will definitely be happy come September if I actually get started now!

My annual stint in the Fireworks Tent that partners with Hillcrest Transitional Housing start tomorrow! It's a much anticipated "break" every summer. :)


I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - May 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
It looks like it will be awhile before I read another fiction book. I seem to constantly be distracted by researching various topics and reading parts of books or articles that relate to them. Right now, I'm reading a book called, The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple by Dr. David Stewart. I ordered it because our library didn't have it, and was VERY surprised when it showed up with 700+ pages. Ooooohhh goodness. Not quite what I expected. It's a chemistry book, and I'm not a science-y person to begin with, but it's actually pretty interesting! Not sure if I'm going to actually finish the whole thing, (I mean, c'mon. I have 3-year-old quads vying for my attention) but for now, I am enjoying it.

Can't Miss Television:
The Killing: It's taken me awhile to decide if I like this show. We are watching it on Netflix right now, and I've finally decided that it's really good! It's about two detectives that solve murder cases. The big difference between this show, and a show like CSI, is that this show does one murder case per season. They also (at least for the first season) cover one day of the investigation in each episode. It's really an interesting take on it! And I think Season 2 is actually better than Season 1.

Movies I've Watched:
We watched a whole slew of movies this month. More than usual! It's a sure sign that summer is coming as TV seasons start wrapping up and we look for other things to watch.

The Way Way Back: It's about a kid who spends his summer working in a water park. Steve Carell plays his mom's boyfriend. It's a very non-comedic role for him which always throws me a bit. I can't watch anything with him in it without seeing Michael Scott, you know what I mean?

The Producers: The new version with Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Uma Thurman. I'd seen it before, but Sean hadn't, so we watched it a couple of weeks ago. It's a pretty funny musical even for those who aren't inclined toward that type of movie.

The Blues Brothers: Confession: I'd never seen this movie before, and Sean felt that that needed to be corrected. I had someone ask me today what I thought of it. Uh...it's okay. I guess I don't quite understand why everyone loves it so much. Maybe I need to watch it again?

Lost in Translation: Yep. This movie was as weird as I heard it was.

Regarding Henry: Harrison Ford starred in this movie, and I really liked it! It's about a hotshot lawyer who gets shot in the head and can't remember his family, how to talk, or walk, or really anything. It's about his recovery and his family adapting to the new him. I'd definitely recommend this one!

Yummy in My Tummy:
This month, I *have* to go with homemade fried chicken! Just tonight, I ate some for the first time and learned how to cook it myself. Oh. My. Gosh. It was one of THE most delicious things I've ever eaten! If you've never had homemade fried chicken, it runs circles around anything that you can get in a restaurant or store.

Happiness is:
Hearing my kids talk. I know it's such a small thing, but (almost) every time they say something, I'm reminded again of how gracious our God is and how far they have come. I say (almost) because sometimes, when "Mommy" is repeated over and over and over and over and over and over again, that does drive me a little crazy. Oh well. I'll take it to hear their little voices.

Caleb's kisses are another thing that makes me undeniably happy! He just started giving me kisses about a month or so ago. I waited more than three years for him to get to that point, and I just melt when he comes over to kiss me.

What I'm Looking Forward to in June:
Our Summer Bucket List will be kicking back into high gear! New adventures await us!

My annual stint in the Fireworks Tent that partners with Hillcrest Transitional Housing will start the last few days of this month as well. I always look forward to that week!

A haircut. Yep, it's making the list. I haven't had a haircut or highlights since before Christmas. I think it's high time that I text my hair stylist and get something set up. My hair is the longest it's been in years, and definitely the grayest it's ever been as well. Something about a haircut and highlights always makes me feel more like a woman. :)

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I'm Reading:
It looks like it will be awhile before I read another fiction book. I seem to constantly be distracted by researching various topics and reading parts of books or articles that relate to them. Right now, I'm reading a book called, The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple by Dr. David Stewart. I ordered it because our library didn't have it, and was VERY surprised when it showed up with 700+ pages. Ooooohhh goodness. Not quite what I expected. It's a chemistry book, and I'm not a science-y person to begin with, but it's actually pretty interesting! Not sure if I'm going to actually finish the whole thing, (I mean, c'mon. I have 3-year-old quads vying for my attention) but for now, I am enjoying it.

Can't Miss Television:
The Killing: It's taken me awhile to decide if I like this show. We are watching it on Netflix right now, and I've finally decided that it's really good! It's about two detectives that solve murder cases. The big difference between this show, and a show like CSI, is that this show does one murder case per season. They also (at least for the first season) cover one day of the investigation in each episode. It's really an interesting take on it! And I think Season 2 is actually better than Season 1.

Movies I've Watched:
We watched a whole slew of movies this month. More than usual! It's a sure sign that summer is coming as TV seasons start wrapping up and we look for other things to watch.

The Way Way Back: It's about a kid who spends his summer working in a water park. Steve Carell plays his mom's boyfriend. It's a very non-comedic role for him which always throws me a bit. I can't watch anything with him in it without seeing Michael Scott, you know what I mean?

The Producers: The new version with Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Uma Thurman. I'd seen it before, but Sean hadn't, so we watched it a couple of weeks ago. It's a pretty funny musical even for those who aren't inclined toward that type of movie.

The Blues Brothers: Confession: I'd never seen this movie before, and Sean felt that that needed to be corrected. I had someone ask me today what I thought of it. Uh...it's okay. I guess I don't quite understand why everyone loves it so much. Maybe I need to watch it again?

Lost in Translation: Yep. This movie was as weird as I heard it was.

Regarding Henry: Harrison Ford starred in this movie, and I really liked it! It's about a hotshot lawyer who gets shot in the head and can't remember his family, how to talk, or walk, or really anything. It's about his recovery and his family adapting to the new him. I'd definitely recommend this one!

Yummy in My Tummy:
This month, I *have* to go with homemade fried chicken! Just tonight, I ate some for the first time and learned how to cook it myself. Oh. My. Gosh. It was one of THE most delicious things I've ever eaten! If you've never had homemade fried chicken, it runs circles around anything that you can get in a restaurant or store.

Happiness is:
Hearing my kids talk. I know it's such a small thing, but (almost) every time they say something, I'm reminded again of how gracious our God is and how far they have come. I say (almost) because sometimes, when "Mommy" is repeated over and over and over and over and over and over again, that does drive me a little crazy. Oh well. I'll take it to hear their little voices.

Caleb's kisses are another thing that makes me undeniably happy! He just started giving me kisses about a month or so ago. I waited more than three years for him to get to that point, and I just melt when he comes over to kiss me.

What I'm Looking Forward to in June:
Our Summer Bucket List will be kicking back into high gear! New adventures await us!

My annual stint in the Fireworks Tent that partners with Hillcrest Transitional Housing will start the last few days of this month as well. I always look forward to that week!

A haircut. Yep, it's making the list. I haven't had a haircut or highlights since before Christmas. I think it's high time that I text my hair stylist and get something set up. My hair is the longest it's been in years, and definitely the grayest it's ever been as well. Something about a haircut and highlights always makes me feel more like a woman. :)

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh. 
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - April 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
It's another month of reading bits and pieces of a bunch of different books and articles. I spent most of the month of April really ill, so it was easier on me to just read whatever caught my fancy instead of trying to crank through a bunch of books. To everything there is a season...

I am craving a food magazine subscription though. I love reading recipes!

Books in the Queue:
The Metabolism Miracle by Diane Kress: I started reading this one on a "get healthy" whim this month. I've read through the sections on how metabolism work and the 8 week, phase 1 detox. It's an easy read that really makes a lot of sense. I've started shifting my eating...but can I really do 8 weeks of a super low carb diet? My other quad mom friends who have done it say that they have a TON of energy on it. And then after 8 weeks, they start to add the carbs back in. But I just don't know how I'm going to make it that long without nice, big, doughy pieces of pizza....

The Driftwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: It is a fiction book about a family that goes to Africa as missionaries. It was recommended to me by some ex-ATI friends. I only managed to get 30 pages into it before I had to return it to the library. I need to check it out again.

Can't Miss Television:
Scandal: Oh my goodness. This show is so INTENSE! We just watched the season finale last night on Hulu, and the writers have managed to make every episode better than the last. I can't wait for the next season! (Note: If you aren't familiar with Scandal, it's about scandals in and around the White House. It contains adult material, so it's not a "sit down with the family" sort of show.)

Movies I've Watched:
The Shining: I *finally* decided to buck up and watch this classic horror film. I figured that since it's lighter outside, later into the evening, it would work better to watch it in April instead of in October. I kept thinking it would be scary, but I found it more just a bit suspenseful. Maybe it's because I was blogging at the same time, but it didn't really creep me out. Having it filmed several decades ago probably helped as well. I get scared SO easily though, so I'll probably skip any modern day horror films.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Well, right now anything with carbs is sounding pretty amazing. That may or may not have to do with having read The Metabolism Miracle. I really love baked goods, and could sure use a piece of chocolate cake or a doughnut right about now. A doughnut. Yes, definitely a Maple Cake Doughnut with Peanuts. Those are definitely my first choice of guilty pleasure!

Happiness is:
Doughnuts!

And being well. I've spent far too much time sniffling into tissue this month. Having bronchitis twice in the last four weeks has totally worn me out. There is something really happy about getting to breath through my nose and not cough all night long.

So doughnuts and no bronchitis. Yep! Even better if I can have both at the same time. That is definitely happiness!

What I'm Looking Forward to in May:
I have high hopes that I can finish my physical therapy in May. I'm not sure if I will be released that quickly, but here's hoping! I think my leg will be good to go by then. I'm hoping my back and hips cooperate as well!

Sean and I are celebrating his March birthday by seeing Needtobreathe in May! I'm not overly familiar with their music, but it means a date night for us! Plus, Sean has wanted to see them in concert for years, so I'm excited that it's finally going to happen!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
It's another month of reading bits and pieces of a bunch of different books and articles. I spent most of the month of April really ill, so it was easier on me to just read whatever caught my fancy instead of trying to crank through a bunch of books. To everything there is a season...

I am craving a food magazine subscription though. I love reading recipes!

Books in the Queue:
The Metabolism Miracle by Diane Kress: I started reading this one on a "get healthy" whim this month. I've read through the sections on how metabolism work and the 8 week, phase 1 detox. It's an easy read that really makes a lot of sense. I've started shifting my eating...but can I really do 8 weeks of a super low carb diet? My other quad mom friends who have done it say that they have a TON of energy on it. And then after 8 weeks, they start to add the carbs back in. But I just don't know how I'm going to make it that long without nice, big, doughy pieces of pizza....

The Driftwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: It is a fiction book about a family that goes to Africa as missionaries. It was recommended to me by some ex-ATI friends. I only managed to get 30 pages into it before I had to return it to the library. I need to check it out again.

Can't Miss Television:
Scandal: Oh my goodness. This show is so INTENSE! We just watched the season finale last night on Hulu, and the writers have managed to make every episode better than the last. I can't wait for the next season! (Note: If you aren't familiar with Scandal, it's about scandals in and around the White House. It contains adult material, so it's not a "sit down with the family" sort of show.)

Movies I've Watched:
The Shining: I *finally* decided to buck up and watch this classic horror film. I figured that since it's lighter outside, later into the evening, it would work better to watch it in April instead of in October. I kept thinking it would be scary, but I found it more just a bit suspenseful. Maybe it's because I was blogging at the same time, but it didn't really creep me out. Having it filmed several decades ago probably helped as well. I get scared SO easily though, so I'll probably skip any modern day horror films.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Well, right now anything with carbs is sounding pretty amazing. That may or may not have to do with having read The Metabolism Miracle. I really love baked goods, and could sure use a piece of chocolate cake or a doughnut right about now. A doughnut. Yes, definitely a Maple Cake Doughnut with Peanuts. Those are definitely my first choice of guilty pleasure!

Happiness is:
Doughnuts!

And being well. I've spent far too much time sniffling into tissue this month. Having bronchitis twice in the last four weeks has totally worn me out. There is something really happy about getting to breath through my nose and not cough all night long.

So doughnuts and no bronchitis. Yep! Even better if I can have both at the same time. That is definitely happiness!

What I'm Looking Forward to in May:
I have high hopes that I can finish my physical therapy in May. I'm not sure if I will be released that quickly, but here's hoping! I think my leg will be good to go by then. I'm hoping my back and hips cooperate as well!

Sean and I are celebrating his March birthday by seeing Needtobreathe in May! I'm not overly familiar with their music, but it means a date night for us! Plus, Sean has wanted to see them in concert for years, so I'm excited that it's finally going to happen!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - March 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum about marriage and relationships. I think I read somewhere that she is the one of the top bloggers in Canada...for good reason! I appreciate her lighthearted, yet very helpful approach to living and loving with your mate. Okay, so about this book: I liked it. There was a lot of helpful, practical info in it, and she spent a good chunk of the book talking about nurturing the relationship as the basis for having a great time between the sheets. That's something that is often overlooked in society today! And of course, there was between the sheets tips too. While I didn't agree with everything she said, I did appreciate that she clearly differentiated between what the Bible says and her own personal opinions.

Books in the Queue:
I think I need something in the fiction genre next. Hmm...I'll go look through my GoodReads suggestions, but I'd love to hear your suggestions as well! Leave a comment with a book title/author and maybe a brief idea of what it is about. Maybe one of your suggestions will catch my fancy.

Can't Miss Television:
Bates Motel: Sean read a list of the top 10 shows on Netflix, and this one was on it. We decided to give it a try. Have you seen Psycho? Bates Motel is about the Norman Bates' childhood and what drove him to kill Marion Crane in the shower in the classic horror film. It's actually a really fascinating show, but also extremely dark. We are only three episodes into it, but it's obvious that there is no happy ending here. But it's still really intriguing...

Music I've Listened to:
KLOVE: I'm finding a happy rhythm for my car time. My mornings normally consist of driving the kids' to school while listening to KLOVE. We listen to VeggieTales while waiting in the drop off line. And then I drive in silence back home or to whatever appointments I have. It's working pretty well!

Movies I've Watched:
Amityville Horror: So this movie was on Netflix (like most of our movies) and was getting ready to expire. Sean had seen it as a kid and said it wasn't scary, so even though I'm easily scared, I decided to give it a try. Sure enough. It isn't scary. A cheesy 80's movie, yes. A scary movie, no.

Yummy in My Tummy:
All I can think about is our first meal of the season off of the grill that we had tonight. Grilled chicken! Mmm...I love the flavor of anything grilled over charcoal. Also, roasted asparagus. So, so good! Asparagus is only in season for a short time, so we try to eat as much of it as possible during that time. So yummy!

Happiness is:
Warmer weather! Spring is here, and that means that my least favorite season is finally over. You can take the girl out of New Mexico, but you can't take New Mexico out of the girl.

What I'm Looking Forward to in April:
I'm excited to go to a blogging conference next week! It's great for networking and learning new skills. It's going to be awesome!

I'm also spending a lot of time trying to get my back and hips back in shape. My quadruplet pregnancy pretty much totaled my body, and I haven't had time to go back and work on repairing them. Now that the kids are in preschool, I'm spending A LOT of time at the chiropractor and in physical therapy. I'm hoping to be much improved by the end of April...or at least not look like I need a walker.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum about marriage and relationships. I think I read somewhere that she is the one of the top bloggers in Canada...for good reason! I appreciate her lighthearted, yet very helpful approach to living and loving with your mate. Okay, so about this book: I liked it. There was a lot of helpful, practical info in it, and she spent a good chunk of the book talking about nurturing the relationship as the basis for having a great time between the sheets. That's something that is often overlooked in society today! And of course, there was between the sheets tips too. While I didn't agree with everything she said, I did appreciate that she clearly differentiated between what the Bible says and her own personal opinions.

Books in the Queue:
I think I need something in the fiction genre next. Hmm...I'll go look through my GoodReads suggestions, but I'd love to hear your suggestions as well! Leave a comment with a book title/author and maybe a brief idea of what it is about. Maybe one of your suggestions will catch my fancy.

Can't Miss Television:
Bates Motel: Sean read a list of the top 10 shows on Netflix, and this one was on it. We decided to give it a try. Have you seen Psycho? Bates Motel is about the Norman Bates' childhood and what drove him to kill Marion Crane in the shower in the classic horror film. It's actually a really fascinating show, but also extremely dark. We are only three episodes into it, but it's obvious that there is no happy ending here. But it's still really intriguing...

Music I've Listened to:
KLOVE: I'm finding a happy rhythm for my car time. My mornings normally consist of driving the kids' to school while listening to KLOVE. We listen to VeggieTales while waiting in the drop off line. And then I drive in silence back home or to whatever appointments I have. It's working pretty well!

Movies I've Watched:
Amityville Horror: So this movie was on Netflix (like most of our movies) and was getting ready to expire. Sean had seen it as a kid and said it wasn't scary, so even though I'm easily scared, I decided to give it a try. Sure enough. It isn't scary. A cheesy 80's movie, yes. A scary movie, no.

Yummy in My Tummy:
All I can think about is our first meal of the season off of the grill that we had tonight. Grilled chicken! Mmm...I love the flavor of anything grilled over charcoal. Also, roasted asparagus. So, so good! Asparagus is only in season for a short time, so we try to eat as much of it as possible during that time. So yummy!

Happiness is:
Warmer weather! Spring is here, and that means that my least favorite season is finally over. You can take the girl out of New Mexico, but you can't take New Mexico out of the girl.

What I'm Looking Forward to in April:
I'm excited to go to a blogging conference next week! It's great for networking and learning new skills. It's going to be awesome!

I'm also spending a lot of time trying to get my back and hips back in shape. My quadruplet pregnancy pretty much totaled my body, and I haven't had time to go back and work on repairing them. Now that the kids are in preschool, I'm spending A LOT of time at the chiropractor and in physical therapy. I'm hoping to be much improved by the end of April...or at least not look like I need a walker.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - February 2014

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

photo credit: my kitchen :)

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
I'm currently about halfway through The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex (which is great, btw!), so I'm officially still leaving it "In The Queue." I didn't actually finish any books this month. Instead, I've been spending a lot of my reading time researching the English and French schools of thought as they pertain to essential oils. It's really a fascinating topic as each side is COMPLETELY convinced that their way is the best way. It gets quite heated! I've started dabbling in them, have seen some positive results on a few things, but I'm still not completely sold on a lot of the information out there. Ever the skeptic... :)

Books in the Queue:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum. She writes about marriage and relationships in an entertaining, authentic way. Since I love her blog, I thought I'd give one of her books a try.

Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeurst: Lots of food cravings...maybe I will learn something helpful in this book...

Can't Miss Television:
The Dead Zone: Based on a Stephen King novel, a guy wakes from a coma after several years and can suddenly see the pasts and futures of the people that he interacts with. We are watching it on Netflix right now. It's kind of a fun twist on those detective shows.

Music I've Listened to:
KLOVE: I've been listening to a LOT of Christian radio this month. I'm getting all ramped up for a fun event in March (see "What I'm Looking Forward To" below!)

Movies I've Watched:
Ghostbusters: I'm actually watching it as I write this post. I've never seen it before. Crazy, right? It definitely has that "80's vibe" going on, but I feel like my life is a little more complete now that I can cross it off my list.

Braveheart: Another movie that I had never seen! I thought it was really good, but I hate it when they die at the end. And yes, I knew that was going to happen because I studied William Wallace in school. Still, I prefer when they don't die at the end of movies.

Duplex: A comedy with Drew Barrymore and Ben Stiller. It was pretty funny! They buy a duplex with a very old lady who rents the upstairs. She drives them nuts and won't move out no matter what!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sugar Cookies: You know those really rich, thick sugar cookies with tons of icing on them that you can buy in the bakery section at the grocery store? Yeah, those.

Happiness is:
I have to say the same thing as last month. Last month, I had *just* broken my leg, and people had come around to help us. During February, we had meals, help with childcare, and even people coming specifically to drive me to appointments since it was my right leg that broke. I'm doing so much better now and can move around with only a little bit of soreness, but the kindness of friends and family is still overwhelming to me!

What I'm Looking Forward to in March:
A good friend surprised me with a ticket to the Third Day/Skillet concert! WOOT! Even better? She bought the VIP tickets for the pre-concert Meet and Greet! How fun is that?! I'm looking forward to an evening away from the family and some girl time!

The kids start preschool in March! That is super exciting for our family!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog and our family!

photo credit: my kitchen :)

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
I'm currently about halfway through The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex (which is great, btw!), so I'm officially still leaving it "In The Queue." I didn't actually finish any books this month. Instead, I've been spending a lot of my reading time researching the English and French schools of thought as they pertain to essential oils. It's really a fascinating topic as each side is COMPLETELY convinced that their way is the best way. It gets quite heated! I've started dabbling in them, have seen some positive results on a few things, but I'm still not completely sold on a lot of the information out there. Ever the skeptic... :)

Books in the Queue:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum. She writes about marriage and relationships in an entertaining, authentic way. Since I love her blog, I thought I'd give one of her books a try.

Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeurst: Lots of food cravings...maybe I will learn something helpful in this book...

Can't Miss Television:
The Dead Zone: Based on a Stephen King novel, a guy wakes from a coma after several years and can suddenly see the pasts and futures of the people that he interacts with. We are watching it on Netflix right now. It's kind of a fun twist on those detective shows.

Music I've Listened to:
KLOVE: I've been listening to a LOT of Christian radio this month. I'm getting all ramped up for a fun event in March (see "What I'm Looking Forward To" below!)

Movies I've Watched:
Ghostbusters: I'm actually watching it as I write this post. I've never seen it before. Crazy, right? It definitely has that "80's vibe" going on, but I feel like my life is a little more complete now that I can cross it off my list.

Braveheart: Another movie that I had never seen! I thought it was really good, but I hate it when they die at the end. And yes, I knew that was going to happen because I studied William Wallace in school. Still, I prefer when they don't die at the end of movies.

Duplex: A comedy with Drew Barrymore and Ben Stiller. It was pretty funny! They buy a duplex with a very old lady who rents the upstairs. She drives them nuts and won't move out no matter what!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sugar Cookies: You know those really rich, thick sugar cookies with tons of icing on them that you can buy in the bakery section at the grocery store? Yeah, those.

Happiness is:
I have to say the same thing as last month. Last month, I had *just* broken my leg, and people had come around to help us. During February, we had meals, help with childcare, and even people coming specifically to drive me to appointments since it was my right leg that broke. I'm doing so much better now and can move around with only a little bit of soreness, but the kindness of friends and family is still overwhelming to me!

What I'm Looking Forward to in March:
A good friend surprised me with a ticket to the Third Day/Skillet concert! WOOT! Even better? She bought the VIP tickets for the pre-concert Meet and Greet! How fun is that?! I'm looking forward to an evening away from the family and some girl time!

The kids start preschool in March! That is super exciting for our family!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - January 2014

photo credit: blmiers2 via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

The last time I posted a "What I'm Into" post, it was November. Since I took the last two weeks of December off, it's been two months...which poses a problem. I can't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, let alone what I've read/listened to/watched over the past eight weeks! So this is kinda more a "The Highlights of What I've Been Into Over the Past Two Months" post. Heh!

Books I Read:
From a Distance by Tamara Alexander: A woman who wants to be a photographer and journalist goes west to take the photos that will land her a job in the male newspaper field. While in Colorado, she runs into trouble when people find out that she is sending information about their land back east. The one person who can help her find the setting for her coveted photo is also the one person who doesn't want to help her bring the East to his doorstep...literally.

A Lady of Hidden Intent by Tracie Peterson: A daughter flees England at the insistance of her father who is about to be falsely arrested. With two of her father's most trusted servants, she arrives in America disguised as their daughter. For the next five years, she works her way up as a seamstress, saving every penny to help her father find legal counsel. While there, a young man in her new country decides that he wants to court and marry her, only she won't do so while her father is still wrongly imprisoned.

A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano: A young woman is left without a mother or father when they pass away. Unfortunately, she is also left without her fortune when her father's right hand man and her governess decide to make off with everything. She sails to America to find the couple who stole her money and runs into a very helpful young man who also has an issue with the same group of people. They join forces to see if they can right both of their wrongs.

Books in the Queue:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum. She writes about marriage and relationships in an entertaining, authentic way. Since I love her blog, I thought I'd give one of her books a try.

Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeurst: Lots of food cravings...maybe I will learn something helpful in this book...

Can't Miss Television:
Blacklist: If you haven't seen this show, you are missing out. Seriously, drop what you are doing and pull it up on Hulu. Such a good show!

Music I've Listened to:
Mumford and Sons: Their music is so enjoyable! But what makes it really fun to listen to is that Ellie loves that band. She likes to rock out with them. Hehe!

Movies I've Watched:
Sgt. Bilko: A Steve Martin classic!

First Wives Club: Three ex-wives plot to get back at the husbands who dumped them. It's a funny comedy with some big names.

Psycho: We watched the new version with Vince Vaughn. I didn't think it was that scary, but then again, I haven't seen the original yet...

Return to Paradise: Three friends go to Malaysia on vacation. Two return home, and one stays to help save the monkeys. Unfortunately, the third friend is picked up on charges of drug trafficking, and the other two friends have to decide if they are willing to go back and share part of his jail sentence in exchange for his life.

Failure to Launch: A couple hires a professional to help their adult son leave the nest. It has Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Admission: Paul Rudd and Tina Fey star in a story about a college acceptance officer who finds out that the son she may have given up for adoption may be trying to get into her school.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sweets: Pretty much anything dessert-y. I need to figure out how to kick my cravings. Maybe that's why Made to Crave is on my list of books to read...

Happiness is:
The kindness of friends who are helping my family out with meals and kid help right now. We feel so loved and cared for. Thanks for working so hard to relieve some of our stress!

What I'm Looking Forward to in February:
Four very special kids are turning three at the end of February! It's hard to believe that I was sitting in a hospital three years ago today, desperately trying not to give birth.

I'm excited to start walking again in February. You never realize how much you appreciate your limbs until one is unusable for awhile.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: blmiers2 via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

The last time I posted a "What I'm Into" post, it was November. Since I took the last two weeks of December off, it's been two months...which poses a problem. I can't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, let alone what I've read/listened to/watched over the past eight weeks! So this is kinda more a "The Highlights of What I've Been Into Over the Past Two Months" post. Heh!

Books I Read:
From a Distance by Tamara Alexander: A woman who wants to be a photographer and journalist goes west to take the photos that will land her a job in the male newspaper field. While in Colorado, she runs into trouble when people find out that she is sending information about their land back east. The one person who can help her find the setting for her coveted photo is also the one person who doesn't want to help her bring the East to his doorstep...literally.

A Lady of Hidden Intent by Tracie Peterson: A daughter flees England at the insistance of her father who is about to be falsely arrested. With two of her father's most trusted servants, she arrives in America disguised as their daughter. For the next five years, she works her way up as a seamstress, saving every penny to help her father find legal counsel. While there, a young man in her new country decides that he wants to court and marry her, only she won't do so while her father is still wrongly imprisoned.

A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano: A young woman is left without a mother or father when they pass away. Unfortunately, she is also left without her fortune when her father's right hand man and her governess decide to make off with everything. She sails to America to find the couple who stole her money and runs into a very helpful young man who also has an issue with the same group of people. They join forces to see if they can right both of their wrongs.

Books in the Queue:
The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire: Sheila writes a great blog called, To Love, Honor and Vacuum. She writes about marriage and relationships in an entertaining, authentic way. Since I love her blog, I thought I'd give one of her books a try.

Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeurst: Lots of food cravings...maybe I will learn something helpful in this book...

Can't Miss Television:
Blacklist: If you haven't seen this show, you are missing out. Seriously, drop what you are doing and pull it up on Hulu. Such a good show!

Music I've Listened to:
Mumford and Sons: Their music is so enjoyable! But what makes it really fun to listen to is that Ellie loves that band. She likes to rock out with them. Hehe!

Movies I've Watched:
Sgt. Bilko: A Steve Martin classic!

First Wives Club: Three ex-wives plot to get back at the husbands who dumped them. It's a funny comedy with some big names.

Psycho: We watched the new version with Vince Vaughn. I didn't think it was that scary, but then again, I haven't seen the original yet...

Return to Paradise: Three friends go to Malaysia on vacation. Two return home, and one stays to help save the monkeys. Unfortunately, the third friend is picked up on charges of drug trafficking, and the other two friends have to decide if they are willing to go back and share part of his jail sentence in exchange for his life.

Failure to Launch: A couple hires a professional to help their adult son leave the nest. It has Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Admission: Paul Rudd and Tina Fey star in a story about a college acceptance officer who finds out that the son she may have given up for adoption may be trying to get into her school.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sweets: Pretty much anything dessert-y. I need to figure out how to kick my cravings. Maybe that's why Made to Crave is on my list of books to read...

Happiness is:
The kindness of friends who are helping my family out with meals and kid help right now. We feel so loved and cared for. Thanks for working so hard to relieve some of our stress!

What I'm Looking Forward to in February:
Four very special kids are turning three at the end of February! It's hard to believe that I was sitting in a hospital three years ago today, desperately trying not to give birth.

I'm excited to start walking again in February. You never realize how much you appreciate your limbs until one is unusable for awhile.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - November 2013

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist: Based in the turn of the century, a Texas Ranger is chasing an outlaw and goes undercover as a telephone repair man in order to find and capture him. He ends up meeting and working with a telephone operator who is a bit eccentric and has no idea why he is really in town.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer: A teacher goes out west looking for a job as a governess. She finds a job working with a sweet, mute little girl on a Texas ranch. Everything is going great until she starts to unravel the reasons behind why the little girl is an orphan. The governess and the Texas rancher find themselves having to protect her from a vindictive uncle who is trying to destroy her.

I find Witemeyer and Gist to write very similarly, so it isn't hard to switch back and forth between their books. It's easy reading, and I make no apologies for the fluffy books I read before bed. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted and these work well to entertain me and turn my brain off at the same time. :)

Books in the Queue:
From A Distance by Tamera Alexander: This was a GoodReads recommendation. I'm not too far into it yet, so I'll save my thoughts for next month!

Can't Miss Television:
Walking Dead: We started the series over for the beginning before watching the latest season that just hit Netflix. We are nearing the end of Season 2, so we should start in on Season 3 during December!

Music I've Listened to:
Country Music: And....I'm back to the country music station. I do actually own some CDs and have most of my music on the cloud, but sometimes it's just easier to let the radio run. BUT, I'm not a huge fan of Christmas music unless it's the Bing Cosby-style versions, so odds are, I'll be using my music in the cloud during December.

Movies I've Watched:
World War Z: It's a movie that's supposed to be about zombies. Honestly, neither of us thought it had much to do about zombies. It wasn't nearly as exciting as it could have been, and as Sean said, "It was kind of boring."

Carrie: The original movie based on the Stephen King book was about to expire in Netflix, so we thought we'd watch it. First of all, it was creepy in a 70's sort of way. Second, it wasn't that good and was definitely skippable. I wouldn't recommend it. Watch "How I Met Your Mother" instead.

Monster's University: We got this from the Red Box for the kids. We only got about 30 minutes into it before the kids got bored. Bummer! Because of the three movies we watched this month, that one was by far the best! Hopefully I get to finish watching it sometime soon.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sweet Potatoes: I'd never had sweet potatoes until I started dating Sean. Goodness, they are so delicious! And since they are in season right now, they are super cheap! I'll pretty much take them in any form: baked with cinnamon and brown sugar, cubed with toasted marshmallows on top, in a casserole with praline topping....yummy!

Happiness is:
The flavors and scents of fall. While I think summer has the corner on most fruits and vegetables, I think fall has it made with root veggies and spices. There are scents attached to this time of year that are really special and unique. Love it!

What I'm Looking Forward to in December:
Sean has 13 days in a row off in December! I'm looking forward to having him home. Not only is it nice to have a second parent in the house, it's also nice to have him here just because he's my best friend. :) When he is home, it's like I'm on vacation too!

Speaking of vacation, I've decided to take the last week of the year off as my personal vacation from writing. I spend pretty much all of my free time working on some blogging project or freelance article. As much as I love writing, I think a small break will do me good. I'm sure I'll still be working on some back end stuff, but probably won't be turning out any new content. I'm really looking forward to my week off!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist: Based in the turn of the century, a Texas Ranger is chasing an outlaw and goes undercover as a telephone repair man in order to find and capture him. He ends up meeting and working with a telephone operator who is a bit eccentric and has no idea why he is really in town.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer: A teacher goes out west looking for a job as a governess. She finds a job working with a sweet, mute little girl on a Texas ranch. Everything is going great until she starts to unravel the reasons behind why the little girl is an orphan. The governess and the Texas rancher find themselves having to protect her from a vindictive uncle who is trying to destroy her.

I find Witemeyer and Gist to write very similarly, so it isn't hard to switch back and forth between their books. It's easy reading, and I make no apologies for the fluffy books I read before bed. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted and these work well to entertain me and turn my brain off at the same time. :)

Books in the Queue:
From A Distance by Tamera Alexander: This was a GoodReads recommendation. I'm not too far into it yet, so I'll save my thoughts for next month!

Can't Miss Television:
Walking Dead: We started the series over for the beginning before watching the latest season that just hit Netflix. We are nearing the end of Season 2, so we should start in on Season 3 during December!

Music I've Listened to:
Country Music: And....I'm back to the country music station. I do actually own some CDs and have most of my music on the cloud, but sometimes it's just easier to let the radio run. BUT, I'm not a huge fan of Christmas music unless it's the Bing Cosby-style versions, so odds are, I'll be using my music in the cloud during December.

Movies I've Watched:
World War Z: It's a movie that's supposed to be about zombies. Honestly, neither of us thought it had much to do about zombies. It wasn't nearly as exciting as it could have been, and as Sean said, "It was kind of boring."

Carrie: The original movie based on the Stephen King book was about to expire in Netflix, so we thought we'd watch it. First of all, it was creepy in a 70's sort of way. Second, it wasn't that good and was definitely skippable. I wouldn't recommend it. Watch "How I Met Your Mother" instead.

Monster's University: We got this from the Red Box for the kids. We only got about 30 minutes into it before the kids got bored. Bummer! Because of the three movies we watched this month, that one was by far the best! Hopefully I get to finish watching it sometime soon.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Sweet Potatoes: I'd never had sweet potatoes until I started dating Sean. Goodness, they are so delicious! And since they are in season right now, they are super cheap! I'll pretty much take them in any form: baked with cinnamon and brown sugar, cubed with toasted marshmallows on top, in a casserole with praline topping....yummy!

Happiness is:
The flavors and scents of fall. While I think summer has the corner on most fruits and vegetables, I think fall has it made with root veggies and spices. There are scents attached to this time of year that are really special and unique. Love it!

What I'm Looking Forward to in December:
Sean has 13 days in a row off in December! I'm looking forward to having him home. Not only is it nice to have a second parent in the house, it's also nice to have him here just because he's my best friend. :) When he is home, it's like I'm on vacation too!

Speaking of vacation, I've decided to take the last week of the year off as my personal vacation from writing. I spend pretty much all of my free time working on some blogging project or freelance article. As much as I love writing, I think a small break will do me good. I'm sure I'll still be working on some back end stuff, but probably won't be turning out any new content. I'm really looking forward to my week off!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - October 2013

photo credit: Indy Kethdy via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist: The first part of a two part series set in Texas during the 1890's. It's about a spinster trying to find a husband. I thought it was fun, and promptly started the second book (which I'm still reading).

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist: I finished up the sequel to Courting Trouble. The story about a spinster and her bicycle club has a sweet ending...and it's possible that she picks up a new hobby as automobiles become all the rage!

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist: Set in 1643 in the new colonies, this book has a definite "old world" feel to it. It's also Gist's first book. It was good, but for some reason, I kept getting this dejavue all the way through it. Have a read it before? But I can't think of when that would have happened...hmm...I'll tell you this, though, it's really weird to read a whole book with that feeling.

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist: By this point in the month, I thought, "Why not just keep reading through Gist's books?" So I did! This one was set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. I really liked this one, but I did have one issue with it. Even though it has nothing to do with the story, the cover art as a mistake. If you look at the girl on the front, her shoes are on the wrong feet! Or maybe her feet are just crossed, but they really do look backwards to me. Totally distracted me every time I picked up the book. But the story was good!

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist: I liked this one, set in the Vanderbilt's mansion in North Carolina at the turn of the century. It's about a girl who is trying to become a lady's maid. I found it so interesting that I started googling for historical accounts of lady's maids and what they did in that position. (The cover art is good on this one!)

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy: I hate giving low marks to books. It makes me sad. However, this one was really...not good. The actual plot line was interesting, but the characters had no depth of character or chemistry with each other. The dialogue felt forced, and the women were portrayed as flighty and dimwitted, even though they could take down seasoned outlaws at the ripe old age of eight. I also have to add a note about the multiples in the book: One of the main characters is an identical twin. I thought that was fun since I have quadruplets myself. But then, the author introduced another set of twins and triplets in a different family. And THEN, the two main characters have a set of twins together. Okay, I'm all for multiples in stories, but that is completely unbelievable in a tiny town in Texas when even twins were extremely rare. Plus, twins don't run through the father's side. They run through the mother's side. So although it's cute that a twin became the father of twins, the odds of that happening in that time period are almost zero. There were just too many issues with this book to be able to recommend it.

Books in the Queue:
I find myself browsing GoodReads for book recommendations. It's a fun tool! Have you tried it?

I imagine I'll finish off the last couple of Deeanne Gist books. Other than that, I haven't thought much about it. Any suggestions?

Can't Miss Television:
Post-Season Baseball: We've been watching a lot of baseball over the past few weeks. Go Cards!

YouTube Videos That Caught My Fancy:
"Test Drive" - Okay, so I know that this video is a couple of years old, but I just saw it for the first time, and it's hilarious! Yep, I might be behind the times, but I know funny when I see it.

Andy and Amy's Haunted House - Speaking of funny, Ellen Degeneres sent two people who work on her show through The Walking Dead Halloween Walk. I can't even stand how funny this is! It's a must watch! Don't ask me how many times I've played it. Lol!

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio: We just got a new Christian radio station here, and they play a nice mix of songs I know and brand new songs that I haven't heard before. I've just been letting it play when I'm in the car.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Pumpkin: I've been eating a lot of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Pumpkin Pancakes. Hey, it's October after all! I love how cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves all start being big players during the fall months. The scents are just amazing!

Happiness is:
A date night with my hubby! We had our first date night in three months last week! It was SO good to get out!

What I'm Looking Forward to in November:
I'm excited to feature some stories from YOU about what you are thankful for! Be on the lookout for how to participate!

The leaves!! I'm in love with the colors of fall. After living in the Midwest for eleven years, I still can't get over the beauty of Autumn.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: Indy Kethdy via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist: The first part of a two part series set in Texas during the 1890's. It's about a spinster trying to find a husband. I thought it was fun, and promptly started the second book (which I'm still reading).

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist: I finished up the sequel to Courting Trouble. The story about a spinster and her bicycle club has a sweet ending...and it's possible that she picks up a new hobby as automobiles become all the rage!

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist: Set in 1643 in the new colonies, this book has a definite "old world" feel to it. It's also Gist's first book. It was good, but for some reason, I kept getting this dejavue all the way through it. Have a read it before? But I can't think of when that would have happened...hmm...I'll tell you this, though, it's really weird to read a whole book with that feeling.

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist: By this point in the month, I thought, "Why not just keep reading through Gist's books?" So I did! This one was set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. I really liked this one, but I did have one issue with it. Even though it has nothing to do with the story, the cover art as a mistake. If you look at the girl on the front, her shoes are on the wrong feet! Or maybe her feet are just crossed, but they really do look backwards to me. Totally distracted me every time I picked up the book. But the story was good!

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist: I liked this one, set in the Vanderbilt's mansion in North Carolina at the turn of the century. It's about a girl who is trying to become a lady's maid. I found it so interesting that I started googling for historical accounts of lady's maids and what they did in that position. (The cover art is good on this one!)

Petticoat Ranch by Mary Connealy: I hate giving low marks to books. It makes me sad. However, this one was really...not good. The actual plot line was interesting, but the characters had no depth of character or chemistry with each other. The dialogue felt forced, and the women were portrayed as flighty and dimwitted, even though they could take down seasoned outlaws at the ripe old age of eight. I also have to add a note about the multiples in the book: One of the main characters is an identical twin. I thought that was fun since I have quadruplets myself. But then, the author introduced another set of twins and triplets in a different family. And THEN, the two main characters have a set of twins together. Okay, I'm all for multiples in stories, but that is completely unbelievable in a tiny town in Texas when even twins were extremely rare. Plus, twins don't run through the father's side. They run through the mother's side. So although it's cute that a twin became the father of twins, the odds of that happening in that time period are almost zero. There were just too many issues with this book to be able to recommend it.

Books in the Queue:
I find myself browsing GoodReads for book recommendations. It's a fun tool! Have you tried it?

I imagine I'll finish off the last couple of Deeanne Gist books. Other than that, I haven't thought much about it. Any suggestions?

Can't Miss Television:
Post-Season Baseball: We've been watching a lot of baseball over the past few weeks. Go Cards!

YouTube Videos That Caught My Fancy:
"Test Drive" - Okay, so I know that this video is a couple of years old, but I just saw it for the first time, and it's hilarious! Yep, I might be behind the times, but I know funny when I see it.

Andy and Amy's Haunted House - Speaking of funny, Ellen Degeneres sent two people who work on her show through The Walking Dead Halloween Walk. I can't even stand how funny this is! It's a must watch! Don't ask me how many times I've played it. Lol!

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio: We just got a new Christian radio station here, and they play a nice mix of songs I know and brand new songs that I haven't heard before. I've just been letting it play when I'm in the car.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Pumpkin: I've been eating a lot of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and Pumpkin Pancakes. Hey, it's October after all! I love how cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves all start being big players during the fall months. The scents are just amazing!

Happiness is:
A date night with my hubby! We had our first date night in three months last week! It was SO good to get out!

What I'm Looking Forward to in November:
I'm excited to feature some stories from YOU about what you are thankful for! Be on the lookout for how to participate!

The leaves!! I'm in love with the colors of fall. After living in the Midwest for eleven years, I still can't get over the beauty of Autumn.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What's I'm Into - September 2013

photo credit: kPluto via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist: The first part of a two part series set in Texas during the 1890's. It's about a spinster trying to find a husband. I thought it was fun, and promptly started the second book (which I'm still reading).

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey: Phenomenal book! I can't recommend it enough and highly encourage you to order a copy! You can read my review of the book HERE.

Books in the Queue:
Deep in the Heart of Touble by Deeanne Gist: The second part of the story about Essie from Texas.

Deeanne Gist books: I thought I was going to have jury duty this week (it was cancelled!), so I put three of her books on hold. I don't know if I will get through all of them, but they are piled on my nightstand right now: Maid to Match, The Measure of a Lady, and A Bride Most Begrudging

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans: She is coming to town to speak in mid-October about this topic, so I'd like to fit the book in prior to that if I can swing it.

Can't Miss Television:
Blacklist: All I saw was the premiere (because that's all that has aired), but this show looks amazing! I can't wait to see where it goes!

Movies I've Watched:
I couldn't think of any that we watched, so I asked Sean. He can't think of anything either. Does this make us boring?

Actually, we aren't finished with it yet, but we have "Witness" with Harrison Ford on right now. So far, I really like it!

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio and VeggieTales: depending upon if I'm driving by myself, or have a backseat full of kids!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Chewy Candy: Gummy Bears, Hot Tamales, or those candies that look like little slices of sugar coated fruit...I love them all! In fact, if given the option between chocolate or a chewy candy, I'll normally go with the chewy candy. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL candy, but there is something about the texture of chewy candy that I really, really enjoy!

Happiness is:
Naps. Seriously. If I can work doughnuts and a nap into my day, it's pretty much the best day ever!

What I'm Looking Forward to in October:
Our family has a bunch of fall activities lined up over the next month! A trip to a local destination garden, visiting a pumpkin patch, drinking fresh apple cider and eating fresh apple cider doughnuts at the cider mill, and random other fun things.

The leaves!! I'm in love with the colors of fall. After living in the Midwest for eleven years, I still can't get over the beauty of Autumn.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: kPluto via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist: The first part of a two part series set in Texas during the 1890's. It's about a spinster trying to find a husband. I thought it was fun, and promptly started the second book (which I'm still reading).

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey: Phenomenal book! I can't recommend it enough and highly encourage you to order a copy! You can read my review of the book HERE.

Books in the Queue:
Deep in the Heart of Touble by Deeanne Gist: The second part of the story about Essie from Texas.

Deeanne Gist books: I thought I was going to have jury duty this week (it was cancelled!), so I put three of her books on hold. I don't know if I will get through all of them, but they are piled on my nightstand right now: Maid to Match, The Measure of a Lady, and A Bride Most Begrudging

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans: She is coming to town to speak in mid-October about this topic, so I'd like to fit the book in prior to that if I can swing it.

Can't Miss Television:
Blacklist: All I saw was the premiere (because that's all that has aired), but this show looks amazing! I can't wait to see where it goes!

Movies I've Watched:
I couldn't think of any that we watched, so I asked Sean. He can't think of anything either. Does this make us boring?

Actually, we aren't finished with it yet, but we have "Witness" with Harrison Ford on right now. So far, I really like it!

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio and VeggieTales: depending upon if I'm driving by myself, or have a backseat full of kids!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Chewy Candy: Gummy Bears, Hot Tamales, or those candies that look like little slices of sugar coated fruit...I love them all! In fact, if given the option between chocolate or a chewy candy, I'll normally go with the chewy candy. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL candy, but there is something about the texture of chewy candy that I really, really enjoy!

Happiness is:
Naps. Seriously. If I can work doughnuts and a nap into my day, it's pretty much the best day ever!

What I'm Looking Forward to in October:
Our family has a bunch of fall activities lined up over the next month! A trip to a local destination garden, visiting a pumpkin patch, drinking fresh apple cider and eating fresh apple cider doughnuts at the cider mill, and random other fun things.

The leaves!! I'm in love with the colors of fall. After living in the Midwest for eleven years, I still can't get over the beauty of Autumn.

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - August 2013

photo credit: puliarf via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: This was an interesting read. I can definitely see why it's a New York Times Bestseller. The author does a fabulous job of weaving two narratives together and providing some surprising twists and turns. I won't say too much, because I don't want to give it away. There is a LOT of language in the book, but if you can overlook it, then it's a good read.

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson: Now that I've discovered the Kindle, I love reading eBooks. But this title wasn't available that way, so I had to put it on hold at the library. It finally came in! It's the first in the Goldy catering series.

How to Write a Media Kit: A blogging friend wrote this eBook about how to write a professional media kit. A media kit is the blog equivalent of a resume. I needed one, and this book was exactly what I needed to take my media kit to the next level. My first one was horribly embarrassing! If you are a blogger, this is a much read!

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa Terkeurst: I read this book for Bible study at church. It's about learning to make a choice about our responses in unpredictable situations and when people rub us the wrong way. It also helps the reader identify their default reactions in those situations. Lots of really good points! I'm looking forward to reading her other books.

Books in the Queue:
Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey: I have an advance copy that I'm reading. It will be available on November 5th, although you can pre-order it now.

Can't Miss Television:
Dollhouse: This show has been cancelled for a few years, but we found it on Netflix. It's about a place that signs people on for five year stints with them. They wipe all of the memories from their volunteers or "dolls" and then upload new memories into their heads when their clients hire them to do things. The dolls aren't aware that they aren't "real" people because the uploaded memories are so real to them.Very interesting!

Movies I've Watched:
Wreck-It Ralph: We had a movie night with the kids a couple of weeks ago. We popped popcorn and sat on the couch with it. The kids thought it was fun, and I loved our special family time! The movie was cute too!

Oz The Great and Powerful: Not a bad film. A little weird, but aren't all Wizard of Oz-ish movies? The costumes and colors in the film were really vibrant, so it was really engaging visually.

Good Will Hunting: So far it's good! We are actually watching it as I type this.

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio: This month, I've been listening to a lot of Christian radio. It's been a heavy few weeks for our extended family, so good Christian music is what I've been listening to.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Cobbler: I've totally been on a cobbler kick this month! I didn't think I liked cobbler because I've only had it in restaurants or from the store. Not so good. But then we got a bunch of blackberries in our CSA bag, and I didn't know what to do with them...so I made a cobbler! Now I'm totally hooked! I've made two blackberry and two peach cobbler in the last month, and I have blackberries in my fridge to make another one! In fact, it's possible that I'm eating a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream right now...yum!

Happiness is:
I've been leaning pretty heavily on my husband this month. He has picked up the slack numerous times for me so that I could work on other things that needed to get done. He never complains and always looks for ways to carry part of the load. This month, happiness is the security I feel in my husband's love. *swoon!*

What I'm Looking Forward to in September:
Twins Club Consignment Sale: I'm looking forward to moving too-small items out, and just-the-right-size items in. Of course, that means I need to get off of my rumpus (that's what we call it at our house) and start pricing clothes like a mad woman!

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List! How long can we keep working on this list before it turns into a Fall Bucket List?

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: puliarf via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: This was an interesting read. I can definitely see why it's a New York Times Bestseller. The author does a fabulous job of weaving two narratives together and providing some surprising twists and turns. I won't say too much, because I don't want to give it away. There is a LOT of language in the book, but if you can overlook it, then it's a good read.

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson: Now that I've discovered the Kindle, I love reading eBooks. But this title wasn't available that way, so I had to put it on hold at the library. It finally came in! It's the first in the Goldy catering series.

How to Write a Media Kit: A blogging friend wrote this eBook about how to write a professional media kit. A media kit is the blog equivalent of a resume. I needed one, and this book was exactly what I needed to take my media kit to the next level. My first one was horribly embarrassing! If you are a blogger, this is a much read!

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa Terkeurst: I read this book for Bible study at church. It's about learning to make a choice about our responses in unpredictable situations and when people rub us the wrong way. It also helps the reader identify their default reactions in those situations. Lots of really good points! I'm looking forward to reading her other books.

Books in the Queue:
Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey: I have an advance copy that I'm reading. It will be available on November 5th, although you can pre-order it now.

Can't Miss Television:
Dollhouse: This show has been cancelled for a few years, but we found it on Netflix. It's about a place that signs people on for five year stints with them. They wipe all of the memories from their volunteers or "dolls" and then upload new memories into their heads when their clients hire them to do things. The dolls aren't aware that they aren't "real" people because the uploaded memories are so real to them.Very interesting!

Movies I've Watched:
Wreck-It Ralph: We had a movie night with the kids a couple of weeks ago. We popped popcorn and sat on the couch with it. The kids thought it was fun, and I loved our special family time! The movie was cute too!

Oz The Great and Powerful: Not a bad film. A little weird, but aren't all Wizard of Oz-ish movies? The costumes and colors in the film were really vibrant, so it was really engaging visually.

Good Will Hunting: So far it's good! We are actually watching it as I type this.

Music I've Listened to:
Christian Radio: This month, I've been listening to a lot of Christian radio. It's been a heavy few weeks for our extended family, so good Christian music is what I've been listening to.

Yummy in My Tummy:
Cobbler: I've totally been on a cobbler kick this month! I didn't think I liked cobbler because I've only had it in restaurants or from the store. Not so good. But then we got a bunch of blackberries in our CSA bag, and I didn't know what to do with them...so I made a cobbler! Now I'm totally hooked! I've made two blackberry and two peach cobbler in the last month, and I have blackberries in my fridge to make another one! In fact, it's possible that I'm eating a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream right now...yum!

Happiness is:
I've been leaning pretty heavily on my husband this month. He has picked up the slack numerous times for me so that I could work on other things that needed to get done. He never complains and always looks for ways to carry part of the load. This month, happiness is the security I feel in my husband's love. *swoon!*

What I'm Looking Forward to in September:
Twins Club Consignment Sale: I'm looking forward to moving too-small items out, and just-the-right-size items in. Of course, that means I need to get off of my rumpus (that's what we call it at our house) and start pricing clothes like a mad woman!

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List! How long can we keep working on this list before it turns into a Fall Bucket List?

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - July 2013

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did The Short-Straw Bride, but it was still a good read. I'll probably try another book by her in the next month or so.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist: This is another author that GoodReads suggested, so I decided to give her a try. I really enjoyed this book about a mail order bride who goes out west to logging country in Washington...only she doesn't know she is a mail-order bride. She thinks she's been hired to be a cook. It was cute! A light fluffy read that was a nice way to wind down at the end of the day.

Beguiled by Deanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand: So since I liked A Bride in the Bargain, I decided to read another book by her. I didn't realize this one had a co-author until I started reading it. Bertrand is actually a mystery writer, so it was a mash-up of romance and mystery. While I didn't like this book as much as the other one I read, I still found it entertaining. It's about a professional dog walker who gets accused of robbing the houses of the people she works for.

Books in the Queue:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa Terkeurst

Can't Miss Television:
How I Met Your Mother: Uh...how have I gone so long without seeing this show? We found it on Netflix and started watching it. It's absolutely hilarious! Plus, I'm a big fan of the 22 minute length (30 minute show without the commercials). I can stay awake through it. *wink*

Movies I've Watched:
Paperman: Another Netflix find. Weird. Super weird. My life would have still been complete without this one. Surely that isn't the only movie I've watched this month....eh, maybe it is.

The Sweetest Thing: I just remembered that I did watch another movie. This one is a chick flick with guy humor. In other words, it's funny, but very raunchy. It does, however, have an all star cast. I wasn't expecting Jason Bateman to show up on screen because he didn't get front billing, so that was a fun surprise! Maybe this was filmed before Arrested Development? Anyhow, I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this one either.

Music I've Listened to:
Country Radio: Lots of driving back and forth to the Fireworks Tent. Country radio was on when I got in the car, and it was still on a week later when we we finished up at the tent. Catchy music! Although "tragic" seems to be the general theme of that genre...

Yummy in My Tummy:
Mini Doughnuts: So Sean and I have a thing for mini doughnuts. You know, the small chocolate and powdered sugar covered doughnuts that are highly processed and probably contribute to all sorts of health problems? Yeah, we love those things! I think our infatuation with them began when we went to a marriage conference, and the hotel had an enormous plate of mini doughnuts. They didn't have any other breakfast offerings or a restaurant onsite, but they were VERY proud of their mini doughnut selection and repeatedly mentioned it to us. So now we love them partly because we thought that was funny, and partly because they are delicious.

Did I just link to Mini Doughnuts on Amazon? Why, yes. Yes, I did. I don't think you can ever have too many mini doughnuts in your life. And now I want a mini doughnut...or six...

Happiness is:
My Sunday School Class: This summer, our church offered a Men's Class and a Women's Class during the Sunday School hour. They normally don't offer gender specific classes, but thought they would give it a try over summer to give some teachers a break. I absolutely love the women's class! Cheryl, who used to come over and help me with the kids, teaches it. She is a nurse and is covering all sorts of topics that are specific to women, including, depression, self-exams, setting boundaries, life balance, sex, etc. all from a biblical point of view. It's so practical and refreshing! So often, the church as a whole ignores uncomfortable subjects like depression and sex and leaves women (and men) to fend for themselves. I love getting all of this from a Christian perspective, without judgement and with lots of opportunities to ask questions in a safe environment. I know the young women in our church are grateful the older women are willing to get a little bit uncomfortable to pass on the wisdom they've picked up over the years. I think if more churches were willing to talk about this type of thing, everyone would be a lot better off. Long story short, I think I'm going to cry when this class is over. It's the best one I've ever been too!

What I'm Looking Forward to in August:
The Go Blog Social Blogging Conference: I'm really excited about this conference! It's right here in Kansas City and runs Thursday evening through Saturday evening. It's my first time going to one of these so I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of mingling with so many people for so long (yeah, I'm a total introvert), but I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to network and learn some new blogging skills!

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List! How long can we keep working on this list before it turns into a Fall Bucket List?

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did The Short-Straw Bride, but it was still a good read. I'll probably try another book by her in the next month or so.

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist: This is another author that GoodReads suggested, so I decided to give her a try. I really enjoyed this book about a mail order bride who goes out west to logging country in Washington...only she doesn't know she is a mail-order bride. She thinks she's been hired to be a cook. It was cute! A light fluffy read that was a nice way to wind down at the end of the day.

Beguiled by Deanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand: So since I liked A Bride in the Bargain, I decided to read another book by her. I didn't realize this one had a co-author until I started reading it. Bertrand is actually a mystery writer, so it was a mash-up of romance and mystery. While I didn't like this book as much as the other one I read, I still found it entertaining. It's about a professional dog walker who gets accused of robbing the houses of the people she works for.

Books in the Queue:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa Terkeurst

Can't Miss Television:
How I Met Your Mother: Uh...how have I gone so long without seeing this show? We found it on Netflix and started watching it. It's absolutely hilarious! Plus, I'm a big fan of the 22 minute length (30 minute show without the commercials). I can stay awake through it. *wink*

Movies I've Watched:
Paperman: Another Netflix find. Weird. Super weird. My life would have still been complete without this one. Surely that isn't the only movie I've watched this month....eh, maybe it is.

The Sweetest Thing: I just remembered that I did watch another movie. This one is a chick flick with guy humor. In other words, it's funny, but very raunchy. It does, however, have an all star cast. I wasn't expecting Jason Bateman to show up on screen because he didn't get front billing, so that was a fun surprise! Maybe this was filmed before Arrested Development? Anyhow, I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this one either.

Music I've Listened to:
Country Radio: Lots of driving back and forth to the Fireworks Tent. Country radio was on when I got in the car, and it was still on a week later when we we finished up at the tent. Catchy music! Although "tragic" seems to be the general theme of that genre...

Yummy in My Tummy:
Mini Doughnuts: So Sean and I have a thing for mini doughnuts. You know, the small chocolate and powdered sugar covered doughnuts that are highly processed and probably contribute to all sorts of health problems? Yeah, we love those things! I think our infatuation with them began when we went to a marriage conference, and the hotel had an enormous plate of mini doughnuts. They didn't have any other breakfast offerings or a restaurant onsite, but they were VERY proud of their mini doughnut selection and repeatedly mentioned it to us. So now we love them partly because we thought that was funny, and partly because they are delicious.

Did I just link to Mini Doughnuts on Amazon? Why, yes. Yes, I did. I don't think you can ever have too many mini doughnuts in your life. And now I want a mini doughnut...or six...

Happiness is:
My Sunday School Class: This summer, our church offered a Men's Class and a Women's Class during the Sunday School hour. They normally don't offer gender specific classes, but thought they would give it a try over summer to give some teachers a break. I absolutely love the women's class! Cheryl, who used to come over and help me with the kids, teaches it. She is a nurse and is covering all sorts of topics that are specific to women, including, depression, self-exams, setting boundaries, life balance, sex, etc. all from a biblical point of view. It's so practical and refreshing! So often, the church as a whole ignores uncomfortable subjects like depression and sex and leaves women (and men) to fend for themselves. I love getting all of this from a Christian perspective, without judgement and with lots of opportunities to ask questions in a safe environment. I know the young women in our church are grateful the older women are willing to get a little bit uncomfortable to pass on the wisdom they've picked up over the years. I think if more churches were willing to talk about this type of thing, everyone would be a lot better off. Long story short, I think I'm going to cry when this class is over. It's the best one I've ever been too!

What I'm Looking Forward to in August:
The Go Blog Social Blogging Conference: I'm really excited about this conference! It's right here in Kansas City and runs Thursday evening through Saturday evening. It's my first time going to one of these so I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of mingling with so many people for so long (yeah, I'm a total introvert), but I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to network and learn some new blogging skills!

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List! How long can we keep working on this list before it turns into a Fall Bucket List?

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post contains affiliate links. I get a small commission when you buy something through the link. Thank you for supporting my blog and family this way! For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

What I'm Into - June 2013

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Shopaholic Ties the Knot (book 3) by Sophie Kinsella: Becky gets married in this book. It did seem a little drawn out to me, and honestly, I came up with the solution to her problem before I was halfway through the book. Thankfully, she finally understood what I kept telling her to do. It just took her awhile to get that far. It was still a fun book though!

The Bank Heist by Kerri Swick: My friend wrote this one! It's a young adult Christian romance novel about a woman who is trying to figure out who stole the money from the bank where she works. It's very clean with no "scenes" that would make it inappropriate for young readers. This is Kerri's first book, and I thought she developed a great plot!

The Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer: This was a really engaging fiction book about a woman who is forced to marry one of four brothers. The brothers draw straws to see who gets to marry her, but she thinks they are drawing straws to see who has to marry her.

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood-Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay: This book was leaps and bounds better than the last parenting book I read. While I didn't agree with every single thing, the vast majority of their parenting tips made a lot of sense to me. I love the idea of giving kids two or three choices that we can live with as parents, and allowing them to learn how to make choices themselves. Such a great skill and one that should be instilled at an early age. I borrowed this book from the library, but I know I will read it again in a year or so. I highly recommend this one!

Books in the Queue:
Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer: I loved The Short-Straw Bride, so thought I'd give another one of her books a try.

Can't Miss Television:
Call The Midwife: This is a fascinating series by BBC. It's a fictionalized account of what midwifes used to do and experience in London's East End during the 1950's. It also has a little bit of humor woven through it. A very, very good series, and appropriate for families to watch together.

Movies I've Watched:
Man of Steel: I was surprised how good this movie was! Does anyone remember the last Superman movie? Yeah, it was a total let down. This one was anything but that! Very entertaining and a fun date night with my hubby!

Music I've Listened to:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Hmm...I must be a mother! We've been listening to a lot of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the car lately!

Rock What You Got by Superchick: And occasionally, when I can't stand Mickey Mouse Clubhouse anymore, I switch it out for something a little more fun. Rock what you got!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Limes and Lemons in My Water: I'm not the best at keeping my water intake up. I just get so busy, that I forget to drink water! Lately, I've taken to adding a lime or lemon wedge to my water, and I'm really enjoying it! I find that I drink so much more if there is a little flavor. As an added bonus, I don't have to worry about scurvy now!

Happiness is:
Knowing that even on my worst days, when I'm not making any sense to anyone, my husband will still hold me and love me and tell me it's going to be okay. And he has also taught Elijah how to look at me and say, "It's okay!" when he isn't here. Lol!

What I'm Looking Forward to in July:
Sweating it out in a hot tent with my friends. I always spend the week before the 4th of July helping some friends run their fireworks tent. I'm always excited for it to come because of the fun we have, and I'm always grateful to see it go as I don't enjoy sweating all that much. If you are local to me (Kansas City area), don't forget that I've set it up with the tent operators to give all of my readers a 10% discount!

A Long Awaited Pedicure with a Friend: We are planning on celebrating my friend's birthday with a pedicure and lunch this month (Nevermind the fact that her birthday was in January...oops!)

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

Want a little glimpse into my life? :)

Books I Read:
Shopaholic Ties the Knot (book 3) by Sophie Kinsella: Becky gets married in this book. It did seem a little drawn out to me, and honestly, I came up with the solution to her problem before I was halfway through the book. Thankfully, she finally understood what I kept telling her to do. It just took her awhile to get that far. It was still a fun book though!

The Bank Heist by Kerri Swick: My friend wrote this one! It's a young adult Christian romance novel about a woman who is trying to figure out who stole the money from the bank where she works. It's very clean with no "scenes" that would make it inappropriate for young readers. This is Kerri's first book, and I thought she developed a great plot!

The Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer: This was a really engaging fiction book about a woman who is forced to marry one of four brothers. The brothers draw straws to see who gets to marry her, but she thinks they are drawing straws to see who has to marry her.

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood-Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years by Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay: This book was leaps and bounds better than the last parenting book I read. While I didn't agree with every single thing, the vast majority of their parenting tips made a lot of sense to me. I love the idea of giving kids two or three choices that we can live with as parents, and allowing them to learn how to make choices themselves. Such a great skill and one that should be instilled at an early age. I borrowed this book from the library, but I know I will read it again in a year or so. I highly recommend this one!

Books in the Queue:
Shopaholic and Sister (book 4) by Sophie Kinsella: Can't get enough of Becky's antics!

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer: I loved The Short-Straw Bride, so thought I'd give another one of her books a try.

Can't Miss Television:
Call The Midwife: This is a fascinating series by BBC. It's a fictionalized account of what midwifes used to do and experience in London's East End during the 1950's. It also has a little bit of humor woven through it. A very, very good series, and appropriate for families to watch together.

Movies I've Watched:
Man of Steel: I was surprised how good this movie was! Does anyone remember the last Superman movie? Yeah, it was a total let down. This one was anything but that! Very entertaining and a fun date night with my hubby!

Music I've Listened to:
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Hmm...I must be a mother! We've been listening to a lot of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the car lately!

Rock What You Got by Superchick: And occasionally, when I can't stand Mickey Mouse Clubhouse anymore, I switch it out for something a little more fun. Rock what you got!

Yummy in My Tummy:
Limes and Lemons in My Water: I'm not the best at keeping my water intake up. I just get so busy, that I forget to drink water! Lately, I've taken to adding a lime or lemon wedge to my water, and I'm really enjoying it! I find that I drink so much more if there is a little flavor. As an added bonus, I don't have to worry about scurvy now!

Happiness is:
Knowing that even on my worst days, when I'm not making any sense to anyone, my husband will still hold me and love me and tell me it's going to be okay. And he has also taught Elijah how to look at me and say, "It's okay!" when he isn't here. Lol!

What I'm Looking Forward to in July:
Sweating it out in a hot tent with my friends. I always spend the week before the 4th of July helping some friends run their fireworks tent. I'm always excited for it to come because of the fun we have, and I'm always grateful to see it go as I don't enjoy sweating all that much. If you are local to me (Kansas City area), don't forget that I've set it up with the tent operators to give all of my readers a 10% discount!

A Long Awaited Pedicure with a Friend: We are planning on celebrating my friend's birthday with a pedicure and lunch this month (Nevermind the fact that her birthday was in January...oops!)

Continuing to work on our Summer Bucket List!

I'm linking up with What I'm Into at HopefulLeigh.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.