You {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 30

 

You. I am thankful for each and everyone of you who take the time to read and/or comment on this blog of mine. I appreciate that you take time out of your day, your life, and give my sometimes rambling self notice. :)

Smiles,

B

Annual Christmas Traditions {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 29

 

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, we decorate for Christmas. This was a tradition of ours when I was growing up. For quite a few years that involved driving out to the Christmas Tree Farm and getting a Christmas tree, bringing it back to the house, decorating it and the house, and ordering pizza for dinner. 

Now that I have a family of my own making, we get up, drag all the Christmas decorations, tree included, down from the attic. Which is a feat in and of itself, given that it seems to be the world's smallest attic opening ever and due to it's awkward location it's a maneuvering marathon to get into and out of the attic. Plus, my hubby is scared to death of bats (picture arachnophobia scared) so I always have to go up to make sure our attic is bat-free (in case you can't tell, it's happened quite a few times that it wasn't... lol). 

Anywho. Last year was the first year Eli got just as excited as me to get all the boxes open and rediscover the decorations. He helped put the tree up while Zoe was discovering it all for the first time.

 

He really was a pretty big help. :)

 

Zoe was just excited to check it all out. :)

I'm really looking forward to dragging it all out this year and seeing how excited Eli and (hopefully) Zoe get. Eli has already been talking about getting them out since just after Halloween!

Another Christmas tradition I look forward to each year? Cookie Baking Day! Each year, my sis-in-law, mom, and adopted mom Wyn (Wyn is from England and they've lived here for tenish years... we've made them (her husband Frank) a part of our family... they are Nana and Gramps to my babies... I'll miss them something fierce when they go home next summer... anyway... I digress) all get together and bake cookies. We spend pretty much the entire day baking, decorating, visiting, sometimes getting into flour fights... so. much. fun. The kids have started helping, too. I'm hoping Zoe wants to help this year. :)

 

Personal taste testers! Eli and Ryker (my nephew). They even iced their own cookies. :)

 

Do you have any decorating traditions? Or any other holiday traditions?

Smiles,

B

Thanksgiving {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 28

Happy Thanksgiving! Or, if you don't celebrate this American holiday, Happy Thursday!  :)

I love getting together with family to eat and visit. It doesn't even matter to me so much what the holiday represents; it's more of what it's become for my family. A time to come together and share fun times. :)

The last three years we've hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at our house. This year it may not happen since our kitchen isn't a complete room at the moment. At the time I'm typing this, we don't even have a floor. So I'm doubtful we'll have a functioning kitchen in which to do Thanksgiving. But we'll still do Thanksgiving with the family - somewhere. :)

What are your Thanksgiving traditions?

Smiles,

B

♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

John Green. While I haven't loved all of his books, I have liked them. I enjoy his writing style and for the most part, his stories. My favorite, which is probably most people's, is The Fault in Our Stars. I'm uber nervous about the movie, but that's a different story. ;) I look forward to reading more by him. I realize that some people don't love his writing, or the way he writes his stories (I read a few reviews a while back (can't remember who, what, where, or when...) that claimed he was formulaic and predictable), but that doesn't make me like them less. Plus, he's a fellow Hoosier. :)

Smiles,
 B

Find John
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ YouTube

Next Week's Author:
Hint: She's a relatively new author, having only one partial series under her belt, but I already think she's awesome.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _
Any guesses?

Healthiness {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 27

 

Health. Yeah, I feel it's kind of a cliche to be thankful for health, but nonetheless, there ya have it. :)  Seriously. I am so very grateful and feel so very blessed to be in general good health. For my hubby and li'l ones to be in good health as well. So yeah. No complaints here. 

Smiles,

B

WWW Wednesday ♥

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

I was in the mood for a re-read. :)

Recently Finished

Per usual with Sarah Dessen, I loved it. :)

What I Might Read Next

   

I still have yet to read Allegiant, but I may continue with THG first. We shall see. 

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

Thankfulness Galore {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For ♥

If you've been reading my blog recently, you'll see that I've been doing a daily thankful post (except today, given the nature of *this* post...). Yes, I'm thankful every day of the year that God blesses me with another day to be alive, to be with my children. But it's been a great way for me to think of things daily to be thankful for - big and small things. It's so easy to lose sight of this as we go about our daily lives and get caught up in the mundanity that is life. (Yes, I'm making up words. ; P) You know, you wake up late because the alarm didn't go off, your dog/cat/bird peed on the floor, your kids refused to put their shoes on or had to pee all the sudden just as you're walking out the door, despite you asking them repeatedly for 30 minutes if they had to pee. All those things that make your mornings kinda sort of suck. Or the huge fight you had with your hubby/boyfriend/best friend/mom/dad/brother/sister that has had you in turmoil for days. The car doors are frozen shut, making you even later than you already are. There's not enough coffee to take to work. You can't *find* your keys. Or you are just flat out cranky for no apparently reason. All these things that make you forget that the sun is shining, the flowers smell amazing, the coffee you *did* have tasted amazing, the sheets are freshly washed, your kids are happy and singing along to your favorite band... Life does suck sometimes, but there's always something to be thankful for. So, for as long-winded as I'm being, that's why I've been doing the thankful posts. All that being said (and my apologies for saying so much of it), here are the top ten as I'm typing this (and this is *not* easy, just sayin'):

Family/Friends
I feel so incredibly lucky to have a family that loves and supports me, and friends who do the same. I'd be lost without them all.

Books/authors
I love my books. I love being able to get lost in them, to visit places I've never been or may never go, and ones that don't exist. I'm so thankful for the authors that create these worlds just for us.

Memories
My memory is like swiss cheese, for real. I forget things all. the. time. But that doesn't leave me any less thankful for the memories I do retain. :)

Music
I've used music for as long as I can remember to feed my emotions - happy, sad, mad... it doesn't matter. It can boost my bad mood, help me cope with horrible things, and keep me happy and singing along. It's awesome. Even if it only lasts a few minutes. (Unless it's Meatloaf, and then it could go on for 15... lol) 

My Children
They are my world. My everything. Sheesh... if that isn't cliche. Seriously, though. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them (besides, you know, *do* things for them. Last I checked they had working arms and legs and, well, the oldest at least, can put on his own shoes and get himself dressed... but surely you know what I mean). They've taught me so much about life, about love, that I don't know how I can ever teach them more. Not that I won't try, I just don't know how I will accomplish it. :) 
 
Coffee
Does this need an explanation? For real? It does? *sigh* It's a sweet nectar from the Gods. It keeps me sane. Well, as sane as I can be, at least. 

Traditions (this will post the day after Thanksgiving...)
I absolutely love traditions. There's the tradition of decorating the day after Thanksgiving that goes back to when I was little. Now we do it with our kids. There's the tradition of baking Christmas cookies with my mom, my sister-in-law, and our adopted mom (from England, whose three kids still live there) every year just before Christmas. There's the tradition of going shopping with my dad mere days before Christmas (once *on* Christmas Eve) - even if we only have one gift (or less) to buy, it's great spending the day with him. (I realize all of these are Christmas related... I guess I'm anxious for the holiday season... lol)

Job
I work in a library. I'm not sure that needs much more. ;)

Evenings
Family time. Albeit short family time, usually, but family time nonetheless. It's sometimes hectic and always chaotic, but I love spending time with my kids and hubby. And I hate the time change because it's already dark by the time I'm driving home with my kiddos, which just makes the evening seem that much shorter. (Reality, I know, is still the same as far as the actual minutes we get, but still...)

Those Who Serve(d) in the Military (And Their Families)
They risk their lives to help keep us safe, provide our freedom. They, along with their families, make sacrifices that we all too often take for granted.

So, there you have it. The top ten of my thankfulness... though really not in any particular order. I really didn't think I'd struggle deciding what to put on this list, but I found I did. I just wanted to put it all, since I am truly thankful for SO. MANY. THINGS.

Anywho. What's your top ten this week? Have a link you'd like to share?

Smiles,
B

Memorable Monday ♥ The Moon & More

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

 

"From what I could see, the hardwood was just fine. Then again, I'd just see a windmill and an open sky, too, never feeling the need to conquer either. You think it's all obvious and straightforward, this world. But really, it's all in who is doing the looking."

~The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen 






So very, very true. 

Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 25

 

I'm thankful for my puppy. I love Madison so much. She's sweet, adorable, loveable... she cuddles with me and always seems to know when I *need* a cuddle. I love the soft fur just behind her ears. Her oh-so-floppy ears when she runs. We were outside playing the leaves a week or so ago and she was having more fun than my kids, I think. It was pretty awesome. She's seven years old this year and it's hard to believe it's been that long. She was so tiny when we got her. 

Any other animal lovers out there?

Smiles,
B

Freshly Washed Sheets {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 24

 

I love crawling into bed to freshly washed/dried sheets. The smell, the feel, the coziness. It makes me feel immediately comforted and safe. (I have no idea how a sheet can have that control over me, but, alas, it does... lol). 

Now I want to go home and wash them.

Smiles,

B

Saturday Lovin' {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 23

 

I'm thankful for Saturdays.It typically marks the first day off after a long work week. And I love that they can be nearly anything I want them to be. We can plan on going somewhere, hanging out with friends, going to the park, visiting with family, or just having a jammie day at home. It's pretty awesome, if you ask me. (I'm totally ignoring the fact that housework should be added in here... lol.)

What do you like about Saturdays?

Smiles,
B

The Boob Tube {A Thankfulness Post}

Day 22:

I'm going to totally go first world here and say television. I love to get dragged into tv shows. 

Occasionally my love affair dies out (just as I've experienced with authors and/or series), the most recent of those being Bones. I loved Bones for the longest time, and it's not that I grew to hate it. I just lost interest. Recently I saw previews where she and Booth were getting married and I thought, "Oh, that's sweet. Maybe I should watch that." And totally never did. 

Then I have shows where my love affair has only gotten stronger as the seasons go on. Supernatural, Criminal Minds, NCIS, The Big Bang Theory. They have been on for 7+ seasons and I still anticipate them every week. And the ghost of shows past that remains with me will forever be Gilmore Girls. I *love* that show and still watch reruns when they're on.

My new obsession this season? The Blacklist. Oh. My. Goodness. James Spader is amazing and I love his and Agent Keen's chemistry (not romantic chemistry...). It's intense and full of twists and possible scenarios that keep me guessing. I can't wait to see where they take it.

There are so many other shows that I record and watch that I'd actually start to feel really bad about myself if I listed them all. ;)

What shows do you like to get lost in?

Smiles,
B

Follow Friday ♥ TAG! You're It!

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

You Are It! We are playing #FF tag this week. Comment on as many blogs as you can, even if they aren’t participating in #FF. Just say Happy #FF! At the end of your comment. Keep a running total if you want and update your post with it. The bigger the number the more impressed we will be!
To celebrate the #FF Tag, Parajunkee made a fun graphic:

So... GET TO IT! :)

***I got to 38 blogs... considering I usually do 5-10, I'm pretty excited! lol  May do more later!***

Smiles,
B

Unhinged {An ARC Review}

 

Title:  Unhinged
Author:  AG Howard
Series:  Splintered #2
Publisher:  Amulet
Expected Pub Date:  January 7, 2014
Source:  NetGalley
Format:  eBook
Rating:  Five Freaking Stars

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

 

  

***Although I always intend to have no spoilers in my reviews, please note that this is a second in a series. Therefore, there will most likely be spoilers from Splintered. :)***

 

Oh. My. Goodness. What the hell did I just read? I absolutely loved Splintered. So did Malissa. As you can tell from our review. So I was quite anxious to read Unhinged. But, now I'm sad. Mad. Because I was so anxious and requested a copy off of NetGalley, and read it already, I now have to wait even longer to read Ensnared. Boo! But we can't rush this world, this writing, so I'll just have to be (im)patient.

 

I went back and read my review of Splintered before I started writing this one. And there's definitely something both of these books have in common - I took forever to read them. Part of it had to do with timing, but mostly? It had to do with the fact that I love love love the world Howard has created. So much so I don't want to leave it. The good, the bad, the horrific, the terrifying, the darkness... all of it. It's so vivid, so terrifyingly real. We don't get as much Wonderland in this book as we did in the first, but all the elements are still there. I can't wait for the chance to dive back into the rabbit hole with Alyssa in Ensnared. :)

While I really felt that Splintered was very plot and action driven, Unhinged felt more character driven to me. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of action and the plot definitely moved forward, but we got a lot more insight into all the main characters. We learn much more about her mom's past, her dad, Jeb, and, possibly most importantly, Morpheus. 

While I was quite upset with Howard in Splintered for making me doubt my complete dislike of Morpheus, now I'm even more upset with her. Howard has created a perfectly plausible, believable, tangible, love triangle triangular connection. (Trying to avoid those dreaded words... totally not working... lol). And it's left me flailing. My heart is as torn as Alyssa's here. My confusion as real. (As I imagine AG Howard's is as well.) Seriously. There's so. much. chemistry. Not just Jeb and Alyssa. But Alyssa and Morpheus. Before, when I said I was totally down for Alyssa and Jeb? Yeah. Not sure where I stand on that one anymore. Thanks, Howard. Thanks. ;)

I loved seeing Alyssa and her mom try to reconnect after so many years. I was happy to see that it wasn't all sunshine and roses between them, either. There was still so much that they were hiding from one another. Still so many secrets. And her poor dad. In the first book, in the beginning, he seemed so oblivious to things. Puzzle pieces are starting to come together, though, and I can't wait for the completion.

If you haven't started this series, I truly hope when/if you do, you love it as much as I do.  :)  

Have you read Splintered and/or Unhinged? What'd you think? Want to read it? Don't want to? Let's talk! 

Smiles,
B

Postal Service {A Thankful Post}

Day 21:

I'm grateful for the Postal Service. In this day and age it's so quick and easy to email, text, facebook, what-have-you. But... I love that I have the option to send a card, a letter, a picture, a book, presents, nearly whatever I want, through the mail. And I love getting "actual" mail rather than bills or junk. It's pretty awesome. :)

What do you like to send/get in the mail?

Smiles,
B

♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

Brenna Yovanoff. I bought The Replacement, simply because of the cover. It was Brenna's first book... I hadn't heard of her, obviously, but I didn't care. That cover, it was amazing. Dark, creepy. I read the book and didn't regret one word of it. I absolutely *loved* the story... *loved* the writing... I can't even begin to describe how much. It was just as dark and creepy as the cover, which, by the way, looks like this... 

 

(And, in comparison, the paperback cover... well, it just sucks.)

All that being said, I've loved every book since (there's been two).  She has another coming out in June 2014. I'll admit, I haven't liked the covers as much as the books go on, but the cover doesn't make the book. Obviously, just like any relationship, there has to be some instant attraction, but still. It's what's inside that really counts. ;)

Smiles,

B

Find Brenna

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter 

Next week's author:
Hint: He's a local author to me, and according to Goodreads has only one series, featuring two books. :)

_ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _

Any guesses?

Waiting On Wednesday ♥ Fiendish

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases we're excited about.

There are, as you know, books coming out left and right that we all want to read. One I am looking most forward to is...



I absolutely love Brenna Yovanoff's books. I'll confess that this isn't my favorite cover of them all, but I would say it's my third favorite (out of her four books). I can't wait to see what she has come up with this time and delve into whatever world she has created. :)

What are you waiting on?

Smiles,
B

Children {A Thankfulness Post}

Day20

 

My children. I know I've already done family, but I want to call them out. No matter how bad of a day I'm having, even if they are part of the reason (whininess, not listening, etc), they always do something that makes it better. Whether it be coming up and giving me a great big hug, telling me they love me, or singing along to Bon Jovi with me in the car, they manage to make me feel better without even knowing I needed it. I love that.

Smiles,
B

Workin' Nine to Five {A Thankful Post}

Day 19

 

I'm so very thankful to have a job. Not just a job, but one I love (90% of the time, at least). For me (and probably a lot of you), I've always wanted to work in a library. I used play library when I was little - my friends could check out books from my own personal library and I'd pretend to stamp them with their due date. This was back in the day before everything went electronic, of course.  ;)  So now I get to work with books daily, I plan programs for kids. It's. So. Much. Awesomeness. Mostly. lol  I'd much rather stay home with my babies, but since I can't, I couldn't ask for a better place to work. They're super flexible with time needed off. The insurance isn't bad. And I like the people I work with. Or can tolerate them, at least. haha

What are you thankful for today?

Smiles,
B

Recommended Reads {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I Would Recommend To... ♥

I have no problem recommending books... sort of. I mean, I will recommend stuff all the time, to Malissa, Mindy, Danielle... but there's always the nagging thought...

What if... what if I feel:

 

  And then they feel:

 

Yes, I realize that it's better if we all have varied opinions, that what works for one may not work with another. But, and I know you feel me here, when it's something we absolutely loved, that touched us on some deeper level, we want that person we're recommending it to to grasp the awesomeness that is that book as well. Right? But, alas, that doesn't always happen. Such is life. Plus, it'd be pretty damn boring if we all liked the same stuff, right?

All that being said, to my sister-in-law (one of the slowest readers I've ever met, so the book has to be quick/easy to get into...) I would recommend the following:

        
     
        

I've loved each of these at one time or another. And definitely could see (or maybe just hope) that Michelle would love them just as much. :)

What books would you recommend? To anyone specific?

Smiles,
B   

 

 

Memorable Monday ♥ The Moon and More

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

 

"Everything had started in such sharp detail, each aspect pronounced and clear. Obviously, endings were different. Harder to see, full of shapes that could be one thing or another, with all the things that you were once so sure of suddenly not familiar, if they were even recognizable at all."

~Sarah Dessen, The Moon and More 





Sarah Dessen is so quotable. ;) I love this one. It definitely speaks the truth. Things get so muddled at the endings of things, especially if the ending is bad. The clarity is lost, nothing will ever be or feel the same.  

Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B 

Musical Mondays

Day 18

 

Music. I mean, c'mon. How awesome is it to just lose yourself in a song? To completely relate to something in roughly 3 minutes? It's amazing. I have used music for nearly all my life to help me through hard times, to help me enjoy the good times. It's such a release. And I love enjoying music with other people, finding new musicians, introducing musicians to others. My kids already love music, which makes me super happy! :)

Smiles,

B