Stamps that I am in love with...

I just received these stamps in the mail and adore them.  I haven't quite figured out what I will use them for yet but I can't wait.  LOL

I feel like I want the whole set now.  Please tell me what I can do with these and give me justification.  LOL

Is there anything better than singing in the car?

I am a morning person.  I'll just put that out there.  I am usually up by 7am or 7:30am even on weekends...by choice.  Today I had the opportunity to drive in the morning blissfully alone.  This set my day off to a positive tilt as it does every time I get the chance to do this.  I plugged in my iPod and set it playing my favorite On-The-Go playlist. Then I sang in a loud and largely out of tune voice all the way to my destination.

Singing alone in the vehicle is one of the greatest happiness pills there is.  As I tuned back into the world around me this morning I noticed that no one else was singing.  They were all yawning, scowling, talking on the phone, drinking coffee or staring zombie like in front of them.  Why aren't they singing?  Do they know what they are missing out on?

Sometimes I feel like I have discovered things that no one else knows or that I exist in a separate universe than everyone else... and that's ok.  Sometimes I try to fit back in with these people who don't sing and I sit silently in the car.  Almost as though against my will my toes will start wiggling or my fingers will tap the steering wheel in time to the music.  Then out of the corner of my mouth I will start muttering the lyrics, trying to keep my face impassive and zombie-like.  Eventually (usually when the light turns green) I will abandon these restraints and begin to enjoy the moment fully once again.

I haven't yet progressed to doing this when I am not alone in the car.  I'm just not that mean...

Do Lilacs Really Smell Like Urinal Cakes?

This is the dwarf Korean lilac that we have in our front yard. We planted it last fall and was so excited to see so many blooms this spring.  I did snip a few and bring them in the house but my husband Mr.Cheerios doesn't share my opinion on them.  He feels quite strongly that lilacs smell exactly like urinal cakes.  Not having been around a lot of urinal cakes, I tend to give him the hairy eyeball when he makes such statements.  The other part of my brain wonders if he might have a point somewhere in his wild accusations.  Rather that seek out a urinal cake for me to sniff, I'd rather ask you... do lilacs and urinal cakes share the same smell?

Uber Pen...Best Pen Ever

Bucket List...

Woot!

* Read one more book!
* Blogged another recipe on my cooking blog!
* Cleaned off my scrapbook desk but didn't actually start yet
* Thought about camping....

Oh Anne...

Another book under my belt.  I was cleaning out my closet last week and came across a bag with this inside.  I had forgotten that my mom had bought me this book during their cross Canada tour. 

I admit it here for all to see...I adore the movie Anne of Green Gables.  It is at the top of my movie lists most of the time.  I think I have seen the movie at least 20 times if not more.   I did enjoy the book Anne of Green Gables as well of course but I ADORED Megan Follow's portrayal of Anne.  When grouped with Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth and Patricia Hamiliton it makes for the best movie ever.  Mrs Smith in my office would beg to differ.  Hailing from Nova Scotia she hates everything green gables and the mere mention of it sends her into the 'depths of despair.' 

I see you rolling your eyes out there.  You don't have to like Anne.  I do.  Did I mention that my daughter's middle name is Anne which may or may not be related to Anne Shirley.

I assumed that this book would be 'the most tragical thing that ever happened to me' but I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes - you have to suspend a little bit of reality but I am totally ok with that.  I finished this book in less than 48 hours and rather than add to my giveaway pile it's going to stay on my bookshelf.  This book isn't for everyone.  Die hard fans of the original book will likely find it a 'perfect graveyard of buried hopes' as it isn't dark enough but it's a fun story and an enjoyable read.  Easily a 9/10 for me.  Hee Hee.  

I enjoyed it so much that I am going to have to watch the movie again. Soon.  I know that this review did go on and on so thank you for bearing with me as I ranted and raved.  'If you only knew how many things that I want to say and don't you'd give me some credit.'

Currently reading "Charley's Web" by Joy Fielding and "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson.  Reviews coming eventually....

Tupperware Veggie Spiral at work....

 

When I saw these on sale I bought a 4 pack and distributed them to some of my friends.  Over Easter I grabbed one of Mom's radishes and gave it a try.  :)

Ta - Da!

Bucket List Update

Let's catch up!

* My Mom taught me how to knit one evening at her house.  I have not picked it up since but I had better try soon or my dream of knitting something recognizable will fail.
* My friend Heather and I met during my lunch hour and we went to the Antique marketplace.  I didn't buy a thing and wasn't even tempted to buy anything.  Am I losing my touch?
* I signed up and attended a scrapbook retreat in Calgary
* I don't actually remember what I got done - if anything.  LOL  I will have to go back through the projects I brought and see if I can tick any more off the bucket list based on that.
* I did purge quite a few supplies from my scrapbook room.  More work is needed.  :)   Or maybe just more scrap time is needed.
* I do not move my butt 3 times a week.  Some weeks I do well with that and other weeks I fail completely.  The last 2 times I moved my exercise bike into my scrap room and watched PVR'd episodes of Days of Our lives.  I kept the remotes in the cup holder for convenience.  Hee Hee  That was fun.  I could do more of that.  I think I still am behind about 21 episodes.  I got addicted in University and now it's my guilty pleasure and stress outlet.  How can you watch that and NOT laugh your ass off?  I think I have perfected my own John Black eyebrow raise now and maybe even Friends Joey's "smell the fart" acting.  Almost ready to go pro with this and use it on real people...
* I thought about baking a pie.  Instead I played more Frontierville on Facebook.

Books and more Books

Another from the pile from my aunt.  This one was a fairly quick read and wasn't too bad.  A little too stretching of my own reality to really buy into that much I give this one a middle of the road rating.  6/10

Yeah yeah...I know I alternate between /10 and /5 but it's my blog and I'll be inconsistent if I want to.







I am actually not quite done this one but my Kindle battery died this morning when I was at 92%.  It's plugged in getting new life now but I've read enough of it to have an impression.  I enjoyed this book.  My husband suggested it after we watched the entirety of Season 1 of The Walking Dead: Season One . REALLY LOVED Season one and can't wait to see where they go with it.

As for the book, I did enjoy this one.  It is written from a unique perspective and while I sometimes wished that some of the survivor accounts went on longer I really liked how the whole story unfolded.  I am looking forward to reading those last few pages and see how they wrap it all up.  4.5/5




Just returned this one to the library today.  I saw this book reviewed on a blog that I read and even though I don't have any more babies in my future I wanted to give this one a read.

The first few pages made me laugh out loud.  By the time I was over half way I had begun skipping pages and then I finally just closed it without finishing.  This book does have some really humorous parts.  I found though that the humor grew wearisome after a while and I just wanted to stop reading.  DH tells me that my sense is humor is off though so maybe I just don't appreciate this book like I should.  DH did read a few pages on his own and reported that it made him laugh out loud.  He wants to give this book as a gift to the next couple we know expecting their first baby.

There isn't a whole lot of real info here but there is some buried in between the sarcasm.  It's not meant to be though - that's what all those other books are for.  While DH would likely give it a higher rating I am going with a 4/10 here.


Live More, Want Less: I can't give this one a fair review.  I've read too many of these books recently and have cancelled my other library requests for them.  It had some good ideas but nothing all that unique.  I peg it average and tuck it in with the other books of the same genre.










By the same author as above I also read this one.  I really enjoyed this one.  I love the idea of giving something up each month to try.  My mother thinks the whole idea is absurd and why would anyone do that to themselves.  I think it's brilliant.  I may be adopted.

As I near the halfway point in my 2011 bucket list, I am wondering if I should have a bucket list in 2012 or do my own version of "give it up".  I think I'll do both.  :)

I don't have a rating here - I liked it!!




This book was recommended to me by a co-worker who took a free course at work by the same name.  This book is a very quick read with a great fundamental idea.

The idea of prioritizing your life certainly isn't a new one but it is an important one.  I  had the privilege of hearing a keynote speech on the same idea at a conference that I attended 2 years ago.  It was inspiring and thought provoking.

This book brought back memories of the keynote speech and while I enjoyed the keynote more - this book does deliver the same message.  Definitely worth a read if you don't get bored with all the circus analogies.



I don't review cookbooks.  It doesn't seem fair when most of the time I take it out of the library, look at the pictures and vow to make something from there someday.  This one deserves a special exception.  Even if you don't plan to cook a thing from here (and you may not wish to with all the cheese etc in the self described not low on calories but high on taste recipes) the stories and pictures within make this a worthwhile read.  Her story of the city girl turned country ranch wife is great as well as the stories that follow. I have seen her blog now and again but this cookbook is a great compilation of recipes.  I love how she shows every detail of all the recipes in it - step by step.  There should be a law that all cookbook should do the same. DH thought some of these recipes sounded good so I will likely take this out from the library again the next time I am on a cooking binge.

Laugh Until You Cry and Hiccup...

http://damnyouautocorrect.com/


I can not stop laughing when I read these.  I laugh until the effort of keeping my laughter silent causes me to hiccup and whoop while tears run down my cheeks.  Coffee break or not - people should not laugh this hard at work...

I think I'll read the rest at home...

Another 2 books bite the dust...

I just finished this one a few nights ago. It's actually the second time that I've read it but this time I downloaded it to the Kindle instead.  I had the trade size paperback and it was beastly  to carry around and try to read. 

I like this series.  It does tend to get drone-y from time to time but I love the characters and I found that this particular one in the series got really great  in some parts.  I haven't yet downloaded the sequel.  My co-worker has warned me that it has a terrible cliffhanger and that the next one isn't due out until 2012 so I think I will take my time. 






The second book I read was the sequel to my other secret book listed below.  It was completely predictable in every way but at the same time - happened the way that it should so it was ok.  I liked it, but not enough to ever buy it.  I returned it to the library.

What would we talk about?

What would we talk about in Canada, if it wasn't for the weather?  Weather is what we talk about to the stranger in the elevator.  Weather is what we bring up when we end up in a conversation with someone that we haven't talked to for a while and with someone that we aren't entirely comfortable around.

I was in the car with my husband recently and loaded up the weather app on my phone.  We spent a minute or two laughing at the ridiculous weather this time of year.  One minute it is +10 and then the next day it's snowing and -15.

I have a few other locations saved into my weather app: Osoyoos, BC - because my Aunt/Uncle live there, Vegas - because we are going there again soon and Cancun - for pure torturous reading. As I looked at the Cancun forecast I realized that they are very boring.  5 days of plus 29 and lows of 24.   What do the residents of Cancun bring up for small talk?

Books I've Read Lately

This book was in a bag of books from my aunt.  I've read a couple of her novels before and this one left me with the same impression.  The story was enjoyable but she does like to make a story far longer than what it needs to be.  I'm not afraid of a long book - some of my favorite reads are hugely long.  I just want the length to mean something and to me, this novel didn't do it for me.  For a free book - it was enjoyable and if you enjoy her style of writing you may enjoy this.  As for my opinion: 2.5/5 and it goes into the Goodwill recycle box.







I subscribe to the book of the day email and when I read about this one, it sounded interesting.  I picked this one up at the library and gave it a read.  I did enjoy it.  Essentially it talks about how angry a person would get if someone stole their parking spot and how your perspective would change if it were a cow rather than a person. It then goes into detail about how to change your reaction to things that would normally anger you.  I found some great ideas in here.  I rolled my eyes at some parts too, but that's just my personality.  4/5






Book 3 - I have no picture before because I don't want to say.  No, it's not porn.  LOL   There are certain books that would best be classified under guilty pleasures and this was one of them.  I rate it 3/5.  I am reading the sequel now.

Besides the secret sequel, I am also reading 2 other books - hopefully to blog about next week.

Updates to the bucket list...

Let's see...what have I done lately...

* chewed off 9 fingernails.  With only one nail left - item 11 seems like a pipe dream.  LOL
* read 3 more books. Will blog about them next.
* have a date with my Mom this weekend to learn how to knit

I think next year I'll include something about naps.  Those should definitely be planned for....

Real Tupperware VS. the Competition

This is what happens when you listen to your husband while frantically cleaning house for last minute company and stash your dirty dishes in the oven.  This is what happens when despite reminding each other not to forget that we've done this - we forget.  This is what happens when you forget that you have done this and then turn the oven on a few days later.  This is what happens to Tupperware and Rubbermaid when left in a preheating oven for about 10 minutes....

Ahh tupperware....hot but not bendy.

Rubbermaid fail.