Not a BIG one.

There are very few stores that suck me in to buying something if I wasn't planning on it.

Probably because I hate shopping and so I ONLY go into stores if I want to buy something.

That being said, there are a few.

The Dollar Store.
I never go there on my own accord. Not because I hate the place. I simply forget how great that store is. It's usually my kids who drag me there to buy some lousy toy that is going to break in 5 minutes treasure and in waiting the 20 minutes it takes to choose a toy, I find about 10 things that I can use. I mean, what the heck, it's only $1.

Amazon:
I am usually only on this site at work. But once I am on....it's dangerous. Mostly I buy Kindle books...because I like to read and they are so cheap!! But every once in a while I will browse around and in those moments of weakness, I will buy something. Something that I didn't need but impulsively decided to go for it.

Audible:
This place is evil and wonderful all at the same time. I always thought audio books were cheating. But now that I have a commute to work, I love them! But I have to be so careful and watch myself because this is where I tend to go crazy. No, really. It's not good. My children do need to eat on a daily basis, so I have to force myself to stay away from that site. For my children's sake.

So I admit...sometimes I am a sucker.

But not a big sucker.

Are you??

Things I've learned...

...having boys.

1. They fart. Any time. Any place. Rules related to farting are futile and do not work.
2. They play. They fight... Wait 5 minutes... Aaaaaand...they're over it.
3. Teasing is their way of showing love.
4. Gaming is to boys what chocolate is to women.
5. When it comes to the toilet….boys have horrible aim.
6. When your boy grunts at you, just be glad that he is trying to communicate.
7. The inability to multitask in innate. And it never leaves them. Ever.
8. Boys sweat. A lot. Their armpits. Their hair. Their feet. Pretty much everywhere.
9. Once puberty hits, their stomach is replaced with a black hole.
10. Just because they are rough on the outside they are still soft on the inside.

That's gotta hurt!

There is nothing more frustrating 

than having to run to Payless Shoes 

in the morning 

to buy your son new shoes 

because you can't find his 

old shoes.

Okay... 

yes there is.

Like

when dropping off said son,

with his new shoes,

at school

only to realize that 

today is 

state testing day.

Grrrrr!!

Another good book: In a Glass Grimmly

"In a Glass Grimmly" by Adam Gidwitz

Goodreads Summary:
More Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classic
Take caution ahead—
Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.

Lest you enter with dread.
Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.

Step lively, dear reader . . .
Happily ever after isn’t cutting it anymore.

In this companion novel to Adam Gidwitz’s widely acclaimed, award-winning debut, A Tale Dark & Grimm, Jack and Jill explore a new set of tales from the Brothers Grimm and others, including Jack and the Beanstalk and The Frog Prince. 

My review:
I loved the first book in this series, "A Tale Dark and Grimm." I personally thought this one was even better than the first. Adam Gidwitz has a great has a great way of including humor in this adventurous book. I love that even though this is a continuous book of Jack and Jill and a frog's adventure, he starts each chapter as if it was the beginning of a new tale. This is a great read for both older and younger. I can't wait to read the next book.

Yummy Recipe: Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole

Recipe and picture found here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I prefer hot, but mild or sweet also work)
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced (or 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced)
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 (20 ounce) bag frozen hash browns, thawed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• (optional topping: thinly sliced green onions)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the sausage to a medium saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, crumbling the sausage with a spoon as it cooks. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of sausage grease in the saute pan, discarding the rest. Add the onion and red pepper* to the saute pan, and saute for 5 minutes until cooked. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. (If using the jarred roasted red peppers, wait to stir them until after the garlic.) Pour the vegetable mixture into the mixing bowl with the sausage. Add the hash browns and 1 1/2 cups cheese to the mixing bowl with the sausage and veggies. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and black pepper until combined. Then add them to the hashbrown mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 11x7-inch or a 9x9-inch baking dish (a 9x13-inch dish will also work), and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes and the top of the potatoes begin to slightly brown. Remove and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

I'm not PC.

Look, it's simple. 

If you have woman parts, then you go to the women's restroom.

If you have man parts, you go to the men's restroom.

If you aren't sure which restroom you should use because your identity doesn't align with your anatomy, then lobby for your own restroom.

It seems pretty simple to me.

I am a woman. I have woman parts. I am 100% fine with doing my business in the Women's restroom. So why is my right to privacy being trampled on simply because someone else isn't sure where they feel comfortable doing their business.

 And what about my daughter? 

Who's going to stop the sexual predator who sees a beautiful young girl go into a restroom and decides that today, he feels like a woman?

Not Target. 

In accommodating a few, they are alienating most, never mind putting the majority of their customers (women and children) at risk.

The answer is simple.

Just give those who are exploring, confused, uncomfortable or sexually fluid their own unisex restroom.

It really is that simple.

Things I've learned....

...teaching my son to drive.

1. Never yell.
2. Never-mind. Yelling is okay as there are times your life might depend on it.
3. It's okay to pee your pants every now and again. It cannot be helped.
4. Don't assume that your child knows the difference between a stop sign and a stop light. DO NOT ASSUME.
5. The white line is optional...
6. Parking in an empty parking lot is harder than it seems.
7. All cars should come with a brake on the passenger's side.
8. I don't see the freeway in his future. You're welcome.
9. Roundabouts are evil and confusing and should be banned from Earth!
10. Prayers are answered. I know this because I am still alive.

And those are the things I've learned teaching my son to drive.

3 minutes

Three minutes.

Not a very long span of time, right? What can happen in 3 minute?

A lot can happen in three minutes.

That's what.

Allow me to demonstrate.

I am apparently great at making all my children cry in under three minutes. It is a special skill that I have mastered, quite unintentionally as it turns out. Whether I declare "Time for chores." or "Sorry, no screen time (electronics, phones, tv, etc.) today because there was too much fighting." the weeping and wailing begins immediately.

I can be completely out cold in 3 minutes...30 seconds, actually. The second my head hits the pillow is the second I am out. Sad, really.

I can spend over $100 in Target or Hobby Lobby in three minutes.

I can make a clean car look like a tornado hit in less than 3 minutes. The secret is to give each child a snack bag at the BEGINNING of a trip and then turn on the movie. Three minutes tops, the car will be unrecognizable. You should try it sometime. Unfortunately, the cleanup usually takes like 100xs longer...especially if said children are helping with clean-up.

Though I have never timed it, I am pretty sure I can get pregnant by just looking at my husband the right way. So we can add that to the list...or at least that used to be the case. Two words: snip snip.

I can brush and floss my teeth in 3 minutes

I can burn the last batch of cookies in 3 minutes. I'm really good at that. Every time.

I can have a heart attack in three minutes. With my oldest learning how to drive, the minute he gets behind the wheel, I start to experience a shortness of breath and the whole left side of my body goes numb.

I can show my kids I love them in three minutes. Whether it is a simple "Thanks for doing that, I really appreciate it!" or "You're so good at that!" or a simple act of service, or a note in their lunch, a short back rub. All of these little things add up....add up to the knowledge that, "Hey, Mom loves me."

yup. Three minutes can make a difference!

Best Book!! Someone Knows My Name

"Someone Knows My Name" by Lawrence Hill

Goodreads summary
Abducted from Africa as a child and enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom―and of the knowledge she needs to get home. Sold to an indigo trader who recognizes her intelligence, Aminata is torn from her husband and child and thrown into the chaos of the Revolutionary War. In Manhattan, Aminata helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for service to the king with safe passage to Nova Scotia. There Aminata finds a life of hardship and stinging prejudice. When the British abolitionists come looking for "adventurers" to create a new colony in Sierra Leone, Aminata assists in moving 1,200 Nova Scotians to Africa and aiding the abolitionist cause by revealing the realities of slavery to the British public. This captivating story of one woman's remarkable experience spans six decades and three continents and brings to life a crucial chapter in world history.

 

My Review:
I'm always so amazed with historical novels! An author's ability to intertwine inspirational characters with truly horrific historical events is simply impressive! This is one of those novels. I LOVED this book. I would say it is now the best book that I have read this year...and I read a lot of books. It is always so heart wrenching when I think about how awful we humans are to each other. But despite  all that Aminata goes through, she finds a way to stay strong. She finds home wherever she goes even though she longs for her first home in Africa. Such a good book!

Give it time

Anything worth having takes time.
It just takes time.
With time, things will get better.
Just give it time.

I have heard these sayings and have always assumed that they meant that over time things would get better or would become easier or become what I had expected them to be. That is what is implied.

But lately I have realized that there is more to it.

I would say that anything worth having requires time.
Things will get better if you give it time.
It requires time.
Just give it your time.

This isn't a new or profound idea...well, maybe it is profound... but it seems lately, in my life, I have been forgetting that all good things require effort, work, and especially time.
.
Strong faith.
Lasting and caring relationships with Hubs and my children.
Peace of mind.
A slim body.
A clean house.

The more time we give to the things that are important to us, the more we will get out of them. I have been looking inward lately, trying to figure out where I have been spending most of my time. I honestly can't tell you where all the time has been spent, but I can tell you it hasn't all been on the things I value most.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." In this day and age, our attention is being pulled in so many directions. It is up to us to decide where we are going to spend our time. Spend our energy. Give our attention.

I have decided that I want my time to go to those relationships and things that will last. Things that I want with me over the long haul. If I "give them time," my time, my attention...undivided...then it will be obvious where my treasure is.

And all will be well.

Except maybe not the clean house.

No amount of time will keep that sucker clean.

I like not working....

They say the grass is always greener on the other side.

But in my case...the grass is literally greener here...

...on the other side.

At least the other side of winter.

You see, I used to live in a desert.

Okay, so technically Albuquerque is considered a high desert.

I'm not sure what that means...

...but I think it might have something to do with the amount of meth 

flowing through the southern border.

JK! JK!!

It really just means that it is a high elevation desert...

...meaning snow...

...in a desert...

...weird...I know.

My point is this:

During most of the summer in New Mexico, if you work hard,

your grass will be green.

Most of the time.

But only if you work hard.

And water it.

A lot of water.

Often.

Then, and only then, will your grass be green.

Now I live in Cache Valley Utah.

Lots of snow.

Significantly less sun.

A plethora of the cold, wet, white stuff.  

So you can imagine my delight that when the snow began to melt I saw green grass.

Green grass growing.

On it's own.

Under the snow.

I didn't have to work hard.

I didn't have to water it...

...at...all.

I didn't even have to take meth....

...wait....what?

See…

...greener grass!

Mr Darcy's Diary

"Mr Darcy's Diary" by Amanda Grange

Goodread's Summary:

Monday 9th September
""I left London today and met Bingley at Netherfield Park. I had forgotten what good company he is; always ready to be pleased and always cheerful. After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him again. ...""

"The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings was in the private pages of his diary...

"Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle not to fall in love.

"Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view. This graceful imagining and sequel to Pride and Prejudice explains Darcy's moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet. Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy's words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing - qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennet's heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.

"Pride and Prejudice has inspired a large number of modern day sequels, the most successful of which focus on the rich, proud Mr. Darcy."

My Review
Ahhh!!!  
Pride and Prejudice.
I recently read the book (I'm sad to admit for the first time) and it was….ahhh!!!!  Pride and Prejudice.
As awesome as the book and movie are, there are times when we have to get chunks the story second hand, some really important chunks. Not any more. Amanda Grange does a fantabulous (Yes, that is a word, Mr. Spellcheck!) job of filling in those gaps, in a very satisfying way. This book just makes me love Darcy even more. I love seeing things through his eyes. Many insights into the characters close to Darcy. PLUS, you get the extended version of the story, aka what happens in the Happily Ever. You are going to love this book!

What's he doing???

When a grown man is
bored
at the grocery store. 

No one ever asked me

For all the times no-one asked me my opinion....

1.

Cantaloupe is gross.

 I know that it adds a pretty color to those summertime fruit salads.

But it is like mustard…

...it ruins everything it touches.

2.

The hardest word to spell in the English language is

 'definitely'.

You don't know how many times

 I will change what I want to say

just so I don't have to write that word.

3.

I think long curly beards are gross.

Especially on women.

4.

Guys who wear their pants hanging

below their butt cheeks

 should just take the pants off

 and walk around in just their boxers.

This way people would think, "Huh…that guy forgot something"

instead of thinking "That guy is

stupid."

5.

I'm a little offended

that the most popular insult

for kids these days starts with

"You're mama."

6.

Crossfit is amazing.

That being said, I think it's just a matter of time

before all cross-fitters blow out their knees doing squats.

Knees aren't made for that kind of abuse.

7.

Marvel needs to make

Black Widow's movie!

 Hello!!

Her story is awesome!!

8.

Kasich needs to get out of the race.

He. Can't. Win!!

9.

 Many people don't realize

that there is a right way to be direct.

Being rude is not that way.

10.

People should ask me

 my opinion

 more often.

Linking up with Mama's Writer's Workshop.
Needs some writing prompts and ideas....she's my go to gal!

Off the hook....

Is having teenagers

a good excuse

for having a messy house?

I sure hope so

because I'm planning on using it

for the next 10 years.

Saturday, Saturday. Where art thou??

We live for that day

at the end of the week.

A "rest from our labors"

is just what we seek.

The count down begins

from the very first day.

We celebrate the "Hump"

when we are half way.

As Saturday nears

my anticipation, it grows

"The things I will do,

the places I will go."

Sleepin-in tops the list

so does laundry and chores,

The kids will be happy

and spend hours outdoors!

Well, if wishes were fishes

we'd all have a fry.

My day's never like this

I can't figure out why.

 

 

Up with the sun,

I can never sleep in,

Add the mountains of laundry

Sigh...I can't ever win!

 

 

Minecraft and WiiU

Fill my children with glee.

"At least we aren't fighting."

Ugh!! I have to agree.

 

 

Saturday, meh,

Overrated for sure.

Give me my Sunday

and I'll come back for more.

A Book: A Dragon's Guide to the Car and Feeding of Humans

"A Dragon's Guide to the Car and Feeding of Humans"
           by Laurence Yep, Joanne Ryder

Goodreads Summary:

"Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet—a ridiculous notion! 

Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie’s sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake’s combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it’s too late."

My Review:
I love reading books that my younger kids would like. This is one of those books. It is fun, full of fantasy and adventure and highly entertaining. It's written from the view of the dragon, one who feels she is above being someone's pet. Winnie, her young new owner,  believes the dragon has been willed to her. The book takes us on an adventure that even boys will enjoy. This is a fun, quick read, a book for the whole family!

Copy Cat Panera Bread Potato Soup

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
• ½  teaspoon of paprika
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper  

Directions

• 1. Combine broth, potatoes, garlic, and spices.
• 2. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
• 3. Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.
  4. Reduce to low heat.
  5. Add cream cheese.
  6. Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.

I'm dreaming of a white Spring Break….wait...what?

This pretty much sums up Spring Break 2016.