Hello Friends,
It’s been quite some time since I’ve been active on this blog. However, I want to invite you to follow join my new adventure: XOXO, Boymom.
Years ago, when I first began my “Written ‘En Vogue blog, I was much younger and more active among the book review world. I still love to read and write, but I’ve gained a few other passions (and children!) along the way.
XOXO, Boymom better represents who I am today, and it feels more “me.”
I hope to see you soon!
xoxo
I do not sugar coat my child’s behavior. I know that he is not perfect, or the type of student that every teacher dreams of having in his or her classroom.
Long before finding out I had my third baby boy on the way, I had a premonition that a third pregnancy would not be easy. I was correct. 🙂 Right off the rip I suffered from nausea—nearly all food …
Source: My Third Pregnancy: Overcoming the Challenges & Road Blocks
When I was 20 my skin changed. I broke out more than I did in high school. Perhaps it was the food I was eating or a change in hormones. Either way, it was awful and embarrassing. And it only contin…
… I haven’t blogged in forever. I feel oddly detached from something I once considered ‘mine’—yet here I am. Because, it’s time to write.
This past year has been a struggle.
Oh the Commitments
Last spring I committed myself to a new job, working part-time from home. I could swing it. Both of my boys would be in school three days a week.
And then, in the summer, I was presented with an opportunity to assist as a teacher in my youngest son’s preschool class twice a week. I figured I could find a balance, so I said yes. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see my sweet little boy make his first friends. And he’s only four years old once.
But in November, a mini-bomb dropped. (I call it a mini-bomb because my problems are nothing compared to what some go through. I completely acknowledge that. I am very blessed.)
Sayonara Brick and Morter
A series of … shall I say, “unfortunate events” led my husband and I to pulling our oldest son from his school. In the middle of the day.
Yes, it was that bad.
I quickly enrolled my son in a cyber school, trying to make the transition as smooth as possible, and am now responsible for being his 2nd grade teacher (along with my husband and sister-in-law who help on the days I am with my youngest in preschool).
And yes, it was the only option we felt was best.
Cut in Quarters
Aside from these three roles, I am also mom/wife.
Being split into four different roles—working mom, teaching preschool mom, teaching second grade mom, and everyday mom/wife—each requiring it’s own specific needs/time, is tough.
I feel I’m giving each role 25 percent, at best. I want to be super mom. I want to give 100 percent to everything—especially as mom and wife.
Yet I’m not. I know I’m not. No one is going to tell me I’m not.
Who would say it anyways? That’s like telling someone they are a terrible person.
But I am ‘quartering it.’ And I dislike it, very much.
On top of all of this, I have a story that is clawing away at my brain. I want to write it down. I want to find the time to write it down. But by the end of the day, I am mentally exhausted. The idea of spending any additional time—either in front of a computer screen or brainstorming in a note book—makes me cringe.
All I want to do is curl up under my down comforter and sleep … so I have enough energy and motivation to do it all over again the next day.
Sadly, “snow days” have become my best friend. I live in the polar vortex. Because of the cold, my youngest’s school has been closed a few times this month. I revel in these days. one.less.thing.to.do.
Grocery shopping? I’d rather not.
Cook dinner? My brain shuts down. I completely lack culinary creativity.
Cleaning? Sheesh, it never ends. So sometimes I just ignore it. But don’t judge. I know you ignore it sometimes too. 😉
HOWEVER … There is Light
Church. Faith. Both of which I am thankful.
My priest spoke beautiful words of truth the other Sunday …
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t be doing it for YOU. It’s not about YOU. It’s about HIM. It’s about LOVE. Your love for Him. Change how you do it, and do it out of love. ❤
So I have been trying my hardest to recall these words every single time I start to feel the “ughs” and the “whys” and the discouragement roll around.
There is a REASON why for everything. I don’t have all the answers right now. And it may not all be perfect. But I need to have faith. I need to trust. I need to love. I will love.
Life is quite the journey. Perspective and faith are essential.
Peace.
What they don’t tell you in college …I studied professional writing in college. Lessons on writing resumes, cover letters, and business proposals were covered. However, nothing was ever mentioned about freelancing. (Well, if it was, I wasn’t paying attention.)
Technology has certainly advanced in the past ten years since I graduated. And with these advancements, opportunity sprung forth – opportunity to freelance as a student and as a graduate.
However, I now wonder:
“Are these opportunities being discussed within the walls of the advanced education systems?”
My guess is no.
In a crap economy (yes, I still say it’s crap even though reports predicted otherwise), college grads are emerging from their “me” centered bubbles with high hopes. They expect to find a job in their field, and one that pays well.
Ha.
This is not always the case. And when it is, those grads are “the lucky ones.”And we all wish that was the reality for all grads. If it were only that easy …
Where I come from, college grads are lucky to find a job that pays more than minimum wage.
Unless they’re willing to move.
Most are stuck with minimum wage jobs. And if they’re lucky, they’ll be hired despite being a now overeducated applicant.
However, there are money-making opportunities right at their fingertips, literally. But, you have to think outside the “college box.”
Freelancing websites allow users to search for field related work. And the work can be done while sitting naked on your own couch. (I don’t recommend sitting naked on a parent’s couch, however, if said grad still lives at home.)
Sites like oDesk provide free user registration. Once an account is created a user can then search job listings by category and go from there. However, if said user is not quite ready to jump into the freelancing pool, and he or she prefers to first get their feet wet, I suggest trying Fiverr.com.
Again, registration is free on Fiverr and one can opt to participate as little or as often as desired. Fiverr allows users to search gigs and buyer requests. The easiest gigs are posting reviews, such as product, book, and site reviews. And while the money isn’t a lot, it does eventually add up. Also, payments can be sent directly to a PayPal account.
Simple. Fast. Perfect.
However, there is a downside to freelancing.
When freelancing, you are not exposed to actual human beings. Therefore, you are alone. You MUST motivate yourself. If you have difficulties with distractions (i.e. Internet browsing, social media sites, online shopping, etc.), then you may have a hard time succeeding as a freelancer.
I’ll tell you why. Over seven years ago I was an expecting mom with a college English degree. I wanted to work from home, be my own boss, and daycare was out of the question. So, I tried my best to think “outside the box.”
First, I thought I could start my own resume writing service.
Yeah, that didn’t work. I knew nothing about website development and that’s where I thought my business would generate the most customers.
Then, I bought into Mary Kay Cosmetics. I learned I was a terrible sales person. But I LOVED the makeup!
Next, I dabbled in candle making. Too much mess. And good wax is expensive.
So, I then joined a candle selling business (like that of Mary Kay). Apparently I hadn’t learned my lesson the first time. Ha. However, I was lucky because I sold those candles for a year. They were THAT good. Good candles sell themselves. But, I had to leave my home and my kids in order to sell. So in the long run, it wasn’t for me.
Finally, I started my own book blog and decided I was going to write, even if I wasn’t being paid to do so. And as a result of that decision, I broke into freelancing, by accident.
Two years ago I was given an opportunity to edit and I snatched that baby right up (all because someone noticed I was a writer),
Thank God.
I did everything I possibly could to ensure my client was happy with my work. I went nearly two years with less than 5 days off. I worked all the time. And along the way I met some wonderful people and fellow freelancers. Doors opened. Opportunities came my way.
And finally, one day, I had a choice. I had several opportunities floating in my inbox. I chose the one best fit for me. There’s nothing better than having a choice.
Think outside the box. If you’re working a “less than desirable” job, do something on the side. Do anything. Search for work. Create your own work and talk about it. That’s what I did. And one day, it finally got me somewhere.
One day, it may get you somewhere as well.
Peace.
This past week I noticed several Facebook updates from friends who purchased their first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (A BIG fan favorite!) for the upcoming Fall season. It makes sense. School started and we all know that once that happens, Fall arrives immediately! (Well, at least where I live it does!)
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
So what is better than curling up with a great book and pairing it with a warm, pumpkin spice latte? Even better, make it yourself and save yourself A LOT of money!
And so, since I am also a coffee and pumpkin lover (but am not a fan of spending money on things I can make myself), I decided to go recipe exploring for a homemade pumpkin spice latter and I discovered this one.
It’s a great recipe, but I decided to adapt it a bit ;).
Please note, my pumpkin spice latte recipe is HALF the original. I also decreased the amount of canned pumpkin by more than half because I am not a big fan of drinking liquid pumpkin ;). I think the recipe I developed tastes great. It’s not overwhelming in the pumpkin department and you can still taste the coffee–but it also is not overpowering.
AND, the end result is just sweet enough ;). Both my husband and my 3 year-old tried it and loved it. So, I think this pumpkin spice latte recipe is a success!
OK, so below is the recipe that I created. 😉 For those interested, I have posted images of the ingredients I used to create this recipe at the bottom of the post, as well as where I purchased them. ENJOY!
1 Cup Almond Milk
1 1/2 tbsp. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. raw honey
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
6 oz. Brewed Coffee or Expresso
First, prepare your coffee:
I used 2 scoops of Maxwell House Coffee (original roast) and about 1 cup (6 oz.) water. I made my coffee is an Imusa stove top espresso maker (I found one at the Grove City outlets for under $5!!)
But you if have no idea what I’m talking about, you can find the Imusa stove top expresso maker here. Basically, it’s a percolator. It makes your coffee much stronger than a regular old coffee maker.
I love mine!
Next:
While coffee is getting ready, combine the almond milk, pumpkin and raw honey in a small saucepan, and cook it on medium heat, stirring until steaming.
Next, remove saucepan from heat, stir in vanilla and spice. Then, grab your whisk and get to it! When a lot of foam is created, you’re ready to transfer to your cup 🙂
Pour pumpkin mix into one large mug or two mugs.
Then, add the hot espresso or coffee on top. Once poured, you can top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg or cinnamon on top.
I just left my plain. 🙂
Ingredients:
Friendly Farms regular Almond Milk found at Aldi’s grocery store
Libby’s Pure Pumpkin
Crystal’s All Natural Raw Honey found at Wegman’s
McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice (found at Walmart)
Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract
Unless you live under a rock, you have heard about (if not seen) the Miley Cyrus “music performance” at the 2013 VMA’s on Sunday, August 25. It’s impossible to miss, especially if you’re active on Facebook.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: Miley Cyrus performs during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 25, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for MTV) via http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1713082/miley-cyrus-vma-performance-reactions.jhtml
Various words have been attached to this girl: skank, disgusting, slut, outrageous, vile, repulsive…the list goes on. She is currently the “villain” of our culture. Parents are outraged, reporters are groveling in the coverage and many of us are asking, “What the hell happened to this girl?”
Sadly, here is one chic who clearly does not know who she is and she is trying to figure it out by meshing a load of different characters into one: Britney Spears, Madonna, Pink, Lady Gaga, even KISS. Sorry Miley, but your lack of originality reeks.
...Moving On
Well, of course, this event got me thinking about the young adult books I’ve read over the years, and I asked myself, “Has there been a character, so vile, that has absolutely repulsed me the way Miley Cyrus just did?” Of course I immediately thought of one specific character:
Bellatrix Lestrange from “Harry Potter”
Bellatrix throws her knife as the prisoners escape (via http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Bellatrix_Lestrange)
If you have read “Harry Potter” then you probably understand why I made the connection. Bellatrix is pretty hideous to look at. She’s evil. She’s out to get the good guys. Readers hated her. And when I read various parts of “Harry Potter,” I absolutely despised her character. But does she meet the level of “vile” that Miley Cyrus displayed at the VMA’s? I’m not quite sure. Bellatrix was legit. Original. Miley? Not so much.
So then I thought about a book I recently finished reading: “The Opportunist” by Tarryn Fisher.
There is a character in this book that I wanted to stab. She’s beautiful but manipulative. She’s rich with money but lacking in character. She is Leah Smith. Yes, I despised her. I wanted her OUT of the picture. But was she repulsive and vile? I cannot say that she was…and again, she was pretty original. Miley Cyrus, again not so much.
So, my fellow Young Adult book readers, can you point out a character that is so skanky, repulsive and “unoriginal” that we can easily say, “Now SHE is the Miley Cyrus of Young Adult Fiction” ??? I keep trying to pinpoint one character that can easily match up…but I’ve got nothing. What do you think? If anything, Miley could definitely inspire the creation of one!
(I’ve moved everything around a little bit so that you don’t have to scroll forever!..beginning of Bout of Books is at the end of the post ;).)
Sunday – 8/25
*Number of books I’ve read today: 1; The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1) by Tarryn Fisher (Caleb Drake!!)
*Total number of books I’ve read: 1 (I’m still working on Timepiece by Myra McEntire.)
* Books read: 1 (YAY!!)
*Books in progress: 1
*How I’m feeling: Ok, so I was a speed reader with “The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1)” by Tarryn Fisher. Seriously could not put this book down. I’m happy that I made it through ONE book :). Viva la Read-a-thon!!!
*Interesting stuff: I started screaming (in my head, not out load, lol) about 60% of the way through this book. I LOVED the characters, cringed at the ending (but wait, there’s two more books in this series, so who knows where it may lead ;)) and could NOT put it down. It was an easy read, a fast read (quite a few pages, but the flow was good). I hope to post a review of it soon :).
Saturday – 8/24
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
* Books read: 0
*Books in progress: Bet you can’t guess…LOL…oh, wow! I’m still reading Timepiece by Myra McEntire. There’s a shocker! Ha! 😉 I am now 24% of the way through!
*How I’m feeling: I’m good. I’m not going to complain about my lack of reading or time for reading. Today was an awesome day. My husband and I took our boys to the air show in our town, and then took them to a birthday party at the roller skating rink. It was their first time roller skating (and it was at the same exact place that I used to go skating at when I was a kid). It was an awesome day :).
*Interesting stuff: See above 🙂
Friday – 8/23
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
* Books read: 0
*Books in progress: Believe it or not, I’m still reading Timepiece by Myra McEntire. I’m now at 23% of the way through.
*How I’m feeling: Perhaps joining a read-a-thon the week before school starts was not the best of ideas!! 🙂 Today I spent a lot of time outside with my kids. I read little bit, but mostly played wiffle ball and pushed my boys on the swings. It is what it is. 🙂 I’ll have a lot more time to read when my oldest goes back to school…and yet I am not looking forward to all that down time…I love my babies ❤
*Interesting stuff: ….I’ve got nothing!!
Thursday – 8/22
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
*Books read: 0
*Books in progress: I feel like a broken record here! ha! I’m still reading Timepiece by Myra McEntire. Today I went from 20% of the way through to 21%.
*How I’m feeling: Many of my fellow bout-of-bookers have thrown some awesome encouragement my way, so I’m not feeling so bad about my lack of progress anymore. 🙂 I love bookish friends!!
*Interesting stuff: Today I didn’t get too much reading done (shocker!) because I decided to take my little guys to the amusement park. School starts on Monday, so this was kind of our last summer “hoo-rah” before school begins. Perfect weather. Perfect memories. I won’t complain :). I may hit up the beach with the kiddos tomorrow…perhaps I will dive into “The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1)” by Tarryn Fisher. I’ve heard many many good things about this Caleb Drake character :).
Wednesday – 8/21
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
*Books read: 0
*Books in progress: Same story. Different day. I went from 19% to 20% on my Kindle…ugh. So, not many…I’m still reading Timepiece by Myra McEntire.
*How I’m feeling: Yesterday was just a mentally draining day for me. School starts on Monday, and I’m just not ready to send my baby away for 7+ hours a day, 5 days a week. I struggled through it last year for Kindergarten and I’m still struggling. I love my kids. I have a teaching background and am constantly researching homeschooling. But my oldest enjoys people…he enjoys attention and can command a room like none-other…so I go back and forth as to what is best for him. Our neighborhood isn’t exactly “kid friendly,” so he doesn’t get the socialization with other neighborhood kids that a lot of kids get….so I don’t know. Sometimes I just feel like it’s a lose-lose situation. Blah..sorry, I’m in a mood. Fingers crossed this school year is better than last.
*Interesting stuff: One of the best parts of my day was seeing everyone’s creativity in poetry 🙂 I wish I could be more active with Bout of Books. I’m trying…I get caught up in work and kids, and I sometimes forget to make “me time.” But I do my random 20 second searching a few times a day…so all is not lost. 🙂
Tuesday – 8/20
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
*Books read: 0
*Books in progress: Ugh. I am officially 19% through Timepiece by Myra McEntire
*How I’m feeling: Defeated!! …but I am still pushing forward!!!!
*Interesting stuff: (really not that interesting, but more so about my life..lol)
SO! Today I did laundry, cleaned both kitchen and bathroom floors, changed bed sheets in all the rooms…and then in the evening it was “meet and greet” night at my son’s school (my oldest is going into 1st grade). It was a rough evening when my son realized he is only 1 of 6 kids from his Kindergarten class now on his 1st grade class. And none of his “BFFs” are in his class…. 😦 I tried my best to put a “positive spin” on the situation, but I feel like I failed miserably. Anyways, after that I spent quite some time hashing it out with fellow “mom friends” from his school…analyzing the situation and trying to make sense of logistics.
With that said, my reading for the day failed miserably as well. Ugh. Vivia la read-a-thon…let’s try for day 3 success!
Monday – 8/19
*Number of books I’ve read today: 0
*Total number of books I’ve read: 0
*Books read: 0
*Books in progress: I am officially 17% through Timepiece by Myra McEntire
*How I’m feeling: I LOVE that this book (Book #2 of the Hourglass Series) is written from Kaleb’s perspective *swoon* lol 🙂
*Interesting stuff: My reading started out great today–was able to get my #readathon on for a bit. And then I had to hit up the grocery store for some back-to-school lunch box essentials. After that it was off to the dentist for my 6 month check-up and cleaning as well as my 3 year-old’s very first visit to the dentist. Finally, my husband and I had to pick up our second car that had been getting inspected all day (our other car was inspected last week–two car inspections in less than a week IS NOT FUN. It puts a nice hole in your pocket, that’s for sure! Ha!
Challege #1: TBR List Challenge @ Musings of a Bookship Girl
My Top 5 in my TBR list are as follows in no particular order:
1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
2. Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
3. Slated by Teri Terry
4. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
5. Unremembered by Jessica Brody
If I won this contest, all 5 of these would be the ones I would purchase (if I had enough cash to do so! =))
Challenge #2: Book Spine Poetry @ Such a Novel Idea
The eternal ones fated the truth about forever.
If I stay the lucky one, lock and key wither.
Crossed, evercrossed.
I’ve been treating myself to some fantastic books lately (as well as writing a bit each day!!)–so I decided, why not participate in the Bout of Books 8.0 read-a-thon? After all, this is exactly where my connections to fellow book lovers were built (as seen here). So, this is my official “sign-up.” 🙂
Official Blurb:
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week-long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
My Reading Goals and Such:
The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1) by Tarryn Fisher (I have only heard good things about this Caleb Drake character!!)
Timepiece: An Hourglass Novel by Myra McEntire
*Participate in at least one challenge*
**Connect with new book lovers**
So, what are your reading goals? Please share with me!
Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver
Image Courtesy: Goodreads
Lauren Oliver is one very talented writer. I adore her Delirium Series, and have had “Before I Fall” on my TBR list for over a year. A few weeks ago I discovered it cheap on Amazon and enthusiastically downloaded it to my Kindle. I was stoked. I have read many positive reviews on blogs, and so my expectations were fairly high. I was ready to jump into another Lauren Oliver masterpiece.
Unfortunately, that was not the case in regards to my experience. While I read, something kept nagging at me in the back of my head. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was…there was something so familiar about this story…
OH RIGHT. “Groundhog Day.” I knew the storyline all too well…saw that movie at least 30 times, if not many many more.
Only this version wasn’t about a middle-aged disgruntled weatherman. It was about a popular teenage girl.
But the similarities didn’t stop there…something else was still not right.
The storyline wasn’t just familiar because of its super similar storyline “Groundhog Day.” There was something else very familiar… I couldn’t quite pin-point what it was…until I was up late one night, flipping channels on my TV. And then this movie popped up–OH SNAP!
Ah yes. Our main character, Samantha Kingston, is a plastic (although, not referred to as such in “Before I Fall,” but in general, she is definitely one.) And her best friends are “plastics” as well.
Problem #1: I’m not a big fan of reading a story from the “popular” girl’s POV. For about 60% of the book, I couldn’t stand Sam. I don’t like that “popular girl” attitude. In fact, I despise it. I had to force myself to keep reading…and yet, because of the “Groundhog Day” storyline, I knew where the storyline was going…so I really had to push myself to keep reading. I was sadly close to closing my Kindle and calling this one a wash.
But I didn’t.
And I didn’t gain anything from finishing the book either.
Problem #2: The ending was pretty much what I expected. I wanted to read more about Sam and Kent. I was hopeful. Of course there was progression…but truthfully, it was completely unrealistic.
After 7 years of not talking to someone, you can’t suddenly show extreme interest in a person. Sam hadn’t spoken to Kent in years, and had made fun of him despite his persistence towards her. And although their relationship progressed with each “rerun” day, it was one-sided.
Days weren’t repeating for Kent. They were repeating for Sam. So in reality, this would never have happened. A real person would have questioned Sam’s intentions (specifically within those 24 hours…and over a few days, this change of heart would have been believable. Kent would have accepted Sam’s change of heart. But not in a few hours…and not after years of mockery.)
Problem #3: When I read this book, I was coming off of a Colleen Hoover high. I had just finished reading “Hopeless” and was left breathless. That book was awesome. (See my review here.) So, again, expectations were high. Sadly, those expectations were not met.
Had I never seen “Groundhog Day” or “Mean Girls,” this book would have appealed a lot more. Sam progresses, evolves, and changes her life and outlook on others. There is a very beautiful, positive message in “Before I Fall.” But, (and sadly, there is a but) the book did not appeal to me at all.
Book Synopsis (via Goodreads):
What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.
The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
Written 'En Vogue' 