Books I've Read...Books I've Loved...

Over the last month or so, I've had a lot of time to catch up on reading, and while my "To Be Read" pile/box is still looming over me, I've found some great treasures.

First up...                                          The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

This is the second book in the series the first is The Dark Divine.  If you haven't read them...go get both of them now.  Really...GO!  The pacing, the voice, the characters...HELLO DANIEL...all make both of these fantastic reads.  I'd been waiting for months to read The Lost Saint and it did not disappoint.  Check it out!

Next up...                                        Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I simply cannot rave enough about this book! I LOVED it.  If you are looking for a fun, captivating, paranormal read, you must get this one.  Evie is under the protection of the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agreement), her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, and her best friend is a mermaid.  If that doesn't have the makings of a great story, I don't know what does.

And finally for today...

                                                              Matched by Ally Condie

Let me just say this about Matched.  Not often do books move me to tears; TV shows, movies, commercials, songs, yes...I'll cry at anything but not usually books.  I cried like a fool in this one...like sobbing and sniffling...it wasn't pretty.  Thank you, Ally Condie, for Matched. I loved it.  The pacing catches you right from the beginning and you are immediately drawn into this society where EVERYTHING is decided for you: your job, your spouse, how many kids you will have, even down to what and how much you eat. I read this book cover to cover in less than a day.  If you like The Hunger Games, I think you should check this one out.

So there you have it...completely unofficial, random thoughts about a few great books I've read.

Writing Notebooks for Youngsters

My latest blog on Plugged in Parents is about encouraging writing with your young children using Writer's Notebooks.  If you have school-aged children, you may have seen them before...did you ever think about getting one started for your pre-schooler?

Here's a snippet about how my four year old uses his notebooks.

I’ve let him pick out his notebook, he has a Toy Story one, and two different composition notebooks he likes to use.  If you plan on trying a notebook at home, make sure your child is involved in the process.  Allow them to choose a notebook and let them decorate it with stickers or drawings to really make it personal.  Also, this should be fun, so give your child an opportunity to experiment with a variety of writing tools: pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, and fancy pens. That freedom gives way to creativity and expression.

He loves tracing right now, so I might write his “big name” and have him trace the letters.  Some days we talk about shapes, I draw a shape and he traces it and then colors it.  Some nights, I get special requests, like draw the Mickey Mouse Choo-Choo Express Train, so I draw and he colors.  It isn’t always structured like that though; sometimes he just wants to draw.  He likes drawing pictures of people he knows, and on a page that may look like just scribbles, he can tell you exactly what everything means.

If you want to read more from my original post click here!

2011...What's UP?!?!

So it’s 2011…important for a few reasons.  Number 1, I turn 30 in July.  I know, right? I don’t look a day over 25 or that’s what I tell people when they ask me how old I am.   I’m being silly, it’s not so much the number, it’s the changing of the decade thing that gets me.  I’m not going to be in my 20’s anymore….I’ll be in my 30’s.  Maybe I’ll just rock 25 for a few more years. J

In some ways being 30 makes me nervous and my stomach aches just thinking about it.  Although, a friend of a friend told me last summer that 30 isn’t so bad—think of all the stuff you’ve done up to this point…you’ve worked hard to get to where you are so who cares.  I don’t have to put up with the drama anymore, I’m past that.  That’s a nice feeling.  Maybe I need to adapt to her way of thinking a little more. Embrace it…yep, that’s what I’ll do…OR what I say I will do and then freak out a little on the inside.  That’s probably more like me.

Another reason why 2011 is important to me:  I did something the other day that could really be a big change for me, a good change, but a big one.  I’m keeping quiet now, because nothing is for sure.  I don’t know what will come from this; I’m hoping that it will be a great opportunity for me. So we’ll see.

So here’s what I’m looking forward to in 2011

1. Prince William & Kate Middleton’s wedding….I’m a royal nerd…no pun intended….but I CAN’T WAIT!!!!
2. Summer vacation
3. Girls trip to Chicago to celebrate the big 30 for all of us
4. Above mentioned possible change
5. NKOTB/BSB concert coming to St. Louis

Prom and Prejudice

Are you looking for a fun YA novel to read?  Check out my review on YABC of Prom and Prejudice. I LOVED it!!!

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway? Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? ~From Goodreads

Click here to read my review!

Cleaning out the Closet

Last night as I was finishing dinner, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer….I had to clean out my closet.  I was sick of looking at all the stuff in there, never being able to find anything, and shuffling past all kinds of stuff that I don’t wear anymore.  I should add that we live in an older house that was built before the days of large walk-in closets, so I don’t have a whole lot of room anyway.

I usually go on a closet purge two or three times a year and I come up with a bag of stuff to donate to goodwill.  I don’t usually get rid of everything I need to because I hold some sort of attachment to these things…and I think, “Oh, I might wear that again when it gets warmer out.” It usually just hangs there taking up space and never getting worn.  By last night, I had had enough…I pulled out anything that I haven’t worn or that didn’t fit right, which is another bad habit of mine…I sometimes will keep things that don’t fit right because I think, what if I’m that size again, I’ll need it.  Well you know what; I’m not that size anymore.  I hope I’m not ever again.  I’m not going to keep clothes that don’t fit “just in case.”  Ick.

I found something in my closet that STILL HAD TAGS!  How embarrassing is that?  I’m donating it because it doesn’t fit and I’m not even sure why I bought it in the first place.  No joke, it has probably been in my closet for 2 ½ years. *wipes brow* *can’t believe I just admitted that*

After I went through the closet, I did something unthinkable….I went for the shoes….I know…SHOES.  I’m not obsessive about shoes by any means, but the shoes I do have, I love.  Until I wear them so much that they’ve worn out and can’t walk down the school hallway without being in pain.  I got rid of 4 pair of shoes.  I parted with the most comfy pair of black flats I’ve ever owned, and it was time.  See ya, black flats!

Then there were purses…

I just donated purses back in the spring, so all I did was organize the shelf, look and see if there were any extra dollar bills hiding in the pockets, and put them back nice and neat.  No need to go crazy or anything. J

Ahhhh...i feel the weight of two large bags of clothes coming off my shoulders....

**Side note** I’m at school, dressed like an elf because our students surpassed a service goal they set.  Merry Christmas!

Mostly Cheesy List of Holiday Favorites

In honor of the holiday season, I thought I would do a little Top 10 list of my favorite things about the holidays. 

1. Being with family:  The holidays are a time to be with family. Time we spend together is leisurely—no one has anywhere else to be.  We can just enjoy the company and the TIME.

2. Christmas Vacation:  I seriously look forward to Christmas vacation long about the end of October.  That time off is nothing short of wonderful. If I choose, I can stay home ALL DAY…I’m smiling just thinking about it.

3. Friends: Let me just say, you should be a *teeny* bit jealous of the awesome friends I have.  For real.  My High School friends and I usually get together when everyone is in town.  We have dinner, open presents, play with the kids, eat snacks, see a movie (maybe not this exact order)….the last two years it’s been Twilight or New Moon.  Wonder what we will see this year…any suggestions?  I also have some super amazing friends I’ve made at school.  Our dinners out are something that I look forward to, whenever they happen.

                                                   

4. Gingerbread Men & Snowmen:  These little characters just about make me giddy.  I can’t get enough of them.

                                         
 Seriously…how could you not love this little guy????

5. Christmas Music:  Yes, I can admit it; I’m one of those weirdos that will listen to Christmas Music as soon as they start playing it on the radio.  Even if it’s the day after Halloween or something ridiculous like that.  'O Holy Night’ is one of my all time faves—maybe you’ve heard of a little group called *NSYNC perform that acapella, orr maybe Josh Groban’s version?  One word…WOW.

6. Shopping for gifts: *Love it* Nothing about this stresses me out, except for maybe sitting in a completely standstill line of traffic.  I love buying gifts for people I love and care about.  I love buying extra gifts for organizations donating toys or clothing. 

7. Wrapping Presents:  I find great joy in this.  I find even more joy arranging and rearranging all the gifts under the tree.

8. Giving:  This is a great time to remind people that service and charity work don’t just need to happen in December.  People need help and assistance all year long.  I’ve been working on some service learning projects that will hopefully get going after the first of the year…and I’m truly excited about them.

9. Have I mentioned anything about staying home in my pj’s all day?

10. The delicious food: ‘nuff said.

Service Learning

Here is a portion of a recent blog I wrote for Plugged in Parents about Service Learning.  This is so important to me and helps guide my teaching.  It goes along with Character Education which, if you don't me, you have no idea how much I truly believe in Character Education --educating the 'whole child.'  There is more to teaching than just teaching academics.

I am always inspired when working on a service project at school. The heart of a child is like that of no other. They truly give with all of their heart and the meaning is always pure. Seeing the face of a six year old light up when he pulls out 2 cans of green beans from his backpack to contribute to a Thanksgiving meal for someone is worth a million dollars. The child was able to contribute to the whole process; he chose a food, went shopping, and sorted his food into the vegetable stack. Why was he so excited about those green beans? Because it is his favorite vegetable and he wanted someone else to be able to enjoy it too.


To read more of the post click here!