January Reads...

I read a lot.  I mean A LOT! I got a Kindle a couple years ago and the convenience of being able to instantly buy a book really amped up my reading.  I also love that there are a ton of free and super cheap books for Kindle, so I tend to stock up on those and read them in between things on my must read list.

For the month of January here is a list and my comments on the books I have read...

Domestic Apparition by Meg Tuite
This was a freebie for Kindle when I downloaded it, but it looks like now it is $2.99.  I am glad it was free when I snagged it, because I would not have been pleased to have paid for it.  It is a short read, but the character is interesting and the prose is great.  However, I did not enjoy the way the book flowed from one scenario to the next, similar to short stories which I don't usually enjoy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I heard nothing but great things about this book and the next two in the series.  Also, I like dystopian novels.  So, of course I had to give it a try.  It was compared to the Hunger Games Trilogy, but I'm not really finding it to be in that league.  I enjoy the writing, the premise and the characters, but the main character in this series doesn't have that same attraction as in The Hunger Games.  I am going to read the next book in the series and maybe then I'll be more hooked.  So far, I am enjoying it though.  It does give me a bit of flash backs to either The Giver or one of the books in that series.

Essential Oil Healing Secrets
This is another Kindle freebie I downloaded.  Someone on the essential oil board I frequent on Facebook shared it, so I thought it would be worth a look.  It is short, not very informative and not well written or edited.  I'm not sure why it doesn't even list an author, just ADISH Books.  Very strange, but there was some interesting information in there and it was free.

The Girl In Room Fourteen by Carol Drinkwater
This is a Kindle Single, a Kindle exclusive short story.  I just started it and have been distracted by all the snow days my child has had from school, so I have not yet finished it, but it does seem good for a short story.

If you would like to read more this year, please check out my friend Toni's blog and enter her Kindle Paperwhite giveaway here.

A New Level Of Health At Home

Yesterday I received the Young Living Oils kit I ordered.  I purchased the Basic Plus Starter Kit as it seemed to have a good selection of oils, the diffuser and also some sample packs.  I was so excited when I heard Fed-Ex ring the doorbell, you would have thought he was delivering scrapbook supplies!

I am really looking forward to learning more about essential oils and their uses and experiencing their benefits.  Yesterday was a stressful day, so we started by diffusing Peace & Calming in the afternoon and in Aiden's bedroom right before he went to bed.  I enjoyed it and felt more relaxed and Aiden slept well all night (although he was exhausted from not sleeping well for two nights and getting up really early).  

Today I tried the Lemon Oil as a cleaner/degreaser.  I cleaned the top of my stove with a wet wash cloth and gave it a good scrub (it has been neglected the last couple weeks).  Then I used several drops of lemon oil and a paper towel to rub away any greasy residue.  It worked great and smelled so fresh.

Today I also put Purification in the diffuser and let that run for a half hour in the kitchen and a half hour in the family room.  I was exhausted in the evening after hosting a bake sale fundraiser at Aiden's school, so the dinner dishes sat in the sink all night.  Disgusting, right?!  Once I got rid of all the dirty dishes and ran the diffuser, the house felt so much cleaner and smelled great!

I can't wait to see what else I can do to improve our home environment and our health with Young Living Oils.  I'll be sure to share each use I find.

Halloween Decor

I made a very simple Halloween wreath last year and I was excited to get it out again this year to hang on the front door.  I saw something similar on Pinterest and made it my own.  Very easy, quick and simple.

This year I made a little framed word art for the entry way table.  This was made with free cuts on my Cricut and some added washi tape and patterned paper.  I used a dollar store black frame and a metal frame easel from Michaels.  Again very easy and simple.

Recent Digital Scrapbook Pages

Since Archivers added the memory lab to their stores I have been able to order 12" x 12" prints of my digital scrapbook pages.  The system they had before was a pain in the butt and the prints did not come out exact to size.  Now they are perfect and I can upload them from home and pick them up in the store.  So great! 

So, I have made some new digital pages and already printed them and tucked them away in the scrapbooks.

 

RoBOt Cake...

I have the goofiest kid ever.  I printed him a ton of robot photos to choose from for his birthday cake last year and he chose the simplest one.  I was grateful for sure, cause I do not have fantastic cake decorating skills.  Anyway, here's his robot cake from his 8th birthday...

This year he has decided on Pokemon and I am not sure what kind of cake I will be making for that yet.

Build Your Own Fort Kit

Once again I was inspired by something I pinned on Pinterest (here).  I saw this idea for a fort kit for boys.  I thought it would be a great gift for my friend's son's fourth birthday.  I picked up a blue sheet from Walmart, a non-woven drawstring backpack from Michaels, glow sticks from Michaels, and clothespins, rope, and a flashlight from the Dollar Tree.

I used felt to cut out the birthday boy's initial and some baker's twine (I think Martha Stewart brand) to hand sew it onto the bag.  I made a cute little tag with some scrapbook paper and my computer and stitched that on as well.  I loaded all the items into the bag and ta da...fort kit.  I know my son would love this!

End of Year Teacher Gifts...

I saw this idea on Pinterest here and decided to use it for Aiden's teachers this year.  I like to give them a little something to say thank you at the end of the school year.  I really hope they enjoyed it.

The baskets included a Bath & Body Works strawberry hand soap, Orbit strawberry gum, strawberry Twizzlers, a hand made notepad with strawberry themed cover and strawberry candies.  The tag says "Thank you berry much for a great year".