Currently

I've seen this kind of post a few places in the blogosphere recently, but most recently by Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness. Thanks for the great idea, Kim! I'm hoping it will get me blogging more often.

Where I am: Sitting on the loveseat at 7 pm. But very, very close to heading to bed (so. tired.).

Listening to: The sounds of domestic life: the dishwasher running, my husband on the phone with his dad, intermittent crying as Em tries to settle down to sleep.

Drinking: Strawberry infused water. I bought this...does anyone know how long I can leave the fruit in there if I keep the pitcher in the fridge?

Eating: Homemade doughnuts. It was way too snowy and windy this morning to go out for our semi-regular Sunday Morning Doughnuts, so we decided to make them ourselves. They were delicious, and I loved the family time (and watching Em eat a teaspoonful of flour - ha!). However, I think I'm going on a detox tomorrow and eating nothing but fruit (at least this sounds like a good idea). I've definitely had way too much sugar today.

Reading: NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. This book is blowing my mind. The things we thought we knew instinctively about raising children? All wrong.

Watching: I have fallen off the TV bandwagon. I haven't kept up with the popular shows for a couple of seasons now, mainly because I just don't have the attention span for it. Keith and I regularly watch Archer now that it's back on, but that's really it. Eventually I figure I'll catch up with our old favorites like Big Bang, How I Met Your Mother, and Parks and Rec. Probably when I'm feeding the new baby around the clock.

Resolutions: I'm also still reading 52 Small Changes. This week is all about moving more in your everyday life, not necessarily at the gym. I'm not really doing either. I've hit that point in pregnancy where I am tired all. the. time. And it's difficult to move. I'm doing my best just keeping up with Emily, and I figure I'll work on the exercise part after this baby is born and I'm cleared for activity. As for the first two weeks (drink more water and get more sleep) I'm doing pretty well with both. I have off days with the water consumption, but overall I'm drinking more than I used to. And the sleep...well I'm doing the best I can, all things considered.

Parenting: I'm still not happy about the toddler bed. I don't think Emily was ready, but what's done is done and now we have to deal with it. I let her pick between sleeping in her bed or the Pack 'n' Play for naptime and she almost always picks the PnP. Fine by me, at least she's napping again! We don't give her the option at bedtime, and she's doing better in that she stays in bed when we leave and through the night, but she is definitely not sleeping as much as she used to. Instead of falling back asleep or playing quietly in the morning, she's up immediately and wants me to come get her. This results in at least an hour less of sleep for her per night, which is definitely contributing to her disposition throughout the day. This next kid can stay in the crib until she's 3 for all I care.

Looking forward to: Warmer weather. I know it's all people can talk about lately, but seriously. I'm not ready for Polar Vortex Round 2. The snow doesn't bother me (actually I love it), but it's way too cold for a toddler and therefore way too cold for me. So my goal this week is to brave the cold, bundle Em up, and get the eff out of this house. Before we both go crazy. So I'm really, really looking forward to warmer weather and all the things we can do outside of these 4 walls.

I'd love to hear what you are currently up to! Leave a comment below, or find me on Twitter!

Little Change Number Two: Get More Sleep

As I mentioned in my last post, I don't have the time or energy to commit to big resolutions. But a new little one every week? I might be able to pull that off.

Week one's goal was to drink more water. I'm actually still doing okay with that one. At least I'm drinking more than I had been (which wasn't hard to do) and I'm conscious about it now.

Week two's goal is a bit harder. I'm supposed to get more sleep, or at least the recommended 7-8 hours per night. Well I generally get 7-8, but I'm not a truly happy, functional human being with anything less than 9. High maintenance, right? Plus with pregnancy comes notoriously bad sleep (uncomfortable, sweaty, stuffy nose, constantly need to pee...it's a blast). Which isn't fair, since in 2 months I will be getting even less, more broken sleep. So really, I have no delusional ideas here. I will get the most sleep I am able to get, poor-quality and all.

Tomorrow starts week three: Keep Off the Couch. At 31 weeks pregnant the exhaustion is setting in, but I'll see what I can do. Join in with me if you'd like!

52 Itty Bitty Little Changes

I've been feeling stuck lately. There are so many things I want to do or start. I keep seeing some great reading challenges I'd like to join, but then I remember that come March I'm not going to have the motivation or time to keep up with reading. Or really anything for that matter. Like housework. Man, that second trimester was awesome for housework. I was a nesting machine. I'm only a couple of weeks into the third trimester and all the normal day-to-day work is slipping away from me.

I'd love to get thin again, but I'm going to have to wait until, oh, I don't know, next year? Let's be honest. It's going to be a long time before I can really focus on losing this weight. So, in the meantime, I'm trying to content myself with making small changes that will have an impact on my overall health. Lucky for me Amazon had the same idea, and I was able to purchase the Kindle version of 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You for dirt cheap. Even now it's still cheap ($3.99 at time of posting).

So far I'm still on week 1: drink more water. I'm...not terrible at it? I was barely drinking any before so I've upped it and I'm trying to track how much I drink with an app for my phone. I'm not being strict about it, since anything is better than the nothing I was drinking.

I guess my whole theory is that while I can't commit to making any huge proclamations or changes this year, I can at least try to make some small ones. And maybe, if I can keep it up, these small changes will turn into a larger change and it won't feel like I've really done much at all.

If you want to, I'd love for you to join me! Things like this are always more fun with friends!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I barely blogged this year. I was actually thinking I had just passively given it up. But there's something about the end of the year that makes me want to take a look back and set a map for going forward. I've found no better place to do this than on my blog.

This is not to say I'm going to start blogging regularly again. In fact, when baby #2 comes along, there is a very good chance I'll disappear again. Hopefully only for a little while.

So here's where I stand:

I no longer will be posting child updates on this blog. Instead I've created a private family blog, which my husband and I will use as an online journal to chronicle our life and our little ones. I felt that, in the interest of privacy, I could not record or disclose many of the things we did or trips we took in such a public forum. Therefore, while I may still comment on my family and our endeavors, I will not be publishing detailed information here any longer.

Furthermore, since I've transitioned into the role of mother, I feel that this cannot solely be a book blog, as it once was. I've grown, my interests have grown, and I don't want to be tied to one aspect of my life on my blog. So let's not shove this blog into a corner and give it a label, okay? Let's let it grow and expand and develop in any way it chooses.

That being said, the only real resolutions I make for myself tend to be bookish ones. They're the ones I can keep the easiest, and the ones I don't feel terrible about when I fall short. So without further ado:

2014 Book Goals

Read more non-fiction.
This was a goal of mine for this year, and while I did read more non-fiction than I was previously used to, it was still less than half of my overall book total. The best way for me to feel competent and knowledgeable on a topic is to read about it; therefore, there are A LOT of non-fiction books that are already on my list for next year. Books on child development, homeschooling, food culture, and human nature, as well as biographies and some other random things. Ever since I left the academic arena I've felt the need to continue learning and this is the best way for me to do it (I was a literature major, after all).

Read at least 25 books.
This is half of my usual goal. It's the same goal I had the year after Emily was born, so I feel it's reasonable to return to it with this second baby being due in March. It'd be nice if most of these books were ones I already owned, but I think we all know that's not likely to happen. I can try, though.

Aaaaand....that's it. 2 goals. Well, 2.5. It's not much, but I have a feeling I'm going to have my hands pretty full already. :-)

Read-a-Thon!

Welcome to We'll Always Have Books! I'll be updating this page throughout the day, so check back here for updates! You can also follow me on Twitter. All memes and mini-challenges will be gathered at the end of this post, so as not to bog down the updates section.

Hour 1
I'm up! Early than anticipated! I'll use this time to do the introductory meme, before the rest of the house gets up and I head over to my friend Heather's (it's her first read-a-thon!).

Hour 5
I've been fortified with coffee and breakfast, and I'm hanging with my friend Heather and actually getting some reading done (in between the chatting, of course). I think it's about time to take a small break and open up some snacks!

Reading: English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier
Snacking on: Apple Smoked Gouda cheese cubes
Listening to: nothing, at the moment
Books finished: 0
Total pages read: 60
Total reading time: 61 minutes
Memes/mini-challenges completed: 2

Hour 6
It's almost 2 PM here so I think it's finally time for some lunch and a break for my tired eyes. Hope everyone's read-a-thon is going well!

Reading: Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose
Snacking on: chicken salad and an assortment of cheese and candy
Listening to: still nothing
Books finished: 0
Total pages read: 149
Total reading time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Memes/mini-challenges completed: 2

Lunch! Keep in mind, there are 2 of us.

Hour 8
I finished a book! And I've also eaten way more than I would ever need to for just laying on the couch, but whatever, it's read-a-thon day! Here are the stats:

Reading: I'll be diving back into English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier, hoping to finish that one, too.
Snacking on: Twizzlers
Drinking: water
Listening to: still nothing
Books finished: 1 (Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose)
Total pages read: 205
Total reading time: 3 hours 19 minutes
Memes/mini-challenges completed: 2

Hour 11
2 books down! I'm feeling so accomplished - and so glad I pushed myself to get halfway done with them through the week so I wouldn't have an uphill battle to feel accomplished today.

Reading: I don't know yet! I've reached my goal, so now the possibilities are endless.
Snacking on: nothing. OMG so full.
Drinking: water
Listening to: Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers
Head count: 3! Heather and I have been joined by our other book club friend Mandy!
Books finished: 2 (Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose and English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier)
Total pages read: 291
Total reading time: 4 hours 49 minutes
Memes/mini-challenges completed: 3

Hour 15
Well, that's it for me folks. I can barely keep my eyes open and I still have to drive home. This was a very successful read-a-thon for me; I finished 3 books and got a group of girls together that had never participated before. I had a great time reading today, and as always, thanks for hanging with me during the read-a-thon!

Head count: 4! Heather, Mandy, and I have been joined by our other book club friend Natalie!
Books finished: 3 (Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose, English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier, and The Tao of Motherhood by Vimala McClure)
Total pages read: 471
Total reading time: 7 hours even
Memes/mini-challenges completed: 3

Mini-Challenge: Self-Portrait
The Estella Society is hosting this mini-challenge which asks us to take a self-portrait. Here I am in the middle with 2 of my favorite book club friends!

Mini-Challenge: Spine Poetry
My first mini-challenge of the day! Here's what I could come up with for Spine Poetry, hosted by Capricious Reader.

Introductory Meme
1) What part of the world are you reading from today? Indiana
2) Which book are you most looking forward to? Not one in particular, but I'm looking forward to potentially finishing two, which would be a read-a-thon record for me!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Mmmmm....cheese....
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! My name's Amy, I haven't blogged in a really long time but I'm starting to miss it, I have a wonderful husband, rambunctious dog, even more rambunctious toddler, and I'm pregnant with our second child!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what's one thing you'll do different today? I'll be spending it at a friend's house! I love the online community of the read-a-thon, but I'm really looking forward to participating with an IRL friend as well.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Synopsis:

Dorian Gray, an incredibly handsome Londoner, befriends painter Basil Howard and sits on multiple occasions for his portrait, to the artist's delight. There is one portrait, however, that seems to showcase Dorian's good looks and charm to perfection. Cajoled by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian decides to keep the painting after realizing his youth and beauty will not last forever. In a moment of distress, Dorian wishes he could stay young and pretty while his portrait grows old in his stead.

Review:

As part of my New Year's resolution to read more classics, I picked up what looked like a short, easy read and a story that I'd known the basic premise of for quite some time. I was pleasantly surprised. There were a few parts that lagged, mainly because Oscar Wilde felt the need to wax poetic about his own beliefs regarding youth and beauty. Other than that, however, the story kept moving and took a few turns I wasn't prepared for. Wilde really looked in depth at what could happen to a man who values his looks and youth above all else. This is a great character study and I loved the lengths Wilde went to in order to fully develop his idea.

4 out of 5 stars. If you're looking for a classic to boost your repertoire, this is a good one!

The Ruins of Us by Keija Parssinen

Synopsis:

When Rosalie, an American who was born in Saudi Arabia and returned years later with her Saudi husband, finds out her husband has taken a second wife, her world seems to fall apart. She struggles with the love she still feels for Abdullah and the betrayal of her trust, especially when she left her country and her culture behind for him. Despite their issues, the couple will need to band together in order to protect their teenage son Faisal, who's growing resentment towards American culture will plunge his family into a fight for their lives.

Review:

I don't think this was the right book for me. I have little interest in the Middle East and I have zero tolerance for cheating (even if the culture technically still allows polygamy). The whole subplot with Faisal was annoying to me, and the Rosalie/second wife plot wasn't played out to a depth I would have liked to see.

This is Parssinen's debut novel, and she obviously knows a lot about Saudi Arabia (she grew up there). While I think that her writing style was decent, I just didn't get pulled into the story. This is not the general consensus, I believe, so it probably has more to do with my non-interest in the subject matter and that the issues I was hoping would take center stage took more of a backseat. If Saudi Arabia and its culture interests you, you will probably like this book. It just wasn't for me.

2 out of 5 stars.

Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

Synopsis:

Published in 2012, Seriously...I'm Kidding is Ellen DeGeneres' first book in 12 years, and she has a lot to tell you. Covering topics from becoming the first openly gay CoverGirl to being a judge on American Idol, DeGeneres fills her readers in on what's been going on in her life.

Review:

This was an okay read. I like Ellen, but I'm not the biggest fan so while her jokes were funny, they were more chuckle-worthy that LOL-worthy. At times her prose felt a bit preachy, like her CoverGirl chapter that  expounded on the fact that we're a society that focuses too much on beauty (um, yeah). But overall she did a good job of mixing her jokes with an overview of how she lives her life.

If you like Ellen and her comedy I think you'll really enjoy her book. It's a fun, quick read that gives a good description of all the things she's been up to the last twelve years without feeling like just a list of events.

3 out of 5 stars

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Synopsis:

Jenny Lawson, better known as The Bloggess, writes about the moments that have defined her life -- specifically the ones she'd most like to forget. Lawson invites readers to take a stroll through her, shall we call it, unusual upbringing. She bares all, telling us of her father's taxidermy business and her penchant for anthropomorphic dead animals, how she impregnated a cow, and how she has a hard time making friends with other girls. Her outrageous, hilarious anecdotes show the reader that it's the moments you wish you could forget that shape your life the most.

Review:

Lawson's book is laugh out loud funny. I usually chuckle, maybe give a little snort while reading. Let's Pretend This Never Happened is one of the few books in which I actually burst out laughing, which was very disconcerting for my husband who was asleep in bed next to me. She has a very unique voice and her storytelling skills are amazing. Reading this book is like going out for a girls' night and laughing your ass off.

The paperback version is set to be released March 5, and it includes a new chapter. I highly recommend this book if you feel like you don't fit in, if you feel like the world just doesn't understand you, or if you feel like you could really just use a laugh. Seriously, just go read it.

5 out of 5 stars

Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman

Synopsis:

When American journalist Pamela Druckerman and her British husband have a baby in Paris, they don't expect to become French parents. After all, French parenting isn't a "thing" like French food or fashion. But after taking their toddler to a restaurant and noticing theirs is the only child not eating the same dishes as the adults and acting well-behaved, Druckerman decides to investigate the ideology of French parenting.

Review:

I loved this book. It's well-researched and written in a very accessible way. I found Druckerman's anecdotes highly entertaining and her insights into French parenting intriguing.

Since finishing this book, one of the points I keep coming back to is that there are very few stay-at-home French mothers. France has a government-funded child care system and their child care workers are well-paid and regarded as essential to society -- in fact, working at a creche takes schooling and is a career, not a low-paying job for high school or college students. French mothers also seem to see themselves as more than mothers. Once they have children, "mother" is another addition to their self resume, along with "woman," "lover," and whatever career path they have chosen.

I'm not saying this is better or worse. But it's something that's stuck with me because it's something I've struggled with. As a stay-at-home mom, I expected "mother" to be my career. But I'm learning that this is not healthy for me or my daughter, because I need more than just this outlet to feel complete. As much as I love raising her, my type A, detail-oriented personality is a little too much when it's only focused on nap times and feeding schedules. In a word, I was not enjoying my time with my little one because I was too focused on the minute details. By finding another outlet for my (let's call it) creativity, I can use my skills (notice I didn't say "neuroses") in other ways and relax a bit more when it comes to Emily. Because let's be honest: you just can't control everything relating to your baby or toddler, and you'll drive yourself crazy if you try. So I really liked Druckerman's insights into the French way of looking at motherhood. It's a part of you, but it's not all of you.

There are plenty more gems in this book, from teaching a toddler to wait, getting a baby to sleep through the night, and instituting a framework for your child in which they have plenty of freedom inside firm boundaries.

As much as I liked this book, I do wish it had been a little more specific in some regards. For instance, Druckerman talks about a look that French parents give their children when they're committing betises (small acts of naughtiness) that the children know to obey. I've tried giving Emily this look and she laughs in my face. Apparently I'm not very convincing. Druckerman also describes a way French parents seem to have with their children that garners instant cooperation. When her own daughter was pulling items off a shelf, Druckerman chalked it up to her being a regular, wild 2-year-old. Her French friend, however, saw the behavior as unacceptable and quietly spoke to the toddler, telling her this was not an okay way to act. To Druckerman's surprise, her daughter immediately complied. I understand that there are some things that cannot be taught in a book, but it would be really helpful to have it spelled out for me step-by-step, since I have a shelf of books that needs some serious protection.

5 out of 5 stars. Bringing up Bebe is a great book if you want to learn about another culture and country's way of parenting. There are some good take-home lessons in this engaging read. I'll definitely be checking out Druckerman's follow-up book, Bebe Day by Day.

Playroom Help!

Friends, I need your help. I was inspired by Michelle's playroom ideas and decided to convert our fourth bedroom into a playroom for Emily.

This room started out as a workout space for me, then became a game room when Keith was handed down the arcade, and was most recently used as a storage heap.

I've cleaned it up (most of the way) and now I'm trying to figure out how best to use this space. I need your help! I'll give you a little tour of how it looks now.

From doorway. Hi, Lizzie!

Closet, left of doorway. Lizzie still thought there was something worth looking at out there.

Far wall.

Right side wall, opposite of closet.

Still right side wall. And arcade. And Lizzie's butt.

Wall with door (door wall? near wall?)

Aaaaaand doorway.

I obviously shouldn't be the one to take pictures of our house when it's time to move.

It's not a huge room and there's already limited floor space. My goal is to move Emily's large toys up here so they're not cluttering our family room floor. I'm really not sure how to bring everything together. I want at least one bookshelf, and I'm debating between a normal one and one where you place the books face-forward (something like this). I've also thought about a cubbyhole shelf (like this-ish).

And just so we're all on the same page, the arcade and keyboard have nowhere else to go, so they have to stay. As does the table (most likely). And finally, let's pretend the closet is off limits because it's beautiful and perfect and organized, not because there's no way I could cram one more piece of junk in there.

Finally, I started a Playroom board on Pinterest if you want to check it out.

Okay friends, help me! Tell me what to add, what to move, and how to make this room a perfect little playroom!

Top 6 Books of 2012

First, a disclaimer. These are the top 6 books I read in 2012, with no regard to whether or not they were published in 2012. And yes, yes, I know that most "top" lists are of the top 10 but, while I read a number of very good books last year, these are my absolute favorites. I don't want to diminish their significance by throwing in 4 more just to round out the list. These are the books that I would recommend in a heartbeat if you asked me for something to read. They are also in no particular order, and this is all purely my opinion. You have yours, and I respect that, so please respect mine.

How to Archer by Sterling Archer
- I love the show Archer on FX. I was determined not to like it when my husband first started watching it, but I was quickly converted. The book is a hilarious extension of the show, and it's impossible not to read in H. Jon Benjamin's voice. As an added benefit, it's actually quite informative (it's where I learned the difference between valet (pronounced val-ay) and valet (pronounced val-et)).
**Update** I just found out about the Archer app, and seriously? Best. App. Ever.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
- I love Morton's writing and this story is intriguing. It took awhile to drag me into it, but once the plot picked up I couldn't put it down. I look forward to reading more of her work.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Such a beautiful book. The story is magical, the characters are lovely...I just love this book. It's one I read while borrowing from the library, but I intend to buy.

Babyproofing Your Marriage by Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone
- So many good things are in this book. My feelings were validated, but the authors also made sure to explain the husband's side. Having a well-rounded idea of the trials both partners are going through when they become parents is invaluable.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
- This book was beautifully written and depicted a decade (the '20s) that I adore.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
- It is very unusual for a non-fiction book (and a biography at that) to entertain me. Seabiscuit did to no end. I felt as if I was reading a novel, and the story pulled me along and had me rooting for the underdog.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Sucked in from page 1, I couldn't put this thriller down.

Tell me, what are the books you read in 2012 that you would push into someone's hands, given the chance?

*links are either to my own reviews or the publisher's or Amazon's website. Links are not affiliate.

2013...A Bit Belated

Well, I didn't think I was going to actually write this post of my goals/resolutions for the new year, especially because January is now almost over, but apparently I am. Deal with it. ;-)

1. I'm going to try to hit 50 books this year. Now that Emily's a year old I have a bit more time (and energy) to read things that really interest me, and I'd like my book count to reflect that.

2. (Or really, 1a) I'd like to focus on non-fiction and classics. These are two areas I feel I need to bone up on in order to, in the case of non-fiction, feel like I'm still learning and becoming an intelligent human being, and in the case of the classics, become a well-rounded reader. This isn't to say I won't be reading fiction and YA, but I'd like the majority of my reads to be of the non-fiction or classic variety.

3. I'm determined to finally lose this baby weight. I gained 50(!) pounds with Emily and, while I've lost most of that, I was over my ideal weight when I got pregnant with her in the first place. I had done well over the summer, getting to the gym about 3 times a week, but I couldn't keep up with it. This time, however, I'm determined. Now that Emily's had her 1-year vaccinations, Keith and I feel comfortable taking her to the gym child care while I work out and this has actually been such a helpful, wonderful thing. I know I'm just down the hall if she needs me, and she's getting the benefit of socialization as well as the stimulation of a new environment. While she's being taken care of, I can take care of myself. To keep motivated I've started the Couch to 5K program. I'm really an off-and-on runner, but this seems like a good place to start again. I'm on week 3 and really loving it (my joints are protesting due to the extreme cold this week, but they're just going to have to tough it out). And finally, another reason to lose the weight...I told Keith that once I hit my goal weight (which is not a specific number but rather a general idea), I'd be willing to start trying for baby number 2. Go ahead. Tell me just how crazy I am. I'm keeping in mind it's going to take months to lose this weight, and that's if I stay motivated.

4. Finally, something I've been working on for awhile now, but I need to keep at it. I'm trying to stress less when it comes to Emily. I want to really enjoy this time with her, and I don't want my worries or stresses to prohibit us from having fun as a family. Case in point: we're discussing going on a couple of trips this year, and just the word "vacation" throws me into a tailspin of negative thinking starting with, "How will we stick to Emily's schedule on the road" and ending with, "It's just not possible." But the fact of the matter is it is possible, and it's going to be fun, and I need to just tell my brain to shut up.

So there you have it. There are other things I'd like to do, like blog more or keep a tidier house, but these are things that are ongoing, not just 2013 specific. I'd love to hear your goals for the year in the comments!

My Favorite Christmas Gift to Emily

A few weeks ago I asked Cori of Let's Eat Grandpa if she could make a quilt that vaguely resembled the I Spy quilt I first spied (heh) here on Anything Pretty. Emily was starting to point and really take an interest in the objects around her, and I loved the idea of having a quilt we could sit on while we talked about the different pictures (and of course wrap her up in, too). Cori said she could do it and I gave her the go-ahead, with only a few instructions (gender-neutral, lots of different pictures, done in time for Christmas if at all possible).

It was so fun watching the progress on Twitter and Instagram, and I was so excited you would've thought this present was for me. Cori gave me a few options for the background fabric, and after I picked one that would go with her nursery theme (jungle) she was off!

It came the week before Christmas and was even better than I had imagined. The pictures on her blog don't do it justice.

I had a hard time waiting until Christmas, but the day finally arrived and I gave Emily the gift I was most excited for her to get this year.

Emily, my husband, and I love this quilt. We couldn't be happier with it, and we want to thank Cori, as well as the other women who helped Cori get the fabrics she needed, making this a feasible, affordable gift. Thank you all!

If you have a minute, maybe stop by her Etsy shop. The girl's awesome with a sewing machine.

One Kind Deed

The last few days have left me heartbroken and in despair. I have no intention of discussing the event as the news is everywhere. However, in light of what has happened, I have felt a need to do something. The most overwhelming feeling I've had is how terrible the world is. Ever since I became a mother I have been so acutely aware of just how big, how evil, the world can be, but the point has really been brought home. I want to hold my daughter close and never let her go, but I know she needs to learn to have strength to face whatever may come. So, while I cannot change the world, I can try to make it a better place.

My original thought was to create a kind of New Years Resolution/Challenge, in which I would do one good deed or practice one act of kindness each day throughout the year. I may still do that, but to make it formal I'll need to hammer out a few more details. Plus, I don't feel like waiting until the new year. We need more goodness in the world now.

This past year has been a difficult one. There have been multiple deaths in my family, as well as some major family upheaval. Not to mention that becoming a mother has rocked my world so hard I have a hard time knowing which way is up. On top of all that (and perhaps because of it), I have not been my best person this year. I have strayed so far from who I used to be that sometimes I hardly recognize myself. I also err too often on the side of caution, not wanting to put myself out there and be judged. More often than not I'd rather fly under the radar and not be noticed.

This needs to change. I need to change.

So, in an effort to change myself for the better and try to bring light and hopefulness to those around me, I am challenging myself to do one good deed each day that I would not have otherwise done. It can be something as small as a kind word to my husband after a particularly grueling day, instead of snapping at him for not helping clean up. Or it can be helping out a stranger financially or buying flowers for a friend just because. The point is to make me reach out of my shell, to become a part of the world again, and try my hardest to make it a better place.

**Update**
You can follow my progress on Twitter (@amyliz2008) using the hashtag #dailykindness.

You Suck by Christopher Moore

Waking up after a fantastic night, Thomas C. Flood discovers that his girlfriend, Jody, is a vampire. And now he's one, too. Instead of getting pissed off (okay, he's a little pissed), Tommy decides to embrace his new undead-ness and subsequent "super powers" because he and Jody are in love, like love love. Learning how to maintain a relationship is the least of their worries, though, because the vamp that turned Jody wasn't supposed to be adding members to their exclusive club. Plus Tommy's friends aren't too keen that he's now a vampire, especially the evangelical Clint. With the help of their new "minion", 16-year-old Abby Normal, Tommy and Jody set about making a normal life for themselves...if you can call running for your life and being a vampire normal.

I wasn't sure I was even going to review this book. I read it really quickly (it was the perfect book to read after Gone Girl). It's also a book I bought over the summer, so it fits my criteria for Reading My Own Books. But had I known it was the second in a series, I might not have even read it (I hate not starting from the beginning).

Ultimately, I almost didn't review it because You Suck is really, really bad. And I kind of didn't want to admit I was reading it. But then, as I got closer and closer towards the end, I didn't want to admit that I liked it. While I could see the poor writing and unconvincing plot, I couldn't put it down. The little things just didn't seem to matter. So what if the dialogue is bad if it makes you laugh? Who cares if the plot has holes a mile wide if the characters are hilarious (Abby Normal, I'm looking at you).

This book, I think, falls into the category of Guilty Pleasures. I can't believe I liked it, I can't believe I'm admitting it to you, and I can't believe I want to pick up the next in the series. Don't tell, okay?

3 out of 5 stars.

Reading My Own Books: An Update

The year is winding down (which is not even possible because my kid still has to turn 1, there's Christmas and parties and...hold me).

Ahem.

With this in mind, I wanted to post a quick update to one of the only challenges I took on this year, and one that I only started in October: Reading My Own Books, hosted by Michelle. You can read all about my exceptions and why I decided to do this here.

I was actually in the middle of The Swan Thieves when I started this challenge, which is partly why I signed up. I wanted reading this huge book I had bought on a whim to count for something. Then I picked Rules of Civility by Amor Towles as my book club pick (I had purchased it on my Kindle when Amazon was running a deal) so I checked off another one! I also finished What He's Poised to Do by Ben Greenman (not reviewed), Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, and You Suck by Christopher Moore (review coming Monday). I'm also going to count Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn because technically I do own it, even if I did purchase it after I had already started the challenge. (At least I didn't just add another book to my TBR pile, right?)

I've finished a few more books these last couple of months, but they were exceptions to my rules (The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, and The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley (not reviewed)). We'll see how many more I can get to before the year is out and the challenge is over, but so far so good!

Oh, and if there was ever a question that I needed this challenge, let me present to you my bookshelf (my fiction only bookshelf):

Please ignore the bad quality. The bottom two shelves are the books I've read. Those top four, well, I have some work to do. (In my defense, some of those are anthologies that I never expect to actually finish in their entirety, but I couldn't in good conscience say that I've read them, either.) Oh, and this doesn't include the books on my nightstand or on our bookshelf downstairs, or in my closet...I'd better get reading.

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she’s in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever.

Drawing on the rich history of the 1920s,’30s, and beyond—from the orphan trains to Prohibition, flappers,  and the onset of the Great Depression to the burgeoning movement for equal rights and new opportunities for women—Laura Moriarty’s The Chaperone illustrates how rapidly everything, from fashion and hemlines to values and attitudes, was changing at this time and what a vast difference it all made for Louise Brooks, Cora Carlisle, and others like them.
(Synopsis from Amazon.com)

This book...it was not what I expected. The synopsis made me envision a story set mainly in NYC during the time of the chaperoning, but it's really the story of Cora Carlisle's life, from beginning to end. That's not a bad thing, it's just not what I was expecting. And in fact, her life is very interesting -- I just wish I would have known that from the start.

The characters were intriguing, albeit somewhat predictable. What really rankled me about this book was Cora's blatant prejudice. Perhaps I was overly harsh when judging her (as she was when judging just about everyone in this book) but it was very hard for me to get past it. I understand that many people in the '20s were racist and/or sexist, but I guess I'm just used to my heroines being above the bias of the times. It definitely rubbed me the wrong way, being told to cheer for a woman so narrow-minded, but maybe it's to Moriarty's credit for making her characters so realistic.

I listened to this book on audio (free from my local library) and I have to say I loved the audio version. I'm not much of an audio book fan but it was easy to follow along and I liked hearing the accents (even if sometimes I swear they weren't completely consistent). If you like this time period, The Chaperone is a wonderful addition to '20s literature.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

On New Years Eve, 1937, Katey Kontent has a chance encounter with Tinker Grey in a Greenwich Village jazz bar. Tinker, a handsome (and wealthy) banker, propels 25-year-old Katey into the upper echelon of New York society. Unaccustomed to her new surroundings, she must rely on her wit and charm to navigate the murky waters of the privileged.

Katey's story is told over the course of a year, and the themes Towles presents are wound beautifully through the narrative. New York is depicted nicely: not elitist, but as a city where anything could happen. The cast of characters are superb. Multi-dimensional and flawed, they are people you could run into on the street, people you could know. Wonderfully written, this is a novel you can sink into.

5 out of 5 stars

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne disappears from her home in North Carthage, Missouri. The town quickly accuses her husband, Nick, of murder. His lies and inappropriate behavior, as well as the evidence, quickly pile up and it seems as if there can be no other answer, but Nick is adamant in his denial of murder. Sure he's made some mistakes and their marriage wasn't perfect, but is he really a killer? The problem is, if he's not responsible for Amy's disappearance, who is?

Told in fast-paced, deliciously scandalous prose, Flynn has written the book of the year. Chances are that if you haven't read Gone Girl already, you know someone who has, and they've recommended it to you. They may have even pushed it into your hands with instructions to go home and not do anything else until you've finished it. This book is a psychological thriller to the very end. Even when I thought I had it figured out, I still couldn't be 100% sure; it kept me guessing, and it kept me turning pages. And when there were no more pages to turn...well, the story wasn't over. It lingers in your mind and you keep playing out the scenario, guessing as to what happens next. That's the beauty of Flynn's writing: even when the book is done, the story isn't. There's still so much left to tell, and yet it feels like the right place to end the novel.

If you're in a reading slump, if you don't read much at all, or if you simply can't decide which book to pick up next, this is your answer.

5 out of 5 stars