Something to do…

I was at the library last week browsing through shelves with my 14 yr old and I had a thought.  

Instead of randomly walking up to shelves and finding books I'm going to take a systematic approach to it!  

I went to the first row of the first shelf at our closest library and found a book I wanted to read this week. I finished it last night and I'm now going back to return it and find a book on the next shelf down.  I'll keep doing this until I hit a section that I just don't want to read cover to cover (cookbooks, textbooks…), I'll skip those shelves and go to the next.  I'm going to do this in the children's books every week as well, it will give a variety of summer reading for the boys.  

I'll TRY to remember to blog about the book I read and what I thought of it, I used to be so much better about blogging!

Here's the first book I borrowed… 

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

I will start with the positive.  You have Jane, a teen girl with a tragic childhood that left her growing up in the foster care system and a group home.  Jane is guided by an older boy to be her best, study hard and not let life take her down and she does it.  She has an incredible work ethic and is accepted into a prestigious private school on full scholarship and free room and board.  

She moves into a quaint cottage in the woods and makes friends immediately, which has never been her strong point.  She is so loved and accepted in this new environment that she begins to question everything.  

I won't go any further into the details because there are spoilers, I will be vague now.  Jane starts out as an amazing role model on how to keep yourself separate yet still be a part of something.  She made great decisions and then all of the sudden was so caught up in being loved and accepted that she forgot herself.  She went down a winding road of bad decisions that left me scratching my head and saying… What is she doing??  It was so unlike her character.  

This is a book that I will remember and am still thinking about today and going over it in my head, thinking about Jane.  In a way it is a different twist on Jane Eyre, about companionship that has a girl stuck in a tough decision between dependence financially and wanting freedom to follow her own dreams.

Overall I would give this one a 3.5 out of 5 for the fact that it's a YA supernatural book that teetered on the line of romance without being silly or inappropriate and had a new and interesting take on the supernatural.  I was captivated by the writing style and the ease of reading this story even though the second half had me wanting to grab Jane and shake her.   

Find me on Goodreads

A story I need to share...

I will preface this blog post with a statement that anything in here is my personal experience and my belief of what happened.  I am in no way giving advice on what you should do for your own children.  Please know that I firmly believe that God gave us all the free will and ability to think for ourselves and make decisions on our own behalf.  I am in NO WAY stating that Autism is caused by vaccinations.  This blog is NOT about autism and vaccines, it's about bringing light to the fact that kids are being hurt by them… my kid was hurt by them.  I have 2 children that are fully vaccinated and 2 that are not and will remain that way, here is the story of why.  

I had always felt that vaccinations were helpful but that putting them into a tiny little newborn body can't be good for their little brains.  We made the educated choice to delay vaccination until our kids' 5th birthday.  Did you know that by waiting to begin you cut the number of shots they receive in HALF!  That's right.  They get 39 shots in their childhood by following the CDC schedule from birth.  They get 19 if you start at school age.  That's quite a difference!  And that is IF you choose to get all of the shots including the controversial new HPV shot, Gardisil.  (please, this is the only one I will ask you to read heavily into before allowing)

Education on something you're allowing to be injected into your tiny little people is so very important.  You have the right to refuse them, you have the right to wait until you are ready and you think your child is ready.  You also have the right to receive them as planned and scheduled with no judgement from me and that's the beauty of free will!

Ok, enough of that and on to my personal story.  This all started in 2010 with my third child that just turned 5 and as done with his sister before him we started slowly getting his vaccinations so he would be ready for Kindergarten.  We had his 5 yr well child and talked to the Peds Dr about which would be the most beneficial to start with as we were going slow.  Of course… MMR came up along with Dtap and Varicella.  We chose to start with Dtap and Varicella.  Completely uneventful, went home with no issues and remained that way for a month.  We went back and requested only the MMR this time, only we wouldn't be so lucky after going home.  By the next morning he spiked a fever, was lethargic on the couch and was vomitting.  He didn't want to stand up or move at all.  He would have a couple of really bad days followed by a couple of tolerable ones.  He wouldn't play or run around but he would sit up and be active within the house.  Then it would return for a few days.  This lasted for a MONTH.  The doctor said he was probably already getting sick and it was a coincidence.  3 weeks into it we tried to push him to get outside and rejoin his baseball team at practice, only to have him throw up on the field due to the exertion and end up back on the couch for days.

Not wanting to assume that it was the shot, at the time, we listened to the doctor and 4 months later went back for another one.  Not an MMR this time, just the next Dtap… but guess what, the damage was already done and he ended up just as sick that same evening and was sick for over 2 weeks this time.  Now I am convinced.  It's not my child, it's the shots.  I filed a report with the vaccine injury program so it would be reported, I think far too many go unreported so their statistics are horribly flawed.  His Peds Dr listened this time.  After months of swollen nodes, unexplained symptoms and positive tests for both mono and strep (simultaneously, which is dangerous), she decided to do a complete workup.  He was tested for everything including auto-immune disorders.  The only thing that has not been done is a full allergy panel but we moved to a new base before she could order that.  Everything came back normal.  There was nothing "wrong" with my child.  Not a single thing to explain what happened except that his body did not accept the vaccinations.

After the immunizations my extremely healthy 5 year old was now sick all the time.  Strep throat twice, Mono, allergies that never existed before.  I talked to a great friend of mine that helped heal all 3 of her children from toxicity issues and she told me about Juice Plus, a product that is fruits and vegetables made into capsules or chews.  They have 19 fruits and veggies that deliver nutrition with a hard punch and allow our bodies to do what they are meant to do, heal themselves.  Real health care!  I immediately got him on these chews (and they taste pretty darn fantastic!!) as well as making slow and steady alterations to his diet.  Removing things like HFCS and heavily processed foods.  Reducing his sugar intake and slowly changing his palate.

After 1 year of daily Juice plus and diet change the allergies were gone again.  No more thick snot running down his face and stuffy head/ears.  After 2 years he was finally going back to his normal healthy self with an immune system that could defend itself.  He's now almost 9 years old and is just like my other kids as far as health goes.  He gets sick just like them, rarely, but also gets over it in the normal course just like them.  I'm very thankful for friends that share their information and want to help and I'm very thankful that she was slightly forceful in her earlier messages to me, imploring that these steps would help him and I could make my child well again.  I'm writing this now so others know that there really are options.

I now have a 4th child that just turned 5 and, as with the others, my husband and I sat down and discussed the pros and cons of doing the shots as always.  In our minds it is now a gamble.  Will our youngest be like his sisters and have an immune system that can withstand and still thrive the impact of the vaccinations, or will he be like his brother and take us down another road of regret?  The questions and worry are there once again, especially with Kindergarten hanging over our heads.  I'm leaning towards skipping them all but we may opt to do a few.  Dtap is one that has been on my mind as a dear friend has been struggling for months with whooping cough in her youngest.  But do I want to make a decision out of fear knowing that vaccinated children still get whooping cough, too?  Much prayer and thought will go into our decision but the wonderful thing is… it's our decision.  I'm thankful that I still have the right (at this point) to decline these shots until I feel comfortable with it.

If you want more information on Juice Plus I can put you in contact with someone that will help you.  If you want information on Essential oils and natural ways to heal and help your family you can ask me.  I am now a firm believer in the human body's ability to take care of itself in most cases (I still go to doctors for check ups and serious issues).  I will be writing a blog in the next week about oils and how they have helped us with so many things from anxiety/depression to ADHD to ear infections.  They do it all!

If you want information on recovering your children from toxicity (not just talking about shots here) please leave a message below!  There are people that can help you and there are ways to help your child.  It takes time and, yes, it takes money but it could change a life.

Thanks for reading my blog post, please don't leave any hateful messages as the meaning of my writing is not out of hate or judgement, we all can have our own opinions and I respect yours, please respect mine.

EDIT:
I will just share links here since I have had people wanting to know…

Here is a link to check out and order Juice Plus for your family.  It comes in a 4 month supply but is divided up into monthly payments… only about $25/mo for a child's dose and $45 for an adult's so very not bad!!
http://www.wyndie.juiceplus.com

Here is a link to check out essential oils.  One is to see which oil you would use for different conditions and the other is my doTerra page.
Essentials
dōTERRA store

Let's give this another try...

WHOA!!

It has clearly been a long time since I blogged on my personal blogsite.   Just a couple weeks shy of 2 years to be exact.  Well… 2014 is a new year and a great time to jump back into something I love to do, write and share our experiences.  I'm shifting gears in my photography business this year and going from shooting for clients to shooting for myself.  I have some personal projects in my head that I want to see come to fruition and I also have 4 children that have been greatly neglected these past 2 years, well, neglected by my camera anyway!  I always forget to take pictures of them just doing everyday things… which leads me into my next venture for this year...

**I will be teaching Mom-tographer classes!!**

Moms that bought or were gifted nice new DSLR cameras that don't have the slightest clue of what to do with them besides keeping it on auto and pushing the button.  I hope to hold the first class in April with details coming out very soon.

I'm really looking forward to sharing my passion for photography, food and books as well as sharing parts of our life with all of you.  Sit back, relax and let's take on 2014 together!

To start things off, I've taken up juicing.  I don't juice every meal, but I try to drink one per day and love the way it makes me feel… more energy and I also don't crave junk nearly as much.  A basic juice for me would include a large cucumber, 3-4 large handfuls of spinach, an apple, a handful of whatever berries I have in the fridge or an orange and a couple of carrots.  For added zip I may add a small chunk of ginger or add a few drops of an essential oil to my mug.

Thanks for checking out my blog and I look forward to sharing more.  Feel free to leave me a message, share your juice ingredients or ask a question!

It's been SOOOO long....

I have seriously neglected my blog.  I haven't been on here in.... I don't even know how long!  I've read books that haven't been shared.  I've tried recipes that haven't been posted.  My children have done strange and outrageous things that I have neglected to bless the rest of this world with reading!!  Oh the horrors!!!  NO MORE!  The procrastination and avoidance will end now... well, at least for a few days.

I'm going to do a photo a day challenge for February, please join in and share your photos on a blog, website or fb page.  Post a link below if you want to share it with everyone.

Day one.... (actually it's 2 but I just found out about it today and yesterday was kind of a sucky day anyway)
Here is the list of things to do each day

Now for my entries...

Here is a late one for yesterday but it pretty much shows my view for the day...

Here is one for today...  Words

 ... because I REALLY REALLY want a Chocolate covered strawberry cupcake from there but they won't have more until Saturday!!!  WHAT'S UP WITH THAT??


Ok, moving on.  Share your pictures and post a link, I'd love to see what you have!!



www.inspiredimagesbytammy.com
www.facebook.com/inspiredimagesbytammy

Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Freezer directions!

These are the yummiest chocolate chip pancakes ever!  No syrup needed for these delicious treats unless you like a little strawberry sauce on top of your chocolatey goodness.  First I'll give you the recipe then I'll post pictures of how I freeze them after making a double batch, then my kids can have a warm breakfast and I don't have to dirty pans and bowls so often!  Forget about buying Eggo or Aunt Jemima frozen foods with all those preservatives and who knows what else.  Spend 1 morning a week making pancakes, waffles, breakfast burritos or whatever else you love and freeze it.  Just pick one thing each week and make it and before you know it you will have a freezer full of wonderful breakfast items to warm in the microwave and enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes  (double batch)

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp baking powder
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Put dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Whip eggs first then add all wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until it's all moist.  There will still be lumps in the batter.  Do not over mix pancake batter or it doesn't stay fluffy and light.  Pour about 1/4 cup for each pancake.  When the top is bubbly flip it.

There you have it, they should look something like this....

Now you lay them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer and place the whole pan in the freezer. 

Once they are frozen you will stack them in freezer bags or into freezer safe containers then return it to the freezer where you and your kids can grab as many or as few as you would like and enjoy!! 

Drought by Pam Bachorz

I don't know if you have read Candor, by Pam Bachorz, but I have.  I read it in a single day and spent about 2 days constantly thinking about whether I loved it or hated it, in the end I decided that any book that made me dwell for that long must be a book that I love.  Well, Bachorz has done it yet again!  Where does she come up with these ideas?  I don't know, but they are new and fresh and thought provoking! 

I read drought in 2 days (only because my husband is gone and I couldn't sit and read the entire thing in one day).  I simply could not put it down!  I was thinking about Ruby and Ford and wanted to know what they were doing and how it would work out. 

My brief summary is... Ruby and her mother, Sula, are members of the "congregation".  They worship and follow the teachings of Otto, the person that is god for them, but he is a person and left them 200 years ago.  Yes, 200 years ago.  Otto (and his daughter Ruby) have special healing power in their blood that sustains the congregation and keeps them alive forever.  Without the blood they would whither away quickly.  Ruby must add drops of her blood to their water to keep the congregation strong and healthy because they live under the reign  and torture of Darwin.  He keeps them working night and day collecting water in a peculiar way that he believes gives the water its power.  The Elders of the congregation has protected Ruby her entire life and protected her but they can't protect her from love and from Ford, the kind new overseer that has come to work for the summer.  Even Ruby's mother can do nothing to keep them from falling in love and the decisions that must be made will affect everyone on the mountain.

I enjoyed the book a lot, and really liked how she handled Ruby's cult-like world view and showed shadows of doubt the crept in over time showing that Ruby was thinking for herself and not just following what everyone else told her.  She made Ruby a strong and likable protagonist, not whiny and not shallow.  The whole premise of the book was hard to wrap my mind around and figure out, people living for 200 years and more and how did overseers never catch on and how did Ruby grow up over 200 years and still look only about 17 with her mother still treating her like a child when she was really 200 yrs old.  I didn't understand that at all.  There were weird things about it but overall I would say I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

My thought is that as strange and different as the story was, any book that keeps my attention that closely and makes me continue thinking about the characters for days after deserves at least the 4 stars. 

Spiritual Content....
It does deal A LOT with worshiping and thanking Otto.  Ford tries to tell her about Jesus and tells her she is sinning by thinking her blood can save anyone because Jesus is the only one that can save by his blood.  She argues with him about whether he has seen this Jesus person heal and he says no at which point he can't argue anymore.  So there are a lot of spiritual implications in the story since they whole thing is based around the fact that she is the daughter of their god and her blood does save people on a daily basis.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity is a debut novel by Kim Harrington.  It is set in a coastal tourist town around the character Clarity Fern and her family.  The Ferns aren't your typical family, they are all a little unique.  Her mother is a telepath, her brother, Periwinkle, is a Medium and Clare is psychic.  Her abilities are very specific though, she can only see events that have already occured and only when she touches an object associated with the event.  They have a family business that is pretty successful with the tourists although the local towns people don't really approve of their line of work believing they are fakes. 

Suddenly this normally peaceful, happy town gets turned upside down by the investigation of a teenage tourist found murdered in her hotel room.  A new detective is brought in to help solve the case and he brings along his teenage son, Gabriel.  You get where this is going, right?  Of course, he's good looking and of couse, he and Clare have an immediate connection... but, Clare is just coming out of a relationship with a long time boyfriend that has left her feeling burned and left the guy still in love with her and wanting her back.  Your classic YA love triangle! But before you get me wrong in thinking this is just like every other YA out there of "girl torn between 2 gorgeous guys both pining after her" let me tell you there is more to the story that makes it well worth reading! 

Clare is asked to assist in the murder investigation in hopes that leads can be found.  Her special gift of getting images of the past from objects could prove helpful in a case that has no leads, the problem is everything she finds is pointing in one direction... Her brother.  She is torn between family loyalty and love and the thought that her brother is somehow involved in the only murder to happen in decades.  As the investigation proceeds, the danger to Clare increases and she must untangle the mess of evidence she is "seeing" that no one else can see and somehow convince them that she knows what she's talking about.

This book was a very easy read for two reasons... first, it's short and secondly it was well written and flowed nicely.  The story was different from anything I've read but still had the classic bits that we all know we love (ie. love triangles, murder mystery, sassy teenage girl nonconformist).  I loved the relationship between Clare and Perry (Periwinkle, her brother).  They were connected and protective but not over the top.  Perry is a bit of a womanizer, he is older than Clare, and she makes it well known to him that she doesn't approve of the way he treats girls.  The mother was caring and authoritative yet a little vulnerable as a single mother of 2 teenagers and doing the best she could.  I have had issues in the past with other books portraying parents in a stand-off role but their mom is very much aware and in their lives.

I think Kim Harrington did a wonderful job in this first YA novel.  I would definitely read more from her and look forward to seeing what she comes out with. 

*I received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) of this book through the Amazon Vine Program and receive no reimbursement for this review, it is an honest review and my opinion of this novel.

Blueberry bread

I made blueberry bread (in a 9x9 pan instead of a loaf pan) for my Usborne Book party today and several people asked to share the recipe so here it is.  :)

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used Wyland's of Maine brand frozen Wild Blueberries.  I love these)

2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp chilled butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream butter and sugars.  Add one egg at a time beating each one well.  Mix in vanilla.  In a bowl or large measuring cup mix the 3 dry ingredients.  Alternate adding 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/3 of the milk back and forth stirring with a spoon.  Measure out the frozen blueberries and coat them in flour, this will keep your batter from turning blue and keep the blueberries in place while baking.  Coat a baking dish (loaf pan, 9x9 or muffins) with butter or whatever you use for nonstick baking.  I prefer butter.  Pour batter into pan.

Cut together the remaining 4 ingredients until it's coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top of batter and bake for 20-25 minutes for muffins or 9x9 pan and about 40 minutes for a loaf pan.  When you can lightly touch the top and it springs back and doesn't sink in OR when you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean of batter then it is done.

Cheesecake Strawberries

Here are the directions to make the cheesecake strawberries.  It's not really a recipe.  It can take a loooooong time if you are making a lot of strawberries.  What you will need...

Strawberries, (not too small since you'll have to fill them with cheesecake)
Cheesecake or cheesecake filling
White chocolate chips (i prefer ghirardelli)
Milk chocolate chips (ghirardelli again)
graham crackers (I don't recommend the crumbs I've used in the picture, they weren't very good)
a little bit of shortening to thin up the white chips

The first thing you need to do is cut up into the strawberry through the tip to hollow out the middle of the strawberry.  Then you cut about half of the length off the piece you remove.  Throw away the center part but KEEP THE TIP!  Put the tip back into the strawberry so you know which tip goes to which berry.

  Now you will need a gallon sized zippered Freezer bag OR a pastry bag.  You can't use regular storage zippered bags because they are too week and the cheesecake will bust through the sides from the force of pushing it out of the hole into the berry.  Put 2-3 slices of cheesecake or a big scoop of cheesecake filling into the bag, press the air out and close it.  cut a dime sized hole out of the corner of the bag.

Squeeze enough cheesecake into each strawberry that it fills the hole but doesn't come out of the top, then push the tip back on to it.  Do this to all of the strawberries then put them in the fridge until they are chilled (if you have done a large number and they need to be chilled, otherwise, continue on...)

After your strawberries are chilled you will melt the white chocolate chips with a scoop of shortening added to them.  The shortening is necessary because without it the white chocolate is very thick and when you try to pull the strawberry back up out of it while dipping it will pull the tip right off of the stuffed berry.  You'll need about 1 Tbsp of shortening per bag of chips.  Add a little more at a time if it's still very thick.  DO NOT OVERHEAT.  If you do it in a microwave then heat it for 30 seconds, stir it well then heat for 10-15 seconds at a time stirring in between each.  Only heat until it is smooth and you can stir all lumps out of it.  Dip the berry then lightly scrape it along the edge of the bowl to create a flattened surface to lay the berry on without having a puddle of chocolate under it.  Set it on waxed paper to harden.

If the strawberries are chilled before dipping it shouldn't take long for the chocolate to harden, then you will do the same with the milk chocolate except you won't need the shortening.  After dipping it in the milk chocolate you lightly scrape the same side you did before, then dip the bottom into the crushed graham cracker and place it on the same waxed paper until it is completely set. 

If you want to make them look pretty you can put some white chocolate into a sandwich baggie and cut a tiny hole in the tip then drizzle on the top. 

Apparently it's harder than it seems... 365/ 3-4-5

SO... apparently remembering to write a blog post every day when you have 4 children around you all the time is easier said than done!  I have taken pictures, but I haven't remembered to actually load them on and share them.  So here I go...

365/3   Kara and her dogs.  She is the only reason we have animals and they mean the world to her.

365/4   Fresh Homemade Blueberry Bread.  YUM.  Made with Wild Maine Blueberries, none better!

365/ 5  The best picture I've been able to get of Darien for years.  She was having a great day!!

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan is a companion book to her first YA novel The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  It is a continuation of the story but not so much a sequel.  It is the story of Gabrielle, Gabry for short, and her life living with her mother in the lighthouse on the ocean where the mudo (unconsecrated from the first book) wash up on to the shore and must be decapitated before they 'wake up' and get into the village they live in.  This is the job of Gabry's mom, Mary... Yes, this is the same Mary from Forest of Hands and Teeth, many years later, I'm guessing at least 25 years... we never actually find out.

Gabry is the opposite of Mary, she is quiet and shy and has no desire to see anything outside of their village.  She believes in the rules that are set and follows them knowing it keeps her safe from the mudo.  One night, after succumbing to peer pressure from her best friend and many others, they climb the wall built to protect the city so they can go to an amusement park just outside that was long since abandoned to the undead.  Things start out mild and chaos quickly breaks out which leads to several teens being bitten and many more being held by the local autorities for breaking very strictly enforced rules. 

The rest of the story leads through a roller coaster of emotions as well as issues of loyalty, love and abandonment.  I found that I enjoyed Dead Tossed Waves much more than Forest of Hands and Teeth, mostly because I loved the protagonist.  Gabry was so much easier to empathize with and want to follow than Mary was.  This book actually allows us to open up and understand Mary a little more and see a different side of her. 

Overall the book is written well and moved along allowing the characters to grow and adapt to different situations.  I would recommend this to people that enjoy post-apocalyptic style YA books, but I would definitely recommend reading Forest of Hands and Teeth first if you haven't already.  There are references to the first book in this second one, nothing that requires that you read it but it would just fill in a few gaps for you in the story telling.

For my Christian friends that read my reviews for either yourself or your daughters here is my opinion on that matter.  Unconsecrated or Mudo, depending on the book you're reading, are Zombies.  They are walking dead that are infected with a virus that takes over their body and keeps it "alive" while the person is actually gone.  Definitely not a Christian theme.  You'll have to use your judgement on your own child reading these books.  There are a couple of instances where Gabry kisses a guy, nothing intense and nothing more sexual than that.  There is a lot of physical altercations and injuries while dealing with the undead.  There is a cult in the book that worships the Mudo because they believe they are the way to everlasting life... definitely not a good thing. 

Project 365...

So I just heard of this whole 365 thing (yeah, I'm kinda slow... I know it), and I was thinking that since I use my camera almost daily anyway, I might as well turn a few of the pics into blog posts.  To start it off I took pictures last night while my boys were playing.  They can always make me smile (and scream, but last night it was mostly smile).  So here's the picture I was feeling last night of my beebee.  My youngest and cutest, mostly because he is the youngest.

Next is today's picture.  In honor of the momentous occasion of making my very first smoothie all by myself without a little frozen kit, I took a picture of the stuff thrown into it.  I have to say that it actually tasted pretty good after I added a little agave nectar to sweeten it up a bit.  It's gonna take some practice to actually make it taste good enough for Kara to drink it, she's a tough one to please lately when it comes to snacks and stuff.

Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment is the second book in a series written by Lauren Kate, the first book being Fallen .  You can read my review of Fallen by clicking the link, do not read this review unless you have already read the first book.

Luce is beginning to accept her role in the supernatural world amongst angels and half-angels.  Nothing much surprises her anymore after what happened at Sword & Cross.  Now the angels have placed her in California at a rich private school that is populated by mostly humans but has a special group that, unknown to the people, are nephilim... half angel.  Her roommate is Shelby, a nephilim teen.  With the help of Shelby and Miles, the good looking nephilim guy because we all know Luce has to have someone to pull her affection from Daniel, Luce goes on an adventure to explore her past lives and try to figure out why, through all of those lives and subsequent deaths, she has stuck with Daniel instead of choosing to lead a normal life with a human that could allow her to actually live.  Along the way she knows that she is hurting Daniel by exploring these thoughts but she also knows she owes it to herself to finally get some answers. 

Torment seemed to be a little better than Fallen for me.  I'm not sure exactly what it was, possibly that it moved along a little more, gave a little more information, wasn't a constant 'Which boy do a choose?' situation.  Luce was really questioning things and wanting to find the right path for herself regardless of what everyone else tells her her fate will be.  Just because the Luce's of the past loved Daniel and died for him doesn't mean this present time Luce must do the same.  Luce learns new things from her angel teachers and her half angel friends and gains new confidence. 

This book was well-written and continues on pretty smoothly from the first book.  If you read Fallen and liked it then Torment is definitely worth the time to read, but be prepared to recieve only a few more puzzle pieces.  As I said in my review of Fallen, it was like an incomplete puzzle... Torment is definitely not a completion of that puzzle and leaves a lot hanging, making us wait for the third book.  As with the first book, I was certainly not pleased with the ending.  Nothing makes me more frustrated than a series of books that each individual novel cannot stand on it's own merit.  These books do not tell a complete story on their own which makes it difficult to truly enjoy each one separate of the others.  If you haven't begun reading these books yet then I recommend you wait until the third comes out to read them all at once.  I'm assuming that since you've read this review that you've already finished Fallen, in which case you should go ahead with Torment because you'll get a few new tidbits of info and have an interesting story to fill some spare time, but don't expect any big revelations.  It will be another waiting game...

Yumm-o Pumpkin cookies!

I just finished baking the yummiest cakiest deliciousiest (yeah, yeah... so it's not a real word) pumpkin cookies.  I found a recipe and tweaked it... here is the revised recipe the way I made it.

Start the frosting first because it needs a long time to cool (learned the hard way, lol):
Melt 6 Tbsp of butter
8 Tbsp of milk
1 cup of packed brown sugar
until the mixture is fully dissolved then completely cool it.

For Cookies...
Cream together:
2 cups of butter (recipe called for shortening and I don't use shortening EVER)
2 cups white sugar
1 can of pumpkin or equiv. of 2 cups

Add 2 eggs and beat until fully mixed... a minute or two

Add mixture of:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or use all spice or pumpkin pie spice)
1 tsp salt

Mix for 2 minutes

Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes each.  Until the tops are 'dry' looking but not turning brown.

While cookies are baking and once the brown sugar mixture is cooled....
Add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectioners sugar

Spread frosting on cookies and enjoy! 

They have a wonderfully moist cake texture not to mention BUTTER!  ;)  I love butter. 

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok is a wonderfully written, inspiring story about a girl and her mother who immigrate to the United States from Hong Kong with nothing to their names and knowing very little English.  Kimberly Chang is a 10 yr old girl who has lived through a lot in her short life.  Her father has died and her mother has just gotten over having Tuberculosis.  Her aunt and uncle in America have paid their way for them to legally move to the U.S. and attempt to start a new life.  Upon arriving in the new country they find that things aren't as wonderful as they thought.  They are in a shabby apartment with no heat, which is a terrible thing in a New York City winter.  Kim must go to a regular American public school knowing hardly any English and manages to not only pass but to thrive and gain acknowledgement. 

Kim was a top scholar in her school in Hong Kong and now spends all of her free time either working in the sweat shop with her mother to make a few pennies per item while finishing clothing to be shipped out for sale, or working hard on her homework, even reading the dictionary, to learn the language that is going to their ticket out of the slum they live in.  At a young age Kim is torn between the culture her mother knew and is trying to raise her in in Chinatown and the American culture where people say what they think show their true colors without fear. 

Girl in Translation follows Kim and her mother, as well as a few other key characters, through a span of 20 years and kept me captivated from beginning to end.  Kwok writes such a realistic portrayal that even I, as an average white american housewife, can identify and feel a connection with poor Ah-Kim as she goes through her life remaining respectful of her mother's wishes and still attempting to become a part of American teenage life. 

I completely enjoyed reading this story and found it to be a simple, easy read that allowed me to relax and completely immerse myself into the world of these immigrants as they worked to become naturalized citizens and strive for the dream of all Americans... Freedom.  Freedom from fear, Freedom from the grips of poverty, Freedom from the weight of expectations. 

My $14 Walgreens trip....

Here are a few pictures of what I got and then I will explain how I got it and how you can get it too!!  :)



Above you see the little caramels that are 39 cents.  Walgreens (and most stores) have a policy of using no more coupons than you have items being purchased.  This means that when you are using Manf coupons AND have the reward bucks to use you will have to use a 'filler' item to put extra things on your reciept.  This is what I choose to use.  The Oral B Cross Action Toothbrushes were in the sunday paper coupon insert.  There was a Buy one get one free coupon a few weeks ago I've been holding on to, then there was the Save 75 cents on one coupon.  Combining the two together in this transaction with the sale of $3.99 each I got them for $1.62 each.



Above you will see 3 bottles of Vaseline Sheer Infusion lotion which is on sale for 5.99.  It has a $2 sticker coupon on the bottle (don't forget to peel it!) AND there is a $5 reward coupon that prints out after your purchase.  You must purchase each bottle separately as only one coupon will print per transaction!!  After rewards and $2 coupon it's a $1 moneymaker.  The 2 bottles of Tilex and 2 containers of clorox wipes are 2/$5 this week with a $2 reward coupon printing out when you buy 2.  There is a $1 off 1 Tilex coupon and $1 off 1 clorox wipe coupon that I will have links for at the bottom.  Leaving these things at 50 cents per bottle after all coupons and rewards.

There are 2 bottles of Hylands Cold n Cough for children.  They are on sale for $5 and I got a $2 off coupon plus there is a $5 reward that prints.  You must purchase each bottle separately and I will put a link to the coupon on the bottom of the page.  This is a $2 moneymaker.  The Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner is on sale $4 plus it's BOGO 1/2 off.  Which means $6 for 2.  I had a $2 coupon from the P&G insert mailing. (I don't know how you'd get one now) Then there was a $2 register reward which made these $1 per bottle for me.

Walgreens brand pain relievers are BOGO free and cost $4 for 100 ct bottles, making them only $2 after discount.  The kraft homestyle mac n cheese is on sale for 1.99 and there are $1 coupons on the kraft website.  I will try to get the link on here if it is still available.  Some of these coupons aren't out anymore.  That makes those bags of super creamy, yummy mac n cheese only 99 cents.  The Charmin is on sale for $2.99 with a limit of 3 and I had a 50 cent coupon from the P&G mailing.

*******************************************************************************

Here are a list of the links for coupons available online.  I highly recommend that any of you interested in couponing and cutting your grocery and supply bill significantly get at least one subscription to your local newspaper.  You can often get good deals by calling them up and talking to a person.  I got an entire year, 7 days a week for only $100.  The Sunday paper alone in Las Vegas costs $3 a week.  So I am getting it delivered to my driveway every day for less than $2 a week!  Can't beat that.  :)  Invest in a printer if you don't already have one.  I have figured that I print out about $300 in coupons for every $40 that I spend in ink.  For those that say it's a waste of ink... it's only a waste if you're not using the coupons.  Buy paper at the office stores when they are cheap and on sale.  I stock up when they are $2-$3 a ream.  I have about 4 packs of paper in my closet right now. 

Here are links to some of the coupons you can use for the items above...

Clorox Wipes:  You will have to "like" clorox on Facebook to get the coupon for the wipes and make sure you hit the back browser 3 times after the first print and it will print you a second one.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/Clorox?v=app_155211227838269&ref=ts

Tilex spray bottles:  You may have to go through a few pages to find it but it's in there.  You can only print 1 per computer so if you have multiple computers just print one from each to make the deal I showed above.

 http://www.coupons.com/

Hyland's Cough n Cold for children:  You will have to register on this site and select the coupon.  It will be emailed to you and you can print as many copies as you want.  I hope it's still listed.  I just printed mine yesterday but sometimes the coupons go fast.
http://www.healthesavers.com/HealthESavers/Coupons.aspx?ViewAll=1

Kraft Homestyle:  I will give you a couple of links to try for the Kraft coupons.  Since I have already printed them I have no way of knowing which one will still have it available.
http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com/default.aspx
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/


Another couple of tips for shopping at walgreens when using the rewards...

• You cannot use reward coupons to pay for the same item that just gave you the reward and still get another reward coupon.  Example.  You can't buy the vaseline lotion, then use the $5 reward to buy the next vaseline lotion, because it will not print out another $5 reward since it knows you just got one. 
• You CAN use the reward immediately following your purchase on a different item.  Example.  Alternate purchasing the Vaseline lotion and the Hyland's Cough n Cold and continually use the $5 rewards on the next purchases.  Stick in a few other purchases (tilex or clorox) with each and when you check out each time your total should only be a dollar or two. 
• Don't forget the little caramels next to the register when the cashier tells you that you have too many coupons for the number of items purchased! 
• Be KIND to the cashiers!  I love my cashiers and they love me.  I am in there at least once a week stocking up and I want them to look forward to helping me... not run the other way!  They are doing their job just like you are doing yours. 
• Have your coupons in order know what you're doing before you approach the register.  Having a game plan for the order of redeeming your coupons/rewards is key to walking out of there spending the least amount possible out of your account! 

Most of all... remember that this is about saving and stocking up on things that you WILL need.  Don't go in there and buy things you will never use just because it's cheap as that completely defeats the purpose of shopping frugally.  Don't get caught up in the sale trap!!  The sale is only useful as the product you're buying!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is the third and final book of the Hunger Games series.  If you have not read Hunger Games and Catching Fire do not read this review. 

Katniss has just been lifted out of the arena of the 75th annual Hunger Games by a hovercraft flown by the rebels.  She finds out that not only has she been a player in the capitols sick game but the rebels have used her to begin their rebellion and have gone against her wishes to keep Peeta alive by choosing to save her and leave Peeta to be taken by Capitol officials and possibly tortured or murdered.  In the meantime she is taken to District 13 and healed then persuaded to become the embodiment of the Mockingjay and the visual leader of the rebellion, the catalyst and person that woud remind the districts of what they are fighting for.  Katniss must decide who to trust, in essence, whose lies  hurt the least because she feels they are all lying to her except the one person she wishes was.

This final book is absolutely action packed and kept me reading nonstop... literally.  I read the entire book yesterday, I couldn't put it down.  When I read the last sentence and closed the book I wasn't sure what to think or what to write out in a review.  My brain needed a little time to digest what I just read and figure out how I really felt about it.  My initial reaction was disappointment but I couldn't figure out why because I couldn't stop reading, so rather than write a bad review like others were eager to do I wanted to search myself.  I think I've come down to feeling sad... which is totally fine!  All books do not have to leave you feeling happy and bubbly.  Katniss has been through 2 back to back rounds of the hunger games and wakes up thinking she's a POW and ready to kill not only herself but Peeta and Beetee to save them from endless torture.  She is clearly suffering from PTSD and who wouldn't after all she's been through.  She manages to make it through day to day with little windows into the old Katniss reminding us why we fell in love with her.  I feel like Collins made this 3rd book true to what would happen to a 17 yr old girl that's been in a war for over a year, she's almost cracked and President Snow is pushing hard to see her shatter to the ground. 

This morning I wake up and I feel like I can say I really, really liked this last book as a whole.  Not Loved.  I gave the first two books 5 stars each and would give this one 4.  If you are reading this review then that means you've read the first 2 and I highly recommend this one to you to get the answers you know you're dying to hear about.  As in the first two books, Collins does not linger on the whole Love triangle thing as that is not the center of the book but simply a branch off.  The main story being the Hunger Games and the otrocities of the government and President Snow in particular.  The story of people being controlled and oppressed and made into slaves that are fighting their way out of their situation against all odds. 

*******Small Spoilers, no major plot revelations**********

I want to warn people that this book is far bloodier and intense than the first 2 combined.  The war is on and the Capital is sparing no tricks with this one.  Katniss spends much of this book in a fog or hiding in a closet and trying to hold herself together.  Peeta is mentally altered when he is taken as prisoner and he is a completely different person, he's a weapon in President Snow's arsenal against Katniss.  Gale has taken on the role of soldier full force as he's always wanted to since they were in district 12 back in book one.  He's always had the fire in him to fight the Capital and he finally has the chance to do it.  This book introduces our 3 favorite characters in a very altered state from our previous encounters, but they should be!  They are teenagers that have been put through more than adults would be able to handle.  They are falling apart but still trying to work with the adults around them to reach the best end possible.  The fighting and death may be too much for you and if it is then you could possibly skip the war and go to the last 40ish pages of the book to find out the answers you need.  If the death doesn't bother you I highly recommend reading it all because it really was good.  I couldn't put it down! 

*******end spoilers*******

People that reviewed this poorly had pretty messed up reasons that mostly revolved around things not going the way they wanted them to go.  This whole series was about the Mockingjay which was a symbol of overcoming a government.  The bird itself was not supposed to exist but it defied the Capital's plans and lives anyway.  Katniss embodies this description, completely.  This book is about revolution and freedom and fighting for what should be rightfully yours anyway.  It's about finding what's real and true.  This is not a sugar coated, love fest like other YA series but anyone would know that after reading the first two.  If you are reading this series to find out if it's Peeta or Gale then you are reading it for the wrong reasons and will be just as disappointed as those others.  Give it a chance and remember that freedom isn't free and it greatly alters the minds of those that fought to get it for you.  In the reality of war this is true and in the story of Panem it is equally true and I applaud Collins for making it a believable story and not a fairy tale about a heroic girl that throws herself in harms way only to come out stronger and braver. 

The Boy who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

The Boy Who Changed the World is a children's picture book written by Andy Andrews.  It is a children's book that has a wonderful message and a real purpose.  I read this book to 3 of my children ages 10, 5 and 20 months.  The review is a little different for each child. 

My 20 month old was absolutely thrilled with the pictures and made a game out of finding the butterflies on each page.  The butterflies are all throughout the book with at least one on each page and they are beautifully illustrated!  Really kept him interested in each page when the actual story was very much above his level.

My 5 year old loves having books read to him but was slightly disinterested in the story as it was hard for him to follow.  He liked the pictures but became distracted easily and didn't pay attention as much as he has for other books.

My 10 yr old daughter loved the book and even read it again to herself later on.  She loved that each story led to another about a different boy that made decisions that changed the world in small ways that had a huge ripple effect which eventually led to billions being saved from starvation.  She talked about it afterwards and it really touched her.

Overall this is a wonderful book that I will cherish and keep as my boys get older so they can read it when the words mean more to them.  In the meantime I will pull it out now and then and read it for the great story that is extraordinarily well written and the gorgeous illustrations... or just for butterfly hunting. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  If you have not read Hunger Games (book 1) yet then do not read this review as it will contain spoilers.

Katniss Everdeen is 16yrs old and has just survived the 74th annual Hunger Games in Panem.  She and Peeta, her partner from district 12, became the first ever couple to win and in doing so have upset the balance of a very unstable government.  Their final act in the Hunger Games has been viewed as rebellion by the other districts and has led to many whisperings of uprisings and all out rebelling against the suffocating government that is keeping them all in a constant state of ecomonic depression. 

Katniss is now faced with many decisions.  She and Peeta have to convince the world they are truly in love and in order to do so the president wants a wedding... soon.  But she is torn because of the feelings she might have for Gale.  She also has the Quarter Quell coming up, the 75th annual Hunger Games.  Now that she and Peeta are victors they will become mentors to the next 2 Tributes from District 12 and that may be even harder for her than when she was in the games fighting for her life. 

Following along in the same fashion as book one, Catching Fire is a fabulous dystopian novel that follows one of my favorite protagonists, Katniss.  There are few characters from novels that I enjoy as thoroughly as I do Katniss, one of my other favorites is Jace from the Mortal Instruments series.  Throughout these novels there is such an intensity and urgency in all of the decisions and actions that can be felt through the pages.  I couldn't wait to pick this back up again to continue reading!  This is a series that is high on my list of favorites and will definitely be on my reading list every year! 

As I said with The Hunger Games, this series is not for everyone.  It can be very dark and is about subjects that can be tough for more sensitive people to read.  People are put into an arena and told to kill or be killed in order to win a game that the rich find entertaining.  I highly recommend this series but have also had friends that have not been able to handle them and didn't like them much at all.  They found it a bit too dark for their tastes.  I, personally, am extremely glad that I read this gem of a series!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is book 1 in a YA trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.  It is a dystopian story written about future North America after floods, war and famine.  The continent is changed into one large super country called Panem that is made up of a large capital and 13 districts, each in a different area that produces a different resource used by the government to control all of the other districts.  There was a rebellion in the history of Panem in which district 13 was completely destroyed, leaving 12 districts in fear of what could happen to them at any moment. 

Katniss Everdeen is a 16 yr old girl that lives in district 12, the coal district.  She has lived a hard life in the harshest district.  Katniss lived through her father dying in a mine explosion and her mother turning catatonic after that while she still had a younger sister, Prim, to take care of.  The worst is not even close to over to Katniss, though.  The day of the reaping is coming.  This is where the Capital chooses one boy, 18 and under, and one girl to become the Tributes from each district and these children must fight to the death in a man made arena.  The sole survivor is crowned victor and lavished with gifts and food and a new home and their district is given food and oil for the entire year until the next reaping.  Whose name gets called out at the reaping?  You'll have to read to find out in this electrifying novel that kept me turning pages from beginning to end. 

Suzanne Collins take a subject (children being required to kill to survive) that could be so repulsive and turns it into a heart stopping story where you can truly love the good guys and they choose to do what's right and good even in the worst of circumstances.  This book is very well written and there is great development to the characters and relationships.  I look forard to reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay, (books 2 and 3).  I already own both and will start them immediately!  So far this series tops my list of favorite YA books.  Of course this trilogy is not suited for everyone.  It is very dark and there are killings and fighting.  Nothing extremely graphic, but enough that you get a really good picture in your head.  I MUCH prefer this over the usual YA fare of romantic mush and teenage drama.  Katniss is a perfect protagonist.  She is incredibly smart and strong, very able bodied and doesn't let her emotions rule her.  She has solid relationships and keeps herself in check.  I love that Katniss is responsible, not just out of obligation but out of love for her sister and out of a knowledge that she must do what's right and what needs to be done. 

I highly recommend the Hunger Games to any dystopian fans or to anyone looking for something new and exciting to read.  The good news is the 3rd book was released in August so you can read the entire trilogy at once with no waiting!