New Toy

We use a credit card that accumulates "points" with every dollar you spend, which you can (after a long, long while) "cash in" for products. 

Matt recently realized we had quite a few points saved up and we decided to cash half of them in for a Kindle Paperwhite! This is something that has been on my wish list for a long time, and that I was planning on/hoping to be getting around Christmas, so I am thrilled to finally have one.

If you love to read, this simple little devise is so. much. fun! It's simple to use, easy to read with, easy to transport in my purse while I chauffeur my kids around town, (and it makes it really easy to stay up late reading while I should be sleeping, all without disturbing Matt!) 

Of note: my favorite reading/book review blog is by far Modern Mrs. Darcy - she has great book suggestions. If you're in a "I don't know what to read" rut, I highly recommend you go check out some of her recs. 

Also, here's my Goodreads profile if you want to see what I'm into these days (I also just added a widget to the left side bar that should update automatically!)

Getting Back Into Reading (Loves & "Mehs" of Summer 2014)

I turned 28 in June, and as I considered the implications of that (the good, the bad, and the downright scary,) it occurred to me that I have really gotten out of the habit of reading regularly.

I was always a nose-in-a-book kind of girl. I was the kid who took out 20-30 books at a time from the library and had them all devoured in a week and a half. I had already read most of the required reading for my college English classes before I got there. I don't know what happened after college - (oh, I do: husband, babies and Instagram.) But I definitely don't read much, if at all anymore (unless you count mommy blogs as reading? No?) 

Speaking of blogs, the winner of "inspired Jacqueline the most in 2014" award goes to the lovely Modern Mrs. Darcy. Anne write the BEST book reviews, and her summer reading list for this year inspired me to make my own "to read" list and get back into reading for pleasure's sake. Also, I believe children learn more from watching their parents' actions rather than what their parents tell them to do, (and I'd rather my kids see me reaching for a book over reaching for a phone or laptop,) so modeling a love for reading is something that has been weighing on my mind for some time.

3 months after making the resolution to start choosing to pick up a book over my phone in my precious free time, I have realized a couple of things: (A) I'll probably never be able to get back to that blissful speed of devouring 20 books in a week! However, (B) I really do still adore getting lost in a good book, and there's nothing like the pleasure of walking to the library once every couple of weeks to pick something off my "to-read" list. 

What I've Loved This Summer:

Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" was a great read. It's the story of Bryson's attempt at walking the Appalachian Trail and the things he learned along the way. There's so much history and fascinating information about the AT and the towns and people along its way. I love "educational" books that read like novels. It's also quite funny - Bryson's storytelling is hilarious. 

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver is a book that will stick with me for a long time. The fictional story of a missionary couple and their four daughters who move to a remote village in Africa is both breathtaking and heartbreaking. I couldn't put it down (much to the annoyance of my husband and needy babies, I'm sure.) Barbara Kingsolver is a gifted writer, and I am looking forward to trying more of her books.

How I loved this book. "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty was such an easy, yet thought provoking read. A married woman has an accident and loses the last 10 years of her memory. The implications of the memory loss are huge. I think it captivated me so thoroughly because it's a book about marriage and relationships and how subtly we can allow little tiny weeds to grow and strangle the most important things in our lives. Lots of food for thought in this one.

Books That Fall In the "Meh" (For Me) Category:

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn was one of the most hyped books of the year, right? I was sure I would love it after reading so many rave reviews, and while I did enjoy all the twists and turns and "WTH?!" moments the book had to offer - the main characters were just so thoroughly unlikeable, I felt depressed at the end. This book has themes very similar to "What Alice Forgot" I thought, but left a bad taste in my mouth. Would not recommend.

I was so disappointed that I didn't enjoy "Rules of Civility" by Amor Towles more. It is beautifully written, and I loved the detailed descriptions of New York in the 30s, but I found the characters to be pretty flat and unlikeable. It's a book that I feel, (for want of better description,) has several layers, but I could only scratch at the surface for some reason and was therefore left feeling a little lost and unsatisfied. I'd say it warrants a second reading, but to be honest there were large chunks that I found to be really dull and I doubt I will pick it up again.

I am ALWAYS looking for book recommendations now, to add to my growing "to-read" list! If you know of any winners, let me know!

Rediscovering Childhood Favorites

Did you ever read Maud Hart Lovelace's "Betsy" books as a child? They were some of my favorites growing up. I just started reading "Betsy-Tacy and Tib" with Olive and it has been so much fun! Olive's really connecting with the characters and adventures and it brings me back to being a little girl, enjoying long summer days with my nose in a good book.

Sharing my favorite books with my kids is one of my greatest pleasures. My mom read out loud to me constantly as a kid, and those are some of my most treasured childhood memories. Some classic children's-lit characters feel as close to me as family, they're that special to me. 

Some of the books I'm eagerly anticipating reading with Olive in the coming years:

Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Heidi, Johanna Spyri

The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

Harriet the Spy, Louise Fitzhugh

Matilda, Roald Dahl

The Borrowers, Mary Norton

Strawberry Girl, Lois Lenski

Ramona the Pest, Beverly Cleary

There are so many, many more to add to the list! There is so much fantastic children's literature out there!

What books were your favorites as a child? What books do you love reading to your kids?

October Book Picks

Lately I have sort of rediscovered my love of reading. So I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite "October themed" books with you other fellow bookworms.

Vampires are all the rage now, and even I got sucked into the hype and finally read ALL FOUR Twilight books this year. (In a nutshell - I don't recommend them. Just, don't even go there.) I guess I like my vampires more classically dark and mysterious, (not sparkly, ew) and that's why I loved this book. The Historian manages to put a modern twist to the "Dracula" story without getting ridiculous. Also, it's extremely well written. Unlike other vampire stories I've read *coughTWILIGHTcough.* You might not want to read it at night like I did, though, unless you really like to scare yourself.

Ok, couple of disclaimers here: if you are repulsed by disturbing, violent stories where really crappy things happen to people, this is NOT your book. Also, this book is quite crude in places. I'm not usually a reader or proponent of crude, ugly books, and I can think of several people just off hand who would probably be highly offended by this book, so if you decide to read it, enter forewarned (and please don't think I'm a horrible person?)  I look for and enjoy really good writers and Katherine Dunn is a very good writer. It took me a long time to read Geek Love and to digest it, and the story is still sticking with me months later. It probably always will. In my mind, that's the mark of an extremely gifted author, who knows how to poke at your deepest feelings, insecurities and fears. The story is NOT pretty, it is very disturbing, but I think there's an element of brilliance to it and that fascinates me. 

Oh, one last disclaimer - in this book, "geek" has a totally different meaning than that which you are used to thinking of. Just so you know.

On a much lighter, less disturbing note - if you have never read anything by Ellen Raskin, you are seriously missing out on a treat. They're considered children's literature, but Raskin's writing is so smart and clever that they're enjoyable for all ages. The Westing Game is probably my favorite of her books, and is a great October read with it's riddles and mysteries. Please, please, please give this one a try!

I just finished reading Ted Dekker's Thr3e last week after hearing several people rave about it. I was skeptical at first because, yes, even though I'm a Christian, I don't have a great respect for most of today's "Christian Fiction." Most of it is just horrendously, horribly written. (Yes, I am a snob.) I am, however, a fan of some of Frank Peretti's books (This Present Darkness is brilliant) and I heard some people compare Dekker's style to Peretti's so I gave it a try. Verdict: it was really pretty good. Lots of good twists and turns, and a good message that comes across without sounding preachy. Definitely worth recommending.

What are your favorite October-ish reads? I'm always looking for suggestions! 

The Art of Traveling

This weekend my family is hitting the road yet again, for a long road trip to Hilton Head Island in SC where we'll be hanging out with family for a week.

I feel like since Matt and I got married in 2006 we have earned the titles of "professional travelers." Since being married we have hopped planes, trains and automobiles galore (several times with our very young children, which let me tell you is no easy feat.) I love to travel, though I hate the work (packing, ugh...UNpacking, double ugh.)

Road trips I think are the hardest, especially with kids, because they drag on such a long time and it's easy for everyone to get bored. (And boredom inevitably leads to crankiness.)

We've learned some tricks along the way to make long road trips easier (and dare I say, fun?) So I thought I'd share.

Travel Comforts [For the Kids]

In the past we've downloaded movies or kids shows onto my iPhone for Olive to watch in the car, but then that leaves me without my phone (no fun) so for this trip we invested in an affordable portable DVD player. We got this one off Amazon and it looks very kid friendly and durable. (LOVE that the screen folds down over the buttons! We could probably even mount it in the car eventually.) 

We also bought this volume of Looney Tunes (we hardly own any DVDs since we don't watch much tv, and when we do we just use Netflix) and I'm excited to relive my childhood watching them with the kids. I mean, I just love those ridiculously violent, politcally incorrect guys, don't you?

[For Him]

Nothing makes a long car ride pass more quickly than a good audio book. For this trip we downloaded an Elizabeth Peters mystery to try out, and the first book of Ralph Moody's "Little Britches" series. 

Some other great audio books we've enjoyed over the years are:

1. Anything by Agatha Christie (The Miss Marple books read by Joan Hickson are the BEST.)

2. Killing Lincoln by/read by Bill O'Reilly (love him or hate him, the guy wrote a fascinating book about one of the most fascinating presidents ever. We loved this book so much that we took a trip to Washington DC just to visit Ford's Theater.) 

3. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett. (These are ridiculous, hilarious, and great for all ages. The ones read by the author himself, are of course, superb.)

[For Me]

I love a good, girly magazine (Lucky, Vogue and Nylon are my favorites) but when do I have time to read them? Never. Oh wait, except when I have to sit in the car for several hours! 

The funny thing is, I cannot read a book in the car without getting horribly car sick, but I have no trouble with magazines. (Yay!) A good, thick magazine makes hours in the car just whizz by. 

Music

Good music is a MUST for any road trip. The hard part is getting everyone to agree on what to listen to. We love old Christian greats like Keith Green, Don Francisco and Rich Mullins. We also love "The Buena Vista Social Club" album. (Never gets old.) 

I have been working hard lately trying to get Matt to become a Beirut fan. (I think I'm slowly starting to sway him over. He really likes "Gulag Orkestar.") I am also loving Devotchka lately and am hoping to get to listen to them a little this weekend. 

Last but not least, you must remember the most important element needed for an enjoyable road trip:

Coffee. Lots of it.

You can guarantee I'll get my pumpkin spice latte fix this weekend. Probably more than once if I'm lucky.

What things do you do to make a long car trip fun? I always love new ideas!

Tuesdays

Since the middle of August, Olive and I have made it a weekly tradition of heading to the public library early on Tuesday mornings. We have been having the best time. I love watching her fall in love with the whole experience.

My memories of going to the library as a kid are still so vivid. I remember the thrill of really "getting it" for the first time that ALL those books were at my disposal and how rich that made me feel. I remember the pride in owning my first library card, and reading my first thick chapter book by myself ("Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.) I remember the warm contentment that was going home with a pile of new books from the library and the anticipation of spending a quiet afternoon getting lost in other worlds and other times. I think that's one reason why Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" has always resonated so deeply with me and has remained my favorite book of all time. That first chapter of the book where she describes the feelings Francie had for her library have always been my feelings. 

I've grown up with the hope and desire that my children will be great readers. So I'm planning on making these Tuesday dates with my 3 year old a tradition that will last until she's graduating from high school. 

August Favorites

(Forgive my sloppy first attempt at a product collage. I'm still learning very slowly how to use Photoshop Elements!)

So I wanted to talk about some of the fun things I tried in August (most of which I really liked!) 

1. Cover Girl Blast Flipsticks

Ok let me just begin with this disclaimer - I know nothing (I mean, no-thing) about makeup. But I'm trying to learn. I've been experimenting with different products and while a lot of them have been a waste of money some have gotten me super excited. These lipsticks (excuse me, flipsticks) have gotten me realllly excited. They're basically 2 complementing lipsticks in one tube, that you can wear individually or layered together (basically three colors for the price of one!) I love them so much that I'm planning on devoting a whole post to them sometime soon. So far I have the shades "whisper" (really pretty, everyday, natural color) and "stunner" (a super fun, gold/pink duo that make me feel summery and daring.)

2. The Twilight books by Stephanie Meyers

I am so late to this party, that the fact that I'm blogging my thoughts about these books is pretty ridiculous (and slightly humiliating.) But here goes. Yes, they're addicting, though (no offense, Ms. Meyers,) I'm pretty disappointed in the quality of writing. I was really pleasantly surprised at how well Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" books were written and by the intelligence of their story lines. In comparison, the "Twilight" series just seems...dumb. YET, despite those feelings, I'm still flying through the books, staying up till 2 in the morning and destroying my eyes by reading by the light of my iPhone under my sheets (even though my infant son wakes up every morning at 5 for an early breakfast) so, yeah, I get all you "Twi-hards" now. And I've got some pretty insane dark circles under my eyes lately from the lack of sleep. (Oh, and if you're interested, and I know you're not, I'm kind of on Team Mike. Someone's got to stand up for the boring, plain, human guy, right?)

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (In "Rendezvous.")

Yes, another lipstick. (Maybe I'm a little more than "mildly" obsessed.) First - the color. It's the closest I've come to finding the "perfect red lipstick" except it's not really red - it's actually orange, but it's really flattering. And the shape of the stick is genius - sort of like a pencil, it works as a liner and a lipstick so it's really easy to keep it looking neat. The color lasts a long time. I have these in a few other shades, but this has been the one that gets worn most. I'm working up the courage to try it in a darker red shade, "Romantic."

4. Donut Shop "Coconut Mocha" K-cups

We love our Keurig, and since I've recently become a fan of flavored coffees (since giving up all forms of sweeteners in my drinks) I was excited about trying these. Now they're my favorite. Such a nice afternoon treat (I tell you, I LIVE for my afternoon coffee break while the kids are napping.)

5. September Issue of Vogue

I started subscribing to Vogue for the first time this year, and was really excited about my first "September Issue." Gosh, was it huge! Almost 1,000 pages (of mostly advertisements, granted, but some of those advertisements were admittedly really provocative and great.) I saved opening this magazine for our quick Labor Day trip to OH and it made the car trip really enjoyable. I feel kind of "meh" about the obvious liberal slant of the writers, but appreciate the quality of the writing and the wide array of subjects their writers cover. I really love the interviews in Vogue, and enjoyed this issue's story on Chelsea Clinton a lot.

6. Revlon Colorstay Nail Polish in "Delicious"

Can you tell that I'm really into the color red these days? I think it's because I told myself for years that I could NOT wear red cosmetics, because they just seemed to clash with my skin tone, but I've come to learn that the right shade makes a world of difference. This IS the perfect shade of red nailpolish. (My husband agrees.) And I love that it only takes one coat and drys really quickly. AND it's much more affordable than Essie.

What were some of your favorite things this summer? I'd love to hear them!

That Moment...

That moment, when you stay up reading Twilight under your sheets until 1a.m. by the light of your iPhone, and your baby wakes up ready to party at 6a.m...

That's the moment it hits you that you are old. Too old for all this nonsense!

Also, I cannot describe how embarrassing it was when Matt caught me engrossed in my book yesterday and asked what I was reading. The conversation went something like this:

M: So, what are you reading?

J: (In a voice that's almost a shriek) Do NOT look at what I am reading Matt. DO NOT LOOK!

M: (With the smirk) What? Oh no, you're not reading that stupid vampire book are you?

J: (Silence.)

M: Oh my gosh you are. (Smirk gets nastier.)

J: GO AWAY!

Sigh.

The moral of this story - get Twilight out of your system before you're married with children, and save some self respect. If that isn't possible, think preemptively and make a fake book jacket for your Twilight book.

And if you can't do any of that, all I can say is be prepared for some nasty smirks.

Pins & Needles

Both kiddos napped today (and AT THE SAME TIME!) So I had a rare chunk of time this afternoon to do something by myself. I made a nice cup of coffee and hand hemmed one of the dresses in my "too long/needs to be hemmed/it stinks to be short sometimes" pile. (It's a pretty big pile.)

I enjoy sewing by hand, even though it takes so much longer than machine sewing. For some reason, every time I sit at a sewing machine my blood starts to boil and within minutes I'm having an emotional breakdown. I wonder what a therapist would have to say about that?

I'm really enjoying getting back into the swing of blogging. Blogging forces me to think more creatively and that is so good for my brain. Being so busy with the kids and the house, I find it's easy to let go of all creative outlets and when I start doing that I end up depressed. Blogging makes me remember to use my camera more often, and to just think about what I'm thinking, (does that make sense to anyone?) It's good for me to organize what goes through my head and put it into actual sentences and phrases, even if no one reads it but me. And even if its something as trivial as what we're eating for dinner...or how after years of insisting I would NEVER read anything by Stephanie Meyers, I finally broke down in a very weak moment at the library yesterday when I saw they had a paperback copy of Twilight.

Because my brain so badly wants to relive the magic that was The Hunger Games trilogy, and the devil on my shoulder keeps insisting very loudly and annoyingly that Twilight may give me the same kick.

Oodles of Doodles

I am loving these cute books by Sachiko Umoto. I've always loved doodling, and these little tutorials are so inspirational. I've been scratching up my new sketchbook with a pencil all week. (Well, in those rare spare moments when I'm not juggling feeding my infant and potty training my toddler. Let's keep things real.)

"so long insecurity"

insecurity.. it's a subtle little disease that wreaks havoc in most women's lives in some degree. it's definitely plagued me through large portions of my life. as a teenager it was debilitating. i don't know why i started believing this little lie, but for some reason i was convinced as a teenager that if God were to ever bless me with a marriage, that my insecurities would fade away and ultimately disappear. God did bless me with a marriage, to a wonderful loving husband (he's truly the greatest physical gift God has ever given me,) and for a while it seemed my theory would prove correct. under my husband's unconditional love and attention, my confidence soared and a lot of the insecurities that weighed me down seemed to go away..

then the trials started coming.. a slew of them, from infertility worries, miscarriages, difficulties as a first time mom, and frightening illnesses, to worse of all, marriage struggles, and all those dormant insecurities started flooding back with a strength i had never known before. i felt like i was going to drown in them the the lowest times. i realize now that i was such a fool, thinking my salvation from insecurities rested in human relationships and human acceptance, rather than in the grace of Christ. the insecurities are something i know i will struggle with for a long time, but i am finally starting to recognize the lies that have been fueling them all my life and i am striving to combat them with the truth of God's word.

my friend B. and i have bonded over the last several years of sharing our mutual struggles with insecurities. she recently lent me this book by beth moore which she really enjoyed. it's a very readable book, (beth moore speaks on a homey, girl-to-girl level that comes across as intimate and genuinely loving,) but it has a lot of information, and i read it slowly over the course of about four weeks, taking breaks in between chapters to try to really absorb what i was reading.

another reason it was hard to absorb was because it forced me to look at myself in a way that isn't flattering. i recognized myself on practically every page of that book, and the picture the words painted wasn't very pretty. but the prevailing thought that consumed me as i turned the last page of the book was that all these years, i've never really believed God could heal my insecurities. i've kind of gotten used to and settled with the idea that they'll just define who i am for the rest of my life, and now i'm starting to realize that i've been a slave to a bunch of lies. it's been a call to go back to the Bible and re-examine Christ's words through the clear lens of truth.

this is the first book i've read by beth moore, and i don't know a whole lot about her, but i do think that this particular book is insighfully and sensitively written, and lends a healthy fresh perspective to those struggling with insecurities.

"vintage" children's books

one of my homeschooling-mom friends was getting rid of some old books and homeschool supplies, and invited me to come look at the goods and take my pick. among some other little treasures, i grabbed up these cute vintage-y children's books...

i'm smitten with the illustrations - especially the ones with the 1960's style color palettes.