Week 3

This week has been a little busy. It has been another successful week! I'm VERY proud to say my #1 goal for 2013 has been accomplished, I QUIT SMOKING!!!! It wasn't easy, but I did it. I haven't had a cigarette since January 12th!!! So here we go for what goals have been accomplished this week...

1- Quit smoking- DONE- It was easier then I thought. I kept my mind and hands occupied. I also left my cigarettes in the car! That way they were not so easy to get to. Living in Tennessee, its a little cold here right now, so to me it wasn't worth going to the car to get a cigarette, when the temp outside is 28 degrees!

2- Family time- This has been working out well. I tried an idea this week (and I will continue with this because it worked out so well) when I start cooking dinner about 4:30-5, I call all the kids in the kitchen with me. My oldest (who is 14) and my youngest (who will be 4 next month) both come in the kitchen with me. My oldest sits at the table with her books to study for school. We TALK about what she learned in school that day. She will open her books to the lessons and read the "study questions" from the lesson that day, and I engage her in discussions about her lessons. The more she repeats and studies the better she does on her tests!!
For the youngest she tries to help me with cooking dinner. She made Parmesan biscuits the other night! I opened the store bought biscuits, but she took over from there! She dipped the biscuits in melted butter, then  patted them into the Parmesan cheese, and put them on the cookie sheet! She had a wonderful time. When I do not have anything she can help with, she sits at the counter and colors in her color books! She hears me and Sissy talk about history and science, etc. She will actually stop and ask questions too! So Sissy will stop and answer her. So everyone is learning and talking to each other.

3- Get Organized- The kitchen is complete! See my previous post Operation Kitchen Reorganization to see what I did. I am getting ideas for doing my youngest's room.

4- Eat Healthy- We are doing great with this! I made homemade banana bread, and sourdough bread this week in my bread maker! I haven't used my bread maker in years! I found it at the back of the cupboard when I was organizing the kitchen. So I am not putting it to GOOD use! Since I quit smoking I have a better appetite!

5- Get in shape- still working on my stretching and yoga. I can't wait until it gets warmer outside so I can go for walks! Last weekend we had unusually warm weather( in the 70's) so all of us got out in the yard and played! We also started weeding the front flower beds.

6- Read More- I have read 6 books this week on gardening in containers! Finding out what flowers do well in pots, and what plants prefer to be free. I also learned about herbs! I found two books that I really liked, it gives you "recipes" for planting beautiful flowering containers/pots. One is called Container Garden by P Allen Smith and Gardening without a garden by Gay Search. I was able to find both books at my local library. So this puts my book count week to date +3. (I was -1 last week) So I have read a total of 7 books.See all the books I have read

7- Brain games- loving my crosswords and  word searches. I sit in the morning with my coffee and try to do one before I start my day. I saw an advertisement for an app on my phone for Lumosity, I did download the app, but haven't tried it yet. When I downloaded the app it shows up as Brain Trainer. I also found a cool app from the NRA  called Practice Range in the app store. The app is free, it gives you a "shooting" range and different weapons to shoot. What I like about this app is you can look up local gun laws, discussions, etc for your area from the app!

8- Still Blogging-

9-Positive thinking- this is awesome. When thinking in a more positive light everything is possible!

10-Crafts- I'm looking for ideas to make the plant labels, and decorating pots for garden.

11-Music- I did a few sessions this week, not as many as I would have liked. But something is better then nothing.

12- No Chemicals- I have done well with this. I'm still making my own coffee creamer, fabric softener, Air freshener (Febreeze), and made my own bread!

13- Gardening- read all those books about gardening, weeded front flower beds Created a little shelf from shoe rack the seedlings are just now coming through. See week 2 about show rack.


HAPPY 2013 EVERYONE!!!

Books I have Read in 2013- update week 45/46

These are the books I have read so far this year. As the year progresses there will be several different types of books. I will label out in categories as the list gets longer. I will update the list throughout the year!

So far I'm up to 27 books I'm a little behind but I have the confidence that I will make by goal for the year! 

You can look at my 2013 goals on my first week's Blog. 26 educational, 26 pleasure books. 

I've got 17 educational/informational book done! 

I've got 10 pleasure books done! 


In September....

27- One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. This was fabulous!!! Loved the book and movie!! 

24,25,26-  I've read the Fifty Shades of Grey series- I LOVED IT! (Besides the obvious sexual content which is not a big deal to me) I loved how the story had a real purpose. 2 people who have issues and learn to work through them. I just had to see what all the hype was about. I really liked the actual story throughout the series! Which leads me to my next question of HOW are they going to turn this into a movie? Cause 75% of the first book Fifty Shades of Grey is sexual content. So it will be interesting. Oh & after reading the books I can NOT picture the cast they have hired for the roles in the movie.


23-Breakfast at Tiffany's by James Patterson.  This is not your typical James Patterson book. This is a book about an imaginary friend and how they become real. It was a slow but enjoyable book. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROMANCE- 

22- "Perfect Fling" by Carly Phillips - It was funny & romantic(a few exotic parts), I loved it!!! Great plot, and characters were life like! Ups and downs great book & would read it again!



---------------------------------------------------------------------

MURDER/MYSTERY-

21- Malice by Lisa Jackson, AWESOME

20-Suspicions by Christine Kersey- this was OK, written for ALL reading levels (in my opinion) little too simple for me.

19-Swim by Jennifer Weiner VERY SHORT e-book, not worth the time, only 40 pages

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOAPMAKING-

18-Soapmaking for the first time by Linda Ortin- This is a simple starter book for those looking to make your own soap. Its for "first time" soap makers and a great book! Its on my "buy list" but I can't find it anywhere.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOOD-

17-The best of Top Secrets Recipes by Todd Wilbur- Who doesn't like to make their own McDonalds Big Mac, Taco Bell Nachos, KFC Fried Chicken, at least this way you KNOW whats in your food! Love this book and BOUGHT IT!




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OILS-

16-Aromatherapy Massage by Clare Maxwell Hudson- This is a wonderful book for your basic oils and massage techniques. 

15-Aromatherapy Handbook by Erich Keller -This book is a little older (1990's) gave some great  recipes for homemade beauty products. 

14-The Complete book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood- BOUGHT THIS BOOK! This is a "natural" book of 600 + "recipes" for most health issues, common cold, upset stomach etc.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISC-

13-Best of Instructables vol 1


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GARDENING-

12-Tips for Container Gardening from Fine Gardening- This was great for flowers, not too much info about vegetables

11-The New Self Sufficient Gardener by John Seymore- This book was GREAT! Great tips!

10-The Weekend Homesteader by Anna Hess- This gives you  month by month steps on how to prep everything. It was OK. A few tips and some good kid activities.

9-The Vegetable Gardener's Container Bible by Edward C Smith- AWESOME book, I bought it! Explains in detail the soil types for your veggies, depth of pots, what plants you can grow together  and the plants you should keep separate!

8-Container Gardening by P. Allen Smith 

7-Gardening with out a Garden by Gay Search

6-Container Gardener Rupert Golby

5-Homemade by Ken Braren

4-The No Garden Gardener Jane courtier

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLEANING-

3-Cleaning by Real Simple & Kathleen Squires - this didn't give me the information I was looking for. I thought this book would give me homemade cleaning solutions to the commercial brands. All this book gave me was a "schedule" (daily, weekly, monthly, annually) of what to clean in my house. 

2-Homemade by Readers Digest- GREAT & BOUGHT IT- lots of "homemade solutions" for your everyday life. 

1-The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegal-Maier This is an awesome book, I went out and BOUGHT it! Lots of homemade "recipes" for all the cleaning supplies needed to clean your home.