Devastate Boredom

READ/ Don't Read, Brutal and Funny Book Reviews in Miniature, Big Little Lies, Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Saints at the River, Aeronaut's Windlass

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Oh y'all, I posted that whole breathless monologue about how I was going to start blogging again, and then realized I had COMPLETELY spaced on how much work it is to actually blog. Even a super simple book review post like I am doing here... so many links, images, formatting, alt text, ughhh. No wonder it has been years since I managed it! I actually had a mini panic attack and tried to POSTPONE that last post, announcing my (possibly unwanted) return to your inboxes, but then discovered it had automatically published already yesterday. Ooooooooops... So here I am, trying to follow through with a promised book review post, but it is a stretch, I can tell you, ha! Give me grace here, Invisible Internet Friends -- hold my hand and pat me on the back and say nice things to me!! Thankfully, I found a draft of a book review post I started in June of 2018, so I will happily take that shortcut for today, courtesy of Past Me, and I will save my more recent reads for another post soon. Knock on wood (link for a trippy but awesome sonic blast-from-the-past), it will be days and not years from now!

READ/ Don't Read, Brutal and Funny Book Reviews in Miniature, Big Little Lies, Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Saints at the River, Aeronaut's Windlass

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Mystery, Suspense
READ, but especially if you like whodunnits, Agatha Christie, etc

I loved this one! I found it through a book club and enjoyed it so much. (Note from the present: like I said in the intro, I wrote these reviews in the summer of 2018... since then I've read every. single. book. Liane Moriary has written. I adore her and I almost never find anything to be brutal about... with the exception of her newest, Apples Never Fall, which has some stuff I can nit-pick. However, I will save that review for next time!). I love how this book keeps you guessing at the big reveal from literally the first chapter... you know from the beginning that someone is dead, BUT you don't know who, and you don't know why. Vivid characters, fun twists, and a satisfying wrap-up at the end. Current Day Me is also vaguely aware that Big Little Lies is a tv show now, but I think I was in a blind parenting haze of sleep deprivation when it came out, and I haven't seen it yet. I bet it is amazing though, bucket list to watch! Click here for a free kindle book preview

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Literary Fiction, Romance
Read, especially if would call yourself a "bibliophile" just casually, as if that is a normal word to use in a conversation, ha! (ummmm yeah, guilty...)

I picked this up on a whim off of Amazon Prime reading and I really enjoyed it! A sweet story about life and books and second chances. Note from the present: I have NO memory of this book, and I am not sure if that means it was honestly a tiny bit bland, albeit "sweet"? OR if I was just that sleep deprived in the moment reading it, which is possible. Apologies for repeatedly whining about being sleep deprived, but I not slept more than 3 hours in a row more than a handful of times in the last 6 years... and that realllllllly effs with a brain. I am leaving the "read" rating since I do trust Past Me, but just being honest about my lack of specific recall lol. This one is also a movie now, maybe I'll watch the movie and see if it jogs my memory... Click here to go straight to a kindle preview!

Saints at the River by Ron Rash
Southern Fiction
Maybe read, if the region is home for you or you enjoy environmental drama a la Erin Brockovich

I felt like this story dipped into preachy territory more than once, but the setting in the Appalachian hills of South Carolina was vivid and enjoyable and the tension of the environmental dilemma (whether to disturb an untouched river's natural sanctuary status in an attempt to recover the body of a drowned child) was well depicted. My biggest peeve here was that the female narrator felt flat and one-dimensional.... I'm always interested in whether an author can pull off writing in first person for a character of the opposite gender, and this one didn't really work for me. The emotions felt stilted, and at one point the narrator quickly put on a little makeup... and chose blush and lipstick. I have since taken an informal poll among my friends, and all of us agree that lipstick, yes, but blush, no, not if you're choosing only two items of makeup to apply. All the friends I asked agreed that they would do lipstick and eye liner, or lipstick and mascara. That's just one example, but I almost would say that the author wrote it originally with a male narrator, and then decided after the fact that it would sell better if the main character was female, so just sorta switched all the pronouns and went with it. If you enjoy Southern Fiction already it's worth a read, but if you're new to Ron Rash (he's fantastic, I read this one because I've read two or three of his others and loved them), or new to this kind of regional literature, I would pick another of the author's books. Click here to go straight to a kindle preview!

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher
Fantasy, Steampunk
Don't read, unless you're a huge fan of detailed battle scenes

I expected to love this one... it's written by the author of the Dresden Files and the premise seems really cool... a steampunk world where people live in cities high in the clouds, navigating flying ships, and wielding magic... but I felt like this story got bogged down in detail. I had this sense that the editors would have been a lot more ruthless with a newer author but since Jim Butcher has such a loyal following they just kind of threw their hands in their air and were like, "do whatever you want, dude! Just give us another book!" The nautically-airborne battle scenes in particular were excruciatingly long and boring. I did like some of the characters a lot, and I totally would watch a movie version of the story when I could mess around on my phone during battle scenes, but I probably won't read any more of the series. (Note from the present, Jim Butcher actually hasn't published any more books in this series yet and it was released in 2015, soooooo I might not be the only one who thought the book lacked compelling momentum. Just sayin'.) Click here for a kindle preview though, if you want to check out those battle scenes to prove me wrong!

Okay dear friends, I DID IT. I finished a book review post, haha, even if it DID technically take me four and a half years from writing the first words to hitting "publish." If you are here reading, pretty please leave me a comment to let me know!

Even more importantly, if you have a book to recommend to me, tell me!! I started reading again, REALLY reading, for the first time in years last spring when my dad died, and getting back to books is like coming home... but I have also missed SO much good stuff in the past few years! So recommend your favorites to me and I will try to catch up. And thank you for being here with me, truly! I am honored by your presence, when you could be looking at any content at all in this immense online wilderness, and I appreciate your eyes on my words. *HUGS*

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An Audacious But Hopefully Welcome Return to Your Life and Inbox

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Sun, 19 Feb 2023 22:45:00 +0000

My friends! My dear, long-lost, invisible internet friends! It has been so long, are you still out there?? Do you still like me?? Heck, do you still remember me? Or is this act of popping into your inbox like this just total and sheer audacity, and you are giving me side eye and already stretching and limbering up your best clicking finger to unsubscribe? If that is the case I don’t blame you at all, it has been YEARS without a single line or whisper from me… You may be wondering, there on the other side of your screen, if I was kidnapped or something? And I basically was, by two tiny and surprisingly demanding humans I magically produced out of apparent nothingness. That was the beginning of five years of broken sleep, me googling “how much crying is normal even when the baby is touching me literally constantly,” and scrambling around in survival mode, trying to make sure I stuffed enough food into one end of these little creatures while expeditiously cleaning up excretions from the other end. SO. MANY. DIAPERS. And then of course there was that whole global pandemic and worldwide tragedy that further broke my brain and spirit, and other personal losses and challenges over the last five years, but we won't even get into all of that... besides sending solidarity to all of my friends still navigating a mental and spiritual return from the collective communal trauma we casually refer to as Covid-19.

Back to my kids though, because at least they are also entertaining and adorable, something nobody can say about global tragedies...

These magical little beings that appeared out of nothingness somehow seem to feel that they have Squatters Rights of total ownership over me… talk about audacity! Most of the time I don’t mind, they are the light of my life and so on, wouldn’t trade it for the world, etc, although I really would like to negotiate for time enough in the day to remember how this keyboard thingy works. Just kidding, none of this was typed on a keyboard, it was typed on my phone squinting in the dark while trying to force one of the tiny humans to stay asleep for another hour, so our experience of the world the next morning would be slightly less desperate and toddler would be slightly less cantankerous. Ooo obstreperous! That’s an even better word! See, I DO still remember things like words, and how to stick a whole sentence together so that it mostly makes sense! Even though the majority of these sentences are way too long... I am going to leave them alone despite my inner editor absolutely losing her shit over my sloppiness. Oh, so sorry, excuse the french, I don’t think I ever used to swear on this blog did I?? Now when I get out of earshot of the Little Rascals I turn into a total world-weary, diaper-mouthed sailor, exhausted and pissy from navigating the oceans of toys on my floors and seas of existential doubt in my brain. Newsflash, kids are exhausting, who am I even any more??? What is the meaning of it alllllllll??

Okay, enough of that, if you are still reading you are such a good person and kind invisible internet friend. I am hugging you invisibly back! AND if you are still reading but feeling annoyed at my unwanted return to your consciousness, you know what to do! Click click click, and I will bother you no more. But if you DO want my continued presence in your life, I promise there will be more of what originally brought us together…. Tiny brutal and funny book reviews! Friday Frivolity! Capsule wardrobe fashion fun! That last one might take the longest to resurrect though, given that I currently live in leggings and tees, and remembering to stick a bracelet on my wrist is like, an empowering Seize the Day moment. But I have faith in us, we will get there again! And as for now, I have another post already scheduled, as proof I am committed to our online friendship despite my years of disappearance…. The glorious return of Read / Don’t Read, Funny and Brutal Book Reviews in Miniature! Last note, because I don’t want to leave while I am finally here chatting with you, seriously THANK YOU for reading all this tired ramble. I missed you! I know the Gods and Experts of the Internet say that blahgs are dead and their era has ended, but I would love it if you momentarily returned to the past to leave me a comment, or send me an email at devastateboredom at gmail and I’ll respond! AND if you are absolutely feeling wildly generous, would you consider forwarding this on to someone else who might also want to be internet friends, or give me a follow and share on facebook? I appreciate every one of you and every bit of kind encouragement more than you could know! Life is so often just a long hard slog, and we can't do it without our people. I hope you will be one of mine, and I would be honored to be one of yours in return. 💕

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5 Time-Saving Life Hacks for Tired Moms and Disorganized People in General

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 04:43:00 +0000

5 Time-Saving Life Hacks for Tired Moms and Disorganized Humans

(Please note, this post contains affiliate and referral links, meaning that if you click and / or purchase items via those links, I may receive a small commission as a result, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Devastate Boredom!)

Hello, dear, long-lost friends! It is I, Sarah Eliza, your favorite Boredom Devastator, Capsule Wardrobe Expert, and Exhausted Mom. I am eeking out this post, the first in many moons, because my friend Lisa at Syncopated Mama believes in me. She has been encouraging me to get back into blogging a bit, and also kindly consented to write about stuff pertinent to mom-life for February’s Friday Frivolitys. That part is because my friend Tara wisely suggested I write about stuff relevant to me right now, to make that writing easier on my poor sleep-deprived noggin’… so here we are!

You should follow both of them on social media ASAP. They’re beautiful and inspiring people.

And if you’re on my site for the Capsule Wardrobe stuff, and feeling confused (mom life, what?), don’t despair, I’m still going to write those posts too. If you get annoyed with my life updates you can always hop over to my Capsule Wardrobe newsletter list instead! I’ve got a newsletter update waiting in the wings for the spotlight really soon, I swear.

Our theme at this week’s Friday Frivolity is 5 time-saving life hacks… which will be relevant to All Humans, since who doesn't like saving time?, but especially to ALL MOMS, since we would basically give our left arm for 15 extra minutes of sleep each morning. Well, maybe not our left arm, because that would make lugging a baby around extra difficult, but at least a toe or something.

So here's the scoop on 5 life-hacks, that have been helping to keep my life orderly lately.

Click here to keep reading!

Time Sensitive!! Popping by with a Book Review for Sci Fi Lovers - STRUCK by Rachel Langley!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:39:00 +0000

Hello my dear, dear readers….

It is I, your long lost Boredom Devastator, Sarah Eliza, now "Mama Boredom Devastator" who NEVER gets bored because suddenly naps are fascinating and eagerly pursued at every opportunity… 😂

I have been stealthily working behind the scenes lately to dust off my blog (and dust off my brain) to make a Big Comeback. This Big Comeback includes an exciting guest post series from ladies (and maybe gentlemen too, who knows!) who have used ideas and tips from my book Secrets of the Capsule Wardrobe to transform their closets. Oh wait, does that describe YOU? If so, you need to submit your info here, and maybe I’ll be highlighting gorgeous YOU in a guest post soon! Stay posted!!

BUT back to important and time-sensitive matters at hand… I have interrupted my Stealthy Behind the Scenes Work to pop by with a post and let my wonderful readers know about a fun free book download, available this week only – a YA science fiction title called Struck, written by none other than my talented cousin, Rachel Langley. *applause*

Here’s the description of Struck from Amazon!

The headline read: A Deserted Town: Where Are the Missing?The missing. That’s what their friends and family had become.

Click here to keep reading!

A Review - with video! - of the Newton Crib Mattress- Non-Toxic, Breathable, Innovative Magic!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 02:22:00 +0000

A Review - with video! - of the Newton Crib Mattress- Non-Toxic, Breathable, Innovative Magic!

Don't worry, Baby L is just testing the Newton out in that pic! We put sheets and jammies on before bed, I swear. But don't you love the tiny toes and newborn shade of pink?? 😜

*sponsored post*

Y’all. I am SO excited about the product I get to review today! The quality is amazing, the design so crazy-cool innovative, AND it fell into my lap right at the moment in time when I needed it! How is that for serendipitous??? This review was basically FATED, y’all.

How is that for a teaser?? :P

The Search for a Non-Toxic Crib Mattress!

As I was preparing for the arrival of Baby Boredom Devastator, I tried to choose a lot of the items on my registry extra carefully to avoid exposing baby to toxins. Our poor, polluted, plastic-stuffed, overworked world is so toxic right now that it isn’t easy, but as a Mama-to-be with a yen for research and a good dose of hormone-fueled OCD I was determined to at least LESSEN the amount of toxins my sweet baby girl would eat / breath / absorb.

Click here to keep reading!

READ or DON'T Read -- 2017 Mini Book Reviews, Part 1! Something for every reader!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:01:00 +0000

What to READ and What NOT Read -- 2017 Book Reviews in Miniature, Part 1! Big Magic, The Giver Quartet, Hallelujah Anyway, Hollow City, and More!

Hello friends! Why yes, it is ME in your inbox / on your computer screen! At long last!

Hmmmmm three exclamation points in a row... I'm pretty sleep-deprived. But at least my 4 month old reason for sleep deprivation is awfully stinkin' cute! She also has a magical ability to sense whenever I leave the room where she is napping. I leave NOISELESSLY, I swear! And the white noise machine is BLASTING! Yet somehow she knows if I leave, and wakes up 15 minutes later like clockwork. So for at least some of her naps lately, I end up staying in the room with her, reading or writing. And sometimes sleeping too, but I'm honestly not a great napper (sound familiar?) so more often reading or writing. So, I have a TON of books to review for you, and I'm not even counting the parenting / baby books I'll save for another post. As always, I'll do my best to give you a pithy review-in-miniature, with a READ / DON'T Read verdict for each. You can check out past reviews here as well!

Click here to keep reading!

Maternity Wardrobe Style Hack -- Wear Your Regular Jeans Longer While Pregnant!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 15:44:00 +0000

Maternity Wardrobe Style Hack -- Wear Your Regular Jeans Longer While Pregnant!

This will be a pretty brief post because... if you are able to see the photo above, you already know what I'm about to say. 😝

I promised a few days ago in my Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe post to share about a nifty little hack I used to keep wearing my regular pants for a pretty long while into my pregnancy. I used this hack for long enough that when I went to the birthing center for check-ups, the midwives would laugh at me for not having bought maternity pants yet. But they were the only ones who knew! Nobody else had a clue. (And the cows said "moo." All those rhyming board books I'm reading to Baby L are clearly rubbing off on me, LOL)

Here are the pants-expansion hack instructions:

Click here to keep reading!

How My Husband Rocked Our New Van Purchase - A No-Regrets Guide to Buying a Car from Mr. Boredom Devastator

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 18:16:00 +0000

How My Husband Rocked Our New Van Purchase - A Car Buying Guide from Mr. Boredom Devastator

Sponsored post

When Cars.com asked me to write a sponsored post for them, it was perfect timing because my husband and I had just recently purchased a new-to-us van in preparation for becoming parents a few months ago. I looped my husband in on the task of writing this post, since he is, in all modesty, a bit of a genius in the realm of car research-and-search. So, say hi to my husband, Andrew (aka, Mr. Boredom Devastator), as he shares with you his fine-tuned system for locating and purchasing the best possible car for you!

*Andrew waves* Hello Devastate Boredom readers!

Click here to keep reading!

Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe "How to" Guide, with Preggo Style Tips and Sample Mix-and-Match Wardrobes!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 01:00:00 +0000

The Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe "How to" Guide, with Preggo Style Tips and Sample Mix-and-Match Wardrobes!

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Devastate Boredom through your clicks if you decide to shop!

Hello friends! I'm typing frantically to get as much done as possible while the baby is napping... forgive any typos or unusually sloppy writing!! Also, quick note, this post might not seem very relevant to you right now... if it seems like it might be helpful in the future, be sure to pin it so you don't forget about it! It would also be super nice if you shared this info with any friends who might find it more useful at the moment! 😊 Please and thank you... you're the best!

Knowing me and my passion for Capsule Wardrobes, you probably already guessed that I created a maternity Capsule during my pregnancy. I'll be honest, it wasn't perfect, but I learned a lot about preggo style in the process! This post will encompass a few different things -- the details of what my "hacked" Capsule looked like and how I went about putting it together, tips on general pregnancy fashion and how to make a fully mix-and-mach wardrobe, and a sample "ideal" maternity Capsule Wardrobe to get your creative juices flowing.

Click here to keep reading!

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 23:03:00 +0000

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

Holy moly, the past couple of months have just FLOWN by! I gotta admit, there has been ONE THING on my mind for most of that time... Baby Boredom-Devastator!! Our "little" baby L is now 7 weeks old and seems HUGE compared to how very tiny she was for a while there. I know, I know, this is the littlest she will ever be from now on... But still... so much growing!

Being a parent is crazy and wonderful. My husband and I basically spend all day saying 'isn't she beautiful?' back and forth at intervals. We feel so blessed to have her and blessed too that my husband works for a company progressive enough to offer generous paternity leave to its employees! It makes such a huge difference to our overall stress and tiredness levels that both of us can be fully present during this amazing time of change and growth in our lives. My husband also happens to be a champion diaper-changer and baby-soother. So much to be thankful for!

I'm currently writing this while wearing a sleeping baby in a sling, so I'm hoping for more nap-time-composed posts coming in the near future. I've missed all my bloggy pals! And I have so much to tell y'all about life with baby, maternity and nursing-friendly fashion, the books I've been reading lately (SO much reading), and more! So stay tuned! *HUGS* (edit: Check out my recent Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe post here!)

PS I'm just slightly a zombie in the picture above... baby girl was about four days old. Look at those TINY FEET!! 😜

Here are some of the places you might see this post partying!

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Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 22:37:00 +0000

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

I'm currently writing this while wearing a sleeping baby in a sling, so I'm hoping for more nap-time-composed posts coming in the near future. I've missed all my bloggy pals! And I have so much to tell y'all about life with baby, maternity and nursing-friendly fashion, the books I've been reading lately (SO much reading), and more! So stay tuned! *HUGS* (edit: Check out my recent Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe post here!!)

PS I'm just slightly a zombie in the picture above... baby girl was about four days old. Look at those TINY FEET!! 😜

Hello Spring Cleaning and Awesome Fashion Finds $25 or LESS!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 14:56:00 +0000

Hello Spring Cleaning and Awesome Fashion Finds $25 or LESS!

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted! Sorry for the long silence.... I've missed y'all! As it turns out, growing a human is distracting. I was going to say "exhausting" but really I've been more distracted than exhausted, at least until the last week or so when I finally went into hard-core nesting mode / spring cleaning. Nesting / spring cleaning while nine and a half months pregnant is definitely exhausting! But I'm pretty much done now, and that's a good feeling too... and from what I hear, this is probably the cleanest my house will be for the next 18 years! 😜

I was trying to catch up on bloggy stuff, start a couple of future posts, update my ads (pennies and dimes add up! *coughBabiesAreExpensivecough*), etc, and ended up totally distracted by "ooooh what good deals can I find for less than $25" instead. After spending what shall remain an undisclosed amount of time on THAT rabbit trail, I thought I might as well share some of my finds with y'all, along with this telegram-style "I've missed you! More posts coming soon!" For one thing, I've gotta fill you in on my preggo capsule wardrobe! It was my smallest capsule yet, and still totally cute and effortlessly mix-and-matchable, so that's up next on my posts-to-be-written list. 😉

In the meantime, enjoy a little bargain shopping... and say hi in the comments! I'd love to hear what everybody's been up to... have you done your spring cleaning? DO you spring clean? Any good time-saving cleaning tips for the next 18 years for me?? I want to hear!!

Here are some of the places you might see this post partying!

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Braxton Hicks Contractions, Minimalist Parenthood, and the Siren Call of the (Dumb) Baby Registry List -- Stuff on My Mind Lately!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 17:06:00 +0000

Stuff on my Mind Lately -- Braxton Hicks Contractions, Minimalist Parenthood, and the Siren Call of the Baby Registry!

A quick note -- if you tried to email me in the last couple of weeks, dear friends, I tragically did not receive your messages. Why? Because technology hates me, and a perfectly functional email / server configuration suddenly decided it wasn't properly set up after all... and it took me a minute to realize that my lack of email correspondence was a tech problem and that I wasn't actually getting the Silent Treatment from the universe as I feared. SO relieved that the universe and I are still on speaking terms after all!! Moral of the story... if you had tried to get in touch with me, please email again. It should reach me now!

Stuff on My Mind Lately -- Braxton Hicks contractions!

My pregnancy app informed me a few days ago that "some women will begin experiencing Braxton Hicks around now" but sheesh, I've been having those bad boys for a couple of months at least. Not that they're really bad, and there's honestly no reason to think they're male either -- but I was having one as I started typing about it, so they definitely qualify as "on my mind". 😜

The app also said that the more Braxton Hicks contractions you have ahead of time, the fewer you will have to have during actual labor, presumably because your uterus is so freakin' Jillian-Michaels-style RIPPED after all that practicing / exercising. Sounds totally scientific, right? *nods hard to convince both of us*

Stuff on My Mind Lately -- Minimalist Parenthood and the Siren Call of the Baby Registry

Click here to keep reading!

The Three Stages of Mardi Gras, Told with Funny Cat Memes

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 03:10:00 +0000

The Three Stages of Mardi Gras, as Told by Funny Cats

Hello Friday, and hello friend!

Today's #FridayFrivolity theme is "Mardi Gras Madness." Since basically everything is funnier when told by LOLcatz, here is my interpretation of the three stages of Mardi Gras told by funny kittehs. 😼

Stage One:

Stage Two:

Click here to keep reading!

4 Reasons Why I Bought Matching Hangers After All - Organizing Your Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 18:45:00 +0000

4 Reasons Why I Bought Matching Hangers After All - Organizing Your Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

In one of my earlier posts, I spoke mockingly of how a lot of Pinterest pins will try to make you think that buying matching hangers is some kind of magic panacea to the horrors of a cluttered closet... and of course I think that's just silly!

Let's just be clear real quick -- if you are frustrated with a cluttered closet, it's going to take more than matching hangers to get you organized. Discovering the Secrets of a Capsule Wardrobe is a great place to start (😏 ) and from there you'll want to eliminate redundant items in your closet by figuring out which ones are your favorite pieces, and which ones are things you purchased because they REMINDED you of your favorite shirt / dress / scarf. Balance those bases and start expanding your collection of silhouettes, and you'll find your closet can contain FEWER items while mixing-and-matching into even more cute outfits than before!

But back to the hangers... once I had established my minimalist Capsule Wardrobe, I found myself pondering that whole matching hanger thing again. I know, I know! After I had made fun of it to the internetz and everything!

Click here to keep reading!

Caption This! Funny Dog Photo -- #FridayFrivolity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 03:18:00 +0000

Caption This! Funny Dog Photo -- #FridayFrivolity

Hello Friday, and hello Friends! This week's theme is funny dogs, in honor of the recent Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and I've got something a little bit different than usual.... a "caption this!" type photo of my own two adorable puppies!

The timing on this photo just seemed priceless... so, let's caption it!

Here's the most obvious option:

But I'm sure y'all can be more creative than that! 😜 Leave me a comment with your interpretation... If we get enough funny captions, I'll do a post highlighting them!

Click here to keep reading!

Spread Some Love with Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards - #FridayFrivolity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 03:13:00 +0000

Spread Some Love with Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards - #FridayFrivolity

Hello Friday, and Hello friends!

This week is all things love and romance and red and pink at the #FridayFrivolity link-up... but rather than a funny post, I decided to put a little different spin on it.

There is a lot of uncertainty and negativity bouncing around our country and world at the moment, and I think it would be kind of nice to balance it out, in some tiny way, with a little deliberate thoughtfulness. :)

Let's start a Spread Some Love Valentines' Day movement this year, with thoughtful notes and sweet greetings for folks we care about!

Click here to keep reading!

Stuff on My Mind Lately: Lazy Girly Razors, Facebook Yard Sale Groups, and Anxiety-Reducing Music...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Stuff on My Mind Lately: Lazy Girly Razors, Facebook Yard Sale Groups, and Anxiety-Reducing Music...

Stuff on my mind lately... "lazy girly razors"

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(Please note, this post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and / or purchase items via those links, I may receive a small commission as a result, at no cost to you. If you would prefer to view an item via a non-affiliate link, use the contact form to let me know and I will be happy to email one to you. Thank you for supporting Devastate Boredom!)

Is it really that big a deal to soap up your legs with shaving cream or conditioner (yes, that is a life-hack that totally works!) before shaving? No, it's 100% not a big deal. It takes, like, eight seconds, right?

But somehow the combination of winter and pregnancy had been making it very, very, ridiculously unlikely that I would ever shave my legs again until the baby's debut in April / May. And not only did I suspect that my husband would be less-than-enthusiastic about my Sasquatch legs, I myself was also rather unhappy with the prospect.* However, I was also too lazy / pregnancy-clumsy to bother to soap up my legs and proceed with shaving as usual.

Are you thinking, "#FirstWorldProblems, cry me a river"? Well, on the one hand, that's completely valid... but on the other hand, you HUSH, this is MY blog post and I'm PREGNANT... ;P

Click here to keep reading!

January Reader's Choice Fashion Picks -- Style Inspiration!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 02:00:00 +0000

January Reader's Choice Fashion Picks -- Style Inspiration!

A while back I noticed a nifty feature on one of the aggregate sites I use to discover / collect style finds and deals to share with you, my lovely readers... the site reports which clothing picks are most clicked after I post them!

Personally I get a huge kick out of seeing what styles people were most intrigued by, so I'll be doing a periodic "Readers' Choice Awards" going forward, so that all of us can admire the different trending styles among Devastate-Boredom-reading fashionistas. They include some pretty wide-ranging looks too!

I've gotta say, I LOVE how y'all ladies rock your personal styles!

Check it out!

(Please note, this post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and / or purchase items via those links, I may receive a small commission as a result, at no cost to you. If you would prefer to view an item via a non-affiliate link, use the contact form to let me know and I will be happy to email one to you. Thank you for supporting Devastate Boredom!)

January Readers' Choice Awards

I won't be keeping that widget updated since it's all about what's popular Right Now, but be sure to sign up for our periodic Make Your Closet Amazing fashion newsletter to stay up-to-date going forward!

And if you like everything I write and not just my style stuff (awwwww you're the SWEETEST!) you can sign up to receive all blog post updates in your inbox below. 😜

Like what you're reading? Subscribe via email, and I'll keep the good stuff coming!

Here are some of the places you might see this post partying!

Groundhog Day Sillies - #FridayFrivolity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Groundhog Day Sillies - #FridayFrivolity

Hello Friday, and hello friends! Holy moly, my weeks are just FLYING by lately... I can't believe it's Friday already, but I'm really glad to see y'all! 😉

Our winter season in North Carolina so far has been alllllll over the map, so I half think the groundhog is going to be seeing a pink elephant this year instead of his shadow... 'cuz why not??

I ended up buying some short sleeve maternity tops the other day, because I was dying in my sweaters!

Anyway, the warm weather is nice, but also terrifying... *coughglobalwarmingcough*

Oh well... join me for some groundhog themed funnies!

First up, did you hear the verdict?

Click here to keep reading!

Funny and Horrible Mom Advice! - #FridayFrivolity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 02:47:00 +0000

Funny and Horrible Mom Advice! #FridayFrivolity

Hello Friday, and hello friends!

The theme at this week's #FridayFrivolity is another that I feel a little unqualified to speak to at this moment in time... "Horrible New Mom Advice." Not being a mom yet, I'm honestly not sure what is good versus bad advice... and (fortunately for my sanity, rofl) I really haven't gotten much advice yet at all.

So rather than try to guess what advice might be Bad Advice, I'm going to just give you one recommendation that I think is quite sound, both from a practical and a scientific-child-brain-development perspective...

EDIT 2/2/2018: Here I had inserted a meme showing a woman holding a cell phone in one hand and pushing a stroller with the other -- the photo had caught the stroller in the midst of tipping over, and the child falling out. It had the caption "Do not text and Mommy," which in our technology-driven age seemed quite relevant. I did not create the meme, and I really didn't intend any judgement on the unknown woman it depicted, since accidents happen to all of us even when we aren't distracted. However, I have since been informed by a reader that the woman in the image was a celebrity who passed away under tragic circumstances, and that an issue with the sidewalk was to blame for the accident and not any negligence on the woman's part. It is never my intention to mock the vulnerable or to be hurtful with humor, and I was very saddened to hear of this woman's tragedy and that her children are now motherless. I have removed the image as a result and apologize to anyone hurt by my carelessness.

...or, buy strollers with extra crash protection in the head-region. I guess that would work too. 😜

Check out my other cohosts at Syncopated Mama, Munofore, and Babi a Fi for all kinds of funny and horrible new mom advice.... And if you have any advice that I will probably hear as a new mom and that I definitely should NOT listen to, let me know in the comments. 😉

Here are some of the places you might see this post partying!

Like what you're reading? Subscribe via email, and I'll keep the good stuff coming!

Random Funny Baby GIFS and Memes to Make You Laugh - #FridayFrivolity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Random Funny Baby GIFS and Memes to Make You Laugh - #FridayFrivolity

Hello Friday, and hello Friends! Celebrating my exciting news from a couple of weeks ago, the other #FridayFrivolity hosts thought it would be fun to do baby-related themes for a while... I swear, it was their idea! They are awesome pals and I appreciate that they are so excited with me. 😃 Our theme for this week -- hilariously useless baby items -- is a little tricky for me though, because honestly how can I know what will be useful or not at this point?? I'm looking forward to garnering useful knowledge from my cohosts' posts, however, and in the meantime, here are some random funny baby gifs, memes, and videos! 😜

She's pretty sure these cookies are delicious... if only she could figure out how to pick them up...

Click here to keep reading!

Funny Pregnancy Memes - What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Woman!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Funny Pregnancy Memes - What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Woman!

Hello Friday, and hello friends!

Celebrating my fun news from last week (which none of y'all had ANY inkling of while I showed you my completely non-obvious holiday photos, right?) our #FridayFrivolity themes this month may have gone a little baby crazy... hopefully in a fun way! Our theme for today's party is "What NOT to say to a pregnant woman."

What NOT to say to a pregnant woman!

According to the interwebz, the #1 most important thing not to say to a pregnant woman is "are you pregnant?" But I think that is mostly because... what if the answer is no?? Emotional fallout for EVERYBODY involved, oops...

Click here to keep reading!

Winter Plus-Sized Sample Capsule Wardrobe -- Cold Weather Cozy in Olive and Scarlet!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 19:03:00 +0000

Winter Plus-Sized Sample Capsule Wardrobe

Ahhh in the midst of all my life-craziness, I completely forgot to publish this collection of winter weather capsule wardrobe ideas for all my lovely curvy readers out there... apologies! My delay might work out in y'alls shopping favor though, however, since a lot of stores are starting to transition the cold-weather inventory out with sales and deals! And for those who might have missed it, here is where you can find the original cold-weather capsule wardrobe ideas as well. :)

Here is a static image of the plus-size winter capsule wardrobe for general inspiration -- keep scrolling for a version with currently shop-able links.

How I Curated This Closet:

Click here to keep reading!

A Year in Books - What to Read and What NOT to Read! Book Reviews in Miniature, 2016 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredom) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 02:00:00 +0000

A Year in Books -- What to Read and What NOT to Read!

It's been a full year since I did a true "READ vs DON'T Read" rundown, partly because I was just distracted for a while there, and then partly because I was reading some Really Random Stuff. Like... I reread about 14 vintage Nancy Drew books, because they were sitting on my shelf and I wanted to decided if they were really bringing me joy or if I just owned them out of habit. They were actually decently entertaining, but I didn't figure y'all would necessarily want to read reviews of all of them. 😜 And THEN I got some exciting news, and shifted to pregnancy / natural childbirth / baby research, which I'll post about eventually I'm sure, but didn't particularly fit with the rest of my literary explorations.

All that to say, here is the scoop on the "fun reading" I did unreported this past year, with the READ / DON'T Read verdicts and miniature reviews you know and love!

Click here to keep reading!

Devastate Boredom

READ/ Don't Read, Brutal and Funny Book Reviews in Miniature, Big Little Lies, Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Saints at the River, Aeronaut's Windlass

READ/ Don't Read, Brutal and Funny Book Reviews in Miniature, Big Little Lies, Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Saints at the River, Aeronaut's Windlass

An Audacious But Hopefully Welcome Return to Your Life and Inbox

5 Time-Saving Life Hacks for Tired Moms and Disorganized People in General

5 Time-Saving Life Hacks for Tired Moms and Disorganized Humans

Time Sensitive!! Popping by with a Book Review for Sci Fi Lovers - STRUCK by Rachel Langley!

A Review - with video! - of the Newton Crib Mattress- Non-Toxic, Breathable, Innovative Magic!

A Review - with video! - of the Newton Crib Mattress- Non-Toxic, Breathable, Innovative Magic!

The Search for a Non-Toxic Crib Mattress!

READ or DON'T Read -- 2017 Mini Book Reviews, Part 1! Something for every reader!

What to READ and What NOT Read -- 2017 Book Reviews in Miniature, Part 1! Big Magic, The Giver Quartet, Hallelujah Anyway, Hollow City, and More!

Maternity Wardrobe Style Hack -- Wear Your Regular Jeans Longer While Pregnant!

Maternity Wardrobe Style Hack -- Wear Your Regular Jeans Longer While Pregnant!

How My Husband Rocked Our New Van Purchase - A No-Regrets Guide to Buying a Car from Mr. Boredom Devastator

How My Husband Rocked Our New Van Purchase - A Car Buying Guide from Mr. Boredom Devastator

Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe "How to" Guide, with Preggo Style Tips and Sample Mix-and-Match Wardrobes!

The Ultimate Maternity Capsule Wardrobe "How to" Guide, with Preggo Style Tips and Sample Mix-and-Match Wardrobes!

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

Things on My Mind Lately - Baby! Baby! Baby!

Hello Spring Cleaning and Awesome Fashion Finds $25 or LESS!

Hello Spring Cleaning and Awesome Fashion Finds $25 or LESS!

Braxton Hicks Contractions, Minimalist Parenthood, and the Siren Call of the (Dumb) Baby Registry List -- Stuff on My Mind Lately!

Stuff on my Mind Lately -- Braxton Hicks Contractions, Minimalist Parenthood, and the Siren Call of the Baby Registry!

Stuff on My Mind Lately -- Braxton Hicks contractions!

Stuff on My Mind Lately -- Minimalist Parenthood and the Siren Call of the Baby Registry

The Three Stages of Mardi Gras, Told with Funny Cat Memes

The Three Stages of Mardi Gras, as Told by Funny Cats

4 Reasons Why I Bought Matching Hangers After All - Organizing Your Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

4 Reasons Why I Bought Matching Hangers After All - Organizing Your Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

Caption This! Funny Dog Photo -- #FridayFrivolity

Caption This! Funny Dog Photo -- #FridayFrivolity

Spread Some Love with Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards - #FridayFrivolity

Spread Some Love with Free Printable Valentine's Day Cards - #FridayFrivolity

Stuff on My Mind Lately: Lazy Girly Razors, Facebook Yard Sale Groups, and Anxiety-Reducing Music...

Stuff on My Mind Lately: Lazy Girly Razors, Facebook Yard Sale Groups, and Anxiety-Reducing Music...

Stuff on my mind lately... "lazy girly razors"

January Reader's Choice Fashion Picks -- Style Inspiration!

January Reader's Choice Fashion Picks -- Style Inspiration!

Receive the "Make Your Closet Amazing" Newsletter!

Groundhog Day Sillies - #FridayFrivolity

Groundhog Day Sillies - #FridayFrivolity

Funny and Horrible Mom Advice! - #FridayFrivolity

Funny and Horrible Mom Advice! #FridayFrivolity

Random Funny Baby GIFS and Memes to Make You Laugh - #FridayFrivolity

Random Funny Baby GIFS and Memes to Make You Laugh - #FridayFrivolity

Funny Pregnancy Memes - What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Woman!

Funny Pregnancy Memes - What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Woman!

What NOT to say to a pregnant woman!

Winter Plus-Sized Sample Capsule Wardrobe -- Cold Weather Cozy in Olive and Scarlet!

Winter Plus-Sized Sample Capsule Wardrobe

How I Curated This Closet:

A Year in Books - What to Read and What NOT to Read! Book Reviews in Miniature, 2016 Edition

A Year in Books -- What to Read and What NOT to Read!