Since joining Goodreads (best decision ever, btw) I have discovered SO many awesome books. I know that’s kinda the point… but, seriously, I’ve read more books in the past two months than I have in the past TWO YEARS! True story. My latest obsession? The Hush, Hush Saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. Seriously, I read the three available books (Finale doesn’t release until October 23rd, 2012. ANXIETY!!) in 4 days. Yeah, that good. But, I’m a freak and sucker for teen romance crap so, don’t judge me. Anyway, Goodreads has got me seriously addicted, I love being able to see what my friends are reading and have discovered a lot of really outstanding books this way. I say to myself, well if so-and-so likes it (and we have a lot in common) I’ll probably like it to… you get the idea.  Before my “to-read” list grows beyond manageable proportions, I decided to challenge myself to see if I can read all of the books currently on my “to-read” list by the end of the year. There are 18 books. Here are the next five in the queue. Join Goodreads to see the rest ; ) muahahahahahhahaha.

1. Paper Towns – John Green

2. City of Bones – Cassandra Clare

3. Fall For Anything – Courtney Summers

4. Graffiti Moon – Cath Crowley

5. Atonement – Ian McEwan

I had to tack on an actual “adult book” to make my list seem legit ; ) I’ve heard amazing things about Ian McEwan and loved the movie. I don’t think the book will disappoint.

What are you reading? Any recommendations? Have you read any books on this list and want to give your opinion? Lemme have it!

I don’t watch American Idol. In fact if you ask anyone who’s really close to me, they’ll confirm that I have pretty much zero interest in competition and singing related television shows. However, I recently discovered AI winner Phillip Phillips’ single Home while watching a tear-jerking Olympic segment this past week when the women’s gymnasts went for the Gold! Needless to say I loved it. The lyrics of this song are particularly poignant for me. They remind me of the love and support of my savior Jesus Christ. That no matter my hardships I am never alone. Although this rapidly deteriorating rock is NOT my home and God has no intention of it being a permanent residence, home is indeed where the heart is. And, if your heart is with the Lord you will eventually find yourself home.

Deep, I know.

Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Helllloooooooo friends! Hope you’ve had a lovely week. I’ve been enjoying the rain with some knitting and my new-found love of the Gilmore Girls. But, there’s nothing better on a rainy day than to cozy up with a thick quilt and a good book. It’s an absolute rainy-day must!  Let’s face it peeps, readers always have the upper hand. They know the best quotes, are the quickest with comebacks, and are infinitely more imaginative than non-readers. Hahahaha just kidding ; ) but seriously. I have an overwhelming amount of friends right now who are pregnant and and even larger amount who have recently given birth. So, I thought as a librarian (non-practicing though I may be…) I should share some of my all time favorite books for littles, because it is never to early to read to children!

Lyndsey’s Best Picturebooks of ALL TIME*

* in no particular order because that would have been an unbelievably hard task.

1. The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein

2. Goodnight Moon – Margaret W. Brown

3. Strega Nona – Tomie De Paola

4. Where the Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak

5. Chrysanthemum – Kevin Henkes

6. Love You Forever – Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw

7. A Sick Day for Amos McGee – Phillip C. Stead

8. The Runaway Bunny – Margaret W. Brown

9. Art & Max – David Wiesner

10. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale – Mo Willems

11. Imogene’s Last Stand – Candace Fleming and Nancy Carpenter

12. Pink and Say – Patricia Polacco

13. Dillweed’s Revenge: A Deadly Dose of Magic – Florence Parry Heide

14. Johnny Boo and the Mean Little Boy – James Kochalka

15. The Funny Little Woman – retold by Arlene Mosel

16. Frog and Toad Are Friends – Arnold Lobel

17. The Lorax – Dr. Seuss

18. Tikki Tikki Tembo – Arlene Mosel

19. The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

20. Madeleine – Ludwig Bemelmans

Last summer I took two children’s materials courses where I essentially fell in love with picturebooks all over again! Actually I’m not sure that love ever really went away, but may have just floated to the recesses for a while. Now that my sister is pregnant and my sister-in-law just had twins, and another sister-in-law is pregnant I’ve (understandably) had baby on the brain. So, I thought it was high time to share my favorite kids books of all time. As lame as you make think it is, books make AWESOME gifts. Especially for baby showers and birthdays! Books are a gateway to exploration, adventure, the entire range of human emotion and life experiences. The ever wise Dr. Seuss insisted, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go!”

I’ve already started my “little library” as I call it for my future children. Buuuuut, I’m also thinking about a book themed shower for myself like this adorable one for Busy Been Lauren or this one featured at Apartment Therapy. A clever way to build up a library and get recommendations and ideas from family and friends.

Have a hip happy fry-day (it’s national french fry day! so eat up!)

-L

If my husband wants to keep our money safe he should keep me as far away from yarn shops as humanly possible. They are my one and only vice. Ok, that and sweets. I walk into a yarn shop and have the overwhelming impulse to buy everything in sight. The colors of the rainbow spread out over the room, different textures, weights, it truly is overwhelming.

So I’m making baby blankets for my sister-in-law’s twins and ran out of yarn. I only needed to buy two extra skeins at about $24 bucks each… I left the shop with a $200 bill! YIIIIIIKES. Definitely a yarn bomb. No more visits for a long time as I have enough yarn for two more projects to add to my queue. Including a baby blanket for MY twin sister’s upcoming little! We find out the sex in just a few short weeks but I was too anxious to wait so I bought three skeins of Twinkle Baby Chunky in #79 Fog. Perfect for boy or girl. Though all my bets are on a girl! Eeeeek!

 -L

I hope you’ve seen The Lion King or this phrase is probably totally lost on you. ha ha ha. This Swahili phrase, made famous by the heartwarming Disney film, literally translates to mean “there are no worries.”

If you know me well you know I’m a worrier. It doesn’t matter how big or small the issue. Illness, car trouble, finances, family drama, loss, did I leave the flat iron on? … I worry about it. If worrying were an occupation employers would be lined up around the block to hire me. Yep, I’m that good. Or should I say bad?? I think deep down, really deep down in my subconscious I think that I can prevent things from happening or solve them by worrying about them. But as this print wisely states: “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.”

I’ve been suffering the physical effects of worrying; lack of sleep, acne, gray hairs (UGH, yes it’s true), general uneasiness, headaches … all of which only make me feel worse. I mean, the worrying is bad enough, right!? So I made up my mind I’m going to be happy and not worry. I am going to try my very best.

I’ve made it a mantra to say after my morning prayer before I even get out of bed. HAKUNA MATATA. What a wonderful phrase indeed.

“There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

What a wake up call, huh? If I truly believe the word of God I should know that worrying is of the devil, for “God has not given us a spirit of fear” 2 Tim. 1:7

I am going to bind these close to my heart to remember them at times I feel tempted to worry, I hope you do as well!

-L

There’s no drug in the world as good as endorphins! I wish I could say that I speak from experience but I just heard this from someone else. Maybe they were speaking from experience? Well, regardless, I’m sure most of us can attest to the fact that we tend to feel better after a good workout. This has certainly been the case for me the last few days. I’ve been working hard to get out of my funk and my mom suggested I start working out again. As some of you know my mom lost 92 lbs over ten years ago and has done an amazing job keeping her weight off! She did weight watchers and became a slave to the gym. I personally have never been very fond of the gym so these past few days she’s been helping me come up with activities I can do that are fun, effective, and gym free (well, almost).

We started with some basics like walking and weight lifting but not in the gym. We have an amazing three mile trail that goes through our neighborhood lined with beautiful trees and a turtle filled stream. We set off last night around 7:45pm and caught a very refreshing breeze! Weight machines can get boring and feel really repetitive. So I invested in a few different size free weights to use around the house: on the back patio in the morning while the dogs play, in the living room to some of my favorite jams, or even on the bed during a good TV show or movie (don’t judge, this is a great way to shake it up!). But, just like being at the gym, if you don’t have a plan you get bored and waste time deciding what you’ll do next. So, since I’ve been on a Pinterest kick, I went online to find some upper and lower body toning routines. I don’t know who Elle is but thank you for these. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tracy Anderson. You should definitely invest in her Dance Cardio DVDs. So much fun and SUCH a great workout. It’s great to do to her music but once I’ve got the routine down sometimes I like to dance to my own.

image via http://itsfitnessbaby.com/209/

via Nothing Is Impossible

We also went for an hour swim yesterday. We would have just done it outside in my mom’s pool to soak up our daily dose of vitamin D, but her pool is too short and we definitely would have felt like hamsters on a wheel. So we went to 24 Hr. Fitness. The only bad thing about doing this is that the gym sets their pool to 75 degrees and leaves it. year round. so needless to say it was FREEZING. but once you’re in and going it actually feels quite pleasant. Getting in is the hard part. We do four sets of this combination (all strokes down the length of the pool and back): Breast, Free, Back, Sides. Once we finish this combination we do 25 reps of the “Rock-N-Roller” move with our water weights. Start on your back laying in a T position, then use your abdominals to pull yourself in and onto your stomach so you’re in a straight line. Then, pull your arms back (like you’re rowing) and return to your back in the T shape. That’s one rep.  So by the end of our swim we’ve done 100 “Rock-N-Rollers” and four sets of our swim combo or eight laps per stroke style. The pool provides great resistance and you can definitely do more in water than you’d be able to do on land. Here are some other toning ideas for the pool.

via Nothing Is Impossible

I’ve set up a weekly routine of swimming 2x/wk and walking 4x/wk. Sundays are always rest days :) In combination with that, I have devised a toning routine which consists of upper body work on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and lower body work on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays. I’m excited about getting going with this, but have never been really good at sticking with workout programs.  I buy a lot of my at home DVDs from Beachbody.com and I love their slogan. Decide, Commit, Succeed. It really is that simple. It’s the commitment I have trouble with so we’ll see how this plays out. Wish me luck!

-L

Watching: Right now I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t been watching any contemporary TV shows. I’ve been watching a lot of movies, some for the first time others for the billionth. I finally watched Donnie Darko (although maybe I’ve seen it before?? Didn’t remember it.) I watched this weird french movie about these kids that go out to this island and this girl thinks this rich man who owns the island rescued her but he didn’t, her friend Etienne did… Anyway, it wasn’t much to rave about and the ending sucked. I just recently saw Safety Not Guaranteed and I have to say, you guys, it is prrrrobably my new favorite movie! Seriously. So cute. OH, and I just saw Cocoon for the first time. Steve Guttenberg was quite a looker wasn’t he? Wow.

Reading: You all obviously know about my creepy (borderline insane) obsession with Fifty Shades of Grey, which I have finally managed to put down…but right now I am reading Andrew Davidson’s The Gargoyle. Very very good. Although it was a little slow to get going if you know what I mean. It wasn’t boring, but you just started to wonder when something was going to happen to this poor guy. The main character is a burn victim who is  visited by this psych ward patient who claims they were lovers in medieval Germany. Naturally, he thinks she’s cray cray, but as he continues to visit with her and hear her stories he finds the possibility hard to dismiss. Not quite done yet, but I’m looking forward to this ending!

I’m also currently reading Mark Tabb’s How Can A Good God Let Bad Things Happen. Very insightful and comforting for those going through hard times or struggling with loss.

Listening to: I am obsessed with Kishi Bashi, Snow Patrol, and Last Dinosaurs. Most of their songs stay on repeat for a while. If you’re into alternative give It All Began With A Burst – Kishi Bashi and Zoom – Last Dinosaurs a listen. I’ll recommend any Snow Patrol and ANY Best Coast. Amazing, simply amazing.

Wanting: Our pool to be done! Ok, done is a leap. I at least want it dug already! This is just an impatience thing… they’ll be out Friday the 13th to start digging, woopee! So so ready to enjoy some of this heat in a luxurious, refreshing swimming pool. Good thing it stays warm through the fall.

I’m also desperately wanting to be a mama, but I know that will come only when the time is right. Patience is a virtue… one that I do not have ; ) so I’m trying to make the best of it until then.

Working on: Spring/Summer cleaning. We’ve been in our house a year this June and moved so much stuff over that we really don’t need or want. So I’m working on going through all of that and determining if it’s donation worthy or trash worthy. I’d like to get a new dining table in (probably should be in the want category but we’re still working on choosing a table first!), a new bed frame, and we’re working on getting our garage cleaned up and organized. It’s clear enough to pull cars into, but everything still sits on the floor. We’d like some kind of cabinetry or storage system installed. We’ll see how long it takes to get that done.

And obviously we’re “working on” the becoming a mama and papa part…

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and didn’t get West Nile ; ) Thanks to this mid-week holiday it already feels like the weekend.

-L

hahahaha that’s how most “morning after” conversations begin right? Well last night I attempted a recipe from Pinterest and you’ll never believe it… it actually came out GOOD!! Ok, ok, it was probably the most simple recipe ever, but still I was proud.

Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

Popcorn is a healthy snack, so why not junk it up with a ton of butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows right? Before her diabetes days I’m pretty sure Paula Deen would have agreed with me. Now she’s probably one of those “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” ladies hahaha. But anyway, this recipe is really simple and is as delicious as it sounds. You can either use the microwave or a sauce pot on the cooktop. If you use the cooktop, you’ll free up the microwave to be able to cook your popcorn simultaneously! WIN! That’s what I did.

In a small sauce pot I added 1/2c Earth Balance butter (I use the vegan butter even though I’m not vegan, get over it)

1/2c light brown sugar

on low-medium heat wait for these two ingredients to melt together (approx. 2 min.)

Then add approximately (I’m sure I added WAAAAY more) 12 marshmallows. I used the mini marshmallows so I just dumped a bunch in there, didn’t “eyeball” it or anything. How could more marshmallows be a bad thing?

Stir the hot melted butter and sugar over the marshmallows to expedite the melting process.

If you put your popcorn in the microwave before starting this process it should be dinging right about now. I always use the popcorn sensor so I don’t burn it :)

Get a large bowl, dump the popcorn in and then drizzle the caramel/marshmallow concoction aaaallll over the top. NOM. Eat fast because it cools quickly. This is the perfect treat for you late night sweet toothers like me. To add to the sweetness use Kettle Corn instead of regular buttered popcorn. DELISH.

Hope you enjoyed and try for yourself! Have a lovely, buttery, sugary, marshmallowy fourth of July.

-L

I mentioned yesterday that these past three weeks I have been having a hard time. UNDERSTATEMENT. I have felt so lost and confused and it has taken a lot of encouragement and love from family, friends, and literature to help pull me out of my stupor. I have been so irrational, so angry, so sad, so hopeless, the entire spectrum of human emotions. But reading Mark Tabb’s Why A Good God Lets Bad Things Happen and diving into God’s word has helped me to gain perspective and look at the bigger picture. I have been reminded that no matter what happens in this life God will guide us, even unto death. Although I don’t know what it is, I understand that this is all part of the plan. Having bad times doesn’t mean God loves us less, just as having good times doesn’t mean He loves us more. If you feel like you’ve lost your way remember this verse, pray to God, and ask for his direction and guidance.

-L

It’s tattoo time again ; ) don’t tell mom! Ok, well right now I’m just thinking about it, but it’s something I’d really like to have, a laurel wreath. In common modern idiomatic usage the laurel wreath refers to victory. Some of you know and some of you don’t know that I’ve been having a hard time lately. But after seeing a laurel wreath tattoo pinned on Pinterest I was reminded (oddly yes) that no matter how down I feel, no matter how much I’ve failed, I have victory in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross so that I could live victoriously and I have not been doing that. You may be thinking well, if you want to be reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for you, get a cross tattoo! My retort? That’s too easy and has been done, over and over and over and over. If I get a cross tattoo it is unlikely that someone will ask: what does your tattoo mean or what does it represent to you? A laurel wreath? Yes. It is representational in an unconventional way. This is my favorite laurel wreath tattoo.

image via fyeahtattoos.com

I have to be honest though, I’ve always had a strictly black policy when it comes to tattoos. This would be my first rendezvous with color and I’m not sure I really want that. But it’s so lovely. I wouldn’t be including the chain circle or flower embellishments, just the basic wreath. Here is a beautiful example of a laurel tattoo in my favorite ; ) strictly black. No… this wouldn’t be going on my arm (haven’t really decided on placement yet…) but just to give you an idea of what we’re talking about.

image via Sometimes Sweet

If you’re not into tattoos that’s cool, I won’t make you like mine or worse make you get one! haha. But if you do like them I’d love to hear your thoughts. Color? Black? What do you think? Where would you put a tattoo like this? Right now I’m thinking wrist, or lower neck/high back area, or posssssssibly high right thigh. Like at the underwear or bathing suit line, that high… or is that technically the hip? hahaha who cares.

Hope you had a great weekend and a wonderful 4th of July!

- L