Adventures in Life, Love and Librarianship

Time Management eBook Bundle – 5 for $7.40!

2013-06-17T03:32:58Z

Running a household, caring for children and still finding time to pursue your passions is not an easy order, but this week’s bundle is designed to give you the tools to make the most of the 24 hours you’re given each day. Discover tips for creating schedules and routines, the importance of rest, strategies to help you be on time and more!

Get this bundle for almost 60% off this week only.

With your purchase, you’ll get all five of the following ebooks:

Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews
Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Daniele Evans
28 Days to Timeliness by Davonne Parks
Creating a Schedule That Works by Marlene Griffith
The Homemaker’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule by Amy Roberts

Get yours today!

Disclosure: I am part of the Bundle of the Week affiliate program and will receive a small commission on any sales. The views and opinions expressed in these ebooks do not necessarily reflect this blog’s views and opinions.

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Menu Plan Monday – Sort Of

2013-06-17T13:31:06Z

I had every intention of sharing this week’s menu, until I realized that I don’t actually have a menu to share. Not that I didn’t plan one, I did; well sort of. This week is going to be a week where I’m not home for dinner at all because of a few work events in combination with dinner out with a friend and my Tuesday night Bible study.

So that only leaves Friday with anything to actually plan. I think I’m going to be making the recipe below to use up some mascarpone cheese.

Pasta with Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Spinach

I did do some cooking this weekend. I made these awesome chicken ranch burgers for lunch…

…and chicken piccata for my dad for his Father’s Day dinner. I made some French bread to go along with it and my mom made peach cobbler with the first peaches of the season. If you are looking for something fairly quick and simple, but also kind of nice, make the chicken piccata. It’s amazing.

Since I’m not going to have any leftovers for lunch this week, I need to come up with something so I won’t eat out, or worse, eat snacky stuff that we have at work. I was thinking some easy, chilled noodles.

What are you cooking this week?

This (not actually a) menu is linked to Menu Plan Monday

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Summer Self Love #2

2013-06-14T14:13:18Z

Things I’m loving about myself today…

…how quickly I’m able to fall asleep now. After years of mild insomnia, it’s nice to turn out the light, roll over, and be asleep within 5 minutes.

…my good sense. It always prevails in the end.

…my eyes. They might really suck at seeing things far away, get really red and watery for no apparent reason, and hurt all the time, but they still let me see. It could be way worse.

…the new way I found to go to bed with wet hair and not look like I went to bed with wet hair.

What are you loving about yourself today?

This post is linked to Summer Self Love Linkup

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Dating a Guy with Kids, Part I

2013-06-13T13:30:03Z

I will be perfectly honest; sometimes the hardest part of my relationship with The Carpenter is that he has children. Not the children themselves; they are absolutely wonderful and I love spending time with them. But being in a relationship with someone who has children can be very difficult.

I knew what I was getting into day one. The Carpenter was extremely upfront with me. In fact, his very first message to me on the dating site where we met was simply “would you date a guy with kids?”. After I said yes, his subsequent messages made it very clear that his children were an active part of his life and that they were his number one priority.

After a not-so-great previous experience, The Carpenter had established a “6 month rule”. Meaning, no woman met the kids until he had been dating her for 6 months and thought that things were moving in the right direction. I thought (and still do) this was a great idea; it gave me the opportunity to get to know The Carpenter as a person, and not as a parent. It also helped me figure out if I was invested enough in the relationship to want to meet the kids and spend time with them, and eventually, be a large(r) part of their lives.

I am certainly not an expert in dating a guy with kids. After all, The Carpenter is the only parent I’ve ever dated. This is going to sound bad, but I’m not sure I’d do it again if I knew what I know now. I got extremely lucky that The Carpenter is awesome and has terrific children that I have a good relationship with. But given everything that has happened, and everything that could happen. It would take a really special man and just the right circumstances to make me want to pursue this again.

Not that I see that ever happening. I don’t think I will ever need to be in that position again.

So, my point (you knew there had to be one somewhere, right?) is that dating someone with children is hard. It can be amazing and totally worth it, but for reasons that will be elaborated on next week, it can also make you want to run screaming in the opposite direction. If you ever find yourself in the position to go out on a date with someone with children, I absolutely encourage you to do so. You could get ever so lucky like me!

If you are ever in that situation, I do have a few pieces of advice for you:

1. Immediately find out about his relationship with his children. Does he have custody? How often does he see them? Try to ascertain how close he is to them. While there may be some extenuating circumstances, if you get the vibe that he’s not the best parent now, it’s a safe bet that he might not be the best parent down the road.

2. Find out his relationship with the mother. Were they married? Dating? Someone random? Are they on good terms or can they not be in the same room together? Bad relationships with exes or baby mamas can mean hardship down the road for you.

3. Date without the children. Obviously, your first date shouldn’t include the children, but if you decide you want to see him again, consider waiting a while. Get to know each other as people first, before you start bringing others into the relationship.

4. Ask questions. About the above things, yes, but also about the kids. Ask to see pictures, where they go to school, what they like to do. If you are interested in the children from the beginning, it will go a long way in being interested and engaging with them when you do meet them.

5. Be respectful of his position as a father. You will not be the first priority. Dates get cut short or don’t happen at all. Money may be tighter. Realize that he has issues and people in his life besides you and try to be understanding of that. If you start out a relationship that way, you’ll save yourself a lot of fights and heartaches in the future.

Let’s discuss! Have you ever dating someone with children? Would you? Do agree with my advice?

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An Anniversary Recipe: Caramel Cashew Bars

2013-06-11T13:17:31Z

A year ago today, I arranged the emergency phone call situation with my best friend because I had a blind date with a guy I met on a dating site. Since it’s the internet and anyone can be an ax murderer, we thought it best that someone know where I was and who I was with in case my body turned up somewhere.

Per our bad date protocol, she called me when she hadn’t heard from me in a couple of hours. I didn’t answer but texted her I was still out and would call on the way home. Several hours later, I finally did call, and well, you know the rest.

So, yes, today is The Carpenter and my one year anniversary. Not such a big deal to most, but when you’ve never made it to this point with anyone else, it’s a really big deal.

The Carpenter likes pretty much everything I cook. Being a guy, he gets excited when I cook beef, and extra excited if I’m searing a steak in my cast iron skillet. Some roasted veggies (broccoli is a particular favorite) and some homemade bread and he’s a happy camper. If I throw in a dessert, like say these caramel cashew bars…well I’d probably have a boyfriend in a food coma of happiness.

These bars are super quick; start to finish (including cooling) they only take about an hour. You could probably substitute a lot of homemade ingredients, but that would take extra time, and I just don’t always have time for that. This is a great quick dessert that pleases kids, adults, and hungry boyfriends alike.

Caramel Cashew Bars
Print this recipe!

1 roll chocolate chip cookie dough
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups caramel dip or ice cream topping
3 cups crispy rice cereal
1 1/4 cup cashews (I buy the halves and pieces)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13 pan. Using greased or floured fingers, press the roll of cookie dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool in pan, on a wire rack, for 15 minutes.

While the cookie crust is cooling, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup caramel. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cereal and cashews. Spread evenly over the crust. Melt remaining chocolate chips and caramel in the saucepan over medium heat. Drizzle over the top, tilting the pan and spreading it out to cover the best you can. Chill 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

-Adapted from Pillsbury

This post is linked to Tasteful Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, A-Zebra Celebrations, and Tasty Tuesdays

The post An Anniversary Recipe: Caramel Cashew Bars appeared first on Adventures in Life, Love and Librarianship.

Paleo and Primal eBook Bundle – 5 for $7.40!

2013-06-10T13:15:17Z

This week’s bundle is the perfect companion for a paleo or primal lifestyle! Whether you’re just dipping your toes in or looking for more recipes to add to your rotation, this collection of ebooks is both inspiring and practical, with more than 200 recipes plus inspirational stories from people who have transformed their health through a paleo diet and tips for eating out without cheating.

Paleo ebooks can be expensive, but this week only you’ll get all 5 at a savings of more than 85% off, less than the cost of any one of the ebooks by itself!

With your purchase, you’ll get all five of the following ebooks:

The Paleo Miracle by Joe Salama and Christina Lianos
The Paleo Snack Recipe Book by Suzanne Crawt
Eating Out and Traveling on the Paleo Diet by Aglaée Jacobs
Toadally Primal Smoothies by Primal Toad
Paleo Ice Cream by Ben Hirshberg

The Paleo & Primal bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 6/17. Get yours today:

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Weekend Reads

2013-06-09T05:01:33Z

I’m still catching up on my magazine reading like I was last weekend…

Real Simple

…but I also started a new book last night.

Unveiled by Courtney Milan

What are you reading this weekend?

*links are affiliate*

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Summer Self Love

2013-06-07T13:07:37Z

Summer is more than likely the season that you love AND hate the most. Beaches and swimming…LOVE! Swimsuits…not so much. Worrying about how I look in my 8 year old swimsuit or how my arms look in that tank top or if I’m too pale to wear this sundress are always topics on my mind this time of the year.

But that shouldn’t be what I’m thinking about. I should be thinking about reading a good book on a rainy summer afternoon, playing around with The Carpenter and his kids in the pool, and working in my garden and enjoying all the fresh produce.

So with that in mind, I’m linking up today, and every Friday for the rest of the summer, to Christine’s Summer Self Love Link-Up. It’s time to remind myself about how awesome I am.

So today I’m loving…

…the way I’ve been wearing my hair lately. I love my curling iron!

…how my skin is finally starting to turn around thanks to some hard work on Proactiv’s part.

…my legs. They might be pale but they still look (mostly) like dancers’ legs!

…my non-productive goals for the weekend. Read a book, watch The Carpenter’s pool tournament, baby my tomatoes; those are the kind of goals I love!

What are you loving about yourself today?

This post is linked to Summer Self Love Link-Up

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Weekly Wanderings

2013-06-07T13:06:02Z

This week I’m spotlighting some of my favorite Pinterest food finds. I usually use Pinterest as a way to store recipes I find other places, but every now and then, I find really great recipes I wouldn’t have otherwise found. So that’s what today is all about!

(All links go to the original source. Please pin from there!)

Power Muffins

Creamy Indian Cashew Chicken

Stuffed Cheesy Garlic Bread

Baked Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Primavera

Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies

Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest!

This post is linked to Friday Favorite Finds

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Pretty and Professional Are Not Mutually Exclusive

2013-06-05T13:17:28Z

This is one of those posts that’s been a long time in the making. I’m sure that many of you will find what I have to say distasteful, perhaps even offensive, but that’s okay. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I have attended several seminars and read many blog posts and articles about professionalism, mostly as it relates to librarianship. Every single one has had some mention of appearance and the effect of a job applicant/employee’s appearance on the supervisor’s opinion. Every. Single. One. Which leads me to my controversial statement:

Your appearance DOES matter. Even if it doesn’t matter to you, it matters to those around you.

I’ve talked about this subject before on previous blogs and on Twitter, but I’ve always addressed how looking “unprofessional” lowers others’ opinions of said unprofessional-dressing person. (I could write at length about what is and what is not “professional” attire, but this is not the time.) Now, I’m addressing the opposite view.

I am a so-called “pretty” person. I wear makeup, I fix my hair in a variety of ways, I put together coordinated outfits and create a weekly wardrobe plan so that I am always well dressed for work. I do not leave the house without at least a little concealer and mascara on and having done something with my hair, even if I’m just running down the street to CVS. I have a regimented skin care routine and am concerned about wrinkles and acne. I get my nails done and my eyebrows threaded regularly. I like to shop. I like to talk about shopping. I generally put a moderate to substantial (depending on the day and event) into my appearance. I care a great deal about my appearance. I care that others think that I care and put effort into my appearance.

From L-R: half my shoe collection, trying to figure out which necklace looks better, my makeup drawer, last week’s clothing plan

So I am “pretty”. I am also professional.

Everything about my work persona is geared towards appearing as professional as possible (while still being me…I’m not changing my personality for work), from how I answer the phone to how I talk to my superiors to my appearance. By dressing appropriately for my job (at a non-academic hospital) I think am saying, “I care about my job and I take it very seriously. And I want others to take me seriously and trust me to do my job well”.

Now you may not agree. You may think that putting lots of effort into and taking pride in my appearance makes me unprofessional. That I am not as serious as someone who doesn’t put that much stock into their looks. That caring about how I look to others makes me petty and self-centered. That I’m looking for attention from men or trying to appear better than others.

If you think those things then you would be wrong. I am very serious about my work and acutely aware that I am a representation of my job and my field outside the library. I do not dress to attract attention from men (or from anyone really); in fact I work very hard to make sure that everything I wear is setting-appropriate. I do not think that just because I look or dress a certain way that I am somehow better or superior.

I am pretty. I am professional. There is no having to choose between looking your best and being taken seriously. You can have it both ways. In fact, I do it every day.

A fairly standard work outfit. I do love me a cardigan.

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