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38-Mixtape (x-mas edition!)

December 25, 2012

 
:)

37-Books I read in September & October

November 15, 2012

I only read one book in September (sad, I know), so I am combining both months for this post. Here we go:

September
  1. Marked (House of Night #1)-P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
October
  1. Betrayed (House of Night #2)-P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast 
  2. Chosen (House of Night #3)-P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast 
  3. How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay-Julia Alvarez 
  4. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia #1)-C.S. Lewis
I began reading The House of Night series years ago, but didn’t get very far. I found books 1-4 at Goodwill and had to buy them (10 books for $1, seriously). I love vampire stories and mythology and this series has plenty of both.

So, what is this book about? Zoey Redbird is a ‘regular’ 16 year old girl who gets marked to become a vampire. Once someone becomes marked, they have to live at the House of Night until they go through the change to become adult vampires. Zoey soon discovers that she is a special kind of fledgling and receives special gifts from the goddess Nyx. These gifts lead her to make friends, as well as enemies, and to take on a lot more challenges than she anticipated.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but feel that the other books were kind of slow (and a bit repetitive). That being this is an easy read and I will be on the lookout for the rest of them.

#3 and #4 are books that I read to my kids. #3 is the story of Miguel and Juanita, two siblings who, after their parent’s divorce, move to Vermont (from New York City). Their mother invites Tia Lola to visit (from the Dominican Republic) and her arrival causes Miguel to have a cultural identity crisis. In New York, there were many people like him, but Vermont is primarily Caucassian. He already feels like the odd ‘brown’ boy and his eccentric Tia Lola does not make matters easier. In the end, of course, Miguel comes to appreciate his aunt. I like that this book deals with real issues and I think it is a good way to introduce these topics to children.

The Chronicles of Narnia series is like required reading for children.  I read it as a child and wanted to share that with my kids. I’m happy to day that they enjoyed it.:) I don’t have much else to add about it. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what this series is about. If not, read it!

36-Feliz Cumpleaños!

October 31, 2012

My birthday was at the beginning of this month. I don't usually celebrate in any special way, but this year I decided to gift myself something I've been wanting forever.
I'd like to add that, while I'll gladly buy my kids expensive things, I cringe at the thought of doing the same for myself. It took me a million years to finally decide that I was getting this for myself, which is pretty funny because I know that some people would not consider this item as super expensive.
Anyway, these are my b-day gifts to myself. Except for the book, that was given to me by my awesome bf.<3

35-Currently

October 17, 2012


Loving; The weather. It’s not exactly cold, but it’s not as hot as it was during the summer. Also, all the (new to me) books I’ve bought and my birthday presents!

Reading; Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast. Also, textbooks for school (so much reading for school!) I'm also reading The Chronicles of Narnia to the kids (we're on the second book).

Watching; My bf watches a lot of reality TV, which leads to me watching a lot of reality TV. Our current new show is Duck Dynasty and, I have to admit that, I really like it. I’m also watching Switched at Birth (with Jackie), and my telenovelas (Spanish soap operas): Rosa Diamante and El Rostro de la Venganza.

This episode was so funny!

Anticipating; Lots of things! Halloween, Christmas, Jackie’s (12th) birthday, Zoey’s (4th) birthday, graduation, Ben’s (11th) birthday!

Listening to; Rilo Kiley; never gets old.

Planning; What to do once I graduate. I applied to grad school last night (!).

Working on; Finding a (real) job, managing my time, school work. Life is so busy!

34-Book I Read in August

October 11, 2012


  1. The Turk and my Mother-Mary Helen Stefaniak
  2. Girl, Interrupted-Susanna Kaysen
  3. Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea-Chelsea Handler
First off, I want to mention that I get most of my books from thrift stores. This means that (most of the time) I have no idea what these books are actually about and buy them because a) I like the cover b) I like the author c) The synopsis sounds cool.
I kept seeing The Turk and my Mother every time I went to the store and finally decided to buy it. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this book. This is a collection of stories, spanning four generations of a family, and there is everything from forbidden love affairs to people who come back from the dead. I totally recommend it.
The book I least enjoyed this month was Girl, Interrupted. This memoir chronicles Susana Kaysen's two years in a psychiatric hospital. I don't want to say that it was a bad book, because it's not a work of fiction, but it was just not my cup of tea.
The last book I read in August was Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. Like her other books, this is a collection of anecdotes. I liked this book a lot more than My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands , which is her only other book I've read. If you like Chelsea Handler and comedy, you might like this book.

As a side note, I don't think I'm actually going to meet my goal of reading 50 books this year (I still need 15!) and that makes me really sad. Between work (I finally have a job, but let's not go there), school, and family I have no time to read.:/

33-Small Style

October 5, 2012

 Sweater: hand me down (from cousin), Dress: thrift store, Leggings: Target, 
Shoes: Pink Converse, Bow: Dollar Store

I never wear dresses or skirts or accessories. Don't get me wrong, I love all that girly stuff, but I'm just a jeans, t-shirt, and chucks kind of girl. I always thought that when I had daughters they would be tomboys, because that's how I was. Of course, I was wrong; both of my daughters love makeup, dresses, bows...anything and everything girly.
When I was a kid, I rarely got to choose my own clothes. My grandma bought my sister and I matching dresses (no, we're not twins) and made us wear them on the same days, so we always matched. I hated it! When my girls were babies I chose their outfits, but that stopped once they were old enough to let me know what they wanted to wear.
This means that sometimes my child will walk around wearing a romper, tutu, and purple rain boots. It means people will look at us funny and wonder why I let my kids out in public looking like that. (It also means that I don't care what people think, but that's a whole different story).
Sometimes I do want to make my kids go and change. I don't though. My parenting philosophy is this: choose your battles. I'd rather argue with my kids about their grades or the importance of being honest than about their mismatched outfits. So, yeah, that group of kids that look like they're homeless/pageant contestants/color blind, they're all mine.:)

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32-Mix Tape

September 23, 2012


 

31-Books I Read in July

September 19, 2012


  1. The Woman Warrior -Maxine Hong Kingston
  2. The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone-Emily Giffin
  3. Unenchanted-Chanda Hahn
  4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter-Kim Edwards
  5. The Thirteenth Tale-Diane Setterfield
July seems like a million years ago. I'm so busy with school that I haven't read a single book this month. :( I have a ton of assignments and I am trying to stay on top of them, so I'm not sure I'll even read anything this month. So sad, because I really wanted to read 50 books this year. Ok, let's just get on with the books I did read (in July): 


I read The Woman Warrior years ago and didn't really like it. A few months ago, I was cleaning out my desk and found a list of 100 books to read (or something like that) by Jane magazine (remember Jane mag? I totally loved it). Of course, I decided to give it another go and, of course, I still don't really like it. Oh, well. At least I tried.
Another book I didn't love was The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone. I know it's a prequel to Something Borrowed and Something Blue, both books I have not read; which may be the reason why I didn't enjoy it. Idk, it was just not my fav book.
I read Unenchanted on my phone (for free!) and was pleasantly surprised. If you like modern adaptations on fairy tales, then this book is for you. I'm actually looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
And now, for my favorite books this month: The Memory Keeper's Daughter was SO good. I experienced so many emotions while reading this. There were even times when I had to set it aside just to process all these feelings. Yeah, it was pretty deep. If you haven't read it yet, do it!
And, The Thirteenth Tale. This book completely surprised me. Right when I thought I knew what was going on, BAM! Ok, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic, but I definitely was not expecting it to end that way. So, yeah, read it!


30-These Are The Times

September 4, 2012




 

Summer is over! The kids started classes on August 27th (as did I). We dropped them off on the first day, but now the boys walk and the girls ride the bus. Maybe I’m crazy for sending my three year old to school on the bus, but she loves it.
I’m taking 18 credits again. Remember Spring semester and how I said never again? Yeah. Four of my classes are online, which means I’m only on campus Monday and Wednesday afternoons. I have so much free time during the day, but I’m all alone and it’s kind of boring…

29-Mix Tape

28-Books I Read in June

August 1, 2012

  1. The Lacuna-Barbara Kingsolver
  2. Shadow Tag-Louise Erdrich
  3. Treacherous Love: The Diary of An Anonymous Teenager-Beatrice Sparks
  4. The Mother Daughter Book Club (Book 1)-Heather Vogel Frederick
  5. How Not To Be Popular-Jennifer Ziegler
 My favorite book for this month was #1. This is one of those journal-style (or diary) books (and we know how much I love this type of book), but not only that: it is set in Mexico (another thing I love) and it includes a lot of historical characters and certain issues which I think are relevant even today. I will admit that it took me a while to read this book, as some parts are kind of slow, and it is not one of those happily-ever-after books, but I enjoyed it very much.
Another book I have to mention is #2. This is also a journal-style book, but it turned out completely different than I anticipated. I won't get into it, because I don't want to ruin the surprise, so let me just say this: I thought I would really like this book, but the ending was so unexpected and now I can't decide how I feel about it. o_O

27-Currently

July 30, 2012


Loving; Sleeping in and not having to be anywhere all day! Ok, so that makes me sound like a lazy bum, but I usually go to school and work year round. Knowing that I don’t have to wake up early or go anywhere is soo great.:)  

Reading; The Turk and my Mother. Technically, I have yet to begin this book. I’ll get to it…eventually.

Watching; Ugly Betty (via Netflix) with my oldest child. I probably won’t be getting any Mother-of-the-Year awards for letting my 11 year old stay up until 2 am, but I am getting some awesome memories. I’m also watching Rosa Diamante (via Telemundo), Teen Mom (Is it sad that I’m going to miss this?), and (when I have the time) old movies on TCM.

Anticipating; Going back to school. Funny, since I kind of just complained about it, lol. This will be my last undergrad semester and I am soo excited! Also, all of the kids will be going to school, so until I find a job I’ll have so much free time.

Listening to; Pandora. I like to put in on shuffle that way I get English and Spanish music and, since I never know what’s coming next, every song is like a surprise! (Ha, I am such a dork). I’ve also been listening to Rilo Kiley A LOT.

Planning; Away to make this summer not suck. We'll see how that goes.

Working on; Exercising and organizing my home. I hate working out, but I have a goal to reach by my b-day (October 3rd), so I am really forcing myself to keep at it. As far as organizing goes…yeah, let’s not.

 
  
Wishing; I could be at the beach! I love the beach and one day, when my kids are grown and I retire, I am totally moving to Mexico and buying a beach house.


P.P.S: I totes copied this post from Liz.

26- Being Happy

July 27, 2012



This is perfect. I love Louise's videos.

P.S. She also has a blog. .:)

25-Target Beauty Bag

July 8, 2012

This was in my mail a few weeks ago. This is the fourth beauty bag I've received from Target and I've really enjoyed them all. I mean, who doesn't like getting free stuff. Right? Right.




Inside the cosmetics bag (which is my favorite one so far) were the following items:
  • Aveeno Living Color Color Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter - Peach Parfait
  • A coupon booklet that includes $15 worth of savings
  • TRESemme' Split Remedy Split End Shampoo and Conditioner
  • Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 70
So far, I've only used the TRESemme' shampoo and conditioner and I plan on buying the full size bottles. I also plan to use several of the coupons the next time I head to Target. 
Well, I have a four page paper due tomorrow. I should probably get that started.;)

24-Books I Read in May

July 2, 2012

  1. Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico-Malin Alegria
  2. Along for the Ride-Sarah Dessen
So, this is only like two months late. Whoops. I keep meaning to update this blog more (I even have a list of future posts), but then real life happens.

Anyway, I enjoyed both of the books I read in May, I knew I was going to like #1 before I even read it for the simple fact that it is set in Mexico; I love anything and everything Mexico. I haven't been there is so long and this book reminded me of all the things I already miss. I didn't like the protagonist so much at first, but her character really developed throughout the book. I also like that it focuses on such a serious issue, but still manages to be funny.
I also knew I would like book #2 because I've read (and loved) all of Sarah Dessen's other books. I really like how there is always some mention of character's from previous books (in new books) because I always wonder what happens to these people after the book ends. Is that weird? Yeah, I thought so.
Ok, that's all I have to say. See you next month! Just kidding.;)

23-These Are The Times

June 14, 2012


School is over! Well, except for those of us who are taking summer classes. I'm only taking two, though, so it's not that bad. Remember that time I took 18 credits? Yeah, never again.
Two weekends ago, Jackie, Zoey, and I all got our hair cut. The pictures above are of Zoey. I am not a fan. Everyone else loves it, but I want her old hair back.:/
We went to the beach last week. It was awesome and I hope we get to go a lot this summer! I forgot my camera at home, but I'm kind of glad. Sometimes trying to take pictures distracts me from the whole experience.
Ok, I'm off to class!

22-Mix Tape

21-Books I Read In April

June 1, 2012

  1. Going in Circles-Pamela Ribon
  2. Hocus Pocus-Kurt Vonnegut
  3. The Six Rules of Maybe-Deb Caletti
  4. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?-Louise Rennison
Well, this is late. I loved all of these books, but #1 is the one that most resonated with me. I love that it includes roller derby, but it is about much more than that. This book is about a woman who, although recently married, is already going through a separation. It's pretty clear from the beginning that her marriage is over and she knows it, but is not ready to accept it. What I most enjoyed is seeing the protagonist go from this scared, depressed little thing to a woman who is sure of her place in the world and who knows that she will be ok on her own. I also liked the friendships that help sustain her through this time. 
I also have to mention #4. I began reading the Georgia Nicholson series when I was 19. I borrowed them from the library and usually read through each book within a day. They are so fun and funny and I love Georgia and her little sister, Libby. I put off reading this last book because I didn't want it to end. I have to say that, even though I knew who she would end up with from the beginning, I was still rooting for the The Luuurve God. And even though I am now 28, I still laughed like a loon on loon tablets while reading this book. I am sad to see this end. I will miss you Georgia, vair vair much.

♥ ♥ ♥

20-These Are The Times

May 30, 2012

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a(nother) baby. After all she'd been through, this baby was her burst of sunshine. She adored the baby; they all did.


 



One day, the baby was no longer a baby. It was time for him to go to school. The girl was kind of sad. She secretly wanted him to be a baby forever.



On May 28, the not-such-a-baby-anymore turned seven years old. He drives the girl crazy sometimes, but she still adores him. :)


to be continued...

19-Mix Tape

18-Books I Read in March

April 10, 2012

  1. Frankenstein-Mary Shelley
  2. The Birth of Venus-Sarah Dunant
  3. Stori Telling-Tori Spelling
  4. Mommywood-Tori Spelling
  5. The Adoration of Jenna Fox-Mary E. Pearson
  6. All These Things I've Done-Gabrielle Zevin
  7. Sugar and Spice (An L.A. Candy Novel)-Lauren Conrad
The majority of these books where borrowed from the library (and I did not get a chance to take a picture of them), which is why the format for this post is different. 
I enjoyed all of these books, but my favorite was definitely All These Things I've Done. If you like dystopian-type books, you should check this one out.

17-Mix Tape

16-On Feminism

March 27, 2012


"Feminism isn't about man-hate but woman-love. It isn't about demanding a front row seat but a fair and just place in line. Because when we stand up to those who push us down, we stand up for so much more than ourselves".

15-Books I Read in February

March 12, 2012

I didn't have much time to read in February (and I could blame it on my classes, but who am I kidding?). Anyway, my favorite of these three was Undercurrents-a diary-style memoir. And I love it when books are really just diaries.
The Popularity Papers is also a diary-style book. It's actually a children's book (this is the part where I say I only read it because my daughter asked me to, but again who am I kidding?), but I enjoyed it all the same.

14-Q & A Tag

March 6, 2012

THE RULES

01. Post these rules
02. Post 11 random things about yourself
03. Answer the questions provided by the one who tagged you
04. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag
05. Go to their blog and tell them they've been tagged!

RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

01. My favorite movie (of all time) is Gone with the Wind. I love Scarlett.
 
02. I (also) love to read. My favorite genre is YA fiction. The last time I went book shopping my daughter asked why all the books I like to read look like they’re for teens. :o
03. I was 10 the last time I dressed up for Halloween. My mom made my sister and I wear matching purple Treasure Troll (yes, Treasure Troll) costumes. I think she hated us, lol.
04. I am terrified of flying roaches. So much, that I’ve been known to wake up my 10 year old asking (ok, begging) him to kill them.
05. I’ve had a diary journal ever since I can remember. When I was 16, my mom read them and I got so mad that I threw them all away. I kind of wish I’d kept them.
06. I am the oldest child (which means I’m kind of a control freak, but also weirdly calm when things are complete chaos).
07. I look way younger than I actually am; most people think I’m about 20 (I’m not). Not too long ago, someone asked me if I was still in high school. Ha. Though most days I still feel like I’m 16 years old, so maybe that’s why?
08. I went to three different elementary schools, three different middle schools, and three different high schools. This is why I am so socially awkward. 
09. I love making lists. It makes me feel super organized and responsible. Never mind the fact that they usually end up lost in my purse. For those few minutes, I feel like a total grown up.
10. Sometimes I want to pack up my boy friend, kids, and dog and just travel the world. What will we live off of, you say? The universe will provide!
11. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.  

11 Questions Liz asked:

01. What is your earliest memory?
In my earliest memory, I am missing some one. I won’t go into more detail that that, but I kind of feel like it’s the story of my life. 
02. If Ryan Gosling & Joseph Gordon Levitt both proposed, who would you pick? {you have to choose one or the other & you can't say neither}
Ryan Gosling because a) just look at him b) I love all of those ‘hey, girl’ post card things and c) Joseph Gordon Levitt looks like he’s 15 (imo).
 03. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years I see myself being done with school, having a “real” job (that I actually like), and being the best mom and girlfriend I can be. (Wow, am I exciting or what?)
 04. If money wasn't an issue, what's one thing you would purchase?
That’s easy: a beach house.
05. What was the last vacation you went on?
I don’t think I’ve ever been on a proper vacation. The last one turned into me living in that country for four years. That still counts, right? 
06. First kiss?
My first kiss was super awkward. I had no idea what to do and just stood there with my mouth open. I was 12 and it was awesome, lol. 
07. If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be & why?
I would trade places with someone my age that does not have children. Not because I hate my kids, but I always wonder what child free people do with all of their time. 
08. What do you do to relax?
I my perfect world the answer to this would be read. In the real world, I clean. 
09. Favorite cocktail? {or non-alcoholic beverage, if you don't drink}
I don’t drink alcohol, but my favorite beverage is agua de Tamarindo 
10. Is there anything you felt strongly about when you were younger which you now have a totally different view on as an adult?.
I guess that every.single.thing is not the end of the world. When I was younger, it seemed that the smallest things were so serious and important and now I know that they really aren’t. Don’t get me wrong, some things really are like life and death situations, but most things end up not mattering as much as we think they will. 
11. Who is the one person you can tell anything to?
My boyfriend, aww.
 
Ps. So. I wasn't actually tagged for this, but I decided to do it anyway. I used Liz's questions.
 
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