13 in 2013

With the new year, instead of doing resolutions, since that has never been my thing, I decided to do something else. My hope is that some of you will join in with me, as well. I have an idea of making more of a "bucket list" for the year. (Apparently "bucket list" is one of the words or phrases that was claimed overused in 2012, oh well, right?). Anyway, as we are now in 2013, I thought that it only made sense to do 13 things, right? So, without further ado, the 13 things I would like to do in 2013.

1. Continue to work our at least twice a week. (We got the Nike fitness "game" for the xbox kinect, and so far I am really enjoying it. It's a really good workout, though it will kick your butt!)

2. Find a new job. I guess I should say, find a new school to teach at, since I am keeping the same job. (which also means deciding if I want to move down to elementary school, move up to high school, or stay in middle school)

3. Begin my Master's degree. I have decided to get my Master's in English, so that I can teach college/university level once I have my degree.

4. Work on having a healthier diet. I know that it will still be a bit of time before we think about having kids, but I want to make sure I am healthy when we do make those decisions. I love fruits and vegetables, so I need to start making sure they are a major part of my diet.

5. Finding a new doctor. Enough said, it's just time. I just have to find one that I'm comfortable with, which is never an easy task.

6. Stick with Project Life for the WHOLE year. (I should be getting the seafoam edition anytime now, and then I will be able to start. So excited!)

7. Sew an apron using my new sewing machine. Maybe more than one, and I will use the others for gifts for family/friends.

8. Find new recipes to use, that I can make correctly and actually enjoy. I find we are eating a lot of the same things, so hopefully I can find some new recipes that we both enjoy.

9. FINALLY purchase the Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies book, and read and highlight what I need in order to finally begin doing some writing.

10. Look into starting to do some daily yoga on my own to deal with stress. I hear it's a good habit to begin even before you have kids, and that it's a great thing to do during pregnancy, so it seems like it would be a good habit to start now.

11. Cut back on my spending. I don't spend a lot at one time, but I have a habit of going out with my parents every weekend and shopping, and then it starts to add up.

12. Save up money for a honeymoon, and find someplace great that we will both enjoy. And then have a blast!

13. Take chances. If something seems like something I will enjoy, then try it for a change instead of getting scared.

Alright, that's it! Hopefully I can stick to them. I think it's best to make them small and manageable, that way it is possible to finish all 13 in the year. Now it's your turn! Go ahead and create your list and then link up below!






                                                                                         

Book Chat (the books I've been meaning to read)

I just found this link up over at Sweet Green Tangerine by reading one of my daily blogs, and thought that the book chat link up was right up my alley. This week is all about those books that we have been wanting to read forever but have yet to, and why. My "to read" list is pretty long, and seems to continue to grow but there are definitely some books I've been wanting to read for quite some time but still haven't gotten to them...

The Books: 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
I don't actually own this book yet, but I really do want it. When the movie came out, it looked great, but it took forever before I finally saw it. Once I did, I was in love with it. I know that the book is bound to be better than the movie, since it usually does work that way, so I'm eager to eventually pick up my copy.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

I bought this book awhile ago when our Borders was going out of business. It was on sale for a great price and it seemed really interesting. Unfortunately, when I got home with it, I put it on my book shelf which is where it has remained since then. I really do look forward to finally reading it, though.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
I have tried several times to pick up this book and read it, and I really, really want to. I've seen the movie of this one as well and really enjoyed it and had no doubt that the book had to be incredible based on the story line and details. Plus, I always love books that have interesting children as the lead characters (think The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). I love the way the author changes up the text to go along with the way the character thinks and really hope I'll eventually be able to get through it.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is another book that I don't own yet, but I have heard and read a lot about, and it looks very interesting (though slightly depressing). I know that it has a movie as well, but I have decided to avoid watching it until I have read the book since it's such an intense plot line. I'm sure that I will finally pick it up eventually.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Believe it or not, I have never read anything by Jane Austen. I know, I know, that's horrible! I pride myself on being such a book lover that I feel like I should have already read most of her works. However, I have read the first couple of pages of this one on my E-reader and already struggled with it. I'm planning to eventually force myself to get through it or one of her others though.

These are only five of many books that I would love to eventually pick up and actually read. I have a number of books on my shelf that I have still yet to read (oops!), but will eventually get to them. What about you? Are there any books you have been meaning to read? Have you read any of these and loved/hated them? Any book suggestions? 

 

-Tiffany

7 Questions [2]

Linking up with Gentri Lee again today for 7 questions once again. Head on over and check out her blog and link up as well! 

1. What do you do when you're sick? (Do you act like a baby? Tough it out? Have any weird cravings? Cry?)
It really depends on what is wrong. I feel sick pretty frequently, and it's pretty frustrating. I have blood drawn several times and everything and my doctor has yet to find anything wrong with me, but there clearly is. I do worry that we will have to do some more serious tests, which is why I usually avoid going to the doctor. If I feel really bad, I do tend to cry (especially if I end up getting sick), usually I just lay around and hope it gets better though.


2. What do you do to find motivation when you feel you've lost it?
Usually I talk to Michael if I'm feeling down on myself or unmotivated. He is usually pretty good at reminding me that things will be okay, and sometimes they just take time. Occasionally writing or listening to music helps me relax as well, though, and that usually helps me find my motivation again.


3. Do you wish time away or do you savor every moment?
I try to savor every moment, I think everyone likes to try to, but it isn't always easy. Sometimes I find myself looking into the future towards important moments, but I know there is a lot of lost time between now and then if I focus too much on the future things.


4. If you could be any mythological creature, what would you be, and why?
Does a wizard could as a mythological creature? For my purposes, yes it does. I'm a Harry Potter nerd, and think it would be awesome to have magical powers and attend Hogwarts. It's really JK Rowling's fault for making everything seem so believable!


5. What is your current biggest weakness and are you working on fixing it?
Stress is definitely my major weakness at the moment. While it does not take much to stress me out in general, I'm definitely feeling it right now with the job hunt going on. I'm trying to relax and stay positive, but it is still pretty difficult. I just want to teach next year, that doesn't seem like too much to ask, right?


6. How do you greet someone when meeting them for the first time?
Depends on who they are, and why we are meeting. Usually something like "Hi, I'm Tiffany. It's nice to meet you." Pretty generic, I think.


7. How do you grocery shop? (Do you write up a list? Go in with no idea what you're looking for? Have meal plans? Bring your own shopping bags?)
I don't really have to worry about grocery shopping right now since I'm still living with my parents, but usually we are pretty good about creating grocery lists before we go to the store and everything. 

Blog Star: Hi, I'm Tiffany!

There is a link up going on over at Mrs. Monologues, and I have decided to go ahead and join in on the fun. It's a simple link up and a great way to meet new bloggers, so go check it out!


So, here is a little bit about me:

- I was born Iowa
- But I have lived in Texas since I was seven
- I have two older brothers, they're pretty cool
- I'm engaged to a wonderful guy named Michael
- We get married in September, I'm pretty excited!
- I already think a lot about how I want our apartment to look, and we haven't even decided on one yet (nothing like doing things out of order).
- I graduated from college last month with my Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (yes, that is a fancy way to say I was an education major).
- I hope to have my own classroom next year, I would really prefer middle school level
- I'm a pretty big baseball fan, especially when it comes to the Texas Rangers.
- I have an addiction to shoes, I can't help it
- The only credit card I have in my name is one for Victoria's Secret
- I'm an animal lover, especially when it comes to giraffes.

Well, that's a bit about me. Feel free to link up and share as well! :D

-Tiffany

Book Club Friday [1]

I would really like to get back into reading some more this summer, and it seems like a good way to use some time since I currently don't have too much going on this summer. So, I've decided to begin doing the Book Club Friday link up. 

This week I'm sharing: 

 

The Synopsis:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
-via

My Thoughts:
I know that a lot of people have already read this novel, especially since the movie has been out for awhile. I was one of those people who actually had not heard anything about this book until I saw the previews for the movie, and then I had some serious interest. (I'm a huge fan of Emma Stone, so I figured I would at least see the movie). I decided to see the movie first, worried that if I read the book before it that I wouldn't enjoy the movie at all. I LOVED the movie and own it now, but I was so busy with student teaching and everything that reading for pleasure was not really a possibility. However, now that summer came around I finally had time to pick up the book again after purchasing it shortly after the movie released and I saw it (twice).

Now, I already had no doubt that I would love the book based on the movie and all the positive raves it got, but oh my goodness did I love it. One of the best books I have ever read, I would say. Stockett is an incredible author, and I had no trouble looking in on the lives of the main characters. She made it so historically realistic that I felt sick that our country was like that (and still has so many problems with it). I was worried that the movie would ruin it, but they were both done so well. Things had to be changed of course, but it's hard to fit a whole book into a two hour movie. Anyway, I enjoyed the book immensely and would recommend it to anyone. And that Celia Foote, she's something else!