Empowerment Project

The saying is that you can't judge a book by it's cover. This book cover had my attention even before I read the title, it has a kid doing chores. The title begins Cleaning House yes, I'm familiar with that part, the next part drew me in, A Mom's 12 Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement. Youth Entitlement that sounds so much better than my description; buy me, take me, do we have..., do it for me. Yep, Entitlement sounds so much better. I bought the book, (gasp) paid full price for it too.

I dove into the book full force! Kids picking up after themselves, making their beds! Wow! I'm hooked. I prepared myself to break it to the kids we were starting a New Project! And they were it! They aren't really excited about this Project, but I am!

Empowerment Project 1 is bedrooms and bathroom. That's also where the author Kay Wills Wyma started. She's my new BFF (well in my head anyway). Bean and I cleaned, sorted and purged his room. Organization was the next step, medium sized open see through bins for different groups of toys would work best for him. Gone was the big lidded toy box and many small boxes for micro organizing! Those didn't work for him. I took pictures of the finished room so there would be no question about what is expected. I taped the picture to a plastic cup and put in 14 chips, we're working on a two week plan because they we can use a little practice in waiting for what we want.  Sissy got a cup and picture too, her chips are red because the set didn't come with yellow. Empowerment trail was under way!


One chip is equal to a dollar. At the end of the 14 days how many chips they have left in their cup is how many dollars they get. We made it to the end of our trial. One kiddo kept all the chips the other only lost 3! I was totally surprised! I knew cash would motivate them both, one for gas money and one for Legos. I didn't think about taking money away as a motivator until I read it. This is awesome!

Phase two has started and it is going to be activity filled. This will be a real test for all of us. School starts next week, I hope this has become enough of a routine that we can keep it up when we add school and homework (hopefully a paying job for Sissy) to the mix.

I also added laundry to the Empowerment Project. Sissy has been doing her own laundry for about 7 years, but not in a timely manner. So to encourage her to get it done on the assigned day they each have one chip per week. If their laundry is washed, dryed and put away on the assigned day they don't get a chip taken away. At the end of the month they get one dollar for each chip they have left. Bean is going to learn to do laundry starting with towels. Next summer he learns to do his own clothes!

Thank you Kay for sharing your experiment with the rest of us! I've been inspired, motivated and convicted (ouch). I've even wondered if we've met because you're describing my kiddos so very well!

Some of the up coming areas of Empowerment are, grocery shopping, budgeting and cooking.

Fall Reading Wrap Up

Happy Winter! I didn't start the Fall Reading challenge on time, no reason to end on time. My list for fall reading was very short (two books) and I finished them pretty early. Honey and I started reading the Steve Jobs book, Honey finished, I'm going to wait for the movie.

Here's a wrap up of the books I did finish...

A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers - loved 'em!

Grave Yard Games by Sheri Leigh - this one was ok, not great but it was free.

The Oak Leaves by Maureen Lang - also free and pretty good.

Pig Island by Mo Hayden - free, that's good because I didn't like it, I kept thinking this has got to get better, not so much.

The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson - this would make a great Lifetime Christmas movie, short and feel good.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - loved it! Pie!

I'm not sure what I'm going to read next. I have a long "To Be Read" list maybe I should pick something from there rather than check out what's new on the shelves. But it's not to early to start my list for the Spring Reading thing. Thanks to Katrina at Callapidder Days for hosting these challenges! Happy Reading!

Fall Reading Challenge

It's one month into the Fall Reading Challenge (although I didn't officially join this year) and I finished my list! Yes, the list only had two books on it but I really didn't think I'd be able to "get into" them.

Both are by Francine Rivers the first was A Voice in the Wind. My friends kept telling me to "just keep reading, it gets better after chapter seven". It took me until chapter 11 to be able to read more than a page at a time. By the time I got to chapter 17, I couldn't put it down! It only took two and a half months and starting it three times to finish. The second book was An Echo in the Darkness. I finished that one in a week! They were great! As Sure as the Dawn is the third in the series. I'm not sure if I'm going to jump right into that one.

Honey and I just started reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. He's reading it on his iPad, I'm reading it on my Kindle. This is the first book we've tried to read together, should be interesting!

Fall Reading

Happy Fall! OK, I know I missed the first day of fall and the official start of Fall Into Reading hosted by Katrina at Calladidder Days. I'm not officially joining but I do like making my list and seeing what happens to it by the end of fall. I have a very short list, again but they're long (really long) books.

I was told that The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers is very good and I should read it. My friend loaned me the first two books and warned me that it takes awhile to "get into the story". I started A Voice in the Wind in August, then read a couple other books (one I requested from the library so I had to read it). I started it again at the beginning of September, and decided that I really just needed a lighter read. I read a couple more books. Now it's the end of September and after some friendly guilt, oops I mean, encouragement I'm starting again. Third time is a charm, right?

So without further explanation, here is my reading list.

A Voice in the Wind

An Echo in the Darkness

As Sure as the Dawn (well, maybe) All by Francine Rivers.

If I read those three then I can choose from one of these. I think that will keep my busy well into next fall, unless I find something else I just have to read.

Thank you Katrina for hosting the reading challenges and encouraging us to just keep reading!

Time for hot cocoa, my blanket and A Voice in the Wind. Happy Reading!

Wrap-up

Summer is here and it's time for Spring Reading Thing '11 wrap-up! I posted an update about the books I added to my list, but when I went back to review it, it was gone! It's still missing in the blogosphere somewhere.
The one book I didn't finish (or really start) was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak . I started it and decided it's going to take more concentration that I'll have with the kids home for the summer.

I only read two non-fiction books.
Do the Work by Steven Pressfield was short, simple, to the point, and didn't apply to my life at all. Good thing it was free.
One Simple Act by Debbie Macomber was okay. I don't believe I was in the right frame of mind to receive the book the way it was intended.

Now for fiction!
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf was a good book and a new author for me
Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Lady in Waiting by Susan Messiner loved it!
One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz
Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen wasn't as intense as I thought it would be after reading Water for Elephants, but it was still a good story and I really enjoyed it.

These fiction books were added because they were free for a limited time on the kindle.
The Heart of Memory: A Novel by Alison Strobel and
Getting Away is Deadly by Sara Rosett were good stories, a little on the light side but still fun to read.
Thicker Than Blood by CJ Darlington I really liked the characters in this book and I wanted to get to know them better but I felt like a lot of details were left out. The story seemed a little flat and ended without really tying up the loose ends.

My original SRT list was three books. After two rounds of additions I read a total of 11 books for the challenge! Two non-fiction, 9 fiction and 6 were new authors.

Thank you Katrina at Callapidder Days for hosting the reading challenge!

Spring Reading Thing 2011

Happy Spring! That means warm breezes, sunshine, flowers, and muddy children and…

I'm looking forward to the challenge this year for all the new books I'll find out about. My "to be read" list is pretty empty. I only have 3 books on my list, so far. I am reading two new authors and one old favorite.

Lady in Waiting: A Novel by Susan Meissner

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity by Debbie Macomber

For all the details and to link up visit Katrina at Callapidder Days! Thank you Katrina for hosting! Happy Reading!

Is It Spring Yet?

Just like every where else it's snowy and cold and snowy here. Did I mention cold? I'm tired of it! I would really like to hibernate, snuggle up in my cave and just not go out. With two kids and Honey that's not possible. But I can do the next best thing curl up in my chair, with a blanket, a cup of (insert hot beverage here) and a book (sigh). Katrina at Callapidder Days hosts a fall and spring reading challenge, they are a lot of fun. (I wonder if book sales go up after Katrina starts her challenge?). I know I've found several books to add to my list. I'm looking to Katrina for inspiration for my own "Spring Can't Get Here Soon Enough" reading list. The picture was taken by my very long time friend Monica. It's beautiful!

I trudged through finally just finished American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld. I wouldn't say I disliked the book but, well it wasn't my favorite. I'm going to leave it at that. Now I'm ready to pick some new books, hopefully I'll enjoy my next selections. In no particular order here they are.

Finished A Vintage Affair: A Novel by Isabel Wolff

Lady in Waiting: A Novel by Susan Meissner For a good review check out what Suzanne at Living to Tell the Story has to say about this book.

Finished The Winter of Our Disconnect by Susan Maushart This is a book about a mom who unplugs her family,it's Non-Fiction, in our house totally fiction!

Finished The Face: A Novel by Dean Koontz

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford

I'm excited to get started on my list. Maybe the weather will cooperate enough to keep my kids in school so I can do some reading. With them trapped stuck spending quality time at home with me it's hard to complete a thought let alone get into a book.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you're reading or how you're surviving until spring. I love comments. Happy Reading!

Fall into Reading

Well, here it is the end of Fall into Reading. I can't believe it. I'm not good at reviewing books, so I'm not even going to pretend I can. I'm going to keep it short (or at least try) with just a summary of how I did on my list. Here's what I had planned to read:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Will Work For You by Sandra Felton & Marsha Sims

The Distant Hours: A Novel by Kate Morton

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon Release

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

I read two books that weren't on the list. Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers. I liked the majority of the books I picked, I loved the two by Francine Rivers and the Kate Morton book. I didn't finish Organizing Your Day, there weren't many techniques that seemed to apply to my life style right now, and the ones that did I'm already using. That one went back to the library before I finished it. I haven't finished Handle With Care yet, I'm still plugging away at it. I just don't seem to be able to get into it. I loaded up my Kindle with samples, not a good sign that I'll finish it. I enjoyed the first book I read by Jodi Picoult, Her Sister's Keeper, but for now Handle With Care is going back on the shelf.

I started with 7 added 2, gave up on 1 and 1 is going back on the "to be read" list. Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!

Fall Into Reading

Yes, it's that time of year cool nights, pumpkin spice latte and Fall Into Reading hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. This year's reading list is well, short and a little sad but that's o.k. it's just for fun. I have a couple of new to me authors and a non-fiction book, well at least this is what the list is starting out with. After I read everyone else's list who know what might get added here and I know my "to be read" list will get much longer.

Here it goes!

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

2. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

3. Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

4. Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Will Work For You by Sandra Felton & Marsha Sims

5. The Distant Hours: A Novel by Kate Morton Release date 11/9

6. In the Company of Others by Jan Karon Release date 10/19

7. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Happy Reading!

The Book Self, again

I finished reading Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard over the weekend, more accurately I started Friday and finished Saturday. I had no idea what to expect when I finished reading the sample, but it sounded like something I'd like and it was available at the library.

Wow! It says on the cover it's "an inspirational novel" and it was right. It starts out as a love story that turns into a fantasy journey and along the way teaches some life lessons. It was entertaining and heart warming and fun to read. If I had known it was going to have a message, I don't know if I would have read it. Lucky for me I didn't read the description very well or the reviews. There aren't many books I really think "I'd like to read this again" but this is one I would.

Yes, I missed the Fall Into Reading kick off, but my list is coming.

The Book Self

Today, today it's coming today! What's coming? Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks! I'm just a little bit excited about it. I don't think Safe Haven will make it to my Fall Reading Challenge list this year, I'm sure it will be finished by then. New book + working coffee pot + car repair appointment = Guilt Free Reading Time! Guilt Free because I can't see the dust, clutter, laundry...

The Book Shelf Again

I finished reading Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See this week. I didn't pick my last two books very well, so I wasn't sure I'd like this book either. I was wrong! I picked a winner this time. I really enjoyed this book. Here's what Publishers Weekly says on the Amazon website...

"See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding, the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province. As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favorite as well."

When I finished the last page of the book I missed Lily. I think I enjoyed Snow Flower and the Secret Fan more than the last two books I read because it's a culture so different from a life I could imagine it grabbed my attention and held on. Lily fought not to be the woman her culture demanded her to be. In different stages of her life she was that ideal and used her position in that ideal role to reach beyond the limits placed on her by her society.

Snow Flower was definitely a "page" turner for me. I've found a new author and a favorite book. Happy Reading!

Book Shelf

This is just my opinion on a couple books I've read lately, review sounds official and like I know what I'm talking about, so I'm not calling it a review. The first book is The Secret Life of Bees, a story of a girl who runs away from home and finds a family. As much as I liked the characters and understood the "divine female power" I didn't feel like I was going to miss anything if I put the book down. It just wasn't a page turner for me.

The second book is Dream When You're Feeling Blue, a WWII era story focusing on a family and the impact the war had on their everyday life. This wasn't suspenseful by any stretch but there were a few developments I didn't see coming. Dream When You're Feeling Blue isn't a book I'd want to read again, but it was enjoyable and entertaining.

Happy Reading!

From the Corner of His Eye

Here is my attempt to do a book review of From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz. I'm not very good at this so I use the term "review" loosely. It was the first Koontz book I've read. His style was described, very accurately, as similar to Stephen King only sunnier.

From an Amazon.com review, a "suspense thriller, which is chock-full of signs, portents, angels, and one somewhat second-rate devil, a murky and under characterized guy named Junior Cain who commits murder and spends the rest of the novel waiting for the retribution that will surely come. But not before a series of tragedies ensues that convince Junior that someone or something named Bartholomew is out to exact vengeance for that crime and the series of other murders that follow."

I liked the characters, except Junior, and how they interacted with each other. I knew enough about the characters to care what happened to them. There were enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes and guessing what was going to happen next. Including a few places I had to reread because I was so caught off guard I needed to make sure I read it correctly. It was a thumbs up for me and I'll be adding more of his books to my TBR list.

Spring Reading Challenge

Happy Spring! Katrina at Callapiller Days is hosting her annual Spring Reading Thing. I participated in the fall challenge and had a great time reading other participant's lists, challenging myself to set a goal and trying new books. I'm a little late but I finally have my spring reading list together. I had a hard time deciding what I want to put on this list, too many good books to choose from. But for at least today this is my list…

From The Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz. A friend recommended this book and loaned it to me. It's over 700 pages and may be the only book I finish. This is the first book by Dean Koontz I've read. Dark creepy suspense thriller. (Finished 4/6.)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This one was recommended by a different friend and she also loaned me the book. The story of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means. (Finished 4/22.)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See. The description of this book reminded me of The Good Earth and I loved reading it in High School. Period piece 19^th century China.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg. Another period romance this time WWII. (Finished 5/2.)

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. Book two in the on going saga of teenage vampires. This one made the list because Lauren reminded me I need to finish the series.

8 Sandpiper Way and A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber. This is the 8 and 8.5 in the Cedar Cove series, the 9^th and maybe final book comes out in September. I'm sure that one will be on my fall reading list.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. I've read his first 13, so of course I'm going to read this one.

This is a long list for me because I'm a very slow reader. The title is Spring Reading Challenge so that is what I'm doing. Four of the books on my list are new "to me" authors. That's my list for now. Until I start reading other people's lists, I'm sure I'll add some titles to my TBR list. Happy Reading!

First Book of 2009

I finished my first book for this year! I started it just before Christmas but just couldn't get it finished in '08. The book was Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. I didn't know anything about it other that the excerpt from Amazon.com but it sounded good and it wasn't an author I have read so, I decided to give it a read. It was, I'll admit, not the flowers and sunshine I'm used to in most of the books I choose, it was a bit more "detailed". I tend to choose books that are safe, the same author and same style, this time I branched out. What got my attention was the setting of this book, it took place current day and in Nazi Germany during WWII. I'm a bit of a history buff, my favorite time period is the Civil War through the late 1940's. Not really a surprise this would catch my eye.

The story is about Anna's life in Germany with her daughter, Trudie, before they came to the US and the adult Trudie working on a history research project and finding her story along the way. It has a bit of romance, a bit of history, and the interaction/dysfunction of the the main characters. I really liked the story, this one goes on the "may read it again list".

Going Paperless

Or not. The question at hand is to kindle or not to kindle? The Kindle is amazon's ebook reader. I am totally enamored with this idea. I can take 200 books with me wherever I go in something the size of DVD box. Honey also let me know this morning that I can get my blogs, gmail, twitter and google calendar on it. This would greatly reduce the volume of what I take when we travel and just going to the dentist - I would have my calendar and a book right there - the size of a DVD. The internet features are very basic but that is all I need when I'm away from my laptop.

Of the reviews I've read 80% love it. Some complaints are the selection available, not really an issue for me, I did a little window shopping, I could read for a very, very long time before I ran out of titles and that is just part of what is available. One of the book giveaways I didn't win (not a surprise) this month, is available for the kindle. There were some comments about the placement of buttons but if you try, you can find something wrong with paper books also, like little tiny print. Some of that is just getting used to something new. I had these same issues when I got my digital camera and haven't regretted that.

The main reason I haven't ordered it... can't share books.

Twilight, not really a review

I finished Twilight, the second book on my fall book challenge list. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't like it because I've heard about for so long from Lauren. But it was a really good story. I understand why the teens love it so much, it reminded me of the Judy Blume books I read as a teenager. It was fun and entertaining with a few twists I wasn't expecting. It is what it is, a fun scifi romance. Did I mention the leading man is a vampire?

Fall Reading List

I am so excited about this reading challenge hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days! Mainly for all the new books I'll find out about.

I forced myself to finish Not Buying it: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine this week before I could start any new books. I had 50 pages left and it was sitting there taunting me, so I finished it! It was interesting but, because it wasn't what I expected, I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would, probably why I had a hard time finishing it. The other book that was going to be on my list was The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, but I finished that on Sunday. So, here is the revised list.

1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski because it's Oprah's new book club selection. Finished 10/12

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer my teenager told me, "Mom, you have to read this."Finished 10/21

3. & 4. 16 Lighthouse Road & 204 Rosewood Lane (Cedar Cove Series) by Debbie Macomber just because they're fun. Finished #3 on 10/27 #4 on 12/17

5. We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates another Oprah book club. Finished 12/3

6. My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult recommened by my friend Laurie. Finished 11/7

It's a bit short, but I wanted to leave room for additions. Just in case I find something I just have to read on someone else's list.

Happy reading!

Fave Five Friday 5

Happy Friday! It is time for Fave Five again. Susanne has provided a button for Fridays. It's adorable - Thank you! I'll just get right to it here are my 5 for this week...

1. Lauren is part of the karate leadership (this is an extra class she takes to learn leadership skills) and had to help at the Belt Ceremony on Sunday. They had planned some activities for the kids to do before the program started and it was wonderful to see her helping the younger kids. I don't always get to see that responsible side of her or how good she works with younger kids. It was a real treat to see a glimpse of the wonderful young lady she is growing into.

2. At Belt Ceremony on Sunday Lauren got her black belt. The students receiving their black belts were awarded them on stage. She did a great job with her demonstrations - she was able to break both of her boards in front of a large crowd - and with her leadership duties and I am very proud of her. I'm waiting for Philip to put the pictures on the computer from his camera. I was too busy cheering and forgot to take pictures.

3. At Belt Ceremony on Sunday Caleb received his orange dragon belt. The the activities the kids participated in before the ceremony began were karate olympics, they competed for medals in the long jump and the ninja throw. Caleb got a silver medal for the ninja throw. His ninja traveled 10 feet.

4. No broken child! Lauren started complaining of arm pain on Sunday, so we went to the doctor and got x-rays, after a very long wait for a call with the results, she is bruised but not broken. And already feeling better.

5. My fave fun thing for this week in blogging. I'm having so much fun finding new blogs to read. I got 2 buttons for my sidebar, the one for fave five and one for the 2008 Fall Reading Challenge at Callapidder Days. I can't wait for the reading challenge to start (yeah, another resource to find interesting books) I have my stack of books ready for Monday!

Have a great week! Don't forget to leave me a comment, I love to read them!