Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The second I saw the previews for this movie I wanted to see it! So I posted a link to the movie trailer on Facebook and my cousin's girlfriend commented on it and said there was a book! Something I didn't know yet! And being a bookworm, I knew I wanted to read it before we go see the movie.


So, the hubby and I were out shopping and I found the book, so he got it for me as an early birthday present! 

Because of school starting up last week I haven't been able to read it as much as I would normally read, but I'm about half way through it. It's told from the point of view of the son, and so far it's amazing! This child is so smart!! At the beginning it jumps around a little, but it really gives you a little bit of a background. I'll give it a proper review once I finish it, and also compare it to the movie which I plan on seeing hopefully by next week, depending on my work load this week for school and how much I can read the book!


Hope everyone had a great weekend, I am off to study some!

Shopping!

Did a couple of shopping trips the last couple of days and got a few penpalling supplies (since most of my stuff is in boxes in our storage unit). Yesterday's was the best because I took my niece (3yrs) and my nephew (4yrs) with me and bought them some goodies too, always fun to spend time with the kiddos!

I fell in love with these notepads I found in the dollar bin at the office supply store! There were 5 designs, and I of course had to get one of each! Also loved that they are larger size and lined, I always need lined paper, I can't write straight without lines, lol.

The seashell notepad is my favorite, because I love the beach! Living in San Diego I get to go to the beach quite a bit, and my oldest nephew and I always collect seashells and sand dollars!

Some San Diego & California postcards to send pals, I know it's nice to get a postcard with a letter, especially one of the city I live in! Just thought they were nice, and they were 8 for a dollar, so you really can't beat that deal!

Some silly little stickers to decorate envelopes with since I just use plain white. Thought they might be fun, and I loved the bowling pins (since I'm a bowler and all).

I am a HUGE Chargers fan! I'm actually just a HUGE Football (American football) fan in general. So as soon as I saw this box of notecards I couldn't pass it up, especially since they were only 5 dollars! Thought they would be a cute addition to a letter.

My niece and I were tired after shopping yesterday, so we put up our feet on the recliner. This was too cute not to post!




So. . . that's all for now. Time for me to hit the books and study, study, study!!


Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Busy few days!

Classes started Monday and life has just been busy in general! What with getting our joint bank account set up, getting new brakes on the car, bowling, and a couple shopping trips I haven't had much time for blogging!


Watching my youngest nephew and my niece today, but when they go home I will update with a post about the penpalling stuffs I bought yesterday and today!


Hope everyone has had a great week!

Cooking!

I have always loved to cook, and haven't really been cooking much until the last few days! I've forgotten how fun it is to get in the kitchen and create things! The other night I made a simple speghetti for the family with a nice salad and of course garlic bread!


Yesterday I made a yummy macaroni and cheese for me and my husband. Just a simple mac and cheese (unfortunately out of a box because I didn't have the pasta I needed) that I doctored up with some roasted chicken, sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese. It turned out great! The sharp cheddar really added a good flavor!


Tonight the hubby and I are going to have a date night dinner at home (it's just cheaper that way!). He's going to grill up some steaks, I think I'll flavor them simply with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I'm making sour cream and onion mashed potatoes (lots of sour cream and some scallions), and freshly roasted asparagus (olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and some lemon juice) as our vegetable. Haven't decided if I'm going to make dessert or not, I may just send him to get us some frozen yogurt from our favorite place!


Tomorrow I'm going to make an old recipe that my Aunt's former roommate used to make for us all the time, pasta fagioli (elbow macaroni, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, onion and lots of garlic), but of course I'm doctoring it up a little and putting in some italian sausage for some added flavor and protein! And of course a nice salad and garlic bread to go with! 


I've got the cooking bug again, and I love it! I'm going to start trying to cook more often, it's cheaper and healthier, and I have tons of recipes to try!


Happy weekend everyone!

Sigh. . .

Why is cute stationery so hard to find where I live?? You'd think it would be easy, I live in the suburbs of a large city. . . where are the stationery shops???


What brought this on? I was looking at different penpalling blogs this morning, I didn't realize there are so many!, and I keep seeing all this wonderful stationery!! And I want wonderful stationery! My stationery seems so boring and so plain! I should just order online, but shipping is so expensive!


Sigh. . . I guess I may have to just start making my own or something. . . 

Mail

No mail tomorrow because of the holiday (Boo!). Although I don't get much mail right now except for bills!


But on Saturday I sent out a first letter to a new penpal, Jennifer in the UK. I hope she doesn't find it boring! Unfortunately I'm not very creative when it comes to art on my letters, but hopefully I will be able to get more stationery and things soon and make letters cute! Then maybe I will start posting pictures of letters I send.


For now, it's past my bedtime! Goodnight!

Extreme Couponing

I have been slowly getting addicted to coupons. I get a double edition of the Sunday paper every week so I can have double the coupons. I've been trying to figure out a way to get more! I'm obsessed!


Well this morning my husband gets home from work (he works the graveyard shift) and tells me some amazing news! He got me a coupon hook-up!!! The guy that fills the newspaper machines at his work is going to be bringing him all the extra coupon inserts and coupon inserts from unsold Sunday papers every Monday morning! Before long I'll be rolling in the coupons! I am such a dork to be so thrilled over this, but I can't wait!


I know I'm going to end up being an extreme couponer eventually, it's just so nice to save money and I can't wait to start figuring out how to get the best deals!


Have a nice weekend everyone!

Scrapbooking!

I haven't scrapbooked in about 9 years! But I have so many wedding pictures that I really want to get back into it.


So I've been slowly uploading pictures and getting them printed at Costco so that I can get started! The only problem is that everything has changed so much since back in the day when I was scrapping, and I can't find things that I like! Wedding stickers and things are all black and white, which is fine, my colors were black and red, but I'd like to have a little more color in there.


Anyway, trying to get a scrapbook weekend set up with my sis-in-law Amanda and my best friend Susan. Well, not really a weekend, but a day, on the 21st. So far neither has let me know what they're doing, so it might be a solo day for me while the hubby is asleep! Which is fine too, I can work well alone, it's just fun to have the company and be able to yap while you scrap!


Hhhmmm, I guess that's all for now, not very interesting today. . . 

Pen Pal Interview

Just finished up and emailed a pen pal interview for another blog that I follow. It was fun to do and hopefully I will end up with some new and interesting penpals to write to!


I really enjoy penpalling, and I've missed it as of late. I guess I'll wait and see what happens when it gets posted on the blog!


*fingers crossed*

Reading a New Book

Bought this book awhile back at a used book store and just started reading it. Loving it so far! Not only is it hilarious, but I can completely relate to her story as I know what's it like to be down to your last pennies and not know how you're bills are going to get paid or where your next meal is going to come from. I highly recommend it if you're looking for an easy read! I've only been reading it for a day and am already half way through, can't put it down!

As 30 Looms in the Distance. . .

The other night Susan and I were talking about turning 30. . .she's a couple years younger than me, she's lucky. Me on the other hand, I will be 30 in a little over a month. I keep saying I'm not turning 30, that I am going to turn 29 again this year. I don't know why I don't want to turn 30, I just don't like leaving my 20's I guess.


Anyway, Susan said that I really should have a "Dirty 30" party or do something fun. I want to plan something, but at the same time, I don't. I tried to plan a Vegas trip a few months ago for my birthday weekend. Everyone was all onboard, then in November I start asking who's going to go, and no one wants to go now, or they don't remember me asking them if they want to go to begin with.


So now I'm not sure what to do. Anything that sounds interesting to me is just way out of our budget right now. . . and I feel like I shouldn't have to plan my birthday party myself. I feel like it will make me look self-centered. 


*Sigh*


I need to get started on that letter to my new penpal, I've been procrastinating as I really hate writing first letters. . . ugh.

Happy 2012!!!

Hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! As for me, my partying days are over!! I'm getting too old for that! So, since David had to work, I had already decided on staying home for the night. My BFF Susan decided to come down from Riverside and spend the night with me! We drank sparkling cider and watched a couple of movies. . . "Limitless" (which had barely any story line and was weird and boring, we ended up talking through most of it, we just didn't get it!) and an old favorite, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (always a wonderful movie!). 


Anyway, no New Year's Resolutions for me this year, I thought about it, but then I ended up not coming up with anything, I was too busy having fun with my friend!


Today my plan is to work on getting a letter out to a new penpal that I met through a penpalling blog. So, I'm going to work on getting a first letter out to her while I watch some of the Pretty Little Liars marathon on ABC Family. I am so happy the show is back tonight! I love it!