Book review: Glory In Death

Glory In Death is the second book in the In Death series by JD Robb. Once again, Lt Eve Dallas is investigating murder while struggling to come to grips with her relationship with Roarke.

Each novel in the series is set a few months later, and advances the relationships between the characters. This book introduces Officer Peabody very briefly. It really focuses on developing a friendship between Eve and Nadine Furst, a television reporter. And of course on Eve and Roarke. I won't reveal any plot spoilers though.

Once again, the book is steamy and inviting. It pulls you right in, and puts you there in the action. I get so engrossed that I don't want to put it down until I am finished. Good thing I read quickly, and have some self control, or I'd never get any sleep.

Friday night leftovers Dec 31

It's Friday already. This has been a fast week. And not really a great week. Here are my leftover random thoughts at the end of the year:
 
My son and I are going to visit my mom for the weekend. It's a 6 hour drive there. We are splitting it into two parts since my grandma lives half way. So we are going to my grandma's this evening, and then the rest of the way tomorrow morning. But we are coming all the way home on Monday, with a break for lunch at grandma's. I am so happy we got a DVD player for the car. Otherwise, the drive is horrible.
 
I am excited to drive a new car this weekend. And one that is automatic. My car is a standard, and it is killer on the legs when driving for hours. My knees get so sore. I have been thinking about selling my car and getting an automatic, but the money just isn't there right now.
 
Our bathroom is leaking again. Oh yea! Not from the hole in the ceiling though, the water is coming from above the sink. Through the wall. Noticed the light was making sizzling noises last night. This morning there is water running from the corner of the wall/ceiling, along the seam to the door frame, and dripping down there. Hopefully this gets fixed as fast as the last drip. Not likely since there is a hole in the hallway ceiling with a bucket collecting water. And it's been there all week. I think our water is coming from the same source.
 
Work has been super quiet with most people on holidays. And chilly! I keep forgetting to bring a sweater. Brrr. I'm kind of looking forward to everyone being back next week. It's creepy when it's too quiet.
 
I think that's everything! For the year! Can't believe how fast the year went.

Friday blog hops - Dec 31

Friday is blog hop day. A chance to find other blogs to follow, and have other readers visit your blog. If you arrived here from any of the blog hops, let me know, and I'll be sure to check out your blog in return.



Car accident

I had a fender-bender last night on my way home from work. No one was injured, which is really good.

I rear-ended another car on the highway when she stopped faster than I did. There didn't appear to be too much damage: her bumper is cracked and my lights were popped out slightly. We called the cops, filed an accident report, and went home. The cop was really nice and pleasant. He didn't charge me with anything, which I am really happy about.

First thing this morning I called my insurance company to start my claim. I took my car in to the repair shop at lunch, and they decided I shouldn't be driving it. So I have a rental car until mine is fixed. Courtesy of my insurance. I highly recommend having rental coverage!

I will be called tomorrow once the repair estimate is done, and the insurance company confirms they will repair it. As opposed to writing it off because the repair costs more than the car. The mechanic seemed to think it would be repaired, but it is impossible to tell until they get it up and start inspecting it thoroughly.

Either way, I am driving a new car until the situation is resolved. Not the best thing to happen this week, but it definitely could have been worse.

Book review: Naked in Death

Finally, my reviews of the In Death series by JD Robb starts. Naked in Death is the first book in the series. It is a fictional police drama set in the future. It centres around Lt Eve Dallas, who is a strong, independent woman who lives for her career.

There is plenty of action, mystery, and more than a few steamy scenes. This book really introduces most of the main people who appear throughout the series.

I don't think I've read this one before, so it was great to get the original introduction to everyone that I remembered from reading other books in the series. And I had forgotten how steamy some of the scenes are. Wow!

While it is not realistic (how many ultra rich, amazingly handsome and genuinely nice guys are out there?), it makes for relaxing and entertaining reading.

Definitely a great book, and a quick read at that. Perfect for when you need a break.

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Dec 29

I'm not currently reading any books. I finished the 4th In Death book on my lunch hour. I do have the 5th book to start. I also have Android Application Development for Dummies to start.

And my current audiobook in the car is Heat Wave by Richard Castle. It's a cop thriller with a romantic sideline. Very interesting so far, although the reader is a little theatrical.

Join the fun and tell me what you're reading. Create a post on your blog, and then come back and add the link to that post in the linky tool below.

Book review: Break no bones

My lastest audio book in the car was Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs. The main character was the inspiration for the Fox tv show Bones. I love the show, so I was prepared to love the books.

I hate the book. The only thing it has in common with the show is the character name and field of occupation.

The book has a lot of extraneous, rambling information that contributes nothing to the story. It starts out very slow, and doesn't get into the story very quickly. I listened to several chapters while trying to decide if I was going to bother listening to the rest.

I did listen to the whole story. It did have a bit of a twist at the end, but most of it was predictable and boring. It could have been cut in half, and the story would probably have improved.

If you are a fan of the show, I would suggest you avoid the books completely. They are very disappointing and have nothing in common with the show.

Once-a-month cooking - Tips

Based on my experience yesterday, I came up with a few tips for anyone looking to try it. Otherwise known as things I need to remember for next time:

1. No child at home. Toddlers need to be out of the house in order to reduce the time needed. Having daddy watch him doesn't work because obviously said child wants mommy time at the crucial moments.
2. Wear comfortable shoes. I don't normally wear shoes in the house, but after standing and walking in the kitchen for hours, I realized I should have worn running shoes.
3. Read the ingredient lists carefully. Otherwise you may buy 1 small can instead of 3 large cans.
4. Put all ingredients out before you start. This tip is listed in the book, and was a great time saver. I put everything on the back half of the table, and used the front for prep and bagging.
5. Wash all your dishes beforehand, and put them away. You will want the space, and the drain tray. I rinsed everything between every dish, and having a full drain tray limited my space to put the stuff I was using.
6. Read the recipes beforehand. This way you know what is coming. And won't rinse out the skillet and drippings that you are supposed to use to make the sauce.
7. If you plan to split some of the meals, make notes to yourself so you don't forget.
8. Type up and print handy cards with the instructions to finalize each dish. I created one for each meal, and placed mine on the fridge, so they not only tell what to do, they also let us know what we have left. And you don't destroy your book any further.

Once-a-month cooking - Take 1

I previously mentioned that I picked up a once-a-month cooking book, and intended to try it at least once. The book I have is Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg.

I decided to try making the two-week cycle D. It is heavy on chicken dishes, and since my husband loves chicken, I thought this would be the best place to start. Familiar foods, but with some new flavours.

It took a really long time to do everything. Mostly because my son was "helping". We needed breaks to settle down for a nap, to have a snack, to play and hug for a bit. Overall, it took me 7 hours! But I'm sure it would have been more like 4, if my son wasn't there bothering me all the time.

I spent $200 on the ingredients. This includes all the spices, since I didn't have anything except oregano and thyme in my cupboard. I ended up with 18 dishes in the freezer. I split a few of them up since some served 8, and we really only need 4 servings to have supper and lunch the next day. There was one recipe (Meatball Sub Casserole) that I also should have split up, but I didn't realize it gets frozen in the baking dish until I started assembling. Otherwise, I would have used 2 small baking dishes instead of one big one. And I did not make the tilapia dish since neither my husband nor I care for fish.

I also had 3 small ingredient mishaps:

1. I had no eggs, and I needed 3. This is because we made scrambled eggs the other morning, and french toast this morning. And used all the eggs. Luckily, our friend in the building had some I could have.
2. I only got 1 small can of tomato soup instead of 3 large cans. This was a mistake I made reading the ingredients while making my shopping list. I substituted with a jar of spaghetti sauce, again borrowed from our friend.
3. The ingredient list included both dry basil, and fresh basil, so I bought both. But I never saw where to use the fresh basil, so I only used the dry version. Even going back through, I'm not sure when I was supposed to use which. So I have fresh basil in my fridge that I have no idea what to use it for.

So everything is in the freezer, labelled and ready to use. I typed up and printed little cards with the instructions on how to complete each dish. One card for each meal in the freezer. This way there is no flipping through the book, and no forgetting what we have. Just pull something out, follow the instructions, then throw out the card.

Hopefully we enjoy at least a few of the meals. I am glad I at least tried it. And now my sister wants to borrow the book to try a cycle. Let's hope the book can survive. It's looking pretty used after just one use. Water and sauce stained, one page is covered in crayon; it is pretty dogeared already. Like a good cookbook should be.

Kid book review: Art for baby

Art for baby: high-contrast images by eleven contemporary artists to explore with your child is a book contained black and white art pictures. There is one per page. Some are literal and easy to identify, while some are more abstract.

Not only could you view the pictures in the book, there was a pocket in the back cover with copies of each picture that could be framed and hung on the wall. This is an interesting idea, and a great way to bring some art into the nursery.

My son was not interested at all. He did seem to like the duck picture, but skipped right past the abstract ones. We looked through it once, and then it migrated to the bottom of the pile.

Kid book review: Perfect pets peek a boo!

Perfect pets peek a boo! by Tim Bugbird is a combination lift-the-flap and textured book.

This is a combination hit and miss. The flaps are full page sized, so it's more like a fold-out page, which I don't enjoy as much. My son won't lift these types of flaps, he prefers me to do it, since it's like flipping the page.

The textured parts are cute, with some on the flaps, and some under the flaps. The bouncy ball was my son's favourite. Squishy if he pushed and squeaky if he scratched. Like fingernails on a chalkboard squeaky. Not a sound I enjoyed.

The story is cute. Each page has a short story about a different animal. There are 4-5 words higlighted and bigger, and one is the name of the animal hiding under the flap. The name is revealed when you see the animal. Cute idea, but my son didn't care for it. Just wanted to play with the textures.

Kid book review: Peter Rabbit, show me your ears

Peter Rabbit, show me your ears by Beatrix Potter is a touch and feel book about body parts. This is my son's favourite book for the week. He really loves this one, especially the page about Tom Kitten's icky sticky paws.

My only complaint is that the touch and feel parts are very small. I wish they were larger. Now I know that a nose is small, so it's hard to make it bigger, but that's still my wish.

There is a cute little 1-2 sentence story with each page, to go along with the pitcure. My son has no interest in the story though, just the textured parts.

Definitely a good addition to any Beatrix Potter collection.

Friday night leftovers Dec 24

Things have been crazy this week, so no posts other than the book reviews I wrote up and scheduled on Monday. Here is a snapshot of my week:

Had an oil change scheduled for 8:30 Tuesday morning. It would make me up to 30 min late for work, but that's no problem. But did I remember? Not until I was at work, waiting for my computer to sign me in. Then I glanced at my calendar, and saw the appointment. Oops! Ran to my car and to the mechanic where they laughed at me, and got me finished within 30 min. I love my mechanic!

I have had a bad cough all week. It started Sat, and got progressively worse. On Wed I called my doctor to get an appointment. Thursday afternoon was the soonest, so I took it. I have been waking up at night to cough, choke, and throw up. I get slightly dizzy when I cough too hard, and it is beginning to hurt. I was worried I might be getting pneumonia. Luckily, I don't. I do have a prescription for antibiotics, and a cough that cough medicine won't touch.

Finally figured out what Buckleys tastes like. Vicks Vaporub! Yuck! And it's not working, so I'm not going subject myself to that torture.

I took my son with my to the doctors because he had a cold last week, and his eyes still are gunky, and sticking shut when he sleeps. He started fussing when we pulled in the parking lot. Threw up a mouthful in his carseat (note to self - must wash carseat cover). Kept fussing in the waiting room. Wished I could reason with him and reassure him we weren't there for him. Then he threw up all over the carpet. The new, 2 month old carpet. Fabulous. It least the waiting room was empty.

My son now has eye drops for his yucky eyes. I am not looking forward to trying to get them in his eyes. He freaks out, scrunches his face, and grinds it into the floor to avoid me wiping his eyes with a warm washcloth to unstick them in the morning.

Amazingly, his eyes were clean this morning. Not a drop of yuck.

Our bathroom ceiling started leaking yesterday morning. Yes, the ceiling that was just fixed. The toilet above us has been running non-stop since people moved in 2 weeks ago. And it was obviously leaking in addition to running. Water started leaking out the vent, the edges of where the ceiling was repaired, and out the door frame. But, the plumber was there by 1 pm. And had the leak fixed by 2 pm. Apparently, they don't want to deal with us for more problems. Yea!

Found out last week that my company has been sold effective March 1. We are being reassured that everyone still has a job, and they are excited to have us. Sure, we'll see. I'm not worried though. I can adapt to change. And I really expect (and hope) that there will be big changes.

The new company gave everyone a present for Christmas. An iPad!! Yes, they are definitely trying to buy our love, but I can go with that. Most definitely...

That's about it I think. My week so far. Merry Christmas everyone!

Book review: Baby love

In my never-ending quest for assistance in getting my son to eat, I checked out Baby love: healthy, easy, delicious meals for your baby and toddler by Norah O'Donnell and Geoff Tracy. This book seems more geared to babies just beginning to eat.

It is a compilation of very easy to make baby food. Most of the recipes have only one or two ingredients. Basically, you cook and pureed each type of fruit or vegetable, then freeze into individual portions using an ice cube tray. Very simple, even for very busy parents.

This would be a good book to use as an introduction to making your own baby food.

Beauty product giveaway

I have never been a huge makeup person. I wear a little, mostly bronzer and mascara. I don't have the talent or desire to learn how to do crazy, elaborate looks. But I still love beauty products. Even better are free beauty products.

FunnyFace Beauty is a blog written by Alicia, a future makeup artist from Ontario. She has tons of cool looks, and tips for everyone. Right now, she is hosting an international beauty product giveaway. Below is a picture of the products available.

There are several ways to enter, with everyone being able to have a maximum of 20 entries. There are 2 super easy ways to enter, the only stipulation being that you have to follow her blog. Interested? Head over to her giveaway post for all the details, and to enter.

Kid book review: Baby nose to baby toes

Baby nose to baby toes by Vicky Ceelen is an interesting board book that compares baby body parts to animal body parts. The left page shows the baby part, and right shows a corresponding animal body part.

It is pretty amazing how similar some of the comparisons are. Very cute.

I think my son has only looked at the book a few times. I thought it would be a big hit, since he loves pictures of babies, and is really into body parts. But the book has not struck a chord with him.

I still think it's a good book for little kids.

Kid book review: I like fruit

I like fruit by Lorena Siminovich is a texture book that emphasizes colours and fruit. Each page is about a specific colour, and what fruits are that colour. One of the fruits has a textured portion that kids can touch and feel.

This is a cute book with a great topic. My son liked the textured parts, but they are a bit small. It is very colourful and covers most of the well known fruits.

Not a huge success, but still a good book to try out.

Baby blanket I won

I won a gorgeous baby blanket in a giveaway at Listen to Lena! that arrived on Friday. It is beautiful, and I need to take a picture of it so I can share it here. It is a bamboo blanket with a dragonfly brocade border, personalized with our last name. It is from Bamboo Lily, made right here in Canada.

It's too bad my son is not a blanket kid, or that he wasn't younger, because this is a beautiful baby blanket. We may give it to my husband's sister, who is expecting a child right now. Or we may keep it anyway. Hard to decide. Either way, I'm so thrilled to have won it!

Money check-up Dec 20

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on eating out. We have done a lot of that lately. But we intend to try a once-a-month cooking routine based on a book I picked up for $5 at Canadian Tire. The recipes look yummy, and a 2 week cycle should generate about 22 dinners (with lunch leftovers) for us.

2. Today I feel blah towards money. I got my annual bonus, and was underwhelmed. But I learned that I should be getting a raise starting in January, and I am excited about that. But then I see my credit card bill, and am back to blah.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was creating a free game for my son. I can't remember whose blog I saw it on, but the idea is to create a memory/colour matching game using paint chips. The Disney line at Home Dept has the paint colours in a Mickey Mouse head shape, and they are the perfect size for little hands. My son doesn't really get the whole matching part, but he is really enjoying spreading them out and stacking them up. And if they only last a week or so, it doesn't matter because they were free.

4. I will consider this week a success if I survive through Christmas.

5. My favorite holiday movie is nothing. I am not a fan of holiday movies.
Weekly Money Check-Up is a fill-in-the blank post once a week. The first four questions are always the same each week and the fifth is always different. Care to participate? Check out this week's post over at My Pretty Pennies for the linky tool.

In Death Reading Challenge

I am excited to be taking part in an In Death Reading Challenge. This totally fits into having gotten the first several books in the series.

I will be posting my review of each book separately, and will link to the review with an "in death" label. This way, they can be found easily. They will also be listed on the book review page, as per normal.

If you are interested in seeing who else is taking part in the challenge, visit the challenge page on happily ever after... She started the challenge, and has been slowly working her way through all 39 stories.

Goals and Resolutions for 2011

Since it's getting near the end of the year, it's time to start thinking about New Year's resolutions. If you make them. I sometimes make them, sometimes don't. I think most people only keep them for a month or two, and then lose interest, or forget.

This year, I think I will make a list of goals, instead of resolutions. Here is the list I have come up with so far:

Personal:

• lose 20 lb
• start exercising regularly
• read 50 books
• do an hour of cross-stitch a month

Professional:

• keep on top of all required reading for my courses and not fall behind
• pass each course with a minimum 75% - I need 65% to pass at all

Blogging:

• post at least 4 times a week
• include a book review at least once every two weeks
• complete the In Death Challenge

Family:

• enroll my son in a fun program - I think we are leaning towards soccer. Have you every seen 2 and 3 year olds play? They are adorable. When they aren't daydreaming and picking flowers.

Financial:

• pay off my credit card, and keep it paid off - meaning no balance at the end of each month

I think that's a pretty big list, but everything is doable, although some items will require a little more work than others. We'll see how it goes during the year.

Friday blog hops

Friday is the day for blog hops. I'm participating in 3 this week. Click the buttons below to go to the host site and see the list of people participating. It's a great way to find new blogs, and new followers.

If you arrived here from one of the hops, please leave me a comment letting me know.

Financial milestones before 30

I recently stumbled upon a blog post titled 20 Financial Milestones You Want to Reach in Your 20′s. SIne I'm almost done my 20's (have just over a year left), I figured I would read through it, and see how I stack up.

# 1 – Finance a dream vacation…in cash - Nope. Since moving out on my own I've never even had a vacation away to anywhere that wasn't visiting family.

# 2 – Pay off your student loans - Yes! I did this.

# 3 – Automate paying your credit card bill in full - Definitely not. My credit card rarely sees a zero balance. I have never been able to save up an emergency fund, so my credit acts as that.

# 4 – Get rid of all bad debt - Good debt is classified as being tied to an asset that appreciates in value (like a house), while bad debt is tied to assets that depreciate, or aren't tied to assets at all. I only have "bad debt", so nope.

# 5 – Build an adequate emergency fund - Already explained my no on this.

# 6 – Make your first, and last, investment mistake - I haven't done any investing other than standard RRSPs, so I haven't made any mistakes.

# 7 – Develop a statement of cash flows - Do this on a regular basis along with my budget. I basically only do a cash flow based budget.

# 8 & 9 Max out a Roth & Contribute to your 401(k) - I live in Canada, so this doesn't really apply literally. But taken as retirement savings in general, I do contribute, but have never maxed out my annual allowance.

# 10 – Get a degree or certification that increases your earning power - Working on it.

# 11 – Take a career risk - Done. I had a nice comfortable position at a life insurance company and quit to start an accounting career at a real estate company. So far, it's working out, but not without the occasional regret.

# 12 – Negotiate something - Don't think I have. Oh wait, I have negotiated for better cable/phone prices. I guess every little action counts for something.

# 13 – Earn your first side grand - Who has time to earn side money? Not me.

# 14 – Start a sub-savings account for an upcoming financial goal - Nope. Working on emergency fund is more important, and I don't have very much extra money to saving with.

# 15 – Set a target retirement date - Haven't set one officially, but I doubt I will retire before 65. Looking at it another way, I assume I will work until I am at least 65. Who knows what the work world will look like at that time.

# 16 – Monitor your credit - Yes. I check my credit report once a year. And have never had any unpleasant, or unexpected, surprises.

# 17 – Say no to a financial salesman - Yes. Just recently I declined to trade in my term life insurance policy for a whole life policy. I found this was a little easier since I am already familiar with life insurance.

# 18 – Give just enough to make it hurt - Nope. I will admit that I give very little.

# 19 – Invest $1 for every $1 you spend - Ha!

# 20 – Start a 529 College Savings Plan - Again, as a Canadian this doesn't apply. But I do have an RESP for my son. I don't contribute much, but every dollar I do saves him several in the future.


Overall, I can say yes to about 9 or 10, depending on how liberally I choose to accept a yes. Not bad, but not stellar. How do you stack up?

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Dec 15

I have been flying through the "In Death" series by JD Robb. I am currently about halfway through the third book, Immortal in Death. I am thoroughly enjoying reading the steamy, crime thrillers.

I have always been a fan of court dramas and law thrillers, and this series definitely fits the law thriller category. Murder mystery with a touch of steamy romance. Nice light, and quick reading.

I intend to read through the whole series. I might need a break partway through, just so the stories don't blend together and become routine. But for right, it is just what the librarian ordered.

Join the fun and tell me what you're reading.

Daybook entry Dec 14

Outside my window... I am not sure what it's like. I'm not near a window this morning since I am covering the reception desk. But everyone coming in says it is super cold out.

I am thinking... that my eye hurts really bad. I have been having trouble with my left eye for a few months now. I need to go to the optometrist, but can't really afford it. I know something is different. My contacts don't sit properly, they go foggy and filmy, and I feel a lot of pressure at times. Very uncomfortable. Even when wearing my glasses doesn't always help. I just need to find the time and funds to get it handled.

I am thankful for... having access to medical assistance when and if I need it.
I am wearing... purple pants with white pinstripes, a black and white knitted sweater, and my sneakers. Again with the sneakers.

I am creating... nothing?
I am going... to have lunch shortly. I am starving this morning.

I am reading... the 3rd "in Death" book. That's right, I've already read the first two. Need to get my reviews typed and posted. Love these books!

I am hoping... there is nothing seriously wrong with my eye. Worried there might be, which is probably partially why I haven't had it looked at yet.

I am hearing... people on the phone. Busy office sounds.

One of my favorite things... is my son's Christmas pictures. I don't have any I can post since I left my phone at home (again), but it is cute.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Need to book an oil change for my car. Get some schoolwork done. Nothing very exciting.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...



From lovestruck on Flikr



Share your daybook posts at the Simple Women's Daybook. Write your post, then add your link to the linky tool. Visit other daybookers, and see what they have been up to.

Teaching people to use their computer

Obviously most blog readers are at least a little tech-savvy. But I'm sure most people know at least one person who has a computer, but doesn't really know how to do everything, or even most things.

Google has come out with a new website called Teach Parents Tech which allows you to send someone a video that walks them through a basic instruction. They have everything from adjusting the time to make a blog to getting driving directions.

This seems like a really good way to help spread tech know-how. Provided the recipient knows how to open an email and play a video. Awesome idea though!

Money check-up Dec 13

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on Christmas presents. We were all done, until my husband went out to finish his few present purchases, and bought my son two huge gifts. Cool gifts, but totally not needed, and way expensive.

2. Today I feel anxious towards money. My credit card has really climbed up this month due to Christmas and the car repairs I needed. I want to get it back down asap.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was my Christmas dinner on Friday. It didn't cost a penny. I had clothes to wear. My sister babysat for free. And the boss paid for my drinks. Normally they only cover beer and wine, but I don't drink either. He was standing beside me when the waiter brought my daiquiri and asked if I wanted to pay as I got them, or at the end of the evening, and the boss graciously told the waiter to add it to the bill.

4. I will consider this week a success if I do all my reading for my course. It's amazing how fast you can fall behind. And it's only 2 weeks into the course.

5. My favorite holiday treat is chocolate covered cherries. Sure, you could get them year round, but it's not the same.

Weekly Money Check-Up is a fill-in-the blank post once a week. The first four questions are always the same each week and the fifth is always different. Care to participate? Check out this week's post over at My Pretty Pennies for the linky tool.

First sleepover away

Last night was my son's first sleepover away. He is 19 months, and spent the night at my sister's with his two cousins. My company Christmas party was last night, and we figured it would be a treat for all of us if he slept over.

He had a blast! Never cried once. Went to bed super easy. Slept until 6:30 am, with only one wake-up that only required a hug, then back to sleep. He had so much fun playing, that when I got there at 11 this morning to pick him up, he called out "hi" and just kept playing. No hug or kisses or nothing. And then got very upset when we had to leave. Glad to know he is okay with staying elsewhere. And that he is super well behaved. Why is it that kids are always better at other people's houses?

It was a treat for me too. I got to have a few drinks at the party. And then slept in until 9:30! With no wake ups over night. Haven't had that in forever it seems. I didn't stress at all about my son being away. I think my husband had a few moments, but it was all good.

Now to try to convince my sister to make it happen more often... lol

Button and Flavicon

Since I've been participating in blog hops, I needed a button. So I made one to match the new look of my blog. Go ahead and add it to your site. Let me know, and then direct me to your button in return.

<a href="http://workadayramblings.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Link to Workaday Ramblings" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHd-H0UN0yu7k-cJRR67wWVki5DohVhv0gmCXxJ5QKe4jWnm4S_kYTDDLyt5kyFN3cMOkLXQI1ZSUQUNl08YM28fwO9Nc2cfEzHW4BVzt7wKi4eo6ksEvNmktDsiBYVL05MTim8ECmh8/s1600/WRbutton.jpg" ></a>

I learned how to make my button by following the Button tutorial at Oikology 101. While I was there, I also learned how to make and use a flavicon by following the flavicon tutorial of hers. Don't know what I mean? Look at the pretty icon beside my website address in your toolbar, and on the tab heading (if your browser has tabs). Pretty nifty!

Boost My Blog Friday

Friday is the day for fun blog hops. Right before the weekend, when the offline fun happens. If you arrived here from the Boost My Blog Friday hop, please leave a message and I'll visit and follow back. Otherwise, click the button above to join the fun.

Kid Book Review: Hop! Hop! Hop!

Hop! Hop! Hop! by Ann Whitford Paul is a cute little book about a little bunny who is trying to copy everything a big bunny does, but has trouble doing so. I thought the book was adorable with cute bunny characters, and a simple, repetitive storyline.

But my son wasn't interested. Apparently bunnies aren't his thing. But I think lots of youngsters would enjoy the book. I enjoyed reading it to him since there was a storyline, and a message about doing things your way.

Fun Follow Friday

Blog hops can be fun to try, and the fun follow Friday hop is no exception. It is hosted by Simply Stacie and My Wee View.

Visit the blogs below, and see if you can find a few new ones to follow.

If you arrived here through the hop and choose to follow me, please leave a comment. I will be sure to visit your blog and follow back.

Giveaway: Kindred in Death (US/CAN) ends Dec 15

I have a copy of Kindred in Death by J D Robb to give away to one lucky reader.

This is the 29th book in the "In Death" series. Each book is based in a futuristic New York City and follows Lieutenant Eve Dallas, one of the city's top police officers as she works to solve a horrorific crime. The murder victim in Kindred in Death is the teenage daughter of the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD. The perpetrator builds a misleading trail of evidence using a variety of identities, and it is up to Dallas to find him and bring him to justice. Which she is determined to do.


Giveaway rules:
One copy of Kindred in Death will be given away. The book is in new condition. I received it free from an anonymous person within my building, who left it in our laundry room along with many other books in a box labelled "free books".

Open to US or Canadian mailing addresses. No PO boxes please.

Giveaway ends on December 15, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected.

Mandatory entry:
Please leave a comment below telling me your favourite "In Death" book, or one you'd like to read.

Bonus entries:
Please leave a separate comment for each of the bonus entry options you do.

• Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect.
• Tweet the giveaway. You can tweet once per day. Leave me the link to your tweet.
• Write about the giveaway on your blog. Leave me the link to your blog post.

Good luck! Please make sure your entries contain some way for me to reach you!

Books: In Death Series

Like I planned yesterday, I went through the box of J D Robb boxes that I got for free. I have quite the haul: the first 17 books in the series, plus an additional 4 from the series, and an anthology with 3 novellas.

The series looks like this (books I have in bold):

1. Naked in Death, July 1995
2. Glory in Death, December 1995
3. Immortal in Death, July 1996
4. Rapture in Death, October 1996
5. Ceremony in Death, May 1997
6. Vengeance in Death, October 1997
7. Holiday in Death, June 1998
8. Conspiracy in Death, April 1999
9. Loyalty in Death, October 1999
10. Witness in Death, March 2000
11. Judgment in Death, September 2000
12. Betrayal in Death, March 2001
13. Seduction in Death, September 2001
14. Reunion in Death, March 2002
15. Purity in Death, September 2002
16. Portrait in Death, March 2003
17. Imitation in Death, September 2003
18. Divided in Death, January 2004
19. Visions in Death, August 2004
20. Survivor in Death, February 2005
21. Origin in Death, July 2005
22. Memory in Death, January 2006
23. Born in Death, November 2006
24. Innocent in Death, February 2007
25. Creation in Death, November 2007
26. Strangers in Death, February 2008
27. Salvation in Death, November 2008
28. Promises in Death, February 2009
29. Kindred in Death, November 2009
30. Fantasy in Death, February 2010

Definitely awesome! I should have enough easy reading fiction to last a few months. And while this series can be read out of sequence without becoming confusing, I am looking forward to reading it in order.

While sorting, I did find that there are two copies of Kindred in Death, one of which looks brand new. I'd like to share my free find with a lucky reader, so I will be giving it away. More details to be posted separately.

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Dec 8

I decided that I needed a break from financial books, so I returned the one I started last week, and cancelled all the holds I had lined up.

I started reading 2030: Technology That Will Change the World. It is interesting, but I am finding it hard to follow right now, probably due to the cold that has my brain all foggy.

I think I need a dose of easy reading fiction. Lucky for me, when I was doing laundry last week, I noticed that someone put 4 boxes of books in the laundry room with a sign that they were free to take. I restrained myself and only took one box. It was completely filled with J D Robb "... in Death" books. I think that most of the series is there. I have read most of the books before, but never in order.

I plan to go through the box and sort them into order, and see what the haul really looks like. Then I can devour them. These aren't books that I am interested in keeping, so I'll see if my sister is interested in taking them when I am done. I am even try doing a giveaway here and pass the fun on to you.

Join the fun and tell me what you're reading. Create a post on your blog, and then come back and add the link to that post in the linky tool below.

Daybook entry Dec 7

Outside my window... it is lightly snowing. Chilly but nice. Except for the last bit of walking up to the building because the wind coming down off the building is crazy strong and cold.

I am thinking... that I would love a creamy milk-based hot chocolate. But I will restrain myself and make due with my raspberry tea water.

I am thankful for... working inside a warm building. I pity anyone working outside in the wind.

I am wearing... black dress pants and a simple white t-shirt. With black running shoes. I really need to buy a new pair of flat black dress shoes.

I am creating... a new blog look, which I think I am done. And loving it.

I am going... to refill my drink shortly. I am doing great at staying hydrated with this cold.

I am reading... something which I will share tomorrow.

I am hoping... dinner is ready when I get home. I love when that happens. And that my son sleeps tonight. He had a rough night last night, waking every 2-3 hours. I have gotten spoiled the last month or two with him only waking once or twice during the night. Neither of us wants to go back to not sleeping. Hopefully his cold passes quickly.

I am hearing... a lot of people sniffling and blowing their noses around the office. Seems like I'm not the only sick one.

One of my favorite things... is savouring a delicious chocolate bar. I am a fan of Aero and Caramilk especially. I am definitely craving chocolate right now. But I have none, and I don't think that licorice is going to fix the craving.

A few plans for the rest of the week: I have the afternoon off tomorrow for a tenant boarding hearing about a potential rent increase. I'm not sure I want to go though. We'll see. This is my busy week at work, with our month end deadline Monday.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... not posting one specifically. The picture I want to share is my new blog look.

Share your daybook posts at the Simple Women's Daybook. Write your post, then add your link to the linky tool. Visit other daybookers, and see what they have been up to.

Kid Book Review: Where does Maisy live?

Where does Maisy live? by Lucy Cousins is the second Maisy book that we've borrowed from the library. This one is just as big a hit as the first was.

This book has kids looking in various houses for Maisy. The houses include a hen house, a doghouse, and a pigpen.

The pictures are simple and colourful. The flaps are just the right size. Everything about this book is a hit with my son. Will definitely need to get another Maisy book next time.

Money check-up Dec 6

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on Christmas presents. But I am now officially all done my shopping. And was so close to meeting my goal of finishing before Dec 1.

2. Today I feel happy towards money. I got an email this morning that our yearly bonus will be paid next week, and our annual salary adjustments are set for the last week of Dec. Now to just have my meeting to find out what those amounts will be.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was go to the hockey game on Friday. It only cost us $20 for the babysitter, and the price of gas to get to and from the game. Definitely had  fun time!

4. I will consider this week a success if I don't get any sicker. Both my son and I were struck with heavy colds on the weekend. I am feeling very heavy headed today, so hopefully it passes quickly.

5. My favorite holiday drink is eggnog. We go through litres of it during the holidays because both my husband and I love it. And apparently my son does too (more evidence of his dairy obsession).

Weekly Money Check-Up is a fill-in-the blank post once a week. The first four questions are always the same each week and the fifth is always different. Care to participate? Check out this week's post over at My Pretty Pennies for the linky tool.

Xmas tree

We put our Christmas tree up yesterday. It was an adventure. We have a fake tree, and my son decided to help me. While I took each branch, fluffed it up, and attached it, he had a branch that he was swiping on everything. Thought it was hilarious.

When I put the lights on, he trailed behind holding the end of the lights for me. He was a real good helper!

I used to always have a simple blue and white tree, but my husband wanted colour, so he picked up multi-colour lights and red and blue garland. It definitely looks different. Like a family tree.

Exciting night

I am so excited about tonight. For the second time since my son was born (almost 19 months ago), my husband and I are going out by ourselves. Yes, two dates in over a year and a half is pretty sad. But we're going out again next Friday for my company Christmas dinner, so that makes 3 times out, with twice in one month!

The vice president at my work owns a box suite to the Kitchener Rangers OHL hockey games. Earlier this week he offered to give a pair of tickets for the game tonight to anyone who was interested. So I jumped all over that! A chance to do something cool without spending a fortune?! I'm on it.

So I lined up a babysitter and tonight will be a hockey good time! Go Rangers!

Tears - a poem

Tears roll across the pillow

Until they sink into the fabric, fluff and air.

Never truly gone

Until the pillow is lost for good.

I'm not a big fan of poetry, but the above poem came to me in the middle of the night when I wasn't sleeping. I wrote in one a post-it note by the light of the night-light in the bathroom. And now I share it here so it doesn't just get thrown out.

Losing myself

Somedays I feel like I'm losing myself. I no longer have an identity of my own. I am simple mother, wife, a faceless worker in the world of business. What I do doesn't really matter, who I am doesn't really matter. Do I do anything for myself? Or just what is expected and demanded? How can I tell?

I wrote my exam last night, and I think I did okay. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I'm not sure if it's a good sign or not. Last time I thought I did great, I barely passed it. This time, I didn't put nearly as much effort into the course as I could and should have. I just don't feel the motivation. What am I doing it for? Not for my current job. And looking for a new one, everyone wants experience. Your education is secondary. So how do you move up and around without that experience? I know that theoretically doing my schooling is a good thing. It should lead to big and better futures. But it's hard to feel that some days.

I go to work. Get through the day. Some are good days, today was not. When co-workers treat you like a child who can't do anything right, it's hard to be motivated to be cheerful and productive. When your boss has no voice, and no presence, how can you expect to get anywhere, receive any recognition, feel like an important team member?

I get through it, knowing it's a job. It's not supposed to be your life. But I love working. I want to love my job, have passion for it. Sometimes it just feels empty and a waste of time. Then I come home. And nothing is any better. I'm just the person who accommodates. Who is supposed to look after everything. It's all what everyone else wants, nothing about me. I'm just there for them. But what about me? Why am I lost in the shuffle?

Today I am not happy. Not cheerful. Sad, grey and feeling down. Throwing my vent into the wind in hopes that the feeling will leave and I'll feel better.

Book review: Sh*t My Dad Says

I am not one for profanity, but Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern was hilarious. I got this book based on the fact it was on the high hold list at my library. It took a while to get to me, but I'm glad I got it.

I read it super fast (like in 2 days). It is a quick read. The way it is written, you can easily put it down and pick it up later. The book is laid out with a few short stories about the author's life, with hilarious quotes separating them.

When I burst out laughing from one quote, my husband had me read it to him. I tried 3 or 4 times before giving up and handing the book to him. I was laughing so hard I was crying, and I couldn't get it out.

Only reality could be this funny. Definitely worth a look, but be warned that there is a lot of profanity.

Holiday giveaways

I love giveaways. I love people who do giveaways. I was so excited to find the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop. I started over at Maple Leaf Mommy, and will probably need way more time than I have to visit everyone. There are 226 blogs participating in the hop! That's a lot of giveaways.

The giveaways are open until Dec 5, 11:59 pm. There are some for US, Canada and International, so everyone can find something. You should definitely go check out the list.

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Dec 1

I just started a new book today. I've only read about 4 pages so far, so there isn't much to share yet. Basically just the name and author: A Woman of Independent Means by Gail Vaz-Oxlade.

Thw whatcha reading posts were started by a link-up at Unexplained X2, and even though I haven't seen a post for this week, I thought I'd share anyways.

Book review: City of Ice

So I took a break from my current string of financial books to read City of Ice by John Farrow. My sister had lent it to me, and I just kept forgetting to read it.

This is a murder-mystery type book that is set in Montreal, Quebec. The story follows Detective Emile Cinq-Mars as he investigates a murder that leads him to the Hell's Angels, the Russian Mafia, and the CIA.

I used to love reading cop/lawyer/crime books, so this was a delightful change of pace. The characters are believable, and enjoyable. The plot is quick and suspenseful. I flew through the book, picking it up at every chance.

I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy this type of thriller.