Movie Night - Robin Hood

We had our first movie night of 2013 just the other night... Robin Hood! 

Head on over to Disney In Our Blood to check out what all we did.

January Book Review - Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

The first book I read off my TBR pile was "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by  Ransom Riggs.

"A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

description from Goodreads

This book starts off very strong.  I was instantly drawn in by what was going on with all the stories and cryptic messages from the main character, Jacob's, grandfather.  The vintage pictures shown throughout the book (which are authentic pictures the author found, with only a few being slightly altered) makes this book different and gives it a somewhat creepy vibe without making it a horror story, which this is not.  I went through this book fairly quickly and enjoyed it.  The only thing I could not get into is the romance that comes along when Jacob travels to the island.  It didn't ruin it for me but it didn't add anything, either.  The ending also leaves plenty of room for a sequel but it doesn't make you feel like you're being left hanging.  All in all, I'm very glad that this challenge came along and gave me a reason to make time to read it.

Next I will be reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld!

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

Okay, so I'm jumping in on this challenge I found Sunday morning.  It's the 2013 TBR (To Be Read) Pile Challenge where you read and review all the books that have been in your TBR pile (from 2012 and earlier)!  Hmmm, I guess the title was kind of self-explanatory, huh?  Anyway, there are a lot of books I've been wanting to read AND hubby's grandparents sent us a gift card to Barnes & Noble (WOO HOO!) so this is just awesome.




I'm going to put myself in the "A Firm Handshake" level (reading 1 - 10 books this year) because there is a lot going on this year.  Plus you can always move up in levels, but not down.  So if I read more than 10... YAY!

What do you think?  Want to join in on this challenge with me? 

Making Time To Learn Something New

Back story: I have two older brothers who are 11 and 13 years older than me.  The younger one, Michael, loves to play the guitar.  I remember being 5 or 6, sitting on his bed, listening to him play.  He would always play fun things like the Flintstones theme or other songs I liked.  It's always been one of my favorite early memories.  Ever since then, I've wanted to learn how to play the guitar.  Well, 20 some years later, I am!  Hubby and I talked about getting a joint Christmas present and somehow the topic of guitars came up and he was interested in learning, too.  So we purchased an inexpensive bundle (guitar, case, pitch pipe, pick, extra strings) and a teach-yourself-to-play book and it came in a few days ago. 

I am so excited to learn something new, especially something I've been wanting to do for so long.  It will be fun to learn alongside Aaron, too.  Today I encourage you to do something you've always wanted to do, whether it be learn to play an instrument, go on a trip, or get a book you've been putting off reading!  If you do take that first step in tackling a dream today, please let me know about it in the comments.

Water Marble Nail Design

Happy New Year!  Hubby found and redid a small table for my Christmas present.  I wanted a little table next to my favorite chair in our room and this was absolutely perfect!  I will share before and after shots soon.  Anyway, I keep my nail polish and nail art stuff in this table.  I was so excited about it, I decided to do my nails in a color scheme I've been excited to try (you can click the picture to enlarge).

A month or so ago, I tried water marbling for the first time.  I was really nervous because I've heard that it was hard to get right.  However, I found this tutorial by cutepolish on YouTube and it is awesome.  I got it down the first time and it's worked for me every time I've tried it. 

After a coat of clear polish (I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 110), I put on 2 coats of OPI Swimsuit... Nailed It! on all but my ring fingers.  For my ring fingers I put on 2 very thin coats of L'oreal Greycian Goddess, then did a water marble with the blue, grey, and black.  After it all dried, I topped everything with a top coat and voila!  I absolutely love it!!

Have you ever tried water marbling?  What's your favorite color combo for it?

Colors used: OPI Swimsuit... Nailed It!
                     L'Oreal Greycian Goddess
                     Wet n Wild Black Creme

A Better Me in 2013

I know I've neglected this blog for over a year now.  I wanted to concentrate on my Disney blog, Disney in Our Blood, and honestly just didn't have confidence in what I was putting in this space anymore. 

I have a lot on my mind for 2013, however.  I want to become a better me.  A better wife and a better mother, of course.  I always pray that I can find ways to do that.  I also want to make sure that this year, I am better to myself.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm turning 30 29 again in January (hubby says it's okay if I stay 29 for a few more years lol), but I realized there is so much I want to do that I've just ignored. 

My family will always come first, but it's time to make sure I find a way to take care of myself, too.  Whether that means going to the gym more, taking a night off to paint my nails, devour a book I've been dying to read, or whatever, I will try to follow my passions.  I would love a place to post about all that as well as continue posting about crafts and movie nights I do with my family.  I would love if you went on this journey with me as I share my thoughts and fun things I find.  I hope you have a wonderful and inspired 2013.

Movie Night - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

I posted our newest movie night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, over on my Disney blog, Disney in Our Blood. One of my favorite parts of the movie night was a very last minute idea.


I had bought Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash (some of the best stuff ever!) because I wanted a yummy red drink for the night. I had an idea to make it more festive right before my daughter woke up (I like to have everything ready during her nap/quiet time). So I found a picture of Rudolph through Google and made a quick label. It says "Rudolph Fizzies... To keep your nose looking its reddest."