reading

Reading Hard in the Paint

When I last left you, I had made a resolution of sorts. I wanted this year to be better than last year as far as reading. Last year I barely read anything I havent read 10 times over. I barely picked up any books for fun. I just didn't have it in me. I feel as if part of that was from the job from Hell I escaped from last year. In my new job I have a lot more support and responsibilities, and I am loving it, and feel more at ease at home as well. This makes it easier to sit down and relax with a book rather than wallow in pity.

In the last post I gave a list of the books I have either checked out from the public library, have a request in for also at the libray, or was currently reading. Here is that list:

  • I'm Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi
  • Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney (thanks Nerdette!)
  • Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R Carey
  • Books 1 and 2 of the Archived Series by Victoria Schwab

The ones that are purple I have read. I am currently writing my thoughts on them, but those posts will take some time, as I have a lot of thoughts. I am trying to write them while I am on my lunch at work, but I go to lunch and want to just stare into space for an hour. Since the post I have also added some new books to my list. Shall we?

  • Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
  • Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
  • The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
  • Rivers by Michael Farris Smith (My local library did not have this in ebook form, so I actually had to jaunt to the library.)

I've also checked out two book on activities to do with toddlers. I am not going to list those here unless you absolutely want to know what they are. I find them funny however. When I was in high school, I was in vocational for one semester to get a certification to teach at a daycare center. I ended up dropping the class because the teacher was a horrible racist pig of a woman. The final straw in her class had to do with these notebooks. You had to find activities to do with different age groups of children. The notebook had to be formatted a certain way. I got a D on mine. When I compared it to a (white) friend, mine was superior and even the friend noticed. The friend encouraged me to ask the teacher why she had scored me so poorly compared to her. When I gave her the books, she gave me some weird reason, I forget at this point. I got angry. It was rare I got angry in school. I launched both of those books across the room and told her what she could do with herself. I ended up filing a complaint with the school. It didn't do a whole lot of good as I graduated from high school over 10 years ago and the woman retired just two years ago. Oh, memories.

Anyway, I am still reading, still chugging along, and I hope you are as well. Are you reading anything? Do you have any suggestions for my reading list?

New year, same old me

I don't honestly make resolutions. I have enough to feel bad about in life, why should I make up changes I am never going to fulfill?

 

This year? This year is different. I made two resolutions.

  1. Find out what Cardi B's real name is
  2. Read more.

Growing up, I was never without a book. Typically I would have 4 or 5 around the house. I am one of those unique people that can pick the story up, no matter how many books I am reading, and remember what is going on.

 

Lately with smart phones and my attention span not being what it is, I haven't been reading. At all. I will read books to my daughter, but it isn't the same thing. I also want her to grow up realizing that television is not the end all be all and you can get lost in a book.

So I have made it my mission to read more. I didn't put a specific number up, because honestly I do not know what is feasible. I've read one book this month, and I am about 90% finished with another. I hope to detail them in the blog and talk about what I like and what I do not.

This is where you come in (and hopefully you want to come in). I need book recommendations. I am pretty much open to anything. I've been checking out e-books from my local library. These are what I have read or have on hold so far:

  • I'm Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi
  • Hamilton by Ron Chernow
  • In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney (thanks Nerdette!)
  • Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R Carey
  • Books 1 and 2 of the Archived Series by Victoria Schwab

 

Not a bad starter list eh? I hope you will help me as I try to get back in the swing of loving to read and actually doing it, instead of using Facebook all day. In the comments, please list some books you enjoyed reading, or are looking forward to reading this year.

 

Cardi B's real name is Belcalis Almanzar.

Pampering Day- The Results.

Hey guys,

Coming at you with an incredibly late post on what I did on my pampering day.

Between going to school and working full time, I get run down fairly quickly. This is not good as it will affect my work and school performance. Not to mention our household. Both my husband and I burn the candle at both ends, so our house ends up looking crazy, which is a cause for depression. No one wants the place they call their sanctuary to look like a hoarders nest. 

Never this bad, but you get the point.
Think of it as the hierarchy of needs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is as follows:
From Wikipedia

What Maslow is saying is that your base needs have to be met in order for you to have any awareness of self. I am going to take it a step further and say you have to take care of yourself before you are able to take care of anyone else. So this is what I was going to do.
Hubs had to be out of town for work one weekend. I was going to take some time and do me and just be happy. That is what I did. 
I started off creating a hot oil treatment for my hair.
Cast of Characters: coconut oil, honey, Moroccan oil. I wanted olive oil, but I thought I was out. After I got finished, I discovered that the olive oil was on the kitchen stove. In front of my face. Bah.
I put my tea pot on to boil and doubled up two sandwich bags. I placed the oils and honey in the sandwich bags. I put the sandwich bags in a plastic container and poured the hot water in the container. 
I'm meelllting!!!!
I waited until the mixture was pretty much melted. I squished the bag between my fingers to combine all the ingredients. I then applied it to my hair and slapped a processing cap on. 
A little hint if you are going to do this, no matter how much preparation you have, it is going to get messy. Have your areas covered, and have a towel around your neck. More on this later.
I then began to draw my bath (doesn't that sound elegant!?). 
Sorry it is so blurry, its my camera phone. Cast of characters: Melon bubble bath, rose shaped soaps, giant lemon fizz ball, and essential oils that smell like Cool Water for Women. 
I ran the bath and dumped in bubble bath. I chopped off a piece of the fizzy ball and dropped it in there. I dumped in the rest of the oil and then I got to the soaps... Oh the soaps. Let me post the instructions about the soaps to you:
  • Fetch some pieces
  • Dissolve in some water
  • Scribble in the skin

I stared at them blankly, especially the scribble word. I am assuming that is a British thing, as I have never heard the word used in that context before. But oh well.

The resulting bath.. ahhhhh

 One more thing. My book.

The Playboy Prince by Nora Roberts.. ahh trashy literature!

I soaked for about an hour when a problem was becoming more and more apparent. The oil on my hair was getting EVERYWHERE. In my eyes, behind my ears, just all over the place. I eventually gave up, cleaned myself, and rinsed myself off. I twisted my hair and just relaxed the rest of the day. It was so nice. When I untwisted my hair the next day it was soft and manageable. One less stressor in my life!
What do you do to unwind? What is the most relaxing scenario you can think of?

To Henna or not to Henna

 First off, thanks to everyone who entered the contest! I will tally entries later on today and use random.org to announce a winner tomorrow! yay!



So, I purchased some henna a couple weeks ago. 



So here is the problem I am running into. I found a ton of articles on the type of henna you should get (body art quality) and what to avoid (any henna that says it will turn your hair a color other than the reddish color that henna is supposed to be). However, I am finding different ways to approach the usage of the henna. Worse, I am finding that you may end up with a permanently stained bathtub. Guys, we just bought this house. I do not want my bathrooms stained! I have to do some more research before I apply this stuff to my head. 



(The kind I purchased)
In other random news. I wish my nose would fall off. Seriously. It can take my stinkin' sinuses with it. With the weather change comes the allergies. I have a constant headache during this time. It is killer. I hope you guys are having a fabulous labor day and that you are rebelling and wearing white! I am.. It's got stripes on it, but it is still mainly white! yay!