November 2013 Books

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan (library book) - I am sorry, Ms Ryan. I tell authors that I want books with characters who have normal, everyday problems and you absolutely provided that. I also found the book boring. You gave me what I wanted, so this is my fault.  I can't recommend this book.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr (library book) -  With the exception of the haunting Sweethearts, Zarr's books seem to be just shy of interesting to me.  There's just something off about the main character, something that makes her seem too standoffish, too cold, too something unrelateable.  Meh.

Homecoming by Cynthia Voight (library book) - Elizabeth kept recommending this book and I kept taking it out of the library. I borrowed it no less than three times and each time I'd return it after the first few pages because the writing was just so bad.  (Sorry, Elizabeth.)  But this time I was determined.  And it did get so much better.  By the time I was a few chapters in, it was riveting and I was staying up way too late for just one more chapter.  So, push on, my friends. It's quite good.

Dr. BB and I had a discussion about what was wrong with those first couple of chapters and the answer, from my perspective, was that they are completely unnecessary.  I don't need Dicey to explain to me that James is smart, Sammy is a brat, and Maybeth is quiet, shy, and slow. The author develops her characters throughout the entire book and we learn it all.  We don't need it crammed down our throats.  Anyway, you should read it.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (library book) - This is Battlestar Gallactica with teenagers. But while Battlestar Gallactica was, at least occasionally, spellbinding and thought provoking, this was the kind of book in which you find yourself reading only every other page towards the end just to make it stop.

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton (library book)  - I love Kinsey Millhone and I am going to read every book in this series no matter what. This  is definitely a solid entry in the Millhone saga.

11/22/63 by Stephen King (library book) -  Time travel is a tough literary conceit to use, but I think King handled it masterfully by tackling it head on.  I thought this was excellently done. It was thought provoking and I kept pestering Dr. BB with hypothetical questions about it while I was reading it.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (library book) -  This was a quick, easy read.  I enjoyed it, but I don't think it's going to make any of my favorite lists any time soon.

Making Our Tree Special: Ornaments

We have one box of Christmas goodies.  That is all I am allowed. Apartment living is a challenge at times and this is one of the places my husband puts his foot down.  One box contains all our lights, ornaments, and anything else I want to have that is vaguely holiday-themed.  So each year I buy ONE ornament and that is all.  Here are some ideas for making those ornaments special.

Personalized state ornament ($5.99 plus $2.99 shipping from Bragging Bags): I got one of these last year when we first moved to Wisconsin.  Frankly, I'm pretty sure it's how I learned what the state outline looked like.

Wooden heart ornament ($10 plus $5.15 shipping from Original Bridal Hanger): This is apparently intended for couples for their first Christmas together, but I have gotten something similar to this since we first got married and I think it's a nice gift for any couple.

Hand stamped ornament: The one on the left is $20 plus $4.50 from Little Freckle Designs and the snowman is $25 plus $3 shipping from Fired Up Hammer Ladies Hammer.  I'm leaning toward the snowman for our ornament this year.  I am loving the mixed metals.

Photo ornaments: There are a lot of these out there. It just sort of depends on what look you're going for on your tree.  The cube above can be customized with four pictures or phrases or artwork for $20 plus $5 shipping from Elusive Images and the beautiful glass bulb is $15 plus $6 shipping from PhotOrnament.  I think I'm going to get the cube for my sister-in-law for Christmas - she has four kids and I think each kid is going to get his or her side!

Glass bulb with thoughtful words ($19.99 plus $5.99 shipping): You could put whatever phrases or saying you want in here.  Lyrics from your favorite song?  Snippets of readings or vows from your wedding?  The crazy things your kitty says? 

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Kiddos

Starting with the little ones and moving up to the older ones...

Babies

Burp cloths ($3.50 + $2 shipping or $0.50 when shipped with another item from Dodge Boys Mom Etsy shop): I know I've said it before and I'll say it again - I but these for every baby that is born. It's just what I do. These flannel cloths fit perfectly over your shoulder and the fabric doesn't slip off and it absorbs the grossness that always comes out of babies' mouths.

Wooden rattles: There is going to be a theme here.  I don't like plastic toys very much and I rarely buy them.   These amazing rattles are super velvety and fun.  They come in a variety of shapes and again, every baby who I know has one of these!  ($14 from Smiling Tree Toys plus $2.95 shipping, but shipping is waived if you buy something else OR you can get three for $39 or four for $51 and stock up on them for future babies.)

Bath books:  I like babies to have books, but even sturdy board books can be destroyed by a teething baby.  Cloth books or bath books are definitely the way to go.  I like The Rainbow Fish and it looks like you can still get copies from Amazon around $13, although Sandra Boynton's Bath Time! and Julie Clough's Seaside Bath Books also are some of my favorites to give babies.

New Walkers

Walking toys for toddlers: Last Christmas, we bought the Melissa and Doug Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy  ($38.99) for our almost one-year old nephew. He loved it and so did all the other kids. Every time we'd go over to their house, the kids would fight over it, even the older ones who are perfectly capable of walking on their own.  Just this weekend, I gave the Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug (hedgehog, $82.18) to another nephew who just turned one and he, too, loved it, and all the older kids were fighting him for it. These Wheely Bug toys just went up in price and now I can't find one under $50, although you can find a lady bug one for $52.87.  Damn it. Just get the alligator toy. 

Board books:  Now is the time to get board books. I got the newly turned one-year old Alphaprints ($8.99) and he was totally on board with the big, sturdy pages, each with a textured fingerprint making an animal.  Rocket's Mighty Words ($7.91), My Favorite Shoes ($11.10), and Dig In! ($7.15) are also fun board books to consider.

Toddlers (2-4ish)

Construction paper ($3.29 for a pack of 50),  crayons ($6), and punches ($5.99 for a set of 2)

Craft supplies: I am not above giving kids some nice paper, stamps, a stamp pad, and letting them go at it. Or just some crayons and construction paper.  Or some punches and paper and string.  (At the birthday party this weekend, my brilliant sister-in-law let each kid choose a bag or box after the presents were unwrapped and sent them out in the garage with some craft supplies to turn them into cars, rockets, or ships.)  Just give them something to do, a small bit of direction, and you have occupied kiddos for a long time.

Wooden wheeled toys:  Boys in this age range love construction equipment, cars, trucks, and boats.  Don't even get them started on emergency vehicles like ambulances and firetrucks. Before you run to the store to get them the newest plastic noise making machine from Disney, consider supporting a craftsperson.  That giraffe is a bargain at $40 plus $7.95 shipping at Giggle Tree Toys and you can get all sorts of personalized wooden toys at Manzanita Kids, including this train puzzle for $36 plus $5.95 shipping.

Books, books, books: I don't think I need to say anything else.  You know the drill - encourage reading early and you'll develop happy readers. I'm putting up some of the kids' favorites here - these  are some that my nieces and nephews love. Little Blue Truck ($4.99), A Mud Pie for Mother ($11.50), the Sandra Boyton collection, especially Horns to Toes and in Between ($5.39), the Dr. Seuss world, which is horribly boring for adults to read, but One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ($3.99) and Green Eggs and Ham ($7.35) are classics for a reason, I guess, Class Three All at Sea ($14.63), and Life-Size Zoo ($13.84) are all big hits in my family.

Older kids (5 and up)

Goldie Blox for the young engineers in your family: There are lots of sets out there. This one will run you $32.64. 

Wooden blocks ($45 for this set from Bannor Toys): Oh, you don't want to give them plastic crap?  I get it. They might like these instead.

Personalized superhero cape and mask set ($32 plus $4.75 shipping): Dr. BB thinks that the kids might be disappointed because it's not Superman or Batman, but I actually think that's part of the charm of it all.

Stomp rocket ($19.95): I love these things. They're so much fun to play with for boys and girls of all ages.

Cooperative Board Games:  I think Hoot Owl Hoot! ($15.95) looks like a lot of fun and my four-year old nephew is crazy obsessed with Harvest Time ($12.83), although my sister-in-law likes it less because there are lots of pieces...

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Holiday Gift Guide: The Nerd You Know and Love

Weather Glass ($48 from Sea Gifts): I can't be the only one who is fascinated by watching proof that air pressure exists, can I?

 DIY Camera ($14.95 from Fotodiox): I don't know what kind of picture quality you get from this, but I think this is the equivalent of Legos for grownups.

Bare Conductive House Kit ($31.99 from Maker Shed): They light up in the dark!!

  

Pencil socks ($18 at the amazing Sock Dreams): There are no words for the awesomeness of these socks.

Projecteo ($34.98 with worldwide shipping): Creates a tiny projector reel of your instagram pictures and you can project them on the wall!! I love this more than you will ever know. If anyone ever wants to get me one of these,  I would not object to a slideshow of all the pets I have ever loved.

Guitar Pick Punch ($24.99 at Think Geek): I don't even want to think about the number of times this could have been the answer to "have you seen my guitar pick?" around our house.

Rainbow Box Set of Composition Notebooks ($19 for a set of 12!! at Fab): I would not be able to write in any of them for fear of ruining the set, but I'm a pseudo-hoarder like that.  Aren't these beautiful?

Patch from Storied Threads (Winter is Coming patch is $9.00 + $1.00 shipping): I like to sew patches on my backpack and Storied Threads is one of my favorite places to go for awesome nerdy patches - George R. R. Martin, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and all the other nerdy fiction gets the Storied Threads treatment.

Philosophy mints ($3 from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild): All of these make me chuckle.  They'd make a fun stocking stuffer, I think.

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Holiday Gift Guide: For the Crafty Sort

I'm going to do a series of gift guides, mostly because I need to start thinking about what I'm going to buy people.  The criteria to make the lists is that everything on the list will be $50 or less and I will love it all.

Address stamp (above, $25.95 + $6.00 shipping from Rubber Stamp Press): I not so secretly want one of these for myself. I think it adds just a touch of fun to sending out mail.

Make Your Own Lip Balm Kit ($40 from Uncommon Goods): I poked around looking for other kits online, but this one seems to have pretty good reviews. I think that if someone wants to start making some of their own beauty products, this is a fairly safe toe to dip in that pool!

Needle Felting Kits ($15 + $6 shipping from Fancy Tiger): Fancy Tiger has these adorable owls, but the shop also has robins, whales, sheep, and all sorts of other adorable felt balls.  Apparently it's relatively easy and fun to make. I might be buying some of these for my oldest niece for Christmas!

Watercolor Postcards: A Portable Studio ($19.95 from Chronicle Books): I found this little gem at an independent bookstore and I'm in love.  I still haven't opened by box, but knowing that someday I'm going to spend a delightful Saturday morning playing with this is exciting. It combines DIY with mail and that makes me happier than you will ever know.

Make Your Own Beeswax Candle Kit ($6.50 + $4.95 shipping from Swarm Naturals): Apparently some households don't have naughty kitties with super fuzzy tails and can burn candles.  Have at it, my friends.

Anything from Subversive Cross Stitch: I want to buy this bookmark kit ($12) for my sister so she will make it for me and then give it back to me.  Because, seriously, how many times have you wanted to say this to someone? 

Fingerless gloves:  I know that it's sometimes hard to keep your hands warm when you're sewing, stitching, or otherwise crafting in the cold months.  Fingerless gloves are super helpful in maintaining some use of your fingers!!  Just search for fingerless gloves on Etsy and you'll get many cute, affordable options.  (The ones pictured are $29.00 + $7.00 shipping for these fun merino wool gloves from Lyra Lyra.)

Ruler bracelet: There are plenty of them out there and they're totally fun.   The one pictured above is from Lizzy Bleu's Etsy shop ($20 plus $2.50 shipping).

Tiny things in a bottle:  Have you been to the Tiny World in a Bottle Etsy shop?  I want everything there!! The Seahorses in a Tiny Bottle pictured above is $26.50 plus $3.50 shipping from Japan. I think that is the best shipping deal in Etsyland.

Tattoo It Yourself Cards ($18 for a 5-pack from The Neat Shop): I love this idea.  There's a card that set up just for your doodles and tattoos.  Your creative friends will love it and you will love getting their art mailed to you!

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Completely Missing the Meaning of the Holidays: What I Would Buy For My Husband

If Santa exists, here are some thoughts on what he should consider for my husband. For the record, pretty much none of this is affordable for us, but a girl can dream!

 Fuji X100S Digital Camera ($1,299 at Amazon): We've been going back and forth on a new camera. The cameras on our phones are better than our current digital camera.  But we do have phones on our cameras.  Would we take more pictures if we had a nicer camera?  Would we actually take fewer pictures because we wouldn't want to take the camera anywhere it might get damaged?  But he's been eying this one. In an unlimited budget world, this would be under the tree.

F-Style Mandolin ($950 from Shawnee Creek Mandolins): I don't get the love he has for bluegrass music, but I know he would love a fancy mandolin. He's already got a pretty basic model mandolin and I know he'd like an upgrade.

Dress Coat for Winter: He has a North Face jacket for outdoorsy stuff and a down coat for super cold days, but his winter coat for dressy occasions is an old pea coat his father gave him that's too big for him and kind of falling apart at the seams.  I thinks something like this wool blend slim fitted peacoat from Schott, NYC would be great ($260).

Sweater: His sweaters are getting pretty worn in the elbows. I'm not sure if he's going to have enough to keep him going this winter.  I think something like this midweight merino wool half zip sweater from Filson ($235) would be a good start to building that collection back up.

 Burroughs Beard Oil by Prospector Co. ($28.00 for a 1 ounce bottle): My husband has a gorgeous beard. I love it. But it needs some care and attention, as does the skin under the beard.  I love the way this beard oil smells and I want to buy gallons of this stuff for him!

Argyle socks (these ones are $20 from Argoz): Every Christmas I buy him awesome socks. He goes through socks so much. I hate it when men wear just boring black, blue, or grey dress socks. My honey never leave the house without some color on his toes!!

Fun colored shoelaces: Okay, this is more my thing, but I desperately want to buy him some fun laces for his boring shoes. Men have so few places to accessorize, but shoelaces go unnoticed. These come in pink, orange, blue, yellow, green, and purple at Allen Edmonds for $5 a pair.  Let's do it!!

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Completely Missing the Meaning the Holidays: What I Want For Christmas

Let's pretend that Santa really exists. Here are some presents I would love to find under the tree in my world of unlimited funds. This list is in order of absolute ridiculousness, which is to say, the most expensive stuff is first.

Antero Jacket from  Freeride Systems ($329.99 from Freeride Systems, but currently sold out, of course): You try to find a women's waterproof, breathable jacket that is made in the US. Go on. I dare you. This is the one I found. And it's over $300 and sold out.

Shoes: I have summer shoes figured out. I have hiking boots, winter boots, and slippers figured out. I need to figure out what to do with day-to-day winter shoes. My Danksos are getting beat up (there are holes in them), but most of the Danksos are made in China, so I can't just go get another pair.  Here's the main question.  Do I go with a Maryjane style, which I've found works well with my feet problems AND looks adorable or do I go with a more oxford/wingtip look which has funness inherent in it?

Potential Shoe #1: Maria from SAS ($149.99) - Probably the most affordable and practical of all the options. 

Potential Shoe #2: Bout from Cydwoq ($304) - Do you want me discuss the adorable vintage/not vintage look of these shoes? I could go on for a long time.

Potential Shoe #3: West Indian from Aurora Shoe Company ($150) - I'm not sold on the profile of this shoe, but it's kind of hard to find the Maria from SAS in black and I know I can get these ones in black, so I'd prefer the Maria, but if Santa can't find them in black, these are an acceptable substitute.

Potential Shoe #4: Lucy from Alice Alan ($425) - I've never spent this much on shoes, but I would love to own these.
Potential Shoe #5: Belinda Wingtip from Johnston & Murphy ($158) - These shoes come in the best contrasting colors I've seen in a long time. I don't know how practical these shoes would be since I'm pretty sure I'd want every set of colors they come in, but they make me squeal with happiness.
Potential Shoe #6: Aubrey from Vintage Shoe Company ($179) - The pair pictured here are the fun Sunset Suede color, but this modern take on a wingtip also comes in black and brown for a more day-to-day use.  I could be persuaded quite easily that this shoe is for me.

Kindle Paperwhite ($139 at Amazon): Look, I get it. Kindles are absolutely unnecessary.  But I loved my Kindle and until it died, it made me the happiest girl around. I will definitely get $139 worth of pleasure out of it.  I love being able to put library books on it. I love the Prime borrowing. I love that when I'm traveling, I don't need to pack five heavy paper books, but I can just pack my trusty Kindle. I need a new one and I promise myself that if I don't get one for Christmas, I'm going to buy one for myself by the end of January.

Havlick Tracker Snowshoe ($140.00 right now! sale! at Havlick Snowshoe Company): Hey, why do you want a crazy expensive jacket?  Because I want to go snowshoeing this year.  We live right by a state park that is awesome for winter sports and I want to take advantage of it. Last year I was a bit of a jerkface about winter sports because I was all "oh, no, I'm going to fall and break my leg again" and I'm not going to be like that this year.

Fitbit Flex ($88.61 at Amazon) or Jawbone UP ($129 at Amazon):  I'm a little bit obsessed with tracking my steps, but traditional hip pedometers don't work for someone like me who wears dresses a lot.  There are a lot of mixed reviews on these two products, though.  The Flex isn't as comfortable as the UP and it seems to have trouble tracking steps when you drive a lot (and I drive a lot).  The UP is more expensive and seems to have some issues with quality control and some people get devices that work perfectly and other people have loose buttons, devices that don't charge, or other problems.  Does anyone have personal experience with these?  I mostly just want it to track my steps.

We Cheer 2 for Wii ($71.49 at Amazon): My EA Sports Active 2 heart rate monitor stopped working which makes the game useless.  I have Just Dance 4 and I love it, but I'm honestly looking for a little variety in my cardio workout.  My new routine is to do light lifting four days a week and a little bit of cardio after the lifting (20 - 25 minutes) and all out cardio all the time for 1-2 days a week (45 - 60 minutes).  We Cheer 2 looks like it will fit in nicely with my cardio goals.

A necklace from Creation Twinne (the red black swirly necklace pictured above is $45.00): I love that these are statement necklaces without being huge, bulky necklaces.  If you're not a fan of the red one above, what about this purple and black dot necklace ($36.50) or the fuchsia and purple swirls ($45.00) necklace?  I would take any and all of them!

Funky purple bracelet: I'm not going to lie. I really want the purple bead and leather bracelet pictured above on the left. But it's crazy expensive ($135 at Town of Beadrock) and while I absolutely, positively believe that it is worth every penny of that, it seems a bit excessive. I would also love a less leather, more bead-centered alternative like the Funky Purple Pearl Wrap Bracelet from RaDree ($25.51, above right)

Bike Magnet Board ($24.50 at Livy Lou Designs): Look, our cat knocks down everything we put on our fridge. But I want someplace to display wedding invitations, thank you notes, and adorable pictures of cats and kids that get sent my way. I could hang this up in our office where ZZ Top is not allowed unsupervised and it would take care of this little problem.

Tights: What I really want are sweater tights - sweater tights in argyle, fun stripes, and general zaniness. I have found that my go-to uniform in the cold months is a sweater, a skirt, and colorful tights with boots.  The tights take the outfit from Dullsville to Funsville.  But I'm struggling to find sweater tights that meet the ethical fashion criteria we so excitedly created for ourselves only to find there is exactly nothing left for us to buy.  Anyway, I'll settle for some fun hose which, while not nearly as warm as sweater tights, at least can get the fun part like the Sheer Luxe Solid Stripe Pantyhose ($22.00 at American Apparel, pictured above) or the Sheer Luxe Polka Dot Shapes Pantyhose ($25.00 at American Apparel).

Fun wrapped earrings: They don't have to be THESE earrings ($17.95 from The WrapStar) but something like it.  Not too heavy, not too big, but fun and metal-ly.

25 Number Ones by Conway Twitty ($14.32 at Amazon): Leftover from last year's list. Apparently no one wants to be the person who encourages me to sing That's My Job repeatedly.

Hoop earring for my cartilage piercing: I currently have a stud in my cartilage and it pokes me while I sleep, occasionally waking me up. I have historically had hoops in, but am having a hard time finding something in the right size (6 - 12 mm) and that isn't boring.  Here are some potential options.

Black triangle hoop from 360 Jewels ($17) - I'm going to pretend it doesn't say it's for men.
Gold helix from Cecile Stewart Jewelry ($5.95) - I like that it isn't the usual round shape.
Hammered silver hoop from Phoenix Mtn Creations ($14.00) - It looks sturdier than the usual cartilage earrings you see out there.

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