You know what's weird? In theory, I am considered full term in just four weeks. Hypothetically, Penelope could be here in mid-April. Which is terrifying and exciting all at the same time. For the most part, I'm pretty ready at this point. The only thing I'm focusing on is working on some projects that I've wanted to do for awhile and I'm taking this time to do them so I feel like I got a lot done before she comes.
The only dilemma I'm in now is work. I submitted for my unpaid leave to start on March 30. Turns out, you can't just do that unless you have a medical reason. So right now, I'm waiting on my doctor to give me a letter saying she recommends rest. My level of exhaustion is to the point where I'm having a really difficult time staying awake to function. Not to mention, that by the time I finish my shift, I have contractions, my back is excruciating, and my pelvic area hurts so bad I can't stand to sit but it's all I want to do. Honestly, I know for certain I won't make it through April like this. So here's hoping I can be at home and rest.
As far as depression, I'm better. I'm not great but I only cried once randomly this week! That's a big improvement. I talked to my doctor and she wants me to wait a little longer before starting on a prescription. Which I'm OK with. I really don't want to take any medicine for depression because it all makes me feel awful and completely numb. I don't want to feel like that as Penelope grows. I don't want to miss any of those things because I'm at the other end of the spectrum.
I go back to the doctor next week, but by the time I'm week 36 I'll be going every week until she's here. Which is kind of exciting. I'm in that stage where I'm anxious and just want her here but also want to be pregnant for awhile longer. I'm feeling ready to be done but torn because she might very well be it for me. Matt and I haven't fully decided, we're kind of taking a wait-and-see position. Maybe she'll get here and we'll for sure feel absolutely done. Maybe she'll get here and we'll think well... maybe one more is what we need. I feel like we'd have to decide quickly, I want to be done with pregnancies and babies before I'm 35. I just turned 33, so time is ticking for sure.
So it's a good time. The kids are very excited. They can't wait to meet Penelope. Jackson has taken to saying good night to her when he gives me hugs and kisses. I've caught Olivia checking out Penelope's toys and clothes. Of course, she totally says she wasn't, but I think she's kind of excited too. She's been very sweet lately. The only thing that worries me is she did say this weekend that this means she won't be my favorite girl anymore. I said true, but she's still my first baby, so that makes her special in her own way. I know I have a big job ahead of me to make sure each kiddo feels loved and special.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
The Girls of Mischief Bay (and GIVEAWAY)
I have such a hard time with chick lit books usually, and Susan Mallery is a a new-to-me author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, this was a great book and is perfect for warming up weather to get you ready for beach reads.
The Girls of Mischief Bay - Susan Mallery

Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there's a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she's never seen. He won't even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?
Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg rose to become vice president in her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she can have it all. And if she can, does she want it?
Although Pam Eiland has a beautiful house and a husband she adores, she feels… restless. She wonders who a stay-at-home mom becomes after the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise her husband brings the heat and the humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she'll have to redefine herself. Again.
Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.
To give you the quick and dirty, we have three friends all at different stages in life who come together to help each other when they come to a cross roads. Nicole is a mom to a five year old boy, running her own exercise studio, all while supporting the family because her husband quit his job to be a screenwriter. She doesn't know if he's successful or not but she does know that he's not bringing in an income and she's starting to feel like she's being taken advantage of. Her crossroads is a bit of a blow and I felt awful for her. I don't know how she doesn't end up on a show like Wives with Knives because he was a jerk. A totally ungrateful jerk.
Shannon is a successful career woman who isn't sure what she wants. Well, she knows she wants to meet a good guy and get married and she thinks she wants children. Except she's pushing 40 and to say her biological clock is ticking is an understatement. She meets Adam, charming and handsome, seemingly everything she could want in a life partner. He comes with a bit of baggage, an ex-wife and two kids, and Shannon isn't sure if she can blend into that kind of family. To me, her crossroads are a little more manageable and I feel like she's makes a bigger deal out of it than it should be.
Then we have Pam. Pam's at a bit of a mid-life crisis but not dramatically so. She's the oldest, and kind of the mentor, guiding the way and being an example for Nicole and Shannon. Her crossroads happens unexpectedly and I'll be honest, hers was the worst for me. By that I mean I could feel what a blow this was for her and I couldn't even imagine.
The entire book reminds me of the movie Waiting to Exhale where each woman goes through something pretty pivotal in their lives and yet they band together to move forward and they are only successful with each other. I really enjoyed the writing, I really liked the characters, and I think Susan Mallery did a marvelous job weaving each character's story and giving it enough depth to feel satisfied and then being able to pull it all together cohesively. It really reminded me of something you'd read from Dorothea Benton Frank, who I really enjoy as well.
Susan has a website that you can check out HERE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Luckily for you, I am able to give away ONE copy of The Girls of Mischief Bay to a lucky reading in US/Canada.
The Girls of Mischief Bay - Susan Mallery

Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there's a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she's never seen. He won't even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?
Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg rose to become vice president in her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she can have it all. And if she can, does she want it?
Although Pam Eiland has a beautiful house and a husband she adores, she feels… restless. She wonders who a stay-at-home mom becomes after the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise her husband brings the heat and the humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she'll have to redefine herself. Again.
Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.
To give you the quick and dirty, we have three friends all at different stages in life who come together to help each other when they come to a cross roads. Nicole is a mom to a five year old boy, running her own exercise studio, all while supporting the family because her husband quit his job to be a screenwriter. She doesn't know if he's successful or not but she does know that he's not bringing in an income and she's starting to feel like she's being taken advantage of. Her crossroads is a bit of a blow and I felt awful for her. I don't know how she doesn't end up on a show like Wives with Knives because he was a jerk. A totally ungrateful jerk.
Shannon is a successful career woman who isn't sure what she wants. Well, she knows she wants to meet a good guy and get married and she thinks she wants children. Except she's pushing 40 and to say her biological clock is ticking is an understatement. She meets Adam, charming and handsome, seemingly everything she could want in a life partner. He comes with a bit of baggage, an ex-wife and two kids, and Shannon isn't sure if she can blend into that kind of family. To me, her crossroads are a little more manageable and I feel like she's makes a bigger deal out of it than it should be.
Then we have Pam. Pam's at a bit of a mid-life crisis but not dramatically so. She's the oldest, and kind of the mentor, guiding the way and being an example for Nicole and Shannon. Her crossroads happens unexpectedly and I'll be honest, hers was the worst for me. By that I mean I could feel what a blow this was for her and I couldn't even imagine.
The entire book reminds me of the movie Waiting to Exhale where each woman goes through something pretty pivotal in their lives and yet they band together to move forward and they are only successful with each other. I really enjoyed the writing, I really liked the characters, and I think Susan Mallery did a marvelous job weaving each character's story and giving it enough depth to feel satisfied and then being able to pull it all together cohesively. It really reminded me of something you'd read from Dorothea Benton Frank, who I really enjoy as well.
Susan has a website that you can check out HERE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Luckily for you, I am able to give away ONE copy of The Girls of Mischief Bay to a lucky reading in US/Canada.
All you have to do is comment on this blog post with a book you've been enjoying lately. One winner will be drawn on Friday, March 20!
In case you aren't a winner, this book can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Indiebound, Kobo and Target!
Labels:
2015 Reading Challenge,
books,
TLC Book Tours
Monday, March 16, 2015
Spring Break Shenanigans
I'm that rare breed who never had spring break in college. Technically yes, college was out for one week in the spring, and I had some friends who got to travel somewhere and live it up. I did not, I usually just worked more at one of my three jobs because I was broke. So no shenanigans were had by me, which worked out because that means there are no incriminating stories and/or pictures of me in questionable situations.
+1 Sara
Now that the kids are in school, they are all about spring break. Because we've had almost no snow this year where I live (highly unusual, which means we'll probably get a snow storm the day I go into labor), we've had no snow days. You don't realize how critical snow days are until you're old enough to appreciate the greatness of a spontaneous day off. But we've had none of those and so the haul from Christmas break to Spring Break has felt like a lifetime. Sure, we had a couple of scheduled days off for teacher development days but blah- not the same.
Plus, with the arrival of Penelope soon, I promised the kids we'd do one fun thing on spring break. I wasn't sure what it was going to be because we are genuinely broke, but all of their friends got to go on fun trips or do fun things and I didn't want them to be the losers with nothing to say when they go back to school. I was always that kid and it's awful.
SO. I planned a day where we would drive down to St. Paul, MN (a little over two hours away) and go to the Science Museum. They had never been, and they are both at the age where doing hands on things is fun and they like learning. They still appreciate a museum. Of course, they were so excited when I told them the special exhibit was a space one and that we could learn about all things space. Both kids are highly interested in space and Jackson declared he wants to know how astronauts poop and pee in space if everything floats.
Because of course that's his main learning point.
Matt took a day off work, I asked my mom to give Twinky a walk while we were gone since I wasn't sure what time we'd be back, and we left in the morning. As soon as we got there, the kids were VERY excited, far more than I thought they would be.
The first thing we did was do the space exhibit because I wasn't sure how much time to give for the day, and I figured if we run short on time, we at least saw that. The kids were basically amazed. A favorite was the astronaut glove and trying to stack blocks in a pressurized box that simulates space.
Jackson thought it was absolute crap he couldn't stack blocks.
Olivia giggled and then declared her arms are useless. (I reassured her that it's clearly genetic because my arms are basically here for decor, not function.)
Matt could do it, but you could tell he was really straining the muscles in his arm. Jackson thought that was the coolest thing, that HIS dad could do it while other dads couldn't.
Then they were using a robotic arm to pick up a ball and move it into a target area only using the cameras. Again, Matt is a rock star at that and Jackson said maybe his dad should just be an astronaut.
The obligatory space photo.
Oh yes, the space toilet. I couldn't get Jackson to sit on it, mostly because he said it was scary. Which, after the time we made him use a vaulted toilet in a state park and he screamed so loud I'm sure park goers thought we were murdering and/or kidnapping him, I let it go.
But we learned that they pee through a tube thing and it gets processed into drinking water. Olivia was absolutely disgusted by this. The sign made no mention of where poop goes but we learned that the toilet you poop into is a like a vacuum so it clearly goes somewhere.
Neither kid wants to live on Mars.
Oh yes, easily the best exhibit was the peanut butter table. They had a jar for each planet and it was the same ounces, same jar of peanut butter. BUT, these jars were weighted so you would know what that jar would feel like, weight wise, if you were on that planet. Jupiter was by far the heaviest.
Another exhibit we did before leaving the Space area was the simulated space station. We went into this small tube that represents a room in the space station and the walls basically move so you would get an idea of what it would feel like to be in space. Neither kid got sick, but Olivia kept leaning over the railing to try to make the up sensation of rotating. It was kind of hilarious.
After Space, we started walking towards a lunch area and came across buffalo bones. Jackson obviously had to get his picture next to it. That boy is a fan of buffalo.
We found the musical stairs and my huge ass hiked it up them to the 6th floor. I also hiked back down to the 3rd floor, only to realize we had to go back up to the 5th floor to get into exhibits. It goes without saying that my ass was exhausted by the time we got to the exhibits. I declared we were not taking any more stairs, we would elevator it like losers.
We decided to work our way from the bottom floor (third) up (fifth) so that by the time we got to the fifth we could just head right out the door. Which meant our first thing to see was the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, there were a TON of schools there on field trips, so we missed out on a lot of informational talks and had to skip a few exhibits in the museum because there were just too many kids.
Miss Olivia, queen of puzzles, couldn't figure out how to build a champosaur. She was really disgusted by this.
They sat inside of a tube that represented the size of stomach of a 15 ton dinosaur. Jackson said he'd like to sleep in there.
Another floor was all about mechanical things, circuitry, magnets, and basically how things work. All read like a foreign language to me, but it was pretty cool because Matt knew all about it all. Apparently, a lot of that stuff is what he does at work (aside from designing and making tools), so the kids asked him a million questions. With the shit week we've been having, and how detached he sometimes is as a parent, it was really great to see him interact with the kids like this.
Easily the BEST photo of the day. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I almost peed my pants right then and there. There was this chair, which years ago, was used to help people with constipation. Essentially you sit in it, hold the handles on the side and it shakes your entire body. You were supposed to do this for awhile and it would stimulate your bowels and make you go to the bathroom. Of course, Olivia didn't read the sign and I made her get up there for what will likely be a great photo to show to her husband someday. Afterwards, she got mad when she read the sign BUT, the chair actually works! You guys- this kid demanded that we stop at the bathroom because she had to go. And SHE DID. I told Matt that he may have to build this.
We did a lot of other things while there, including the body exhibit where the kids got to see their skin close up and look at Matt's eyeball and pick a simulated scab. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, they loved it.
Afterwards we hit up the souvenir shop and they bought there own thing and declared I was the best mom EVER for taking them to such a cool place.
Then I tricked Matt into taking us to IKEA so I could buy fake plants and a spice rack. He wasn't pleased but knew better than to question me. But I was also able to find a rug for Penelope's room to cover the paint incident (more on that later) and I got the kids lap desks because they are forever writing on books using them as lap desks in bed. So for $15 each, I solved the senseless vandalism of books that don't deserve it.
Overall? It was a pretty good day. The day was long, and by the time we got in the van to go home, my ankles were swollen, I was half asleep, the kids were just about asleep as soon as we pulled out of IKEA, and we all crashed when we got home. Maybe a little too much activity for one day for me, but oh well. It was worth it.
+1 Sara
Now that the kids are in school, they are all about spring break. Because we've had almost no snow this year where I live (highly unusual, which means we'll probably get a snow storm the day I go into labor), we've had no snow days. You don't realize how critical snow days are until you're old enough to appreciate the greatness of a spontaneous day off. But we've had none of those and so the haul from Christmas break to Spring Break has felt like a lifetime. Sure, we had a couple of scheduled days off for teacher development days but blah- not the same.
Plus, with the arrival of Penelope soon, I promised the kids we'd do one fun thing on spring break. I wasn't sure what it was going to be because we are genuinely broke, but all of their friends got to go on fun trips or do fun things and I didn't want them to be the losers with nothing to say when they go back to school. I was always that kid and it's awful.
SO. I planned a day where we would drive down to St. Paul, MN (a little over two hours away) and go to the Science Museum. They had never been, and they are both at the age where doing hands on things is fun and they like learning. They still appreciate a museum. Of course, they were so excited when I told them the special exhibit was a space one and that we could learn about all things space. Both kids are highly interested in space and Jackson declared he wants to know how astronauts poop and pee in space if everything floats.
Because of course that's his main learning point.
Matt took a day off work, I asked my mom to give Twinky a walk while we were gone since I wasn't sure what time we'd be back, and we left in the morning. As soon as we got there, the kids were VERY excited, far more than I thought they would be.
The first thing we did was do the space exhibit because I wasn't sure how much time to give for the day, and I figured if we run short on time, we at least saw that. The kids were basically amazed. A favorite was the astronaut glove and trying to stack blocks in a pressurized box that simulates space.
Jackson thought it was absolute crap he couldn't stack blocks.
Olivia giggled and then declared her arms are useless. (I reassured her that it's clearly genetic because my arms are basically here for decor, not function.)
Matt could do it, but you could tell he was really straining the muscles in his arm. Jackson thought that was the coolest thing, that HIS dad could do it while other dads couldn't.
Then they were using a robotic arm to pick up a ball and move it into a target area only using the cameras. Again, Matt is a rock star at that and Jackson said maybe his dad should just be an astronaut.
The obligatory space photo.
Oh yes, the space toilet. I couldn't get Jackson to sit on it, mostly because he said it was scary. Which, after the time we made him use a vaulted toilet in a state park and he screamed so loud I'm sure park goers thought we were murdering and/or kidnapping him, I let it go.
But we learned that they pee through a tube thing and it gets processed into drinking water. Olivia was absolutely disgusted by this. The sign made no mention of where poop goes but we learned that the toilet you poop into is a like a vacuum so it clearly goes somewhere.
Neither kid wants to live on Mars.
Oh yes, easily the best exhibit was the peanut butter table. They had a jar for each planet and it was the same ounces, same jar of peanut butter. BUT, these jars were weighted so you would know what that jar would feel like, weight wise, if you were on that planet. Jupiter was by far the heaviest.
Another exhibit we did before leaving the Space area was the simulated space station. We went into this small tube that represents a room in the space station and the walls basically move so you would get an idea of what it would feel like to be in space. Neither kid got sick, but Olivia kept leaning over the railing to try to make the up sensation of rotating. It was kind of hilarious.
After Space, we started walking towards a lunch area and came across buffalo bones. Jackson obviously had to get his picture next to it. That boy is a fan of buffalo.
We found the musical stairs and my huge ass hiked it up them to the 6th floor. I also hiked back down to the 3rd floor, only to realize we had to go back up to the 5th floor to get into exhibits. It goes without saying that my ass was exhausted by the time we got to the exhibits. I declared we were not taking any more stairs, we would elevator it like losers.
We decided to work our way from the bottom floor (third) up (fifth) so that by the time we got to the fifth we could just head right out the door. Which meant our first thing to see was the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, there were a TON of schools there on field trips, so we missed out on a lot of informational talks and had to skip a few exhibits in the museum because there were just too many kids.
Miss Olivia, queen of puzzles, couldn't figure out how to build a champosaur. She was really disgusted by this.
They sat inside of a tube that represented the size of stomach of a 15 ton dinosaur. Jackson said he'd like to sleep in there.
Another floor was all about mechanical things, circuitry, magnets, and basically how things work. All read like a foreign language to me, but it was pretty cool because Matt knew all about it all. Apparently, a lot of that stuff is what he does at work (aside from designing and making tools), so the kids asked him a million questions. With the shit week we've been having, and how detached he sometimes is as a parent, it was really great to see him interact with the kids like this.
Easily the BEST photo of the day. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I almost peed my pants right then and there. There was this chair, which years ago, was used to help people with constipation. Essentially you sit in it, hold the handles on the side and it shakes your entire body. You were supposed to do this for awhile and it would stimulate your bowels and make you go to the bathroom. Of course, Olivia didn't read the sign and I made her get up there for what will likely be a great photo to show to her husband someday. Afterwards, she got mad when she read the sign BUT, the chair actually works! You guys- this kid demanded that we stop at the bathroom because she had to go. And SHE DID. I told Matt that he may have to build this.
We did a lot of other things while there, including the body exhibit where the kids got to see their skin close up and look at Matt's eyeball and pick a simulated scab. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, they loved it.
Afterwards we hit up the souvenir shop and they bought there own thing and declared I was the best mom EVER for taking them to such a cool place.
Then I tricked Matt into taking us to IKEA so I could buy fake plants and a spice rack. He wasn't pleased but knew better than to question me. But I was also able to find a rug for Penelope's room to cover the paint incident (more on that later) and I got the kids lap desks because they are forever writing on books using them as lap desks in bed. So for $15 each, I solved the senseless vandalism of books that don't deserve it.
Overall? It was a pretty good day. The day was long, and by the time we got in the van to go home, my ankles were swollen, I was half asleep, the kids were just about asleep as soon as we pulled out of IKEA, and we all crashed when we got home. Maybe a little too much activity for one day for me, but oh well. It was worth it.
Labels:
family,
science museum of St. Paul
Friday, March 13, 2015
32 weeks, cue depression and hugeness.
So this week I am officially 32 weeks pregnant, leaving me with eight weeks until my due date. Which means I'm supposed to be feeling larger, baby should be growing just fine, and apparently- exhaustion should be my largest complaint.
And oh, is it. I can't even tell you how exhausted I am. I can't verbalize what it's like to feel like peeing is physically exhausting and renders me in need of a nap, but that's basically the scene in the Strand household.
And oh, is it. I can't even tell you how exhausted I am. I can't verbalize what it's like to feel like peeing is physically exhausting and renders me in need of a nap, but that's basically the scene in the Strand household.
32 weeks
Physically, other than being exhausted, nothing feels different. My pelvis feels like it's totally separated. It doesn't hurt to walk as much but if I'm laying down and need to get up, moving my legs really hurts my whole crotch area. I do find myself tiring out a lot faster with regular activities so I'm taking a lot of breaks and it makes me feel like a total slacker.
I am now at the same weight/size I was when I had both Olivia and Jackson. I have eight weeks to go, let that sink in. I've had a couple of people recently ask me if I was "due any day" or if I was having twins. Usually I just say, "Yup- any day!" and make no mention of my May due date. And if I get the twins comment, I usually say, "Nope- just one!" but then you get the "maybe you should slow your roll on dinner" look. Which is another thing, I'm not eating more calories than I would if I wasn't pregnant. I genuinely have zero appetite. I get weird cravings at bizarre times, but that's it. It's not like I'm going to make spaghetti at 9pm, I usually ignore it and it's fine. So I'm certainly not feeling like I'm eating for two at all. Most meal times go by and I'm very much take it or leave it. I could care less if I eat or not.
My boobs are certainly heavier. I'm now in the battle of underwire or no wire. Underwire hurts like a mother, but no wire means my boobs are basically in a free fall with no support and then hurt. So right now I'm doing an every other day thing.
Penelope is so active. And by "so active" I mean she is violent. She kicks so hard that sometimes it takes my breath away. I told my friend Shirley I really feel like Bella at the end of Breaking Dawn because Penelope is just at it all of the time. I feel like you would after a really intense ab day at the gym, where it hurts to sit or bend over because you know you worked your muscles over good. Except I know I'll get no muscular benefit from all of this kicking, so that a downer.
Probably the most notable addition to the symptoms this week is depression. I have been pretty vocal about my struggle with postpartum depression after Olivia was born, so for me, I'm not surprised. The irony is that I was ecstatic to become a mom and yet afterwards I have never felt so awful in my life. Then when I had Jackson, I had every reason in the world to be depressed about the state of my life, given I wasn't sure if Matt and I were divorcing, he lost his job, we were going through bankruptcy, and more, yet I had never been happier than I was when I brought Jackson home. And maybe it's girls. Maybe they suck the life right out of me, who knows. But I find myself crying a lot for no reason. Some of it genuinely just is hormonal, but I feel like I can tell the difference between hormones raging and genuine depression.
To be honest, I'm pretty scared. I went for my 32 week check yesterday and all is well, but I didn't mention depression because I had both Olivia and Jackson with me. I didn't want to talk about things that might be scary to them like, "I feel like crying in bed all day", "I've lost all desire to take care of my family", "some days I just want to run away" and the like. No kid needs to hear their mom say that. So my next appointment is in two weeks and I'm going to bring it up. I feel like if I don't have a game plan before she's born, I'm going to be a mess after she's born. I can only fake it for so long.
Haunted Love
Here's a book I thought for sure I wouldn't like once I started it and by the time I finished, totally loved it.
Haunted Love - Jessica Frances

My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.
I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.
But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.
I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.
But even in death, things rarely go to plan.
I never expected to meet him. I didn't anticipate falling in love. I hadn't considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.
I didn't know my actions were going to haunt us forever.
My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.
I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.
I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?
But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.
Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.
The premise of this book is Thea Bell is brutally murdered right from the beginning. She goes to what is basically a waiting room for Heaven and is given a few options. She's pretty adamant she wants to go back down to Earth because she insists on making sure her brother Flynn is OK- she thinks she'll come back connected to him and be able to give him some closure considering their parents had died when they were young. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and she finds herself connected to Detective Aiden Mercer, who is the one investigating her murder.
Turns out, he's kind of a prick to her and she's not happy that there has been some kind of a mistake. So instead of giving Flynn closure, she's watching him spiral into grief but also watching Aiden try to solve her murder, which is coming up with dead ends.
But THEN!
Then they kind of start to fall in love. And I'm sitting here thinking, are you kidding me? We're going to have a romance with a hot guy and a ghost? OK, this is going to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. As it turns out, I was pretty much wrong. Because the more and more I read, the more and more I wanted Thea to figure out a way to stay on Earth. I'm thinking, maybe the love they develop is enough to reverse her death somehow? Maybe there's a weird cosmic reason she is tied to Aiden and that will ultimately save her? I can't tell you what happens, obviously, but I can tell you it's a great ending. SO GREAT.
But besides the budding romance and the great ending, we have a pretty interesting crime scenario happening. I honestly did not see it coming when the killer was revealed. The whole thing seemed like it was going nowhere, but bam- it went somewhere and it went there quickly. For a second I thought it was going to be someone really obviously, like maybe Flynn, but I can confidently say it's not Flynn and that's not a spoiler. (Side note: I would have been pretty pissy if it was Flynn.)
Overall? Loved it. Such an interesting story, definitely a twist on a romance but the ending- I loved the ending. I felt like everyone had closure, good closure, and it was just a really great way to do it. If you are looking for a decent little romance but with a little bit of suspense tossed in, this is definitely one I suggest you check out. You can get the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble right now.
Happy reading!
Labels:
2015 Reading Challenge,
books
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Happy birthday to ME.
I love birthdays. I love mine the most, admittedly. I usually try to plan a fun trip with friends but this year I didn't do that. Mostly because I'm pretty pregnant and I'm a lot broke, so it didn't feel right spending money on something so frivolous. The other side of the coin was that I just had a baby shower and I felt like if I did a birthday thing people would feel obligated to get me a gift and meh- not my style. But that's not to say no fun was had.
I got to go to lunch with my friend Cassandra. That was kind of great and it's nice to catch up. I had felt so crappy all morning, and I'll go into that in a bit, so I was sure my entire day was going to be shit. Lunch was so great though and it was so nice to catch up with someone who deals with a lot of the same things parenting wise, and just as a fledgling adult, as I do. So I left there feeling recharged for the rest of my day.
It ended up being short lived though, because after I got home I realized how disappointed that Matt basically has no concept of how to do nice things for someone. None. I mean, really, he has none. The night before, he took the kids to get my birthday gift. My kids are the sweetest kids ever, but sometimes they need some guidance because otherwise they pick out things and you have no idea what exactly their thought process was, and you're left feigning enthusiasm for a Bic lighter (even though you don't smoke) and a flashlight.
This year they picked out what is easily the ugliest, chunkiest, largest, gawdiest jewelry I have ever seen from Walmart. I mean, it's hideous. Nobody wears this crap and it's always on clearance and will turn your skin green, and that's if you don't get a headache from the sheer weight of it hanging off your neck. And of course I had to fake enthusiasm. I'm not trying to break their little hearts. After they had gone to bed I asked Matt what the hell- because really, what the hell? How are you a parent for 9 years and have no ability to say, "you know, that's pretty nice but I bet mommy would REALLY love this.."? So he says nothing.
As usual.
The next day, my actual birthday, I see he got me these daisies that smell like trash, like actual trash. To the point where I didn't even see the daisies, I thought for sure one of our pets tipped over trash, or worse. Nope. Just these ugly ass flowers that are half dead and eaten by the cats, stinking up the entire downstairs of my house. So I toss those and take the trash out because it was enough to make me vomit. I had gone to lunch, and when I came home, it was pretty much time to start dinner. He comes home, late, so dinner is basically burning on the stove. By this point I'm so angry it's taking everything in me to not just lose it on him, and he hands me a card and the Mockingjay movie. I don't even open the card, I just toss it. Mostly because I have said at every holiday, anniversary, birthday, etc do NOT GET ME A CARD. The entire principle of paying $2+ on a piece of cardstock with shit you don't even understand what it says makes me so mad I can't even think. But this one is heavy so lord knows he probably paid more than $5 for it and that sets me off because I think, I could buy two lunches for the kids at school with that $5 but you've instead, flushed it down the toilet. Super. So we start having dinner and I'm over it. I didn't finish it, I just got up and started doing busy things so I'd calm down. (I'm a fierce cleaner when I'm angry.) After dinner I told the kids they could just have my cake, I wasn't up for it.
I know they were disappointed. By that point I was so far gone from being able to fake it, I did the best I could. We read stories and I tucked them in and basically cried myself to sleep.
It's not that I'm asking for specific, awesome gifts. Not at all. It's that I'm asking for just a single fuck to be given. Just one. I hate having to say explicitly what I'd like for my birthday, or whatever, because by that point I figure- what's the point? Why even bother then? He did ask what I wanted for my birthday and I said I really needed a new bra, pajamas, I'd like to get my hair cut and eyebrows waxed before Penelope comes (to my credit, I only get my hair cut twice a year, if that because I can't justify the cost), and a splurge would be a pedicure. Instead, I got jewelry I won't wear and a movie I could care less if I see. Thanks.
On the upside, my friend got me flowers and a gift card to my favorite nacho place, my parents got me a gift card for Barnes & Noble so I can get some books that are coming out soon, and my in-laws got me a gift card to get pajamas. So it wasn't a total bust. I just hate feeling disappointed if I don't just do something myself. It'd be really nice to be completely surprised. It'd be nice if he just put thought into something versus doing the bare minimum to say he did it.
Ah, well.
Next year I'll just plan my own birthday fun. I'll buy my own gift, my own cake, and make it a fun day.
I got to go to lunch with my friend Cassandra. That was kind of great and it's nice to catch up. I had felt so crappy all morning, and I'll go into that in a bit, so I was sure my entire day was going to be shit. Lunch was so great though and it was so nice to catch up with someone who deals with a lot of the same things parenting wise, and just as a fledgling adult, as I do. So I left there feeling recharged for the rest of my day.
It ended up being short lived though, because after I got home I realized how disappointed that Matt basically has no concept of how to do nice things for someone. None. I mean, really, he has none. The night before, he took the kids to get my birthday gift. My kids are the sweetest kids ever, but sometimes they need some guidance because otherwise they pick out things and you have no idea what exactly their thought process was, and you're left feigning enthusiasm for a Bic lighter (even though you don't smoke) and a flashlight.
This year they picked out what is easily the ugliest, chunkiest, largest, gawdiest jewelry I have ever seen from Walmart. I mean, it's hideous. Nobody wears this crap and it's always on clearance and will turn your skin green, and that's if you don't get a headache from the sheer weight of it hanging off your neck. And of course I had to fake enthusiasm. I'm not trying to break their little hearts. After they had gone to bed I asked Matt what the hell- because really, what the hell? How are you a parent for 9 years and have no ability to say, "you know, that's pretty nice but I bet mommy would REALLY love this.."? So he says nothing.
As usual.
The next day, my actual birthday, I see he got me these daisies that smell like trash, like actual trash. To the point where I didn't even see the daisies, I thought for sure one of our pets tipped over trash, or worse. Nope. Just these ugly ass flowers that are half dead and eaten by the cats, stinking up the entire downstairs of my house. So I toss those and take the trash out because it was enough to make me vomit. I had gone to lunch, and when I came home, it was pretty much time to start dinner. He comes home, late, so dinner is basically burning on the stove. By this point I'm so angry it's taking everything in me to not just lose it on him, and he hands me a card and the Mockingjay movie. I don't even open the card, I just toss it. Mostly because I have said at every holiday, anniversary, birthday, etc do NOT GET ME A CARD. The entire principle of paying $2+ on a piece of cardstock with shit you don't even understand what it says makes me so mad I can't even think. But this one is heavy so lord knows he probably paid more than $5 for it and that sets me off because I think, I could buy two lunches for the kids at school with that $5 but you've instead, flushed it down the toilet. Super. So we start having dinner and I'm over it. I didn't finish it, I just got up and started doing busy things so I'd calm down. (I'm a fierce cleaner when I'm angry.) After dinner I told the kids they could just have my cake, I wasn't up for it.
I know they were disappointed. By that point I was so far gone from being able to fake it, I did the best I could. We read stories and I tucked them in and basically cried myself to sleep.
It's not that I'm asking for specific, awesome gifts. Not at all. It's that I'm asking for just a single fuck to be given. Just one. I hate having to say explicitly what I'd like for my birthday, or whatever, because by that point I figure- what's the point? Why even bother then? He did ask what I wanted for my birthday and I said I really needed a new bra, pajamas, I'd like to get my hair cut and eyebrows waxed before Penelope comes (to my credit, I only get my hair cut twice a year, if that because I can't justify the cost), and a splurge would be a pedicure. Instead, I got jewelry I won't wear and a movie I could care less if I see. Thanks.
On the upside, my friend got me flowers and a gift card to my favorite nacho place, my parents got me a gift card for Barnes & Noble so I can get some books that are coming out soon, and my in-laws got me a gift card to get pajamas. So it wasn't a total bust. I just hate feeling disappointed if I don't just do something myself. It'd be really nice to be completely surprised. It'd be nice if he just put thought into something versus doing the bare minimum to say he did it.
Ah, well.
Next year I'll just plan my own birthday fun. I'll buy my own gift, my own cake, and make it a fun day.
Labels:
sara's birthday
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Miramont's Ghost (and GIVEAWAY!)
And for some reason, I completely forgot that March is Reading Month or something. It's pretty convenient considering I have a bunch of reviews coming up for you. WIN.
Miramont's Ghost - Elizabeth Hall

Miramont's Ghost - Elizabeth Hall

Miramont Castle, built in 1897 and mysteriously abandoned three years later, is home to many secrets. Only one person knows the truth: Adrienne Beauvier, granddaughter of the Comte de Challembelles and cousin to the man who built the castle.
Clairvoyant from the time she could talk, Adrienne’s visions show her the secrets of those around her. When her visions begin to reveal dark mysteries of her own aristocratic French family, Adrienne is confronted by her formidable Aunt Marie, who is determined to keep the young woman silent at any cost. Marie wrenches Adrienne from her home in France and takes her to America, to Miramont Castle, where she keeps the girl isolated and imprisoned. Surrounded by eerie premonitions, Adrienne is locked in a life-or-death struggle to learn the truth and escape her torment.
Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, this hauntingly atmospheric tale is inspired by historical research into the real-life Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Man, this book was kind of a downer. It wasn't as scary or creepy as I kind of thought it would be (which is good because I read before bed and I'm not trying to scare myself before bed), I found it to be more sad. I really felt terrible for Adrienne. As a young girl, it becomes obvious she's something of a clairvoyant, and because she's young, she basically blurts out what she sees in visions. Obviously, this is taking place in the late 1800's, so things like this aren't considered normal and the adults around her think she's some kind of mental case, feel sorry for her, or find her dangerous. Her grandfather is aware of what's happening, his wife had the same thing, and she died during the childbirth of her last daughter (who is also Adrienne's mother). Which that alone I thought was kind of an interesting tie in. Her other daughter, Marie, is Adrienne's aunt and she is the equivalent to the evil step mother in Cinderella. She's a terrible person and does really horribly mean and cruel things to Adrienne (as does Marie's son).
The book starts with Adrienne as a small child, then jumps to her teenage years, and then it jumps again. Each time we take a jump, the book gets darker and more depressing. You feel worse and worse for Adrienne. I kept hoping something would happen to make all of the pain and torment she endures worth it, but I didn't feel like it did. And that's not a spoiler, because I don't think this book was ever meant to leave you feeling vindicated. I think you're meant to be as sad and beaten down as Adrienne, and in that way, it excels. It is rather difficult to get into. The beginning was really interesting, and then when we went forward to when she was 16, it got heavy and dark for me. By the time we jumped again I was so depressed that I felt like giving up because I just couldn't read it any more. I did finish, and I was left feeling this sense of despair. I haven't read the book Rebecca, so I can't tell you how it compares since it's considered to be reminiscent of it. But what IS super interesting is that Miramont's Castle is a real place. The story itself is fictional, but it's a very cool fact to remember as you go into the book. I had somehow missed that until I got to the end and read the information at the back of the book. I wished I had read that before I started reading, but I honestly didn't even notice it.
You can purchase this book on Amazon (HERE)- the last time I checked it was free for Kindle Unlimited! Can't beat that! But you can also enter this giveaway to get a free one, EVEN BETTER.
Sadly, this giveaway is for US/Canada only!
Labels:
2015 Reading Challenge,
books
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