New Year, New Laptop

I am back after a few months away. I have a new portable laptop/tablet hybrid and I am ready to get back into blogging mode.

 

Today I picked up the HP Pavillion x2 and so far am loving it. Expect a lot of updates in the next few days!

 



I am totally making these for my students

Grinch Kabobs


I saw this on Facebook today. It is such a cute idea and I am definitely going to be making a bunch of these as a Christmas (I can't believe it's November already) treat for my kids at school. All you need are strawberries, green grapes, marshmallows and bananas. I also love that it is a healthy treat and is peanut allergy friendly.

The books that ended my long reading slump

I have had quite the reading (and writing) slump for the last few months. I would start books and either they would take me way too long to complete or I'd never even bother to finish the book. As a book lover, I rarely ever start a book and not finish it. About a week ago my friend and I decided to try and have our own mini book club. We picked out a series and decide we would read it together. Although I found this to be a great idea, I didn't know whether or not it would pull me out of my reading funk. We must have chosen the right book because I devoured the first two in the series in a few days and I am almost done the third and final book in the trilogy. So what are these wonderful books that got me back into my reading?




The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier. I don't want to say too too much about this series to prevent spoilers but I will post the synopsis for the first book. These books were originally written in German and then translated into English. The translation is wonderfully done and the words and sentences flow beautifully. There are some books that as I am reading I am conscious of what page I'm on and how many pages are left. I didn't notice the pages or time fly by as I read these books. I was completely engaged by the characters, dialogue and setting. I highly recommend this series.

Synopsis: Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon—the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential.

Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

A pretty necklace

I got this necklace from NYC a few weeks ago and love its simplicity.

Coloured Art

I love to draw, especially portraits. But I have always drawn in black and white recently I decided to give colours a try and I've tried a few Disney pictures. (below)






I have fallen in love with Prismacolor pencils. They have such a creamy texture and wonderful blending capabilities. I started out with a set of 72 and recently purchased the full set of 150. I can't wait to continue experimenting.

The cutest mug

I found this today. Loving it!

TV Nostalgia

Having the summer off means that I am always looking for something to watch on those lazy days in. With my Netflix I have been able to catch up on shows I've missed and discover new ones. After marathoning through Pretty Little Liars I was on the search for something different. I came across Melissa & Joey and instantly fell in love. I loved Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and I remember watching Joey Lawrence on Brotherly Love. It brought back memories and made me smile. These two are great together and the show is quite funny. I would call this show a modern-day Who's The Boss.

Gorgeous

I kinda want to live here.

Bookish tea

I love tea and I love books so why not combine them? This is such a cute teapot. I must have it!

I need to get this

One thing I have noticed about living alone is that my fruits and veggies go bad if not eaten quickly enough. Because I cook smaller portions, I often only use half of a fruit or vegetable. I always mean to use the other half but often when I get back to it, it has gone bad. I came across Food Huggers online and I think that it's a pretty nifty idea.

Check out the Kickstarter website here.

Genius! Cat grooming tool

I have two cats (pictured above). The darker one is named Emmy and the lighter one is Lily (and yes, they do actually sit like that. I did not make them pose). Lily has extremely long hair that sheds all the time! Being an indoor cat, she sheds most of the year. Her fur is all over the place. It sticks to my clothes, my furniture, the counters, books...Today I heard about a cat grooming tool that is supposed to help with shedding. I was a bit skeptical because it looks similar to any other grooming brush you'd use on a cat but I was shocked at how amazing this little thing is.



This brush is called the Furminator and comes in a couple of sizes. There are small and large brushes and you can choose between the long hair and short hair version. I got the small long hair brush and tried it out today. It is very easy to use. There is a little button at the back of the brush which releases the fur captured. I was so shocked by how much fur came out. What this brush does is allow the loose fur from the undercoat to be removed, something that a normal brush cannot do. It claims to reduce shedding by 90%. This is also great for those nasty hair balls that cats get from grooming themselves. So far I am quite impressed and would recommend this for any long haired cat owner.

A Healthy Snack

If you're looking for a healthy and tasty snack you need to try Brad's Raw Leafy Kale. I found this at Farm Boy and have tried two flavours Nasty Hot and Vampire Killer so far. Both have been amazingly delicious. Since most people have been jumping on the gluten-free band wagon I think these snacks will become very popular. Click here for a list of all of Brad's Raw Food snacks and flavours.

A great non-fiction read

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

This is truly a great book. I have always been interested in some of the Buddhist teachings and came across this book last week. It has gotten great reviews and I am truly enjoying reading it. It definitely makes you look at the world in a different way.
Tara Brach also has a ton of Poscasts that you can listen to. She's such a great speaker with some wonderful ideas.

Synopsis: For many of us, feelings of deficiency are right around the corner. It doesn’t take much--just hearing of someone else’s accomplishments, being criticized, getting into an argument, making a mistake at work--to make us feel that we are not okay. Beginning to understand how our lives have become ensnared in this trance of unworthiness is our first step toward reconnecting with who we really are and what it means to live fully.

Finding treasures while cleaning

Today I was at my parents' place and was sorting through some of the stuff I left behind in my old bedroom and I found my Gameboy Advance and some of my games. I used to love this little thing and it brings back so many memories. Tetris was always so much fun to play before the touch screen versions came along. I'm looking forward to catching up with some of these games.
Cleaning/sorting can be a lot of fun especially when you find stuff you forgot you had.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad

A few weeks ago I did a review on a keyboard cover I got for my iPad. I was looking to attach a keyboard to my iPad because I often type and blog on the go. Last week, the USB charging port on that keyboard broke. So I was once again on the search for a new keyboard. I had heard great things about the Logitech one but was not ready to spend the $100 the first time I picked out a keyboard cover. In hindsight, if I had spent the extra $30 in the beginning, it would have cost me a lot less in the end.

Yesterday I stopped at Best Buy and picked up the purple keyboard (it comes in white, black and purple). It is very thin and quite easy to set up. The hinge on the back is magnetic and puts the iPad to sleep when the cover is closed (like the iPad Smart Cover). A third of the way down the keyboard there is a groove where you place the keyboard when you want to type. This groove is magnetic as well and allows the keyboard to stay in place while you type. So far I find that it works quite well and my iPad has not slipped out. When it is propped in typing mode, you get a 60 degree viewing angle which is quite comfortable for both typing on a table or on your lap. I have only had the chance to use this keyboard for a day but I have done quite a lot of typing with it. They keyboard feels quite sturdy and is very responsive. The only thing I have heard people complain about is the fact that it needs to be pulled off its hinge each time it is used. I don't find that to be an issue. In fact, I find that it allows for this case to be quite thin and easy to carry around. It looks quite stylish when the cover is closed. Logitech has matched their outer cover to the brushed silver backing of the iPad. This gives it the look of a mini MacBook Air. I am really hoping that this keyboard lasts a little longer than the other one. So far I am impressed.