Book Boyfriends #2, #3 and #4

I am loving the term Book Boyfriend. My very first Book Boyfriend was the ever famous Edward Cullen. I was so obsessed with Edward while reading the Twilight series that when my Mom and I were shopping at Home Depot for bars to put on our main floor condo windows, I actually wondered how Edward would get inside my room via window if I had it barred up. Seriously.

A well written story accompanied by super hot protective men will make me fall in love with words on a page any day. I have since lightened my love for Edward, to a point, and opened my heart to other Book Boyfriends. There is a whole sea of them to be found, and after Edward I discovered three, all in one trilogy of books.

No story has haunted me so much since Twilight, until The Hunger Games. 

Before I begin telling you why, here is a confession. 

At first, I totally and completely judged a book by it's cover. 

After reading the books I now see how perfect all three covers are for the story, but when I came across the first book I automatically put it down thinking it was not my cup of tea. The only good thing that came out of taking so long to discover these truly unreal books was that once I read the first one, I didn't have to wait a year for the next.  I was privileged enough to read all three in a matter of weeks. And now I only have a short wait untill the movie. 

There were moments in the story that had my heart racing and I am pretty sure that I even sat on the edge of my seat more than once. All I thought about for weeks was the story of Katniss, a girl who actually did what we all dream do ...... she made a change. The best part is she didn't even know the impact she was having on people. A kick ass girl, and it came to her naturally. 

Now the moment you have all been waiting for. My Book Boyfriends #2, #3 and #4 - Peeta, Gale and Cinna. 

Peeta Mellark is a pure soul. Loving, protective, handsome, brilliant and exceptional. I like him because he is just there. Knowing a guy like him was out there in this world would make me feel safer. 

Gale Hawthorne is trustworthy, strong, sexy, loyal and devoted. He would be my first call if I were ever stranded.

Cinna. Oh Cinna. He is not a major player in the story, but he does have a huge presence. He is brilliant, creative, genuine and butterfly worthy. When certain events unfolded involving Cinna I sat and cried. He is one guy worth the tears. 

I also cried when I reached the end. I didn't want to get there too fast, yet I was unable to stop. 

Kobo-tastic!

I have always been a bit of a bookworm, but ever since I purchased my Kobo Touch in December I have been reading like it's going out of style. And thank Goddess it never will.

I was hesitant at first to buy an e-reader because I just love books. I enjoy the covers and the smell of the unread pages, the feeling of opening up a new book for the first time and then placing it on the book shelf when I reached the end.

One of my favourite "me" time activities is going to Chapters and exploring the whole store for my next great read. With having an e-reader I was afraid to lose that. Although, now I can go search the store for books to download later! Nothing will keep me from "me" time in that store.

Since becoming a Mommy I was beginning to find it hard to not only make time to read, but to focus. I was always losing my place on the page not to mention in the story. Too much time would pass between sit downs and my interest in stories began to deflate.

When I decided to buy myself the Kobo, I didn't predict the impact it would have on my reading life. The Kobo is so easy to pick up and put down which is perfect for reading time with a toddler running around. Plus, I don't even have to hold it to read! I can have AJ on my lap as she watches Dora. Because of this I have all of a sudden been reading a book a week! Mind you, I read a lot of Young Adult Fiction which are pretty easy reads, and more importantly I have been picking awesome books! All thanks to my Twitter friend Indigo Teen Blog who always recommends the most amazing YA books.

So because of this, I decided to start writing my own book reviews. Not to be a critic, or a professional book reviewer, but just to share what I am reading. I have been introduce to some pretty great stories lately that all contain the most fantastic characters. I want you all to meet them.

There are a bunch of books I have already read that I would love to write about, and will get started ASAP! But for now, I have to bath my spaghetti sauced child.

While you wait go buy yourself a Kobo!

Fashion Police Fugitive

I am most definitely in a style rut. I would be scared of Stacy and Clinton stopping me on the street to tell me what not to wear, but I am never out of the house long enough for them to find me. And to be honest, the only place I frequent is Wal-Mart, and I highly doubt they ever wanna tackle that place for fashion violations.

This is my life.

Do not get me wrong, I love my life. I have a wonderful fiance who allows me to be moody, a bright, funny well behaved child, a supportive family, friends I can be ME around, and the ability to work from home.

These are all the reasons I am in a style rut. I blame everything above.

Today after I woke up I threw on a pair of Christmas PJ bottoms which did not pair nicely with my pink night shirt. But really, who cares what PJs look like?

After breakfast and a little internet time I decided to go get dressed. I came downstairs in grey capri leggings and a long black shirt that I call my moo-moo and happen to wear to bed once in a while. I stood in front of D and said, "Do you realize that me getting dressed was basically going from one set of PJs to another?" D shrugged his shoulders, as he simply doesn't care. He would love me in a paper bag unlike Prince Ronald from The Paper Bag Princess, which I read to AJ last night before bed.

It got me thinking about how I have all these clothes, but nothing feels right. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve to dress up because I am just hanging out at home anyways, but on the other hand once in a while I wear something fancier on purpose just to feel better.

I have a gift card for Old Navy where I tend to do most of my shopping. I got it from D for Christmas because he wants me to treat myself to new clothes and I have a really bad habit of spending my money on AJ, not myself. Two months later I am yet to venture out and shop.

Why?

I need to feel better about myself, and wearing frumpy, dark colored outfits aren't helping. I want to shed some weight for the wedding and for myself. I want to feel like I deserve to dress nice even if it is just for a toddler who doesn't know the difference, and a fiance who loves me no matter what I have on.

I want to be like the girl who literally just appeared as I was writing this post.

Frying Pans, Boo Boos and Oven Mitts

Cooking is boring.

And to say this, confuses me because I love to watch the Food Network, which as you all know is people cooking. Although, I would imagine choosing something really fun to make would spice things up a bit for me in the kitchen.

Pun intended.

Until now I never had the chance to feel bored while I was preparing a meal. Typically, I am cooking as D is driving home from work, and AJ is glued to my legs, or she is taking out every pot and pan to try and "help Mommy". I trip over her, try to protect her from oven fires and smoke or I am begging her to go colour for five more minutes.

Tonight she was playing upstairs with Bella.

I had steaks in the frying pan (I know, I know but it was snowing!), veggies in the steamer and cheese toast in the oven. I stood there all alone in the kitchen, leaning against the counter wondering what was missing.

I actually missed my little sous chef.

Just before D got home and dinner was screaming "I'm done!", AJ came downstairs and wanted to help. She pulled out the oven mitts and waited for instruction. I took a few photos and then asked her to stand away from the stove before I opened it. She took it one step farther and went into her corner cupboard.

Bang!! Waaahhhhh!

She fell from the top shelf of her cupboard and knocked her little mouth on something. Poor baby was bleeding from her lip and had tears!

As I tended to her, dinner was overcooking.

The steak ended up tough and chewy, and the veggies were as if they came from the local senior's centre. At least the cheese toast was cheesy!

So in conclusion, maybe cooking isn't boring. It's just dangerous.

Public Service Announcement

If you know me at all you know how much I love my Tassimo. I am by no means a coffee connoisseur, but do enjoy a nice Americano, Chai Latte or a simple good old coffee each day. Usually just one, although, I have been known to sip a latte in the afternoon while reading Good Housekeeping.

Right.

Actually I do get Red Book Magazine each month. Thank you Auntie Tracey!

Unfortunately my brewer was included in the major recall that happened a couple weeks ago. But recall or not, I still use my machine. I do admit to having a few choice words with Tassy due to a couple overflow spills, but nothing alarming enough to make me throw her away. And I am no stranger to cleaning Tassy to maintain good brewing.

Yesterday was bath day so I ran some vinegar through Tassy's system and gave her a good cleaning.

This morning I made myself a latte, sat down on the couch with my lap top and began to write. I then reached over to take a sip from my cup and ......

....... almost had to give my Mac a bath after coming quite close to spitting latte all over it.

This is what a latte looks like with vinegar in it. 

Think it looks gross? Imagine the taste. 

So my PSA for today is to always run water though your Tassimo machine after you have cleaned it's insides with vinegar. Oopsie.

 

Goo Be Gone!

Can you spot the difference?

I did that! And I promise photo number 2 is not one that I pulled off the internet to fool you into believing that I can accomplish a kick ass clean. 

I am beginning to wonder if I have the burners on too high and that is the reason my pots over boil and frying pans spit so much. I actually wasn't even sure if you could get all that burnt gook off. But through the magic of Google - voila! 

You can tell which ones I use the most ..... poor little guy in the front. 

Score 1 for this Un-domestic Goddess! 

Domestic Moment of the Week #2

I forgot that I wanted to highlight a domestically awesome moment for myself each week. So now I must think of something ........ There has been less smoke in the house since I cleaned the oven, so I guess that is a plus.

But wait! There is something else.

What I am about to tell you is a true miracle.

After I wrote my last post about meal plans and shared this blog on facebook for the very first time ..... I began to receive lots of positive feedback. It can be tough to share your work, especially when it is personal, so it has taken me some time to let people into my secret world of un-domesticness.  Actually, I have been sharing this blog on Twitter for a while now but for some reason the people on Twitter feel more disconnected than on facebook. Either way it's out there now!

Along with the great warm fuzzies I got with sharing this blog, I also got a burst of energy.

Now here is the miracle you have been waiting for ..... I cleaned three bathrooms! Part of me probably got right to work so I could drum up some material to post, but another part was just in the mood. I know right?? Me? In the mood to clean???

I must give props to Bella though. She was keeping AJ occupied while I was cleaning, which was awesome! My child has a love of toilet brushes and I have NO idea where THAT came from.

Speaking of toilet brushes ..... when I was scrubbing the last toilet of the day, the part with the bristles broke off of the handle and I had to pick it out of the toilet with my hands. Gross, I know.

So there you go. Not only do I clean when I am angry, PMSing or have company coming. I clean when I am feeling all warm and fuzzy from compliments.

And when AJ is not there to stick her hand in the toilet.

Plan Ahead to Get Fed!

I guess it only took another addition to our home for me to start planning meals and actually cooking them.

For the past, oh I don't know ........ 78 Sundays I have sat down at my lap top to make up a meal plan for the week ahead, and not once have I followed through.

D and I tend to rotate between the same boring food. Basic things like chicken and a veggie. Beef and a veggie. Pizza. Sandwiches. Fajitas. Meat loaf and a veggie.

The reason being is that D will go play hockey or ref for the Calgary Sport and Social Club sometimes up to three nights a week.

Ok fine, and because I can't cook.

So it has always been tough to get a serious meal plan going when our activities can change pretty quickly. I got into a bad groove of not planning....... or cooking. Come to think of it, I should be a size 6 by now. Whenever D wasn't home for dinner I would usually just eat a salad or an apple.

Huh.

Anyways, now that Bella is here with us I am going to make a pact, right here right now, to plan ahead.

Here is my first attempt:

My fancy Glee calendar that I keep on the inside of our pantry door. I even have meals written down for the next week and a half! 

Someone Did a Cartoon of Me?!

Sad, but true. This is me.

Pop-porn

I went to a movie for the first time in months on Monday night. Today is Wednesday, and I am still savoring my popcorn.

It's funny, I don't often I get popcorn, let alone a whole bag to myself! I usually decline ordering any because I can't stand hearing my fellow movie goers eating it. So what does that have to do with me eating it? Couldn't tell you.

And more often than not, I crave it the next day.

This time around I actually skipped dinner so I could chow down on the buttery, air popped goodness. And for a little extra treat I dowsed it in ketchup seasoning. Yummy!

I currently have my bag of heaven stowed away in the spice cupboard. No one ever goes in there. Hell, I rarely do.

Until now.

It's a Girl! And She is Already Potty Trained

D's nine year old daughter is coming to live with us.

I have to admit I am pretty excited! I feel like it will bring back memories of when I was living with my Aunt and her three kids where I became sister close with Maggie who is now 15. We used to go shopping, for lunch and to movies all the time. She was a great excuse for me to go see films starring Hilary Duff or Amanda Bynes. I have a really odd like for (pre)teen things. I read a lot of young adult lit, love to watch iCarly and once had the best time ever at a Hilary Duff concert!

A teen trapped in a housewife's body.

Maybe that's why I can't cook and despise cleaning!

Either way I am going to have to pull up my big girl panties and stop being so scared of becoming "Suzy Homemaker" as my Mom calls it.

I have school lunches, actual well cooked dinners, and more laundry in my future. Which in reality was already there.

But I am also gaining a movie buddy and someone to chat with about girlie things. At least until AJ gets bigger!

It is just another thing to add to my to-do list:

• Plan a wedding
• Start a home-based business
• Raise a child
• And now ..... Step Mommy Boot-Camp! 

Wax Job

I decided to clean the oven today seeing as every time I have cooked in it the last while there has been nothing but smoke. I'd like to think a dirty oven is the problem, not my cooking, and cleaning is the only way to to prove that! Thank Goddess we have a self-cleaning oven.

Talk about smoke. There must have been something good and dirty inside that thing!

I turned the overhead fan on full blast, then remembered hearing that lit candles will also help eat some of the smoke. So I proceeded to place two large candles on the stove top ..... we have one of those glass top ranges ..... so ya. You can imagine what happened right?

Was I smart enough to put the candles in holders or at least on a plate?? Nope.

Ovens sure do get hot when they are self-cleaning! Really great for melting wax.

There would be photos but I was busy cleaning up a whole lot-a wax and trying to keep my toddler away from the very hot stove.

My advice to you?

 Hire a housekeeper.

Just like this one :)

You Know You're a Bad Cook When .......

........ You clean and clean your glasses thinking they are foggy, but it's really just the smoke in your house. It's even worse when your fiance points it out too.

I made another one of my simple specialties last night ..... Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf. Fairly easy and a great treat once in a while.

I didn't burn the meatloaf .... I swear! Some sauce had dripped onto the the bottom of the oven and it caused a lot of smoke. Only the second time this week!

Kinda hard to see the smoke but boy was it there. 

Saturday Morning Love

I adore watching D and AJ eat Fruit Loops, or Woot Woops as AJ calls them, every Saturday morning.

What I do not enjoy is the sound D makes while eating them.

So let me start over .......

I adore watching D and AJ eat Fruit Loops every Saturday morning with my ears plugged.

Yes we are watching Who's The Boss. And BTW, it's me. 

Domestic Moment of the Week

We all have our "moments" right? Usually that means everyone has a bad moment now and again like being moody, weepy, forgetful and/or brain dead.

Considering I tend to have all the above mentioned moments pretty well all the time, I decided to praise myself on the GOOD moments that I have. The great accomplishments in becoming domesticated so to speak.

Makes me sound like a dog.

Anyways, here is my first post for my new ........

Domestic Moment of the Week

February 5 - 11, 2012

Oven Fried Chicken. Yup I made oven friend chicken and it is even better than my regular fried chicken.

D is a huge fan of fried chicken, but I refuse to eat much of it especially from that popular fast food place. So I tried out an old fashioned recipe I found on the internet and pow! I worked!

But ewe .... all the oil was not making me feel so good.

So this past week I tried to oven fry it instead of deep frying it. Worked like a charm and D actually enjoys it more!

I personally love it because it's healthier and waaaaaaay easier. I promise to document it next time!

The Bagel Incident

Ok, so onetime I saw this toaster at Bed Bath and Beyond, and I said to D "Hey, we NEED this!" It was a vintage, yet futuristic toaster with slots for bagels.

I. Love. Bagels.

I don't have one every morning, but I am a frequent bagel muncher. Normally I will buy a specific brand that come pre-cut, which is an amazing invention for gals like me. I am a lefty and we can't cut ANYTHING straight no matter how many dotted lines there may be.

I am pretty sure we all know that bagels have no business anywhere near a regular old toaster. The one we have here at home is called the Toaster Pro. Excellent for making toast. With bread. But in my mind, it's a pro, right? It MUST be able to toast bagels.

And technically it can.

Because I force it to. I force those bagel slices right in the bread slots as if I were sliding on a pair of jeans I wore in high school.

Every single time I make a bagel.

The Lasagna Incident

I wrote my last post in June??!!! Unexceptable

I would love to say that my excuse is time. Well, it is but I hate saying that. I do have a toddler running a house that I can't keep clean, plus a fiance who....... you know how men can be. I write for a lot of other projects which I feel I have more to contribute to than this, which in reality is a complete lie. I have more than enough ammo to prove that I, Leah Ison, am a true Un-Domestic Goddess.

The lasagna incident last weekend proves that theory.

I'm Back Baby!