Mom hobbies~priddymomma

Me as McGonagall

Hey guys!  I’m getting totally excited about Halloween coming up.  We’re having a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Halloween party on Halloween this year.  I have BIG PLANS, DUDES!!  I’ll share a picture or two afterwards.  My husband and I also got the chance to begin putting in some trails on our property.  I’m crazy excited to get to work on them.  Now we can enjoy so much more of our place!  Aahhh!  I’m crazy.  You can say it.

The Great Hall at the Halloween feast, complete with "live" bats

This week, I’m discussing mom hobbies.  Actually, I really want to cross off the mom and just call it “hobbies”.  The issue is that you won’t have the same kind of hobbies as a mom that you did when you were not a mom, so I guess the mom stays.  And at this point, I’m sure you can tell I am completely hyped up on caffeine while typing like a psycho.  IT’S TRUE!!  YAY!  (I’m running in circles only a little)

So…what was I talking about?  Oh.  Hobbies.  You need hobbies.  Going through life not excited about doing anything is super lame.  I’m excited about this party, for instance.  It is sort of a hobby of mine to throw elaborate parties.  Weird, but it makes me happy to see people surprised at the steps I took to set something up (and on a budget too!). 

I also like to sew.  I don’t make time for it often, but I always make time around Halloween.  I make my kiddos’ costumes (they want to be Elsa and Superman this year).  Not only do they turn out better than anything you can pick up in the store, but they are often times much cheaper.  And again, I have the excuse of sewing, which is great.  I sometimes make time before Christmas as well if one of the gifts is hand made. 

 

Confession:  No sew!  Princess Cheerio was 1, and I procrastinated.  Still not purchased costumes though (except the wings, because ain't nobody got time for that).

Singing is the hobby I make the most time for, but mostly because I can multi task as I sing.  I can sing while washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, and of course the old stand-by of singing in the shower.  I love to dance, so I try to make time for Zumba once a week. 

I love working in the yard, so I make sure I have time to do outside chores on nice days.  I like to read, so I plan my day around my book if it happens to be really good.  More than once I have turned down invites or activities because a book I have been itching to get my hands on is released that day or the day before.  IF THEY ARE TRULY YOUR FRIEND, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND!  I have no idea why I’m shouting.  Must be the coffee. 

OH NO!  My coffee is gone!  The horror!  Time for a refill. 

Drat!  Hubby turned off the coffee maker.  He will pay for this!  (I won’t remember by the time he gets home)

Crap.  Microwaved old coffee and burned my tongue.  Why doesn’t spell check recognize “microwaved”.  That’s a term, right?  Or maybe we can just call it “nuked”?  It recognizes that, but only because it is morbid.  Is there another term you use?  WHAT IS THE PROPER TERM??!

Anyway…um…I have no idea where I was.  Have a hobby!  Right.  I don’t even know where I was going with this whole concept.  That’s a lot like life.  Stop.  Breathe.  Okay.  New paragraph.  Maybe just ignore this one.  Of course, now you can’t because you read the whole thing.  Ha ha!  Sucks to be you.

If you don’t make time for your favorite activities, you will end up hating everyone and being bored out of your mind.  That is an opinion, obviously.  When you were a kid, you were probably pretty happy most of the time.  I believe kids are happy, because they spend large amounts of time doing exactly what interests them and not worrying about what they should be doing most of the time.  If they want to spend hours building legos, by gum they will!  And should something like hygiene or chores get in their way, a meltdown will occur.  Grumpy adults are just the grown up versions of these kids, meltdown included (hence the grumpy).  We would all feel a lot better if we took time to play our legos. 

See ya next week, Cheerios Parents!  Peace!

P.S.  Please take a moment of silence for 9/11.  Take a moment to appreciate the magnitude of what happened that day.  God bless.

Top 10 Surprising Books~priddymomma

Hope you all are doing well!  This week is top ten books that surprised me.  Here we go!

10. )    

The Hunger Pains:  A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

I was so disappointed with this book.  It is supposed to be funny and mock The Hunger Games.  It was just terrible.

9.)       

Into the Wild (Warriors series book one) by Erin Hunter

This is a book series for kids about cats.  I was lacking reading material one day, walked past it in the library, and thought what they hey.  I read the entire series.  It turned out to be full of action and quite interesting.

8.)       

The Stand by Stephen King

I was expecting the post-apocalyptic scenario.  I wasn’t expecting the supernatural tone.  So good.

7.)       

A Series of Unfortunate Events (complete work) by Lemony Snicket

I confess I saw the movie first.  The books are tragic and hilarious, and the ending is absolutely depressing.  I’m not sure if I recommend it or not, to be honest.  It made me feel too much.  Boo feelings.

6.)       

The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon book two) by Dan Brown

Amazing book, and great movie!  Dan Brown writes books that keep you thinking long after you’ve closed them.

5.)       

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Stupid book had me sobbing all over the place.  I recommend it if you hate happy endings. 

4.)       

Mockingjay (Hunger Games book three) by Suzanne Collins

There were so many plot points towards the end that just blew my mind.  Great read.

3.)       

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter book seven) by J.K. Rowling

No list of surprising books would be complete without Rowling.  All of the series by right should be here, but Deathly Hallows is my favorite and thus takes the cake. 

2.)       

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (book 14 in Dresden Files series)

Page turner with several twists, and is 14^th book in the series but best yet.  I have no idea when the next comes out but I’m pulling out my hair here.

1.)       

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (book three in Heroes of Olympus series)

If you’ve read anything by Riordan, you know he’s a master plot weaver.  But the literal cliff hanger at the end had me reeling and tossing the book across the room.  Jerk.  DON’T MESS WITH MY PERCABETH!!!

Top 10 Books~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Sorry about last week.  We were all busy with our own things and forgot all about posting.  I’m sure you know what that’s like. 

Before we get started on the topic this week, I’d like to give a shout out to Kim!  Kim is new to our blog and will be updating on Mondays starting next week.  That’s four days a week, folks.  Join us Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays!  And remember, as always, that we accept topic requests.  Comment below or email us at thecaseofthemissingcheerios@gmail.com

Alrighty.  Enough of the shameless plugging.  Moving right along. 
Top 10 Books.  Wow.  I love to read, but I’m going to struggle with this one.  I have a tendency to read a lot of series(es?), so for the purposes of this post, we’ll just count a series as one book.  (Shut up.  It’s my post and I’ll do what I want!)

1.      Harry Potter.  If you make me pick, Deathly Hallows.  If you haven’t read Harry Potter by now, turn off the computer and pick up a copy.  You can hug me later.  I also accept monetary donations.

Yeah.  This is a recent photo.  I'm kind of a fan.

2.      The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.  It’s like Harry Potter for adults.  By that I mean there’s cursing, sex, and smart-assery.  Harry Dresden (ironic perhaps that he shares a first name with another favorite wizard of mine) is a wizard AND a private investigator.  Also, he gets in trouble.  Lots.  And kick butt female leads.  If the first book doesn’t hook you, the second will.

3.      The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.  This is one of the few stand-alones on my list.  I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, and Miller winds such an amazing tale.  Here’s my review for goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/359713642  Follow me while you’re there! (more plugging!  Gah!)

4.      Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.  Everything Riordan writes is gold.  And I’m cheating again…Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.  Sequel series to above mentioned.  Waiting for House of Hades to come out is torture!  PERCABETH!!!

The cover is so hardcore!

5.      The Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine.  This is an extensive series.  There are 14 or 15 books already released, but you will love the characters and the action.  Vampires, violence and kick butt chicks.  What’s not to love?

6.      Millennium series by Stieg Larson.  This is the series that brought you The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  Masterful writing and thread-weaving.

7.      The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.  It’s technically part of a series, but this book in particular I enjoy.  I’ve read the book several times and watched the movie close to a dozen.  I love stories with clues that you get to tinker out yourself.

8.      The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.  Oldie but a goodie.  I love reading this series to the kids.

9.      39 Clues Series by Scholastic (misc. authors).  I know, I know.  It’s a guilty pleasure.  The books are really very educational.

10.  Stay by Allie Larkin.  A stand-alone happy-ending kind of book.  The woman gets drunk and orders a dog online.  Hilarity ensues.  

 

Favorite Books - Leslie

Sharing my favorite books is easy.  I LOVE to read.  However, there are so many that I like that it may be hard to stop me.  I apologize in advance if this is extremely long.  I'll condense as best as I can.  The links will take you to Goodreads for more information on the books/series.  You may want to use the bathroom and get a snack first...




Series:

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
(From Goodreads)
Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in ten years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

(Related to HP series)

  


Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(From Goodreads) 
Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender.

If she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
(From Goodreads)
They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever.

And I've always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed.

Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Authors:
Stephen King

A few titles I enjoy:

 Chuck Palahniuk

A few titles I enjoy:  

John Green

A few titles I enjoy:

Standalone Books:

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

  
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

   
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

  
Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

  
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Poetry special mention - The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain by Charles Bukowski

   
Children's special mention - Willoughby & the Moon by Greg E. Foley

What are some of your favorites?  Feel free to send any recommendations my way.  I'm always looking for something new!  Also, look me up on Goodreads!  Lesaphine