Much like my 30 Before 30: Food list, I don't plan to restrict myself to thirty specific books that I want to read before I turn thirty. Because let's be honest--I have a list of over 200 books that I want to read, and there is no way I could whittle that down to a top thirty list. And while reading one book a month for book club will (hopefully!) keep me well on track to reaching my goal, I do have a few books that have been on my to-read list for far too long. So now is as good as time as any to force my hand at pulling these classics off the shelf and making them five of the thirty I intend to read in the next thirty months. And who knows, maybe I'll even convince my book club that we should read one of these classics together!
Pride and Prejudice
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Great Gatsby
Schindler's List
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
What books do you think should be on my list of "must-reads"?
Tales of a South Dakotan married to a North Carolinian
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: The Guestbook
Chances are, you probably haven't given much thought to the guestbook at your wedding. In fact, it may be something you don't ever give any thought to--after all, it isn't very difficult to buy one of those fancy little autograph books for people to sign as they are coming into the ceremony and/or reception.
But let's be real--are you ever going to pull that book out again and look through the list of signatures of people who attended your wedding? Probably not. Because ultimately, the guestbook is nothing more than a list of names, only valuable if one of your guests becomes famous and you can sell their signature for something. Sure, some people might leave a little note, but chances are, they've already written a note into their card and won't take the time to put something in the guestbook.
Does this mean that a guestbook like that is necessarily a bad idea? Certainly not. But be realistic with it--you probably won't ever do anything with it again. If you're okay with that, perfect. But there are lots of fun, creative ways to turn your wedding guestbook into more than just a book full of signatures--something you will actually be proud to display and cherish as a reminder of your wedding day. Need some ideas?
Don't see anything you like? There's lots more possibilities here!
(All images from Style Me Pretty)
But let's be real--are you ever going to pull that book out again and look through the list of signatures of people who attended your wedding? Probably not. Because ultimately, the guestbook is nothing more than a list of names, only valuable if one of your guests becomes famous and you can sell their signature for something. Sure, some people might leave a little note, but chances are, they've already written a note into their card and won't take the time to put something in the guestbook.
Does this mean that a guestbook like that is necessarily a bad idea? Certainly not. But be realistic with it--you probably won't ever do anything with it again. If you're okay with that, perfect. But there are lots of fun, creative ways to turn your wedding guestbook into more than just a book full of signatures--something you will actually be proud to display and cherish as a reminder of your wedding day. Need some ideas?
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| Love the idea of having people sign wine bottles! And they could easily be repurposed into flower vases or something after the wedding. If wine isn't up your ally, consider something more suited to your tastes--how about having your guests sign a slice of wood? |
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| You know all those beautiful engagement photos you took? You know you are going to display some of those in your house after the wedding--why not have your guests sign a mat around the photo? Any time you are having a bad day you can walk by and read the sweet messages left by your guests (and as an added bonus, if you use the right kind of matting, you can replace the photo with a favorite wedding photo down the road). |
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| I'm a big fan of monograms, so I love the idea of taking your married initial and having guests sign that. The possibilities are endless for displaying this in your house! |
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| So long as you aren't inviting any guests that are trying to hide out from the law and keep their fingerprints from becoming publicly accessible, it's becoming a really popular idea to ask guests to "leaf" a thumbprint on a tree. Love that this couple made it look like they had carved their initials into the tree! |
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| If you are planning to print a nice photo album for a coffee table book, consider turning it into your guestbook as well. You can pre-print a book with engagement pictures (or other random pictures of you as a couple), leaving blank spaces for people to sign, or if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person you can just have people sign blank scrapbook pages and incorporate them into a scrapbook of wedding photos. Either way, whenever you pull out the book to look through the pictures you'll also get to read the nice messages from your guests. |
(All images from Style Me Pretty)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Life of Pi
If I had typed up this review yesterday, it probably would have been much more glowing than it will be today. You see, I finished this book on Sunday and was So.Excited. to meet with my book club to discuss it last night (if it hadn't been for the book club, I probably would have made Darrell read the book IMMEDIATELY so that I could discuss it with him) because I loved the book. It was fascinating, captivating, and had a totally surprising twist. Perfect trifecta in my opinion.
But after talking about it with my book club, I realized that there were some definite faults in this book. Things that I had totally forgotten by the time I got to the end. Granted, I still definitely recommend the book (and from what I hear, the movie as well), just not as glowingly as I would have yesterday.
Here's the rundown--a teenaged boy gets stranded on a lifeboat after the ship he is on sinks, and the only other survivors with him are zoo animals (a tiger, an orangutan, a hyena, and a zebra). Before long, he and the tiger are the only two left alive, and the novel details the remarkable story of their survival.
At least, that's what I would have told you yesterday. Because I had been so captivated by the last two-thirds of the book, I had completely forgotten about the first part of the book (which provides background information on his family life and religious beliefs). Overwhelmingly, the consensus was that the first part of the book moved slowly and then wasn't really relevant to the remainder of the book. Which, given the fact that I had totally forgotten about some of the things that had happened, I can totally agree with.
Like I said, though, the disconnectedness isn't really a deal breaker. In fact, I actually found the first part to be interesting in its own right, but it was definitely overshadowed by the story on the lifeboat. And given that his family history and/or religious beliefs didn't seem to significantly impact the story of his time on the boat, it seems like the background information could have been covered in a little less detail (hence the complaint that the first part of the book was slow).
Ultimately, I'm still really glad that I bought the book. I definitely intend to read it again, especially to see that if in my excitement and rapid-page turning through the middle/end of the book I missed some of the religious undertones that were present (plus I want to read it again now that I know the twist!). And I still plan to encourage Darrell to read the book, because I know the Boy Scout/religion major in him will definitely find it captivating. And really, I think there is something in this story that just about anyone will find interesting--especially if they power through a somewhat-lathargic first seventy-some pages.
Monday, February 25, 2013
30 Before 30: Food
As I mentioned on Friday, food is one of the areas I want to focus on with my 30 before 30 project. In general, my goal is going to be to find thirty new recipes to add to our recipe collection before my thirtieth birthday. Now, before you assume that this will be as simple as trying thirty new recipes, you should know that Darrell and I are kind of picky about which recipes "earn" spots in our permanent collection. We always make a recipe twice before putting it into our collection (unless it is just ahh-mazing), and we consider more than just the taste of it when reviewing it: how manageable is the prep, how easy are the ingredients to find, how affordable are the ingredients, how do the leftovers keep (if it makes leftovers), etc. When I am baking, I always take into consideration how foolproof the recipe is: am I able to get the same results multiple times or is the recipe finicky? So, as you can see, adding one new recipe per month to our permanent collection will be a bit more tedious than just trying thirty new recipes.
Although I'm not going to constrain myself to a list of thirty specific recipes to try, there are a few important ones (to me) that I would like to get in my permanent collection by the time I'm thirty. Some of these I've tried recipes for in the past (unsuccessfully); others are challenges that I want to push myself to attempt.
Buttercream and/or Cream Cheese Frosting
Although I'm not going to constrain myself to a list of thirty specific recipes to try, there are a few important ones (to me) that I would like to get in my permanent collection by the time I'm thirty. Some of these I've tried recipes for in the past (unsuccessfully); others are challenges that I want to push myself to attempt.
Buttercream and/or Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cookies (I actually set out to find my "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe a few summers ago, but didn't really make any progress. Whoops.)
Homemade Croissants
Basic Brownies
Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade Pancakes (Bonus points if I can find a recipe to make into a shelf-stable dry mix; have you seen the sodium contents of the mixes you buy in the store?)
Caramels (Probably going to need to buy a candy thermometer for this, but I'm totally okay with that.)
Macaroni and Cheese (not from the box--I've already got the boxed kind mastered)
Jambalaya
Roast Chicken (a whole chicken)
Tomato Sauce
Chicken Noodle Soup
Are there any other recipes you think I should try to master by the time I'm thirty? What are some of your favorite recipe box staples?
Macaroni and Cheese (not from the box--I've already got the boxed kind mastered)
Jambalaya
Roast Chicken (a whole chicken)
Tomato Sauce
Chicken Noodle Soup
Are there any other recipes you think I should try to master by the time I'm thirty? What are some of your favorite recipe box staples?
Friday, February 22, 2013
30 Before 30
A few months after getting married, Darrell and I compiled a list of 101 tasks to complete in 1001 days. While we certainly won't be able to accomplish all the items on the list before the 1001 days are up on April 19th (pretty sure skydiving is not going to happen between now and then), we have gotten through quite a few of the items on the list. We've even managed to accomplish a few things that we probably wouldn't have prioritized if they hadn't been on the list (like attending a state fair), and for that reason alone I'm glad we at least attempted the list.
So, when I realized that I'm rapidly approaching my thirtieth birthday (goodbye, mid-twenties!), I thought that it would only be fitting for me to put together a similar list. I've learned that I'm much more likely to follow through on something if I set concrete goals instead of having an ambiguous desire to accomplish "something" by "some point". And with a baby on its way to change our world as we know it, I thought now would be an especially fitting time for me to set some goals tailored to making sure I don't lose sight of who I am as an individual as we transition into a family of three.
Of course, I couldn't just be normal and create a single list of 30 things to accomplish before I turn 30 (which will happen in approximately 30 months, hence the reason for the timing of this post). Instead, I decided to create four lists, each tailored to a specific passion of mine. Thirty months seems like quite a bit of time, and if there are thirty items on each of the four lists, then I only have to accomplish four things per month, which is just one thing per week. Totally reasonable, right? (This would be where Darrell tells me I'm biting off more than I can chew. This would be where I respond that I don't care.)
As you can probably tell from my blog content, I very much enjoy being in the kitchen. So, one of my lists is going to be "30 Before 30: Food". I also enjoy leisure reading, although I don't always make time to read as much as I'd like, so I'm going to do a "30 Before 30: Books" as well. The last two lists are things that I want to get better at doing, so hopefully having a goal for accomplishing them will be the spark I need to get going. One is "30 Before 30: Crafts", and the other is "30 Before 30: Running".
In the next few weeks I'll go into a little more detail on the food, books, and crafts lists, but they'll all follow the same general pattern: the goal will be to complete thirty tasks related to the list by the end of the thirty months. The slight variation to that will be the running list. I considered making it my goal to complete thirty road races before thirty, but with pregnancy, being out of shape, and terrible running conditions six months of the year, I decided that it was more realistic for me to aim for completing thirty miles in road races instead of thirty individual races. Thirty miles would be the equivalent of ten 5K races, or if I were really ambitious I could run a marathon (26.2 miles) and get most of the miles done in one fell swoop.
I know a lot of people fear turning thirty (just ask my sister who hits that milestone in October!), but I feel like if I can end my twenties on a high note (maintaining my sense of personal identity while learning how to adjust to life as a mother) then I can handle anything the thirties throw at me!
So, when I realized that I'm rapidly approaching my thirtieth birthday (goodbye, mid-twenties!), I thought that it would only be fitting for me to put together a similar list. I've learned that I'm much more likely to follow through on something if I set concrete goals instead of having an ambiguous desire to accomplish "something" by "some point". And with a baby on its way to change our world as we know it, I thought now would be an especially fitting time for me to set some goals tailored to making sure I don't lose sight of who I am as an individual as we transition into a family of three.
Of course, I couldn't just be normal and create a single list of 30 things to accomplish before I turn 30 (which will happen in approximately 30 months, hence the reason for the timing of this post). Instead, I decided to create four lists, each tailored to a specific passion of mine. Thirty months seems like quite a bit of time, and if there are thirty items on each of the four lists, then I only have to accomplish four things per month, which is just one thing per week. Totally reasonable, right? (This would be where Darrell tells me I'm biting off more than I can chew. This would be where I respond that I don't care.)
As you can probably tell from my blog content, I very much enjoy being in the kitchen. So, one of my lists is going to be "30 Before 30: Food". I also enjoy leisure reading, although I don't always make time to read as much as I'd like, so I'm going to do a "30 Before 30: Books" as well. The last two lists are things that I want to get better at doing, so hopefully having a goal for accomplishing them will be the spark I need to get going. One is "30 Before 30: Crafts", and the other is "30 Before 30: Running".
In the next few weeks I'll go into a little more detail on the food, books, and crafts lists, but they'll all follow the same general pattern: the goal will be to complete thirty tasks related to the list by the end of the thirty months. The slight variation to that will be the running list. I considered making it my goal to complete thirty road races before thirty, but with pregnancy, being out of shape, and terrible running conditions six months of the year, I decided that it was more realistic for me to aim for completing thirty miles in road races instead of thirty individual races. Thirty miles would be the equivalent of ten 5K races, or if I were really ambitious I could run a marathon (26.2 miles) and get most of the miles done in one fell swoop.
I know a lot of people fear turning thirty (just ask my sister who hits that milestone in October!), but I feel like if I can end my twenties on a high note (maintaining my sense of personal identity while learning how to adjust to life as a mother) then I can handle anything the thirties throw at me!
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Belly Pics: Weeks 31 and 32
I suppose since I've started seeing my OB/GYN every two weeks I might as well start updating my belly pics every two weeks as well. The differences probably won't be as easy to spot, although supposedly baby is going to "drop" soon, so that change might be noticeable. I guess time will tell!
In (somewhat) unrelated news, I've officially decided that 2013 is going to be affectionately known as "The Year of the Baby". My sister-in-law just delivered a little boy yesterday (and he's a cutie!), and three friends from high school are expecting later this year. Not to mention the fact that I am good friends with two other moms-to-be in Sioux Falls who are both due within a month of me (for the record, I knew them prior to any of us getting pregnant; we did not meet as a result of some prenatal class). And of course, who can forget the royal baby that Will and Kate are cooking up? If you are feeling left out, it isn't too late to get in on the year of the baby--there is plenty of time left for some November/December babies!
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| 31 Weeks |
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| 32 Weeks |
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: Accommodating Out-of-Town Guests
Unless you are fortunate enough to have all your friends and family live in the same town as you, chances are you are going to have people that will be traveling in order to attend your wedding. While anyone who travels to a wedding (or anywhere) assumes that there will be some sort of time and financial burden, I always think that it's nice when the bride and groom do their best to ease the burdens of their travelers. Here are just a few things you can do to help make the trip a more enjoyable one for your guests.
Provide them with information about local resources.
Planning a trip can be a lot of work, so help out your guests by providing them with some of the basic information they'll need. If you know you have guests that are going to be flying, include information about nearby airports and car rental services. Give them information about lodging options and, if possible, reserve a block of rooms at a local hotel or two (some guests may still opt to shop around to see if they can find a better rate, but by reserving some rooms you guarantee that there are some rooms available for your wedding guests just in case there are other events in the area that may cause the hotels to fill up). Also, try to make a map available to your guests that has the main locations (ceremony, reception, etc) well-marked, or at least provide them with the exact addresses of those locations so they can map them themselves. Much of this information can be included with the wedding invitation, although many couples also choose to create a wedding website and have this information available on there as well.
Try to minimize the amount of down time for your guests.
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than being in an unfamiliar town with nothing to do for three hours between the ceremony and reception. If possible, try to keep your events close together so that guests aren't left to wander aimlessly. However, I also understand that sometimes special circumstances dictate the schedule of your day, and downtime is unavoidable. If you know there is going to be downtime, try to provide your guests with some options, especially if they are unfamiliar with the area: local points of interests, nearby parks, perhaps even a favorite bar or two. Even if they don't take advantage of your suggestions and opt to just hang out in their hotel room, they'll appreciate that you took the time to give them some guidance.
Have a welcome bag for them when they check into the hotel.
This requires a little bit of coordination with the hotels that your have rooms reserved at, but your guests will definitely appreciate the effort. Darrell and I did this for our wedding, and all we had to do was tell the front desk that whenever anyone checked in who had made a reservation in our block of rooms that they should be given a small goodie bag in addition to their room key. Not only are these welcome bags a good way to provide your guests with information about local things to do as well as detailed maps of the area, but you can also slip in a few goodies for the weary travelers: a bottle of water, trail mix, chocolate, etc. It can also be helpful to provide them with a person's contact information in case they have any difficulty navigating to wedding events; you may be difficult to get a hold of on your big day (and guests might feel bad calling you anyway), so provide them with the number of a trusted friend or family member who can help direct people who get lost.
Most guests will consider it an honor and a privilege to celebrate your wedding with you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't acknowledge the sacrifices they made to be in attendance. Do what you can to make sure they know their presence is appreciated--because trust me, the whole wedding day will go by so fast that you may not get the personal time with all your guests that you would like.
Provide them with information about local resources.
Planning a trip can be a lot of work, so help out your guests by providing them with some of the basic information they'll need. If you know you have guests that are going to be flying, include information about nearby airports and car rental services. Give them information about lodging options and, if possible, reserve a block of rooms at a local hotel or two (some guests may still opt to shop around to see if they can find a better rate, but by reserving some rooms you guarantee that there are some rooms available for your wedding guests just in case there are other events in the area that may cause the hotels to fill up). Also, try to make a map available to your guests that has the main locations (ceremony, reception, etc) well-marked, or at least provide them with the exact addresses of those locations so they can map them themselves. Much of this information can be included with the wedding invitation, although many couples also choose to create a wedding website and have this information available on there as well.
Try to minimize the amount of down time for your guests.
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than being in an unfamiliar town with nothing to do for three hours between the ceremony and reception. If possible, try to keep your events close together so that guests aren't left to wander aimlessly. However, I also understand that sometimes special circumstances dictate the schedule of your day, and downtime is unavoidable. If you know there is going to be downtime, try to provide your guests with some options, especially if they are unfamiliar with the area: local points of interests, nearby parks, perhaps even a favorite bar or two. Even if they don't take advantage of your suggestions and opt to just hang out in their hotel room, they'll appreciate that you took the time to give them some guidance.
Have a welcome bag for them when they check into the hotel.
This requires a little bit of coordination with the hotels that your have rooms reserved at, but your guests will definitely appreciate the effort. Darrell and I did this for our wedding, and all we had to do was tell the front desk that whenever anyone checked in who had made a reservation in our block of rooms that they should be given a small goodie bag in addition to their room key. Not only are these welcome bags a good way to provide your guests with information about local things to do as well as detailed maps of the area, but you can also slip in a few goodies for the weary travelers: a bottle of water, trail mix, chocolate, etc. It can also be helpful to provide them with a person's contact information in case they have any difficulty navigating to wedding events; you may be difficult to get a hold of on your big day (and guests might feel bad calling you anyway), so provide them with the number of a trusted friend or family member who can help direct people who get lost.
Most guests will consider it an honor and a privilege to celebrate your wedding with you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't acknowledge the sacrifices they made to be in attendance. Do what you can to make sure they know their presence is appreciated--because trust me, the whole wedding day will go by so fast that you may not get the personal time with all your guests that you would like.
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