Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (& Not-So-Bookish) Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous. Head on over to link up and join in on the conversation!

1. Lately, Iʻve been feeling like my whole life is in a slump. My anxiety has been pretty active lately. Anxiety = Me feeling like Iʻm a bad mom/fiance/person = Borderline depression = Makes everything else worse. I know that I just need to "ride this wave" but itʻs still so hard. Especially with certain things that have been going on lately. I am holding on for the light at the end of the tunnel.

2. All of this anxiety has contributed to why I havenʻt been around the blog lately. I try to do this post at the very least, but I wasnʻt even really in much of a mood to write this post out. Ah well...weʻre already here, so I may as well push on through! But if I donʻt/havenʻt been commenting on blog posts as much as I usually do, now you know why.

3. Now is the time that I would usually share what Iʻm currently reading, but I donʻt think Iʻm actually reading much of anything right now. Nothing really has caught my attention lately. Huh...weird. I think Iʻm gonna have to browse the Nook store to find something that does catch my interest.

4. I just finished reading The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry and I really enjoyed it. It wasnʻt quite what I was expecting, but it was good nonetheless.

5. Little Miss received a whole bunch of books in her Easter baskets, but her favorite thus far is Too Purpley by Jean Reidy. Itʻs perfect for my girl who hates wearing clothes...haha! I want to get the rest of the books in the collection. My Aunty did good!

6. Itʻs Merrie Monarch week in Hawaii! Merrie Monarch is a Hula exhibition/competition held every spring in Hawaii to celebrate Hula and King David Kalakaua, the Hawaiian king who brought Hula back into the mainstream after the dance was almost lost to Christian missionaries (interesting story-you should look it up!). Hula girls are a real thing, yʻall! But they donʻt belong dancing on your dashboard in coconut bras and grass skirts. Check out the video above to see real hula girls in their element.

7. Iʻm actually feeling a little better after writing this post. Thank you for reading my blog. Knowing that there are people out there who care what I have to say (even when I donʻt have much to say at all) makes me feel a lot better. If youʻve gotten this far leave a comment telling me what words of wisdom you tell yourself when you need some encouraging -- I could really use it!

8. Another thing that made me feel better today: I stopped by my old job today and was able to visit with my old co-workers and kids--with the kiddo in tow. I miss them so much! And being surrounded by people I love lifted my spirits so much.

9. I have been thinking about pre-school and teaching so much lately. I love being a stay at home mom and know that, right now, that is what is best for baby & I. But I canʻt help but miss my kiddos and being in the classroom. I feel like thereʻs something so special about being a teacher to these young souls. Plus, the classroom was always my happy place--there was never a bad mood that couldnʻt be fixed by a smiling kid.

10. Since Iʻm in between books right now, I need some suggestions! What are some books that youʻve read (recently or otherwise) that you really, really enjoyed?

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

1. Itʻs allergy season again. Yay?! Since Hawaii only has like 2 seasons I judge them by whether or not my allergies are going crazy. It is officially allergy season. BONUS: I think the kid has allergies, too. So itʻs fun times all around. I am allergic to grass, smoke, and vog. Lately, the vog has been so bad that weʻve had to keep all our windows and doors closed, otherwise my eyes swell up and I can barely see.

2. I have been seriously considering going back to school online to finish up my Early Childhood Education degree, but Iʻm worried about my grades from my previous school and how that might affect an admission decision. And actually paying for school. This is something that Iʻll definitely have to pray about.

3. Josh is super excited about Batman vs. Superman coming out this weekend....Iʻm kinda meh about it. Give me Civil War already!!!

4. Speaking of Josh, itʻs his birthday this weekend! On Sunday, actually! He has to work on Sunday, so Iʻm pretty bummed out...and we were supposed to do something on Wednesday (his normal day off) but he had to work then, too! Weʻll figure something out, Iʻm sure.

5. I think I pulled a muscle in my shoulder. :/ It hurts so bad! But I donʻt know how I did. Go figure, haha.

6. I am currently reading Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. It is seriously FUNNY and pretty inspiring as well. I own her first book as well, but have yet to read it. Iʻll probably read it as soon as Iʻm done with this one. If you havenʻt yet, go pick up one of her books or check out her blog.

7. Iʻve been seriously slacking on the reviews front. I just havenʻt been in the review writing mood...nor do I have a lot of time to actually write reviews. I have like 3 books waiting to be reviewed...maybe Iʻll do ʻem today (doubt it).

8. This ecard is 100% ME:

Particularly me this week when we went to Target to grocery shop and left with 0 groceries, but like $50 worth of toys for the kiddo and my cousins. Thank God for coupons! We actually only spent about $30.

9. Honeyʻs favorite read this week is Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger. We picked it up from the library earlier this week. It is so funny! Even Daddy and I are enjoying it.

10. Josh says that I need to take an actual break where I do nothing...I donʻt really know what thatʻs like, haha. But maybe he has a point, so Iʻm gonna go figure out what taking a break is like...See yʻall next week!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. Head on over to see what Bookish (and non-bookish thoughts) sheʻs thinking & to join the conversation!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Bookishly Boisterous where you can talk about anything going on in your life-bookish or not! Head on over to link up & join in the conversation.

(Source)

1. I donʻt know about yʻall, but new lipstick always make me feel about 100% better about life. I got some new Spring colored lipstick in the mail and I am on top of the world. Even though I hardly ever wear makeup/only my kid sees me in makeup haha.

2. Spring cleaning is upon us and I hate it already! I donʻt know how we accumulated so much stuff but I hate trying to figure out where to put it or what to do with it. Also, every time I try to throw something away, I am overruled so thatʻs annoying.

3. Also, the kid has soooo much stuff! How does one tiny person have SO much stuff?!?! Oh yeah...she has a mother who is addicted to Amazon. Oops.

4. We are finally taking the cloth diaper leap! We bought a bundle of 10 diapers from Amazon (oh look...thereʻs that place again) to get started and to see if itʻs something that we want to do full time. Iʻm kinda obsessed with how freaking CUTE the diapers are! Plus, they were such a good price on Amazon. I canʻt wait to try ʻem out!

5. I am currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. Iʻm really enjoying it! Itʻs so funny and actually pretty intense, too. Iʻm only about halfway through, but I canʻt put it  down because I really, really want to know what happens in the end! Is the movie as good as the book? Josh and I are planning on watching the movie once Iʻm done with the book.

6. I just finished reading Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern and Iʻm surprised at how much I ended up liking it. Iʻve heard a lot of mixed reviews for it, so I wasnʻt sure if I would like it much at all. Iʻm glad I picked it up. Itʻs a really sweet story.

7. We have been adding to our Hawaiian Language book collection! Since this picture was taken, weʻve added about 8 books to our collection and Iʻm so happy about that! I speak Hawaiian and I really want Honey to speak the language as well, we practice every day using conversational Hawaiian and through reading our Hawaiian language books!

8. Honey has a pretty big collection of 5-Minute Stories books. I like the fact that there are lots of different stories in one book. Honey loves the pictures. We both love that theyʻre short enough for her to actually sit through one (or two). We read at least one story a night as a family. Our current favorite is Precious Moments 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury.

9. I took the kiddo to see the Easter Bunny this week. She was so good! She didnʻt cry and she was in a pretty good mood for the actual picture. Sheʻs been in a mood lately so I was afraid that she might not like the Easter Bunny at all but she did very well. Plus, how cute is she in her little Easter dress?

10. Since cutting my hair, I prefer using it straight...it makes me feel good. But I have a hard time straightening the hair in the back of my head because  itʻs so short. So I had Josh do it for me! It was so funny! It was his first time ever straightening hair (of course) and he was so worried that he was going to burn me. But he did a good job (and no one got burnt). I wish I had gotten a picture though!

11. The internet on my computer has been extremely buggy lately. Sometimes, the router just will not connect to my computer at all! Itʻs super annoying and delaying all of my blogging stuff...like the post that I was supposed to on Wednesday. I think itʻs time for a good router...ours is so old! Suggestions?

12. How about a Throwback Thursday video? So...every year, my high school hosts a Song Contest which is exactly as it sounds. Each grade competes in a singing competition of Hawaiian music. Itʻs broadcast across the state of Hawaii (and now online) every year and itʻs a pretty big/well known tradition here. This yearʻs Song Contest is on Friday. Hereʻs a video of the class of 2008 Senior Women (my class) singing a song about Hawaiʻi during our last Song Contest.

What have you all been up to lately? Whatʻre you currently reading?

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Bookishly Boisterous.

1. That is basically how Iʻve been feeling all week. Iʻm in a kinda bleh, IRL slump mood. Iʻll get over it soon, but for now I am content to curl up in bed with a good book and my kid and forget that I have responsibilities and what not.

2. Iʻm currently reading The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig, which was one of my most anticipated books this year (mostly because it takes place partially in old Hawaii...how cool is that?!), but Iʻm just not feeling it right now. Iʻm sure itʻs because of the mood that Iʻm in because it is interesting Iʻm just weird.

3. Jelly bean season is in full force around here and I am loving it! I love the seasonal jelly bean flavors that come with Spring/Easter. I canʻt wait until the sales come so I can stock up on ALL THE JELLY BEANS! Haha.

4. We had a city wide black out last night due to high winds in our area and it got me thinking...what do kids these days (who spend the majority of their time playing on their devices) do when the power goes out and they donʻt have electricity to charge their devices? My phone died halfway in to the blackout, but we spent our time reading books, making shadow puppets, and telling funny stories. It was fun! And I was a little sad when the electricity came back on.

5. We finally finished our little library! Iʻll be posting a library tour next week, but hereʻs a little sneak peak.

6. I am almost done shopping for Easter basket fillings for my baby and nieces! Just waiting on an Amazon order and then itʻll be time to get things assembled!

7. I haaaate calling the bank. Actually, I hate calling anywhere that you have to wait in line for a representative. I donʻt have time to wait. Also, Honey definitely starts screaming as soon as get to talk to an actual person and we all know how fun that is.

8. I chopped all of my hair off on Monday! Itʻs sooooo short! A little shorter than I wanted but eh, hair grows back. Anyway, Iʻm kinda struggling with ways to style it so any (and all) hairstyle tutorials for short hair is much appreciated.

9. I love this article about extraordinary women in Hawaiian history. I definitely think that we need to take time to learn about the women who have influenced our lives and history, especially in our individual cultures. I love learning about influential Hawaiian women because I would like to be one of them one day. We spent International Womenʻs Day reading about my favorite Hawaiian women.

10. Has anyone else been keeping up with the new writing that J.K. Rowling is releasing on Pottermore this week? Itʻs definitely interesting to learn more about her wizarding world in North America but I know that thereʻs been some controversy surrounding the Native American Culture and how she used it in her writing. A lot of Native Americans do not appreciate how she basically explained away their culture beliefs to fit into her wizarding world and I definitely see where theyʻre coming from. I would be upset, too, if someone tried to explain away my culture for the purpose of world building. I mean...itʻs a culture not a plot line. Still love Jo, though. 

Thatʻs all this week! What have you all been up to? Share below or head over to Christineʻs blog to link up!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

1. Sick Update: Sooo....baby has a slight ear infection. I took her to the doctor last Friday even though she was showing signs of feeling better and it turns out that she had a slight build up of mucus behind her ears. If she was a bit older, the doctor would have let her body fight off the infection by itself but to give her (and us) some relief a little quicker, she was given Amoxicillin. 

2. Ear infections run in my family, unfortunately, so Iʻm now preparing for a lifetime of ear infections in the kid. A bunch of family members had tubes in their ears as children to help with ear infections. And even in adulthood, I get diagnosed with ear infections every so often. Ear infections are no fun...I feel for my kid!

3. A slight ear infection is not stopping my kid, though! She is having a blast pulling herself to stand at any chance she gets. This week, I even caught her trying to escape her swimming pool. Was it cute? Of course. Am I ready for escaping yet? Not in the slightest.

Basically Josh in a nutshell.

4. We are huge nerds in our house. Joshʻs fandom of choice is Pokemon (and I like Pokemon, too...just not as much as him, haha). Since weʻre celebrating Pokemon being around 20 years in 2016, we have been on Pokemon overload lately! Most recently, Game Freak announced that the new game being released this year will be called Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. Weʻre both super excited! Thereʻs even speculation that the game will be inspired by Hawaii which would be so cool! Game Freak also released Pokemon Blue, Red, and Yellow on the 3DS and 2DS. 

5.  I am currently reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. I started reading it last week and Iʻm still not even close to done! Itʻs such a deep and heavy book that I can only read a few pages at a time before I get overwhelmed (also because the baby needs my attention...so thereʻs that).

6. I recently downloaded Audible because Iʻve got a free 3-month trial with my Amazon Prime subscription. Iʻm not really one for audiobooks, I think itʻs because I am a visual learner rather than an auditory learner and itʻs much easier for me to retain and understand information when Iʻm looking at it. But hey, I get 3 free audiobooks so I may as well give it a try, right? Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, what books would you recommend that I try out?

7. We had a blast reading through some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books today to celebrate Dr. Seussʻ birthday and Read Across America Day! We also ate cake...well, I did...because itʻs not a birthday party without cake, right?

8. How about a little throwback Thursday? One of my high school BFFs was recently looking for pictures of us from our sophomore year and that sparked a fun little look down memory lane. Iʻm ending this post with a (probably embarrassing) throwback picture from high school! Ah 2006...you were good to me. Haha

This was definitely taken on a disposable camera. Remember when you actually had to carry a CAMERA around when you wanted to take pics? What kind of dinosaur era were we living in? lol

Iʻm linking up with Bookishly Boisterous today to talk bookish and non-bookish stuff. Head on over to join the conversation!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Itʻs that time of the week again! As usual, Iʻm linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous.

01. Remember last week when I tried really, really hard to keep the baby sanitized so she wouldnʻt get sick? Well.....she got sick. Sheʻs got a nasty cough and I feel so bad for her. :( I hate hearing her cough!

02. I had my yearly physical this Monday and, thankfully, everything checked out! I was not pleased about doing blood work but Iʻm glad that everything came back normal. Other than the bit of baby fat that Iʻve kept on since delivering the kid, Iʻm good!

03. Whoever said you lose all your baby weight when youʻre breast feeding LIED. At least my weight has been steady since delivery.

04. I wanted to start doing Momma and Baby yoga this week but since Honey is sick, itʻs currently just Momma yoga.

05. That is an updated #shelfie of Honeyʻs book shelves! Of course, sheʻs got books scattered throughout the house but those are the ones that I was able to gather up and put back today. Normally, those books are scattered all over the place but since I was cleaning, I had to snap a pic! Iʻve been collecting books for her since well before she was born or even thought of...and she gets a new book every other week or so. I love her book collection! I probably wonʻt love packing it all up when itʻs time to GTFO of here.

06. I am currently reading two books--The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill (physical copy) and Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray (ebook). I normally have the hardest time reading 2 (or more) books at once, but hey a mommaʻs gotta do what a mommaʻs gotta do!

07. I just realized that I borrowed the large print copy of Station Eleven from the library and now Iʻm not sure if I want to read it in that format or not. Iʻm kinda afraid that the larger print will somehow throw me off...IDK?!

08. Today, we decided to sign up for the Day Zero Project as a family! I did it before...back when I was single (and young) and I really enjoyed it! Iʻm super excited to do one as a family. Check out our current list here--we donʻt have 101 goals yet cause weʻre still deciding on ʻem but weʻre almost there!

09. I love this article about breastfed babies and weight gain. My little one is considered below average for her age range, but she is consistent in her growth which we are all (including her doctor) happy about. Since sheʻs a bit tall compared to her weight she looks skinnier and people often comment on if sheʻs getting enough to eat. SO ANNOYING! Adults come in different shapes and sizes, why should we expect differently from babies?!

10. Tonight, I made the most delicious crock-pot chicken and rice (no humble brag here...just a regular one, haha). And I didnʻt even use a particular recipe! Iʻm pretty proud of myself cause I tend to stick to the recipe quite a bit but what I was going to make originally didnʻt work out. So I used what I had and made something great! Iʻll share the recipe sometime soon!

QOTW: What was your favorite book to read as a child? If you have children, what is your favorite book to read with your kids? Iʻm always looking for recs to add to my daughterʻs shelf!

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts.

1. The past two days have been a doooooozie (extra os for emphasis). On Monday night, I was hit with a huge migraine, itʻs been ages since my last migraine, that pretty much kept me down for the count through Tuesday. And on Tuesday night, my throat started hurting and quickly after that all the usual cold symptoms started attacking. I hate being sick.

2. Thankfully, Josh stayed home these past two days to help take care of Honey and to force me to rest even though the busy body Mama in me wants to keep pushing through and getting stuff done. He reminded me that if I donʻt want the baby to get sick then I have to focus on getting better. Today, I stayed in bed (or in a warm bath) while he took care of the kid, the house, and me. Four for you, Josh Coco!

3. Being a sick momma still means nursing the baby, playing with the baby (because she doesnʻt want to go to her daddy), making sure the baby naps, and keeping the baby clean. And also trying really hard not to dump full bottles of hand sanitizer on her to try to keep her from getting this bug.

4. Also, did I mention that Josh has also had a cold the past few days, too? And yet his main priority is making sure that weʻre ok...Go Daddy! We love him!

5. Ok, ok...enough sick talk. Being in bed has allowed me ample time to get my read on. Iʻm currently reading The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. This is my second time attempting to read it and Iʻm enjoying it much more this time around...I think the last time I tried, life just got too busy...it was literally the week before I gave birth and I didnʻt have the energy to focus on the book.

6. I am also reading A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray on my Nook, normally at night before I fall asleep. I am also really enjoying this one! Multiple dimensions! And history! And romance! And mystery! So fun.

7. I bought this Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Journal and now I kinda want one for myself, haha. I loooooved guided journals as a kid...heck, I even enjoy them as an adult! Yʻall wouldnʻt judge me if I bought one for myself, right? :P

8. Iʻm 99% sure that I will be participating in the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Kimberly over at Caffeinated Book Reviewer next month. I seriously have SO MANY BOOKS which I own that I need to read. This challenge/readathon thing will definitely be a good way to tackle that. Iʻll be posting more details about it when the time comes.

9. I had like 11,000 rewards points from my bank which I had no idea about until last week. I had to trade those points in by March 31 or I would lose them. I traded them in for two $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards. Because...#life.

10. Other than that, though, I am on a serious book buying ban until I make a healthy dent in the books I already own. Iʻm also not allowed to go to the library until April at least. Of course, websites like BookOutlet.com and Bookdepository.com make it really, really hard to lay off the books....donʻt even get me started on Barnes & Noble.

11. We are currently looking in to cloth diapering options and I would LOVE any opinions, Mamas, if youʻve got any! Weʻre a little nervous because, at first glance, it all seems soooo expensive but we know itʻll be worth it in the long run. I will gladly take any and all suggestions/opinions...as long as youʻre nice about it :D

12. I have been seriously, seriously craving a Disney World trip. We were even planning one for the fall, but with all the other plans that we have in our immediate future, I think itʻs best we keep that trip on the back burner for now. We are definitely lucky that we have Aulani right down the road from us, but I still miss my Main Street home away from home.

What bookish or not-so-bookish things are on your mind this week? For more Bookish/Non-Bookish thoughts & fun, check out Bookishly Boisterous and link up with us--we donʻt bite!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Like every Thursday, Iʻm linking up with Bookishly Boisterous. Head on over to share your own bookish or not-so-bookish thoughts!

1. That is like 500% me. Oops.

2. Speaking of...today, I bought Red Queen and Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard in  hardback..even though I own both of those in ebook form on my Nook. Why? Because Costco was selling a signed first edition of Glass Sword for $10.99 and I didnʻt want it to be lonely on my shelf. I obviously have issues.

3. I have been buying way too many books on my Nook lately. I have a few gift cards from my birthday so at least Iʻm not actually spending too much but Iʻve already got so many books that I have to read...ah well. The more the merrier, right?

4. I signed up for the Love for Books Readathon over at Novel Heartbeat and Iʻm doing pretty well, even though I may have made my goals a little too big, haha.

5. Iʻm sure youʻve all heard about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child being released in book form this summer. Am I the only one who couldnʻt breathe for a moment or two after reading all about that? 

6. My Best Friend from my Disney College Program is in Hawaii and came to visit me! We spent the day at Disney Aulani (because when youʻre a Disney person, where else are you gonna go?) floating around in the lazy river and hanging out in the hot tub. Honey had a great time and I was so excited to see Meagan! Just a few more months until we are reunited again for her wedding!

7. My Aunty and cousin are also visiting this week. They get in tomorrow afternoon and are staying until next Friday. I am so excited to see them! 

8. All this visiting does not give me a lot of time to read, though. Or blog for that matter. But itʻs ok....Iʻd rather spend my time making memories anyway.

9. I am always looking to extend my daughters book collection...not that she needs it, she owns hundreds of books and sheʻs only 6 months old, hah. Anyway, what are your favorite kid book recommendations? 

10. Ah...the kid has awoken for a midnight snack. Better get her back to bed! Goodnight :D

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

Itʻs Thursday and you know what that means...Iʻll be linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous and sharing some bookish and non-bookish thoughts.

1. Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series and The Siren (which was released on January 26) aka one of my favorite authors of all time re-tweeted a picture of my kid. So basically, my kid is now twitter famous! But seriously, I was so excited when she RTʻed the picture of Honey checking out The Siren, I may have jumped up and down squealing for joy while said kid looked at me like I was crazy.

2. News flash, kid: Your mother is definitely crazy. And a fangirl. So, sorry Iʻm not sorry.

3. I am currently reading two books, which is very much unlike me but I had to go with two just for now. I first started reading Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor but it was making me dream weird dreams so I also had to pick up Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus to help balance everything out. Welcome to Night Vale is about a strange town in the dessert called Night Vale where weird things happen all the time. Nanny Returns is the sequel to The Nanny Diaries, which I read a few weeks ago and NEEDED resolution from, so hereʻs my resolution :D

4. So did you guys see that thing about the old Pottermore test possibly being wrong due to the need to keep houses equal for the house cup on the old Pottermore website? Itʻs probably old news but I just heard about it and promptly freaked out because WHO AM I IF I AM NOT A HUFFLEPUFF?! I retook the new and improved quiz, fully prepared to cry, but that wasnʻt necessary. I am definitely a Hufflepuff.

5. At 5 this morning, some woman was outside on the street screaming in front of the house of one of my neighbors. Since our bedroom window faces the street, we heard everything. Apparently, the womanʻs girlfriend was inside the house cheating on her with the lady that lives there. So she was screaming and hitting a car with a bottle...at 5 this morning. I mean..REALLY?! Honey was already half awake but I was trying to nurse her back to sleep and that definitely did not help. Next time someone wakes up my kid, THEY are going to be the ones to put her back to sleep. J.K. I donʻt want those crazies in my house.

6. But seriously people, donʻt cheat. Donʻt cheat on your partners. Donʻt cheat on your homework. Donʻt cheat during games. Just donʻt cheat. Cheating gets you nowhere and it only ends up hurting you and/or the people you love.

7. How do you decide what youʻre going to read next? I had a TBR jar once upon a time but I epically failed at using it. If I didnʻt like the book that I picked, I would keep picking until I got one that I wanted (see, cheating is bad). I am more of an emotional reader and normally Iʻll just go with whatever I feel like reading depending on my mood.

8. I feel like all of my most anticipated 2015 reads are coming out this month. Which basically means that I will have no money for anything. lol...Oops!

9. Was that ecard made by my child?! Haha...just kidding, herʻs would say that sheʻs tired, too. My kid is the queen of fighting her sleep. Itʻs almost like she hates missing out on things...not that sheʻll miss much cause Iʻm not very interesting when sheʻs sleeping. Anyway, in addition to waking up at 5am, she also took only 3 naps today that lasted 30 minutes each...maybe. So yeah, Iʻm tired.

10. We have been trying so, so, so hard to get her on a routine with sleeping. Look, I donʻt care if sheʻs awake 2 or 3 times a night to nurse...we mostly dream feed anyway. I donʻt care if sheʻs not sleeping through the night right now. I just want her to get the sleep that she needs instead of spending the whole evening being grumpy. I know itʻll take some time, but Iʻm hoping this whole routine thing works.

11. Iʻm pretty sure that only moms get excited when a kid poops. TMI? Sorry! Haha. But seriously, my kid hasnʻt popped in a day or so and Iʻm getting a little worried. Plus an overtired kid who is also constipated is not my favorite thing.

12. I havenʻt finished one book at all this week and Iʻm feeling a little guilty. Iʻm feeling a bit of a reading slump coming along, but Iʻm gonna treat this like a cold and just push through it and keep reading. Iʻll make it out alive...hopefully.

Whatʻs going on with you all? Do you have any crazy neighbor (or just crazy people in general) stories you wanna share? Iʻd love to hear ʻem...mostly because I want to feel like Iʻm not alone with the crazies, haha.

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Whatʻs up, blogosphere? Happy Thursday! As usual, Iʻll be linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous and sharing some of my own bookish & not-so-bookish thoughts.

1. I made a banner-thing! Itʻs not fancy at all because, as of right now, Iʻve only got Paint on my computer...but I am also downloading GIMP so maybe Iʻll make fancier creations in the future. But who needs fancy anyway?

2. What are your favorite places to get free fonts? I am kinda obsessed with fonts and Iʻm on the lookout for some cute ones! Let me know if you have any go-to places for fonts or what your favorite type of fonts are. Iʻm partial to handwritten ones!

3. I hate, hate, hate gassy tummies...both in the kid and in myself. Thatʻs probably an overshare, haha, but it is pure TRUTH. Lots and lots of water usually helps calm an irritated tummy for me. What remedies do you use to take care of tummy troubles?

4. So, the kid has been sleeping exclusively with us for almost two months now. I do love bed sharing, but I am so ready to get her to sleep back in her crib! Do you know how much space a 15 lb baby actually takes up?! Hint: itʻs a lot.

5. Iʻm #currentlyreading (why did I just hashtag that? I donʻt know..) Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. Itʻs been years since Iʻve read a Sarah Dessen book. Like...I want to say at least 7 years. I loved Sarah Dessen books in High School but eased off on them as I got older because they really do appeal mostly to high schoolers. But Iʻve heard great things about this book and I am enjoying it so far.

6. I just finished reading Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. If you havenʻt picked it up yet, I strongly encourage you to! I just tried to explain what the book is about in one sentence but I erased it because I did not do it justice...so just check it out on Goodreads.

7. I need to do my first reading challenges update post soon...but Iʻm soooo lazy. Meh. Iʻll get around to it...eventually. Mwahahaha...

8. For my birthday, I asked Josh for books, but I told him that I wanted him to choose the books and not to just give me money to pick out the books myself. He picked Passenger by Alexandra Bracken and An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. He did goooood.

9. We started KonMari-ing our crap stuff last weekend. I ended up getting rid of 4 bags and 1 box full of clothes, accessories, shoes, and books. I feel pretty damn good about it, but we still have such a long way to go!

10. The kidʻs new favorite thing to do is play on the computer. And by ʻplay on the computerʻ I mean she likes to hit all the keys, the screen, basically anything she can touch while Iʻm trying to write blog posts...so that means Momma doesnʻt blog until after the kid is asleep!

11. We also just took her to her six month check up this week! First of all, I canʻt believe sheʻs been around for six months now!! I kinda wish that time would slow down just a little bit. Anyway, she weighs 15 pounds, is 25 inches long, and is developing very well! She currently likes to throw herself at me when she wants to be picked up and pulling herself up by hanging on to my shirt. This is such a fun age!

12. Iʻve been thinking about starting a series on my blog where I do crafts based on books that Iʻve read recently. For example, if I just finished reading Harry Potter, I would do a craft where I make DIY wands and share it here on the blog. I would call it Books and Crafts. This is a pretty common thing that we do in preschool...read a book then do an art project based on the book...but I thought it would be fun to bring it to the ~adult world. What do you guys think? Is that something that you would be interested in seeing?

Have a happy Thursday!

Thoughts of the Bookish & Non-Bookish Variety

Happy Thursday, friends! As usual, Iʻm bringing yʻall some bookish and not-so-bookish thoughts today and linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous.

1. I went to the library today and definitely spent way too much time there. How do I know? I know because I came home with way too many books (see the picture above). Those arenʻt even all the books that I got! Not pictured are the books that I picked out for the baby and the book that I was reading while simultaneously taking the picture. No such thing as too many books, right?

2. Today, a poor little cat wandered up the road to our house. The poor cat is blind in both eyes and he looked so scared because the surroundings were unfamiliar. My neighbor was trying to gather him up to take him back down the road where he lives and she was saying that someone made him blind. How sad is that?!

3. Iʻm not really a cat person (because Iʻm allergic, unfortunately), but I am an animal  person and I believe that all animals deserve basic rights such as food, shelter, and someone to love them. Itʻs so  sad that this cat was harmed for whatever reason. Some people definitely should not be allowed around animals. 

4. My biggest reading pet peeve is when someone tries to talk to me while Iʻm reading. Josh has the bad habit of doing that...and so does my grandmother for that matter. And Iʻm just sitting there like ʻCANʻT YOU SEE THAT IʻM READING?!?! SHHHH!!!ʻ Itʻs especially annoying when Iʻm at a really good part of the book or even when Iʻm just really in to the book that Iʻm reading. What are your biggest reading pet peeves?

5. One of my goals this year is to write in my journal more often and Iʻm proud to say that Iʻve been doing a pretty good job at it! Letʻs hope that I keep up this streak.

6. Alan Rickmanʻs passing last week  has really been weighing on my heart. I was so sad to hear of his passing as Iʻm sure millions of other Potter fans were as well. Of course, I didnʻt know Alan Rickman personally but I feel like I grew up knowing him, primarily as Snape but also in his other films as I got older. I find comfort in knowing that he was so loved and that his memory will live on...always.

7. I am so stoked about Cinnamon Bun oreos! I want them so bad. 

8. Honey made her first trip to the library today and she loved it! I am so glad that she enjoys reading and that this is something that weʻll be able to share (hopefully) her whole life.

9. Iʻm currently reading The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma and it is so so interesting so far! I am super glad that I picked it up. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those books that I just wonʻt be able to put down...which may or may not be a good thing.

10. Weʻre also reading Harry Potter as a family. Weʻre only on Sorcererʻs Stone right now, but weʻre planning on going through the whole series together. Josh has never read the Harry Potter books and itʻs never to early to introduce a kid to the Harry Potter series! 

Bookish (And Not So Bookish Thoughts)

Happy Thursday! Iʻm linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous for todayʻs bookish (and not so bookish) thoughts.

1. After whatever was going on with my mood yesterday, I feel so much better. Hubbyʻs day off was today and he handled a lot of the baby duties today (minus the feedings, of course, haha) and he got a lot of stuff done around the house. And I was able to take a nice bath and shave my legs! It was nice. Thanks, bub!

2. I started reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo today and it is freaking MAGICAL. I only started this afternoon and Iʻm already halfway done. And I want to get on the whole tidying up thing already. Iʻve only heard amazing things about this from the people whoʻve read and actually done this method of cleaning. I actually cannot wait to get started.

3. Right now, my kid is completely crashed out and she hasnʻt cried for me to cuddle with her! Sheʻs been going through a developmental leap and itʻs been crazy. Sheʻs been up late, crying all night, comfort nursing all night. It has been....not fun at all. I donʻt want to jump to conclusions, but I think weʻre finally at the end of the road with the craziness. Hopefully that means weʻll go back to peaceful nights of sleep soon...and hopefully sheʻll sleep in her own bed again soon.

4. I am currently in the process of DIY-ing my own planner. Itʻs a pretty tedious process but Iʻm so excited to see the end result. Itʻs a mix between a regular planner and a bullet journal. So excited to actually start using it.

5. Iʻm also reading The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Iʻve only just started this one as well, but itʻs so good so far. Thereʻs a bit of mystery in it and I have NO IDEA what is going on yet. And that is amazing in my book.

6. Hubs also made me feel so much better by bringing home chocolate and chips. Such a good guy, right? Heʻs always been good about those time-of-the-month cravings. He drives me absolutely nuts but heʻs a good guy.

7. We went to a Discover Preschool event on Saturday and it was pretty awesome. As a preschool teacher myself, I know that itʻs never too soon to prepare the Honey for preschool. I think for now weʻre going to put her into some Parent Inclusive programs so that she and I can socialize with other babies and mommas!

8. LOL. Sorry about the language, but that ecard is #truth.

9. So Iʻve been marathoning Baby Daddy on Netflix. And some other things, too. Like Jane the Virgin. I canʻt wait til Jane is back on TV! Basically, my life has been one big Netflix marathon since Iʻve been off of facebook. Itʻs fun, haha.

10. Kid is STILL sleeping. WHAT?! I definitely think that weʻre coming into the clear now. But I also need to head off to bed before she wakes up.

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

Getting back into the swing of things & linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous!

01. Even though Iʻve been trying hard to get back at this whole blogging thing, Iʻve decided that I wonʻt beat myself up too much (or at all) if I donʻt get around to blogging every day...or even if I donʻt have much to say. Itʻs the holidays, yo. I (just like some of you, Iʻm sure) donʻt have time to sit at the computer all day and thatʻs perfectly ok!

02. I feel like Ben and Leslie will always be one of my favorite TV couples. They just kill me with adorbz-ness every freaking time. And Iʻve watched this TV show a lot.

03. Lately, I have been freakishly obsessed with organizing my Pinterest board down to the detail. So Iʻve been re-organizing and splitting my boards into more specific boards. For example, my food board has now been separated into 15 different boards including boards for breakfast, lunch, dinner, crockpot meals, soups, and more. I am crazy.

04. I have also been obsessed with crossword and fill-it-in puzzles. Once again, I am crazy.

05. Anyway, all of this watching Parks & Rec and Pinterest reorganizing and crossword doing and life living leaves me very little time for actual reading. At least thatʻs what Iʻm blaming my current reading slump on.

06. I actually am reading The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Itʻs pretty interesting thus far and I like it, Iʻm just so distracted by other things to really get into it. I need to put reading into my daily plan.

07. I am currently looking for 2016 Reading Challenges. Iʻve looked into the PopSugar one as well as a few others, but I still havenʻt narrowed any down yet. Of course, Iʻm going to do the Goodreads challenge, just cause I do it every year but I want to back away from just hitting a certain number. Do you do reading challenges? I am taking suggestions!

08. My favorite dancer, Ian Eastwood,  just dropped the worldʻs first dance video mix tape. Head over and check it out! Itʻs seriously amazing.

09. Shout out to all the parents who have been making Christmas happen for generations! This is my first year actually doing Christmas. Iʻve just had to enjoy Christmas before! But I want Honey to enjoy her first Christmas, which means this Momma is actually organizing Christmas this year. That means decorating, present wrapping, meal planning, and all that good stuff. It is hard work! So props, parents!

10. Iʻm currently in the process of drawing up a 2016 TBR and I would love your suggestions--whatʻs on your list?

Bookish + Not So Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous!

01. I think it's about time for my annual Facebook Fast in which I try to stay off a FB for a while. There is way too much negativity on that thing with Current Events and it's just too much for me.

02. I am all for people having their own opinions. I personally believe that it is healthy and important for people to form their own decisions about things. I think that it's important to voice your opinions and to stand up for what you believe in. I think voicing good, factual opinions helps other people to form their own opinions and decisions and can lead to healthy, constructive discussion. I DO NOT think that it is okay to yell at or ridicule or demean someone else just because their opinion is different from yours!

(Source)

03. That being said, I also think that if we spent more time voicing our opinions to our government leaders than voicing them on FB maybe something actually could get done. No matter what your stance on the issue are, nothings going to happen if you only choose to complain on FB...complaining on social media honestly helps no one. Take all that energy/time you're wasting on social media and actually write to the government! You can contact the White House here or learn how to contact your individual state government officials here.

04. Alright...enough with the politics...I just needed to get that stuff off my shoulders. So yesterday, I watched BuzzFeed video's YouTube videos about people revisiting their first Instagram photos and their first Facebook profile pictures. Here are mine: 

(Facebook: Oh, sweet 20-year-old Tasia and Puppy!Lady...how cute and young were you two? Also...those eyebrows, doe. Thankfully we make better eyebrow choices now.)

(Instagram: 23y.o. Tasia is seriously cute...and that HAIR doe.)

05. I feel like it's taking me so long to get through books lately....I don't really know how to get out of this whole slump thing. I guess time will tell.

06. Yesterday was Mickey and Minnie's 87th birthday! Can you believe that they've been around for 87 years?! I can't even imagine my life without Mickey and Minnie (or Disney), let alone imagine the world without them. One day I'll celebrate their birthday with them....

07. I've been spending a lot of time looking at Bridesmaids dresses online lately in preparation for my BFF's wedding next September. I've found a few that I like but I don't really want to commit until I've actually tried something on...which is extremely difficult when you live in Hawaii where resources are seriously limited. I need to get on it, though...September is going to be here in no time at all!

08. I seriously, seriously need to make myself a TBR jar. I've been looking at a few on Pinterest and around the bloggy-web and I have been inspired! Plus, maybe it'll help with my whole No-Book-Buying thing...

09. I want to cut my hair because I don't think I've actually gotten a hair cut for 2 years now. My hair is ridiculously long and while I do love it, it's also ridiculously hot. And Honey is learning how to pull Mommy's hair. So I think it's time for a cut...but I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

10. I am trying to put together a gift list for Josh. He's a huge gamer geek who loves Pokemon and playing video games. The catch: It needs to be under $20! Help??

Bookish/Not-so-Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Christine

01. Throwing in a bit of a #TBT with that picture even though it isnʻt even Christmas yet (but it is Thursday) because a) I miss those girls and b) I miss that bow...and that outfit. Thatʻs from when I worked at Disney World back in 2013...that was our costume during Christmas parties! TAKE ME BACK.

02. Iʻm actually really tired so weʻll see how far I get with this whole thoughts thing because, honestly, Iʻm not thinking about much at all right now.

03. Currently, I am in a kinda weird reading mood type thing. I wouldnʻt call it a slump because itʻs not that I donʻt want to read...itʻs more that Iʻm taking much longer than usual to get through books and Iʻm a little annoyed by that. I am not a speed reader at all, but I do usually read a bit faster than what Iʻm reading right now. Might have something to do with a certain 3 month old taking up my time but...eh.

04. Honey and I spend a lot of time reading together. Most of the time, Iʻll just read whatever I happen to be reading to her but last week, I read her books to her since Iʻve been cleaning out her bookshelves. That may have something to do with the weird mood Iʻve been in.

05. Today, we had a double baby shower at my job for two of my co-workers! Theyʻre both having/had baby boys. It was so much fun to hang out with each other outside of work (not that I work very often anyway lol) and to just enjoy each otherʻs company. And to celebrate the new additions to the ʻohana of course! Plus, Honey had lots of Aunties to play with and to carry her.

06. I have been speaking Hawaiian to Lilia when weʻre by ourselves during the day. I definitely should have started when she was born, but 3 months isnʻt too late at all! I really want her to speak some kind of language other than English and since Hawaiian is the language that I know, Hawaiian it will be!

Annnnd my brain is going to sleep now! So 6 is all the thoughts I have for today. Whatʻs on your mind?