January Wrap Up

I have read a total of 13 books this month. That is including the books that I read to the girls during school days. I will be adding some cover pictures and the ones I read with the girls will be listed. I didn't get to finish 2 books that I had on my January TBR, but I still did amazing. My GoodReads goal for the year is 100.

Books read in January:

1. Aliens Don't Wear Braces: Debbie Dadey
2. The Girl in the Box series: Robert J. Crane

3. The Reptile Room: Lemony Snicket
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Stieg Larsson

5. The Wide Window: Lemony Snicket
6. Genies Don't Ride Bicycles: Debbie Dadey
7. The Sun Is Also A Star: Nicola Yoon

8. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle: Betty MacDonald
9. The Miserable Mill: Lemony Snicket
10. The Girl Who Played With Fire: Stieg Larsson

11. The Austere Academy: Lemony Snicket
12. Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses: Debbie Dadey
13. Human Acts: Han Kang

I will be posting my February TBR in the next few days. Let me know in the comments what ya'll have read this month and let's chat!

Goodnight. XOXO

Freebie Haul 1/23- 1/28

Like I predicted, it was another small haul for the week. The cats got some more goodies and then more magazines and then we got the girls free pizza to end the week.

Monday: Luna and President Snow got a toy that they were supposed to get for Christmas

Kong Kickeroo from Purina Cat Rewards

Tuesday: The cats once again got some goodies in the form of food.

Hill's Science Diet ideal balance cat food Crowdkit from CrowdTap

Wednesday: No Freebies

Thursday: No Freebies

Friday: GO FALCONS!!!!

January 30, 2017 issue of Sports Illustrated

Saturday: A good freebie day, but the picture on the front of Us Weekly is creepy as hell. I would have chose a different pose, one less scary.

Pizza Hut personal pizzas redeemed by BookIt reading program

Ariana got cheese and Samantha and Adalyn had pepperoni.

February 6, 2017 issue of Us Weekly

Peanut Butter and Chocolate BSN Syntha-6 protein bars

School Week 23 Photo Diary

Another week in the books. Can't believe that it is the end of January. May will be here before we know it. I am starting to get that feeling again that they are not learning all that they need to know before they go on to their next grades next year. I am definitely going to be planning longer days until the end of the year and on our days off, we are going to be reviewing what we learned and all that. I didn't take many pictures this week and on Friday, there were no pictures taken.

Monday: Started the morning off with our usual work and they finally took their spelling test on the words that they have been doing for the last two weeks. I had a kitchen accident this morning and so what I did have plan, was pushed back and we didn't get much done. After their tests, Ariana did reading time and Samantha got one days worth of lessons done on Easy Peasy.

After the hour, they switched and Ariana only got a days worth of lessons done on her Easy Peasy and it didn't help my mood at all and that was when the doubts started for the week. To end the day, we started reading book 5 of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Tuesday: We had an early start to the day because I was still recovering from my kitchen accident and we watched 4 episodes of The Magic School Bus after they got their morning work out of the way.

Of course, after each episode we discussed what it was about and then they drew pictures of things from the episode and they are getting better with their drawing. Then they did reading time together.

To end the day, we read three more chapters of The Austere Academy. It is getting good. They like this one better than The Miserable Mill.

Wednesday: I let the girls decide what they wanted to do to begin our day. Ariana wanted to finish some worksheets that I had completely forgotten about and Samantha worked in her adult coloring book. The night before, they were siting at the kitchen tables and making letters for everyone and pretending to mail them. Well, during breakfast, they asked if we could learn more about the post office and how mail gets delivered and so we watched 30 minutes worth of videos on Postal Office workers on YouTube. After we got done with the videos and discussing it, they had their reading time.

After their reading time, we read chapters 7,8, and 9 of The Austere Academy. To end the day, Samantha did some more lessons on Reading Eggs Mathseeds and Ariana did some pages in her workbook.

Thursday: We had another early morning, so morning work was done and then we watched 4 episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy. They loves Bill Nye!!

laughing at one of Bill Nye's many jokes.

We also watched another YouTube video on Pocahontas Revealed and they really liked learning what is really true and what was not real in the cartoon. They talked my ear off with comparing the movie and the documentary. After the YouTube video, they had reading time and then we ended the day with reading the last 4 chapters of The Austere Academy.

Friday: I didn't take any pictures today because today just was not a good day. We all had attitudes and ugh. It was a hell of a day! We did start the day with reading Pirates Don't Wear Pink Sunglasses while we were eating breakfast. After we finished reading that, they did their morning work and then wanted to learn more about pirates. So we watched a video on Blackbeard because he was the most famous pirate and the book mentioned Blackbeard and his ship Queen Anne's Revenge.  They then did reading time and Easy Peasy separately. That is where our attitudes ran high and nothing went right.

I am going to be doing so thorough planning on Sunday for the upcoming week. We will be having a 4 day week because the girls will be having Tuesday off for dentist appointments.

Review: Human Acts by Han Kang

About the book: The story of this tragic episode unfolds in a sequence of interconnected chapters as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho’s best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho’s own grief-stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.

My Thoughts: I haven't felt such emotion from a book in a long time and I was really emotional with all of the points of view centered around this one boy who connected all these people together during this awful time in South Korea history. The soul's point of view to the types of torture the demonstrators endured. It was definitely a gripping, thrilling, upsetting account of a real piece of history. I had no idea that this event occurred and I did some research and learn more about it. 

About the author: Han Kang was born in 1970 in South Korea. In 1993 she made her literary debut as a poet, and was first published as a novelist in 1994. A participant in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Han has won the Man Booker International Prize, the Yi Sang Literary Prize, the Today’s Young Artist Award, and the Manhae Prize for Literature. She currently works as a professor in the department of creative writing at the Seoul Institute of the Arts.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Bath and Body Works Haul

Last week, I did some online shopping at Bath and Body Works. It was there SAS week and I had my eye on a couple of things. I had to get them and now I can't fit anything else onto my lotion/perfume shelf.

I love everything I got. I dislike the shower gel, but Cayce loves it and so he will be using it. I also did great on this photo. I love the placement of everything in this photo and the candle holder is my favorite.

The candle in the holder is the one my mom gave me for my birthday. The background for the lotions is of course my blanket from Bath and Body Works.

Valentine's Candle Holder

Georgia Peach & Sweet Tea body cream

Lemon Pomegranate Cream shower gel

Apple Blossom & Lavender body lotion

Peach & Honey Almond body lotion

Peach and Honey Almond body cream

This is my favorite scent and this has to be the cutest label design. 

These are definitely summer and fall scents to me. So they will be going on the back of my shelf. I have my lotions organized by seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. When Spring rolls around, whatever I didn't use in Winter, will go in the back. If it's open, then I will still use it up at nights on my feet.

Once I get the rest of my shelves organized I will be sharing it.

Review: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

HOLY hell, this sequel was everything and more. It is written very well, and it immediately draws you in. It gets you asking questions with the first page. It is jaw dropping and has some major plot twists.

It's a year later and Lisbeth Salander is on vacation. Why wouldn't she be with millions of kronor in her pockets. She has been a jet setter and making a world wide trip. Nobody back home in Sweden knows where she is. Wait, before I go any further, let me tell you about the 2 page prologue. It is letting us see through a 13 year old girls eyes being strapped down to a bed and an old man leaving her locked up in a room. Now I immediately thought it was a kidnapped girl that was repeatedly being raped and abused.

I had no idea that later on in the book, it would actually be Lisbeth. This book is basically a man hunt for Lisbeth and then in another part, it is all from her point of view and how she stayed hidden and how she got around without being recognized. It answers questions from the first book and it brings back some old characters. We find out that some people aren't dead and it's basically one big mind fuck.

I can't wait to read the third book. I am still hoping that the fourth book will carry on with this plot line and not go in a whole new direction.

Soundtrack To My Life (currently)

I found this tag on YouTube and instantly wanted to make my own. It was so much fun picking out the songs and it wasn't that hard.

➫ Song you listen to when you're happy? Closer- The Chainsmokers

➫ Song you listen to when you're sad? Broken- Seether and Amy Lee

➫ What song will you have at your wedding? H.O.L.Y- Florida-Georgia Line

➫ What song do you dance around the house to? T-Shirt- Thomas Rhett

➫ Song you play on your headphones when out and about? Mistakes- Breathe Carolina

➫ Song you listen to when you're angry? I Hate Everything About You- Three Days Grace

➫ Song you'd have at your funeral? When you're gone- Avril Lavigne

➫ Song that makes you lose your shit at a party? New Thang- Redfoo

➫ The last song you listened to? Lullaby- Paradise Fears

➫ Your kareoke song? Dear John- Jessie James

➫ What song do you work out/exercise to? Old School- Cupid

➫ 12. Song with the most memories attached? Beautiful Soul- Jesse McCartney

➫ 13. Song that makes you cry? Saving Amy- Brantley Gilbert

➫ Song you hate the most? Gas Pedal- Sage the Gemini & Justin Beiber

➫ Your favorite song of all time? Like Nobody's Spooned You (parody)- Dustin and Genevieve

Freebie Haul 1/16- 1/21

This week was exactly as I expected. It was a small freebie week and I welcomed it. I have to have another purge sometime soon, maybe tomorrow. I did get rid of a lot of the baby freebies today. I sent them off in the mail to my best friend who just had a baby boy!! Anyways, let's get on to the haul>>>

Monday: No Mail

Tuesday: the only thing I got in the mail today

Jan/ Feb 2017 issue of Self magazine

Wednesday: sales circulars day

Redplum coupon insert

Thursday: Addy got some mail today!!!!

Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come from Dolly Parton Imagination Library

January 23, 2017 issue of Sports Illustrated

Friday: Another magazine day!!

February 2017 issue of Better Homes and Gardens

Saturday: Luna got a package today and another magazine

Luvsome crowdkit from CrowdTap

January 30, 2017 issue of Us Weekly

I am expecting another small freebie haul next week. I haven't been signing up for many freebies because I have been missing out on them or just there are none out there.

School Week 22 Photo Diary

Long long week and I am ready for our day off on the last day of the month. We got some things done and we had a video centered week. It has me feeling like I didn't do a good job with them this week, so to remedy that, we are going to have a learning weekend and have very productive week next week.

Monday: We started the morning off with finishing reading Mrs Piggle Wiggle.

They then had their own reading time where they read out loud to me. Since it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I decided to let them watch some videos about him and they got their first look at all the hate and how everything has changed for the better. They enjoyed the movie that I found and they were constantly asking question about Martin and then they found out he was killed and they were very upset.

To end our day, we started reading the fourth book of A Series Of Unfortunate Events. Cayce has gotten into the show and we are making him wait to watch the last two episodes of season 1 because that's book 4, and I don't want to be spoiled.

Tuesday: It was a late morning and we started the day off with morning routine and then we watched 4 episodes of the Magic School Bus. After every episode, we discussed the episode and then they drew a picture.

Adalyn loves joining her sister when we watch MSB. After we watched that, They had their reading time. Once done with that, Samantha went and worked on spelling words and Ariana did Reading Eggs.

After 30 minutes, Ariana went and worked on Easy Peasy copy work and Samantha did her Reading Eggs.

We ended the day with reading 3 more chapters of The Miserable Mill. It's not a favorite of ours so far because even though Count Olaf is mentioned, he hasn't entered the story yet.

Wednesday: Morning work, reading 3 more chapters of The Miserable Mill and spelling review was our morning. Ariana had her reading time first while Samantha did some Easy Peasy lessons. She got 2 days worth of lessons done.

After and hour they switched. Ariana also got two days worth of lessons done and I really have to buckle down on Easy Peasy next week.

To end the day, we watched another documentary on The Lost Colony of Roanoke. The girls enjoyed this video much more than the other two that they watched on this subject. They did some Pocahantas comparisons in the documentary, so that night after supper, we watched Pocahantas.

Thursday: We had a long morning with trying to get our morning work done. After that, we finally finished reading The Miserable Mill. It wasn't our favorite, and I rated it a 3 out of 5 stars. After, they had their own reading time. Then they wanted to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy.

After Bill Nye, I decided to start a new science unit and we are now learning about Matter. I found a good video on YouTube. The channel is called Crash Course Kids and it is simple and easy to follow.

The day doesn't look that productive or filled but it was a very long day

Friday: I thought about starting school early but time got away from me and we started at our normal time and we had a short reading time after our morning work. I let the girls watched the Donald Trump Inauguration. The whole time I was watching it, I was going down memory lane when I was pregnant with Samantha and watching Obama getting sworn in to office in 2009.

After watching Trump's speech, it was time to watch the final two episodes of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

this scene made me laugh so hard.

I loved the episodes, it was exactly like the book which I think will be a problem in green-lighting a new season if they get bad reviews. Samantha wasn't exactly a fan of the first episode because she was picking out what they changed and saying that wasn't in the book or that wasn't how it was. She was definitely disappointed that Sir didn't have a cloud of smoke around his head!!! Negative review from a 7 year old.... hey Netflix... DO BETTER! You're disappointing children! hahahaha.

Anyways, we ended the day with Ariana working on more Easy Peasy copy work and Samantha did some workbook pages.