Summertime Reading Review: Adult Edition

If you didn't get the hint the other day, I love to read. I'm definitely a total nerd so my reading list consists of things like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Divergent trilogy, some good smut (a lot of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele), Dragon Tattoo, etc. I'm a big fan of books that will eventually be a movie, but i'll always read the book first, not the other way around. Not a lot of non-fiction books but I'm usually down for one every once in a while.

Yesterday we talked about some great reading material for the kiddos. Today I'd like to make some suggestions for the grown-ups. Here are some of my favorites for this summer.

1. The Casual Vacancy
     Starting out with a book written by J.K. Rowling (insert smiley face here) this book is not the quickest read but is a great story. The best part: HBO is currently casting a 3-part miniseries of the novel.

2. The Great Gatsby

   Always a classic, this novel is the perfect "quick read" for a vacation on the beach. I love the accomplished feeling of finishing a book on vaca, it makes me feel as if I've genuinely relaxed. Taking a gander at Leo afterward in the movie isn't so bad either ;)

3. The Fault In Our Stars

     So this one can't technically be a review because, to be honest, I haven't read it yet. I can say, that this is the book that I am most excited to read! I am just about to start it and I cannot wait! Plus: The movie just came out! (Starting to see the theme here?)

4. The Cuckoo's Calling/The Silkworm

     Ok, one more J.K. Rowling plug, and I'm done. Written under the male pen name of "Robert Galbraith". These books are perfect for all of you murder-mystery readers out there. No movie involved with this one, but still great reads!

Have you read any good books lately? Do you have a summertime favorite that you just can't put down? Leave a comment and let me know! Once I'm done with The Fault In Our Stars, I'll need something new to read!
Thanks for stopping by!

Summertime Reading Review: Kid's Edition

While my daughter is a very bright little girl, she struggles with one thing in school that most kids do: Reading. As a result, we do quite a bit of homeschooling in our home during the summer that is solely based around reading activities.With our methods, there is 2 kinds of reading. Reading for comprehension and reading for fluency. 

To work on reading for comprehension, we do a family book club. We all read a book together, 2 chapters a day, and meet during dinnertime to discuss the book once we have finished. This gives Alayna an opportunity to read on her own and recap what she has read over the previous week. Alayna will be in the 4th grade next year, so we are reading books at a variety of reading levels. Here are some of our favorites we've read so far this summer:

1. Judy Moody Saves the World

2. Judy Moody Gets Famous!

3. Husky With A Heart

We really love the Judy Moody book series! They are perfect for little girls and are an easy enough chapter book to get those early-readers going. The Animal Ark series is a little harder than the Judy Moody books, but it gives kids just that much more confidence to keep reading! (And for only $1.99 a piece, you're making out with a huge bargain!) They are great for boys and any animal lover too!

When we work on reading fluency, we pick a kid-friendly chapter book that is too hard for her to read on her own, and I read it to her. When she listens to the story, she can hear how fluently I read while trying to follow along on the pages. It gives her the confidence to try to read as fluently and with as much emotion as I do. Lately, we have been reading a lot of Roald Dahl books. Here are our favorites for the summer time:

1. The BFG

2. Matilda

Oh, and did I mention that all of these books are under $6?!?? I know, right?! Reading is a great way to spend time with your kids during the summer. So go get your picnic blanket, put it in your yard, and READ! A couple of chapters will only take a few minutes and the stories you instill in your child's imaginations will last them a lifetime!

What books do your kids love to read? Do they have a favorite bedtime story? Leave a comment and let me know!

Beach Vacation

Family vacation numero uno this year took us to beautiful Destin, Florida. The sand was as soft as sugar and the water was wonderful! I thought I'd share some photos from our trip with all of you!

There was a lot of sand-castle-building, sports, and fun happening on the beach. Luckily, most of our family drove there so they provided a majority of the sand toys! Pool time was also a must when the ocean water was just too warm. There were so many fabulous places to eat, the fresh seafood was amazing! The Grouper is definitely the way to go!

There were so many fabulous places to eat, the fresh seafood was amazing!The Grouper is definitely the way to go! Bayou Bills and Boshamps were by far my fav's. If you're ever in Destin, I highly recommend them! I mean just look at this awesome table we had overlooking the bay!

I would like to give a quick shout out to a couple of wonderful jewelry makers that helped pull a few outfits together... Below I am sporting a wonderful piece made by the wonderful artists at Mountain Living Studio. Unfortunately, they do not have an online store, but if you are lucky enough to live in the state of Colorado, they are located in Manitou Springs! This beautiful necklace is comprised of all blue tones, is lightweight, and is so artsy-fartsy that it made my plain dress look like a knock-out!

Second, I would like to give a shout out to eIndigo. This wonderful Esty shop is ran by the beautiful Lauren, who was nice enough to give us a little "poolside show" of all of her wonderful offerings! I picked up this little number from her while we were on vacation and I couldn't be happier! Her shop also has earrings, anklets, necklaces, and much more! You can get one similar to this on her Etsy page!

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Leave a comment: Have you ever been to Destin? What are your favorite "hot-spots"? Are there any "not-spots"? Share with me!

Birthday Extravaganza!

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I would like to announce that Thursday was my daughter's 9th birthday!!!!

Yaaaaayyy!!!!

Happy Birthday Alayna!

                         How Exciting!

So today, I thought I would share some crafty things I made for her party! Wanna guess what the problem with that is??

Hi, my name is Shanna, and I have a serious

 problem remembering to take pictures of ANYTHING.

While my daughter's birthday was a great time, I have not a single photo to remember it by. Well, I do have a mouth (well, fingers and a keyboard) so at least I can blab all about it!

We had her actual birthday party on Saturday and it was FAB! All of her little friends from her school came over plus an abundance of family. We had a bounce house, piñata and plenty of bbq'd food. The cake was gorgeous and I'm pretty sure she got everything she wanted.

I am so proud of the little girl she has become! I can already tell how "grown-up" she is, just since she turned 9.

So let's get to the serious issue here. I really need to get into some sort of photography class, like A-SAP. I promise... as time goes on, I am going to get on my picture game. 

Well, till next time!

A Rose from the Ashes

For myself, today has been a very thought provoking day. It has all been based around the question:

"What happy feeling can I pull out of moments of sadness or anxiety?"

I consider myself to be a pretty emotional person (I mean, I am a woman), and today was extraordinary. I was put in a position today where I was with a large group of people I don't know, and was there to make friends. 

(aaaaahhhhh!!!!)

Now, I tend to be pretty quiet in that sort of scenario, and today was no different. It gave me a very anxious feeling, but when the night was over and I left, that all changed. 

I felt proud.

I took myself out of my comfort zone, into a totally new world (wait a sec... this sounds familiar) and I did GREAT! I can remember at least 6 different peoples names and I had a really good time. When I got there, I was sure that I was going to leave upset with myself for not talking enough or not "just putting myself out there". I am happy to say that for the second day in a row, I DID IT

So what lesson did I learn from all of this? It goes back to the question of the day... What happy feeling can I pull out of moments of anxiety? It wasn't until I was driving home that I realized just how much fun I had! I may have had a moment of sadness thinking that I wasn't making friends with these other ladies, but I did well! And that, my friends, is my happy feeling for today. I accomplished something that I didn't think could be accomplished in the first encounter.

"Good for you Shanna!" "Oh! Thanks, Shanna! I'm pretty happy for myself!"

In honor of this, for the next few days, I will devote myself to the friendship that I have to offer. There is so much love in my heart for everyone (friends, family, blog readers...) that I just want to spread it around!

What type of things do you feel sad or anxious about but then realize the great feeling it left you with? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! You never know who you will inspire today!

No more fun stuff for today, just some insights. Thank you for stopping by my blog! Don't forget to follow me!

Welcome Friends!

(oh my gosh... how exciting?! My FIRST POST!!!)

HELLO FRIENDS!

Welcome to Happy Choices

 ...and our daily doings!

I am Shanna and I am here to blog about all the things in life that put a smile on my face and happiness in my heart!

For my very first post, I'd like to talk about the small things. Don't you find it interesting how its always "the little things" in life that really keep you going? And I really find it inspiring when that little burst of happiness comes from a fellow human being. It's a win-win! You get all mushy inside and truly appreciate another person while that person really feels pride in themselves for making a noticeable change in someone's day.

Like the old man at Costco today, who took 2 seconds out of his day to thank me for putting my cart back at the front of the store. I felt amazing for doing something that I really thought he would appreciate and him acknowledging my efforts was just the icing on the cake. Now I can't speak for him, but I would hope that seeing the smile he put on my face when I said, "you're welcome" would make him smile too.

Another small thing I am happy for today is the fact that dinner is only going to take me 6 minutes to make! 

(whaaaaa?!?!?)

That's right peeps! Once in a when-I-feel-like-it, I will take a Saturday and devote it to freezer meals. So tonight I am taking out my trusty Stir Fry.

Want to know how you can have dinner in 6 minutes?

Well you just so happen to be in luck, recipes make me happy too!

Steak Stir-Fry

For 4 Servings, you will need:

1lb flank steak, cut into 1" strips (remember, against the grain!)

3 cups stir-fry vegetables (any mix from the grocery will do)

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp stir-fry sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4 peanuts

1 packet Udon or Ramen noodles

So, here's what you do:

1. Combine all of the ingredients down to the ginger in a gallon size freezer bag. Now, this is where you decide if you are going to make this now, or put it in the freezer for later. If you are going to make it now, place the bag in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you are going to freeze it, it will keep in the freezer for up to 5 months. 

(If you make it now, process takes about 15 minutes... sorry for the convenience)

2. Place entire contents of bag into a large skillet or wok. Saute' on medium high for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, boil your noodles for 4 minutes, drain.

3. Place your noodles in a bowl, top with peanuts and cilantro.

4. Enjoy those noodles covered in that sauce and awesomeness!

BOOM! Amazing and it sorta looks like I know what I'm doing!

Well, that's me for today! 

Thanks for checking out my blog.!

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'Til next time!