I got a job!

I got a job! Yippy!
But I'm so going to miss my kid. This is the first full time job I've had since she as born, 6 years ago. It's going to be an adjustment for all of us. I'm sad that I won't get to see her excitedly run to and from the bus every day and hear her jabber on and on about her day. I'm going to get the washed down version that she gives her daddy every night after the excitement has waned. But we'll start a new routine and will have to make weekends extra awesome to make up for the time we miss during the week. Sigh - but still.

Ok - no more stick in the mud

So, as the new Administrative Assistant of an internet solutions company, with a husband that works 40+ hours a week, and a 6 year old - I'm going to be busy, busy! I'll be looking for and posting great time saving cleaning and dinner ideas (and their trials and misses). I refuse to start eating out of boxes, so I'm going to have to come up with some quick, healthy lunches and dinners. If anyone has any tips for me - post 'em!

16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste

I came across this article: 16 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste and I had to share it!

We're all pretty reckless with our plastic use. Pick one or 2 (or all 16!) ways to reduce your own use. Straws should be easy!

Book Review: Phoenix Angel Shardwell Series Book 1 By A. Gerry and C. Hall

Phoenix Angel was given to me to read for my review and let me just start by saying how amazed I am that two people could teamwork it though an entire book together successfully. Not to mention that they are sisters! I can get along with anyone in just about any situation, but there is no way that I would be able to sit and write a novel with someone without that person mysteriously disappearing. That goes double where a sibling is involved (not that I don’t love my sister dearly). Gerry and Hall pulled it off beautifully!

Phoenix Angel had my full attention within the first 50 pages. After that I couldn’t put down. When I had about 70 pages to go, I wished that I had the next novel lined up and ready because I knew it was going to kill me to wait for it. And it still might!

Maggie is a beautiful high school girl scorned by a football player. Since the experience she’s become closed off and nasty to her fellow classmates, especially if they’re in a certain popular crowd. Her best friend, however, is the other side of the coin. Loved by all and on every school planning board, Lily, always has a sunny disposition and is always smiling. Lily more or less keeps Maggie (and her mouth) in check. Friends since they were babies, they have a deep, sisterly bond.

There’s a new guy in school with calendar-guy good looks and is easily the best player on the football team. Kyle has instant fame. The guys all worship him and the girls are falling at his feet. However, he has eyes only for quick-tempered Maggie – and she hates him. In fact, the first time their eyes meet, Maggie becomes violently ill. Lily thinks that Maggie should give Kyle a chance and Kyle is ever trying to prove to Maggie that he’s not the typical jock, even saving her from sexual harassment from the other players and rescuing her from an attack at work. She’s constantly fighting off his attempts, but he’s relentless. SPOILER ALERT - It all leads up to the best first kiss I’ve ever read!

Soon after meeting, Maggie, Lily, and Kyle all develop strange new “talents”. They believe these talents to be the reason behind a violent attack by large-poison-fanged –telepathic wolves. The trio resolve to develop their talents to better defend themselves against any future attacks. Something is obviously after Maggie, and that something is willing to kill Lily and Kyle to get her.

Soon another new guy shows up in town and it’s quickly clear that he’s part of whatever is happening with Maggie, Lily, and Kyle. Friend or foe, Carter joins the trio and discovers that he has powers as well. Together they fend off a double attack led by a man in white and a man in black that seem to know them all, but by different names from a different time. The attack leaves hundreds dead and one of them behind while the others escape.

The book ends as the perfect set up for a great series. Maggie, Lily, Kyle, and Carter are part of an ancient battle between good and evil. We don’t know yet who is on what side. And although I have my suspicions, I have a feeling that Gerry and Hall have a twist. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

Nerd alert

Apparently I'm unhirable. I have spent the last month filling out applications and submitting resumes all over my county and the 3 surrounding it. I've only had 3 interviews and nada. I know the job market is rough, but seriously!!

So when I feel down about not getting a job that I was really gunning for, I read. I also read at night before I go to sleep, while my husband is watching something annoying on tv like Lizard Lick Towing (yeah - that's a real show and I can barely tolerate being in the room if it's on), while my daughter gets her hour of tv, and in the bathroom (we all do it). So yeah, I read a lot. I'm a total nerd, but I'm ok with it. I'm usually reading 2 books and listening to an audio book at the same time (not simultaneously of course, although it would be really cool and slightly freaky if I could do that). My sister in law does book reviews for http://www.crossroadreviews.com (she is the Contessa of "Contessa at the Crossroads") and gave me a few books to read and submit my own reviews for. Ready for my first one? Ok - next post!

A couple of years ago I started a blog (shocking), giving simple and quick reviews of children's books. I plan on starting that back up again IF I can find the blog. I'm certain that I created a whole other email address to use for it and I have no idea what that might have been. I used to not want my personal life to be attached at all to my blogging. I no longer care about that and am not sure why I ever did.

Day 1

So today I decided to take up blogging again. I'm hoping it'll be therapeutic as I try to figure out what I want to be now that I'm all grown up and then to replant myself back into the workforce. Two things that I'm finding increasingly difficult to do. Most likely it will be something I will look back on and laugh (or cringe) at myself a year from now. At least, I HOPE it'll be a year from now and not five. Holy cow. When I met my husband I was one of the top sales consultants at a large wireless company for six years running. I was extremely good at sales and felt no guilt whatsoever about selling people that entrusted me to decipher that they needed, a bunch of crap that they didn't need. I was happy and making good money and so I put college off. When we got pregnant, my husband I decided that I would stay home until our child started school. So for five years I stayed home with our amazing little girl. I loved it, but when the time came I was ready to go back to work. I missed it. I got a part time job as a teller and learned a couple of things: First, I hate being a teller. Second, I hate sales, and being a teller is like, 90% sales (who knew?). So now what? Although I'm sure that I'm perfectly capable of any number of jobs, retail is pretty much all that's on my resume. That doesn't exactly give me an edge in this tough economy when I'm trying to break into a new field. So then do I go back to school? That sounds great, but I'm over thirty and I still don't know what I want to do. Medical Assistant? Does that involve needles? Dental Assistant? I can't even look at my child's loose tooth. So Medical Billing? Administrative? Get my Early Childhood Education Certificate? Editing? Imaging? Graphic Design? Every day I'm certain of a new career path. And so here I am. Today I decided to start a blog.