2014 Reading Review

I love doing year in reviews because I really do go over and over my books several times a year. Whenever anyone asks for a book recommendation I can't sit by. I have to throw a suggestion, or 5 into the ring. Plus I really love comparing my reading year by year. So while I realize this is mostly for my own benefit, I hope you enjoy it too.

Cranberryfries 2014 Reading Stats 

Total Novels Read: 75
Pages:  22604
Young Adult: 16
Children's/Middle-grade fiction: 8
Non fiction: 3
Adult fiction: 13 
Romance: 14
Historical Fiction: 8
General Fiction: 13
Mystery: 3
Fantasy: 9
# of those that were audio: 35
# of those that were rereads: 3 
Longest: When I Found You
Shortest: 12 Angry Men
Most out of my element: Flash Boys, Water for Elephants or Life in Motion
I'd most recommend to anyone: Princess Bride
I'd most recommend to adults: Attachments or The Rosie Project (some) or Stephanie Perkins series (Anna, Lola, Isla)
I'd most recommend to teens: Unspoken
I'd most recommend to kids: Encyclopedia Brown, Pet Wars or The Inventors Secret
Funniest: ?
Hardest to finish: Jungle Book or Life in Motion
Best Romance:  Maybe Someday
Favorite Author for me this year: Rainbow Rowell or Colleen Hoover
Most people would enjoy:  The Winners Curse
Most read author this year: Sarah M Eden


My Top 10 (in no order) of 2014:

• Maybe Someday 
• The Rosie Project 
• Anne of Green Gables
• Since You've Been Gone
• Attachments
• Isla and the Happily Ever After
• Me Before You
• Flash Boys
• Hold Me Tight
• The Rent Collector

You can see my past years here: Yearly Book Goals or by year 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Friend me on Goodreads Debbie Cranberryfries. 

Thirty before Thirty Bucket List

30 things I’d like to do before I’m 30 (April 3 2012):

1. Travel

2. Take a girls trip.

3. Take a cooking class.

4. Finish writing my novel (I won NaNoWriMo last year but didnt finish the story).

5. Sew 3 projects.

6. Pay off auto loan.

7. Update family blog. (new posts at least twice a month & catch up from last Nov!)

8. Video tape the family/kids more often. (My goal is at least 2 a month.)

9. Compile family videos into dvd home movie (at least one per kid for now).

10. Learn how to play the guitar that I've owned for three years now.

11. Read 30 at least 30 books.

12. Write a letter every month to someone whom I admire.

13. Make a quilt.

14. Redecorate Master Bedroom

15. Write in my journal (at least twice a month).

16. Read a Jane Austen novel.

17. Begin learning Spanish.

18. Travel somewhere in Utah I’ve never been to before. (Zions, Lake Powell, Bear Lake)

19. Make and complete two months of exercise regime.

20. Plan and implement fun summer activities for the kids/family.

21. Get an updated family photo taken.

22. Organize (& dejunk) two rooms in my house. (Or 1 room and my master closet.)

23. Plan a fun friend bbq party.

24. Practice my ASL skills with my children.

25. Plan a fun trip for our 10 year wedding anniversary in January.

26. Try at least 12 new recipes (attempt at least 1 new recipe a month).

27. Hand write a heartfelt thank you note once a week.

28. Update the family's 72 hour kits & practice again emergency plans.

29. Print some of my photography and hang them in the house.

30. Celebrate turning 30 in style!

I wanted to post it the last day in April but still had alot of holes in my list. I think my main problem was that I have to feasibly know I can to do it within the next year which means those bigger "to-do before I die" bucket list items dont really apply to this sorta list. But I did it. The list is done.

A big thank you to those of you who helped me earlier with your great ideas!

What do you think? Have you done a list before? What would you put yours?

[edited to add completions below]

30 things I’d like to do before I’m 30 (April 3 2012):

1. Travel

2. Take a girls trip.

3. Take a cooking class.

4. Finish writing my novel (I won NaNoWriMo last year but didnt finish the story).

5. Sew 3 projects.

6. Pay off auto loan.

7. Update family blog. (new posts at least twice a month & catch up from last Nov!)

8. Video tape the family/kids more often. (My goal is at least 2 a month.)

9. Compile family videos into dvd home movie (at least one per kid for now).

10. Learn how to play the guitar that I've owned for three years now.

11. Read at least 30 books.

12. Write a letter every month to someone whom I admire.

13. Make a quilt.

14. Redecorate Master Bedroom

15. Write in my journal (at least twice a month).

16. Read a Jane Austen novel.

17. Begin learning Spanish.

18. Travel somewhere in Utah I’ve never been to before. (Hopefully Zions, Lake Powell, Bear Lake)

19. Make and complete two months of exercise regime.

20. Plan and implement fun summer activities for the kids/family.

21. Get an updated family photo taken.

22. Organize (& dejunk) two rooms in my house. (Or 1 room and my master closet.)

23. Plan a fun friend bbq party.

24. Practice my ASL skills with my children.

25. Plan a fun trip for our 10 year wedding anniversary in January.

26. Try at least 12 new recipes (attempt at least 1 new recipe a month).

27. Hand write a heartfelt thank you note twice a month.

28. Update the family's 72 hour kits & practice again emergency plans.

29. Print some of my photography and hang them in the house.

30. Celebrate turning 30 in style!

I wanted to post it the last day in April but still had alot of holes in my list. I think my main problem was that I have to feasibly know I can to do it within the next year which means those bigger "to-do before I die" bucket list items dont really apply to this sorta list. But I did it. The list is done.

A big thank you to those of you who helped me earlier with your great ideas!

Original post found here http://bit.ly/l5kFnR

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

This week was a good week to be my mailbox.

Because a few days ago I got these:

The Strangly Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker & The Darly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (by Leanna Renee Hieber)

&

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day (by Heidi Ashworth)

(Started Miss Delacourt yesteray people. LOVING it!)

and yesterday I got these!

Beyonders (by Brandon Mull)

&

Possession (by Elana Johnson)

Don't these all just look so beautiful? Just in case you're wondering, yes there was dancing and squealing and what not. Reviews and more happiness to follow.

Also just FYI if you live or are traveling to Utah

BEYONDERS Launch Party

(Party info here on Facebook)

Tuesday March 15th, 2011

6:30-9:30

Cottownwood High School

POSSESSION Launch Party

(author page on Facebook)

Wednesday June 8, 2011

7PM

The Kings English

What I've Been Up To The Last Month

So some of you may know that I've been working really hard all month on a lovely little project. (Sorry if I haven't been commenting as often on your blogs!) I've been a little busy writing a book.

One of my favorite things about working on NaNoWriMo was the impromptu meetups (called write-ins) of fellow writers. Making new friends and realizing just how many people there are out there, in my own little neck of the woods trying to do the same awesome thing!

The other thing I loved was the handy little word counter bar graph. It was nice to see my progress and watch the visual of my word count grow.

So did you see it?

Looky Looky!! I'm a winner! I did it!

50,000 words in 30 days.

Like the NaNoWriMo website baosts "Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!

I did it. A big sigh of completion, happiness, and joy!

I submitted my story and look what they did.

I gotta tell you, I wasn't sure I could do it. I decided on the last day that I'd enter this competition.

I had to come to grips with the idea that it was a distinct possibility that I may not be able to finish but I realized for me it was more the act of trying to accomplish something bigger than I thought I could do. But when I got further into the month I realized I had a fighting chance. So I pushed on and pushed through. I'm so happy.

First I was afraid. (The beginning of NaNoWriMo)

If there were ever any doubt this might just seal the deal that I am crazy. For the whole month of November I am going to be trying my darndest to write a lot of words. If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo before you can go read about it.

I first saw friends participating about two years ago, and obviously by then it was too late to get in on the action. Then last year we went on a big family vacation for a week and a half during Nov and I was pretty sure that meant I was missing out then too. So I thought well maybe this year.

Now it's here and I kept trying to tell myself there is just no way I could make it all work. I heard stories from friends about how TOTALLY crazy the month was (for them, their families, their houses cleanliness, etc). I'm not sure my family is ready for this. To take over what I will inevitably be lacking in November. I dont know how this will work. But you know what I thought?

Why not try?

I'm signed up and ready to go. If you're doing it to be my buddy! I'm, originally enough, Cranberryfries.

Childhood Was Good

I remember when I was little, say elementary school little, looking forward to ABC's lovely Friday night TV line up. TGIF was good to me then. I know their four slotted shows changed around a few times but for the most part they were all pretty good. Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Dinosaurs, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and my personal favorite Boy Meets World. I mean could it get any better than that?

Today, my friends, is Ben Savage's 30th birthday. So I figured it was only fitting to remember some good times from the show.

Being a male-point-of-view show, and seeing as how boy crazy I was back the, I'm sure only made me like it more!

Good friends who always stuck by him. Funny friends who put him in crazy situations.

Plus how cute was Corey and Topanga's first kiss? Kinda reminds me of my first kiss. Only it wasn't at school. And he wasn't handcuffed to a locker. And I didn't have super long hair.

Happy Birthday Ben. Thanks for many years of wonderful television programming.

Crime Scene Investigation: LRE

The victims & crime scene:

The culprit:

(Not the Bounce, that icky little blue crayon on top of the box.)

Welcome to CSI: Laundry Room Edition

I actually thought it was a blue pen at first and couldn't figure out how that made it into the kids batch but when I got to the empty dryer this crayon wraper was left over. How does that even happen. The crayon completely disintegrates but the paper made it all the way through the wash???

The sentence:
I started checking online, I just couldn't bear to throw away all those clothes. I found a solution that looked pretty powerful, plus I had all the ingredients on hand.

2 scoops/or cups Tide
1 Cup Borax
1 C Shout stain remover
2 scoops OxyClean
1 C Vinegar
Mix in hot water and let water agitate for 1 minute and then add clothes. Let clothes soak for two hours and then wash. (I did an additional wash afterwards since the first formula was so concentrated.)

The verdict:
As you can clearly see it didn't take it all out but I'd say it's at least 80% better. Some clothes, oddly enough, that white shirt on the right came completely out, while others still have medium to faint blue smudges.

All in all, I'm not throwing any of the clothes away (the worst was a pair of pj shorts and since they're not worn in public I dont care much).

(*This is actually a recycled post from my family blog about a year ago, but I thought it was an oldie but goodie so I wanted to share.)

A Lofty Commitment

Earlier this summer I joined a writing group and figured I'd give it a few months and see if this was a fleeting hobby or a serious interest. I thought I'd have plenty of time to write over the summer and was crazy excited to get started. However after I wrote my first few scenes I had rolling around in my head I got stuck. No plot, no ideas, just these characters that I am still trying to figure out. Plus it's obvious I'm the weakest link in my group, which for me makes it hard to want to keep trying at something I am not feeling I'm that great at.

My friend Amber Lynae told me about Sarah's 50,000 in 50 day challenge.

So here we go. I need a kick in the pants. I'm signing up with Sarah's challenge and giving it a real good effort. 1000 words a day is pretty daunting considering I've only been able to pull that about twice since I started a few weeks ago. And depending on the flow, could take upwards of an hour or two to peck out.

Wish me luck! A lot.

0 / 50000 words. 0% done!

999 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

I gotta admit I've been avoiding it since I got home a few days ago. I was a little nervous to check it. No joke, my Google Reader had literally 999 items to be read. In only one week and 2 days people, thats quite the count. I'll blame it mostly on the giveaway sites I follow but seriously in one week??? Yikes.

It seems all my friends made resolutions to start blogging every day in the month of Novemeber. Holy cow people. After two hours tonight I quit. I had planned to read for a few hours after the kids went to bed and instead I got sucked into your fabulous blogs. :)

Eating Cookie Dough

A few months ago we were at my moms house making cookies and like usual the kids wanted to eat the cookie dough. I was trying to educate them a bit, and well here's what happened.

Random Ramblings

True story: A couple of days ago I walked up to my front door and pushed the unlock button on my key chain and waited to hear my door unlock so I could open it and go in. Until I realized I'm a dork it was in fact for the automatic car door. And I needed to pull out my house key.
(Sadly this beautiful door is not mine. But it is so pretty right?)

*****
Have you started reading yet? I'm just deciding between two dates in July. So either case start reading, tell your friends to read and lets all plan on getting together with author Sydney Salter! (**For all my bloggy friends who can't make it and/or live in another state I'd still love it if you want to participate. Read the book and send me your questions and I'll video tape them or get Sydney to answer them and post them on my blog!)
My brain should be functioning enough on Monday for me to figure out which time is better so I'm hoping to post the date then so you can put it on your calendar.

*****
Do you google read? If so do you ever actually stop by blogs anymore?Do you feel like you're missing out on the cute backgrounds, side bars, polls?
Or do you follow and then check your dashboard? What do you do you like better?

*****
I bought a new toothbrush this week. Love. It. It's slightly different then the last few I've been getting-this one has rubber bristles on the surrounding it. Fun new change. Then just last night at dinner a friend and I were talking and she said sometimes if I feel my self starting to get bogged at work I'll go brush my teeth. It's amazing how it helps you feel like you're starting new.

*****
Sherrie is giving away one of her brand new CD's! Beautiful, beautiful music. I need this playing in my house.

*****
I have such a big day tomorrow. I'm still awake. I have issues.
PS Don't forget to hug your cat tomorrow (check out my sidebar)------->

Cranberry [Wo]Man

I ran across this little gem of a product about a month ago. I. Am. In. Love. Thats probably obvious since I cleaned out the stores supply last week (which doesnt include the 2 I have in my car and the 3 I have upstairs in my bedroom). Let me introduce you to Ocean Spray Cranberry flavored drink mix.

Since I am currently a member of good old Weight Watchers (to be honest it's kinda hard to admit but there ya go blogger land) I hardly ever drink ANY juice--I just HATE drinking my calories. I've limited myself to Water, Crystal Light (my fav flavor is strawberry, orange bannana), and my other ambrosia Diet Coke. When I saw that I could add Cranberry flavor back into the mix I was a bit skeptical. Watered down cranberry? Ewww. No seriously though, it doesnt taste watered down, it tastes...mmm like heaven. (Ok now who's gonna invent frenchfries that are only 5 cal a serving?? C'mon people the cranberry man did it!)

Jokes.com
Brian Regan - Goodbye Dairy, Hello Cranberries
dians.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

Just in case you haven't ever seen fun little things like this before here's how simple it really is.



And you should most definitely check out this today. Who doesn't love free books?

Crazy Days

Found a fun calendar that lists all the real, crazy, silly, goofy, dumb, etc days of the year. I figure it'd be a fun addition to my blog so be on the lookout in my sidebar for that!

Some noteables from this week (but not limited to):
1-Friday: Amtrak Day, Mother Goose Day, No Pants Day, Tuba Day
2-Saturday: Free Comic Book Day, National Scrapbooking day
3-Sunday: Graden Meditation Day, Lumpy Rug Day, National Two Different Colored Shoes Day, Paranormal Day
4-Monday: Respect for Chickens Day
5-Tuesday: Cartoonists Day, Cinco de Mayo, National Teacher Day
6-Wednesday: No Diet Day, No Homework Day, Nurses Day
7-Thursday: National Day of Reason
8-Friday: No Socks Day
9-Saturday: National Babysitters Day, Stay Up All Night Day, National Miniature Golf Day

What do you think, will you participate in any of these celebrations? I have my site set on a few. If you do something fun be sure to get a picture and leave a comment for me (or email it to me)! I'd love to do a post at the end of the month with some great highlights!!

Absolute Association in All Areas

Several months ago my hubby went out of town for a job interview. The original plan called for a 3 day stay. After a few things came up it turned into 6.

While the hubs was away it was a little quiet at night so as I worked on my many random projects and read my stories I liked to have some movies playing just to make noise.

Of course with my little OCD problem with associating all things (I call it my AOCD), I got it into my head to start relating all the movies I watched. Originally it started with just one thing in each movie matched the next movie I watched, but then I started thinking how all the movies I'd been watching linked to each other. Of course, again with my OCD, I had to make a chart to help my visual side of things. I know I know, insert your eye rolls here. I can't help it. Associating things makes me giddy with delight. Seriously. My friends can attest to this. The funny thing is usually it doesnt make much sense, but here for our appreciation and "oh good at least I'm not as crazy as that girl" is my movie association