Lessons Learned & A Book Review

          "No filter on her mouth or her cigarettes" Pistol Annies

1.)Aluminum Foil

Never, ever, ever, no matter how great the deal is do not buy generic aluminum foil.   At least not at

the dollar store, that is.   Don't get me wrong I love the dollar store and have found some amazing

treasures there.   But it definitely can be hit or miss.   While I was there this past week I remembered

that we were out of aluminum foil.   I think we all see where this is going,  two birds,  one stone.  The

dollar store sells plenty of name brand items including aluminum foil.   However, being the frugalista

that I am I purchased the generic brand and got an extra 7 feet free. Little did I know that that 7 feet is

 going to haunt me 7x over.   The foil is so awful it barely bends and it creates holes out of nowhere.

2.)Scrubbing the Floors

Baking soda and hard wood floors do not mix!!!  In an effort to be

more healthy and organic I've been making some homemade

cleaners and I LOVE they way that they work.   I  decided to try my

hand at floor cleaner on Saturday.    I've looked through  many "recipes" and decided to try one that

used vinegar, water and baking soda.   It left streaks of white on my floor and a horrible gritty feel all

over.   I went over the floors with warm water to try to remove the grit and yet you can still feel it. It's

 awful.   So awful, John has pointed it out to me about 15 times in 24 hours. I think the grit is coming

from the baking soda.   Next time I will definitely be leaving that out of the mix. If vinegar and water


don't work I may have to stick with my tried and true spic and span.




3.)Pedicures

Why is it when you go for a pedicure that the pedicurist never wants to

scrub the dead skin off of your feet?!?!   I seriously feel like there is a

pedicure plot going on to keep us coming back for more.   Every time I go

(which is not often) they don't want to use the razor and they do not want to scrub my feet for more

than 10 seconds each foot.   I have to ask for them to scrub more or point out the skin that is still left

on my foot(gross I know).  I love pedicures. I love the soaking, the massage chair and the fact that it's

 one of the few times that I can relax.   But I rarely go and when I do, Id like to see some results!   I

swear I do a better job on my own than the place I went to today.



4.)Style Twins


I read an old issue of people mag. today and Isla Fischer talked of her obsession with lululemon and

 how she loves wearing their workout pants because it makes her feel like she worked out without

doing so.   It's like they interviewed me.




5.)Reading List


Just finished these books

 

 

Outside The Lines , Amy Hatveny

This was a good read once I got into it.   After a few chapters I felt myself drawn to the characters. It

follows a 30 something girl named Eden and her father David.   The chapters go back and forth

between his and her point of view and the past and present.   David is a mentally ill artist and Eden is

the child he left behind who has struggled with abandonment and the fear that her father is ok for

years.    It also touches upon the lies we tell to save ourselves and protect the ones we love.



Room, Emma Donoghue

This one started out super slow and I almost put it down.   Then I suddenly got hooked. It definitely

 isn't the best book I've ever read and is slow at times.   At points it gives too much detail and then

suddenly skips ahead before you're ready.   It's even a little hard to believe at points but it's different

and that's what I liked about it.   It follows "Ma" and 5 year old  Jack and is told through Jack's point

of view.  Ma was kidnapped and has been trapped in a backyard shed for years and subsequently born

jack from her captor.   It takes us through their day to day life in a single room prison to their escape

and what happens after.   The best parts of the book are Jacks interaction with the TV and Dora the

Explorer references.