HELLO AGAIN

Sorry for the disappearing act.
I've been crazy busy AND our net totally got shut off.
Talk about living in the Stone Age.
Anyway, we're connected to the World Wide Web again, and I have some great news on the trading front!

Comin' atcha ASAP

TRADING TUESDAY: TRADE WITH ME, DANG IT!

Hiya.

Happy Tuesday

Remember how this whole blog thing started?  With a little red paperclip?

I know that it’s sort of taken on a life of it’s own – and I love that – but I am still trying to stick to the original project (a little, at least).

So here’s another reminder of the awesome things that I have to trade.

-Cute rockstar oven mitts

-Made with love measuring spoons

-Brand new cupcake cookbook

-Unopened cake pan with lid

-In-box dessert stand (which I would totally keep if you all didn’t already know I had it)

-A mystery gift certificate for T.I.B.S.  I seriously don’t know how much it is worth.  Who knows, you could really hit the big time with this one!

*Off-topic side note:  TIBS has been amazing for Dartmouth and one of the owners, Zane, has been wrangling votes to help win some cash to start up Anchored Coffee in Dartmouth.  Check it out here and please vote.  Today is the last day for voting, but every vote counts.  Let’s keep one another caffeinated, people.

Anyway, back to trading.  The whole shebang is worth roughly $200, but I am totally flexible.  Obviously I’m looking for something of close to equal value, but I’m really open to all offers.  It’s garage sale/spring cleaning/moving season, so when you’re going through your things – don’t forget about me! 

I almost had a great trade going, but we hit a little snag when it turned out that the person who wanted to trade did not in fact own the item in question.  It was all in good fun though, so no harm no foul.  I had a good giggle over it.

Like I said in the beginning, the trading is as much about meeting people and having interactions as it is about the actual goods.

I’m still willing to throw in a batch of chocolate chip squares for the next trade, too!

So trade with me already, would ya?

Get at me:  thelittleredpaperclip@gmail.com  or  on twitter @Red_paperclip

MONDAY MUSINGS: HOW MANY BOOKS DO YOU READ AT ONCE?

Hi Y’all,

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend?  Did you go out on the town or do anything special for Father’s Day? 

Tom’s sister, Erin and I had an action packed Saturday filled with crazy efficient shopping and farmer’s market adventures.  Then on Sunday, we had a lobster lunch for Father’s Day.  I was in heaven.

So I want to say sorry for the slow bloggin’ last week …

Sometimes we know that we should write blog posts but we don’t because we feel like catching up on past episodes of Glee instead.  Sometimes we feel like we should just sit down and read a book, but we are spiraling into a self-inflicted Glee marathon. And by “we” I mean me, myself and I.  It’s not your fault that I am addicted to a musical series about high school students and their daily woes.

I just like it.  It makes me smile.  No apologies, no regrets.

Although sometimes I feel like watching Glee is the exact opposite of reading a book. 

It is, I know it is.

image via 

We’ve talked about how we read books and how we buy books, but now I am really curious about how many books you read at one time. 

Do you stick to one at a time and make sure you read it cover-to-cover before starting the next?  Do you have four or five books on the go and alternate between them?  Do you have one professional development and one for-pleasure book going at once?  Do you start books and then put them down half way through because you’re not into it?  I’m so nosey curious!!

A friend and blogger, Julia Kent has a great blog where she shares recipes and book reviews.  I love following what she’s reading and catching her opinions on books.  She is in a book club that seems to be reading something new every time I blink – I don’t think I could be in that book club because I am a seriously slow reader.  But I do love reading her reviews.  They are really honest and clear, which is great because sometimes I really don’t want to waste my time on a book that doesn’t interest me.  It’s nice to know in advance what someone else thought of it, don’t you think?

I am in the camp that generally reads one book at a time - start to finish.  If I’m taking a class, I will have schoolbooks, and a for-pleasure novel going, but other than that, I try to keep it to one book at a time.  I don’t know why I do this, but for some reason, I feel like I’m cheating by starting another one.  I know that I should probably get over this, because like anything else, some things get boring after awhile.  When I start to slow down in one book, maybe it would be helpful to take a little break, and then go back to it.

Who knows. 

So what’s your strategy when it comes to reading? I’m dying to know how many books you tackle at one time.

Also, what’s on your nightstand these days?  Here's what's on mine:

I love it.  It’s really obscure and imaginative. 

I’m looking for some new summer reading though, so recommendations are totally encouraged and welcome.

Let's get our noses out of Glee and back into the books.

Have a wonderful Monday, Y’all!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

For my father Bob (affectionately known as Bean),

Happy Father’s Day

Thank you for everything.

Thank you for teaching me how to drive a car and ride a bike

Thank you for being such a good sport with mum and I.  We tease because we care

Thank you for loving good food, wine, and conversation at the dinner table

Thank you for pretending to be annoyed by the dogs, even though we know you really love them most

Thank you for loving movies and books and music and for sharing that with me

Thank you for taking me on drives to Peggy’s Cove as a girl – it’s my favorite place on Earth because of you

Thank you helping me print photos and reset the Internet. 

Thank you for “Magnet Heads” and other fun phrases.  You are funnier and cleverer than I’d have you believe

Thank you for lamb popsicles

Thank you for taking great photographs

Thank you for always ordering a pineapple milkshake at DQ, and for always taking me.  I think of you every time I go there

Thank you for spoiling me

Thank you for taking me hiking and camping and swimming as a child

Thank you for being sentimental and nostalgic

Thank you for being a great friend

Thank you for always supporting me.  Always

Thank you for everything.

You and Barb are the best parents a girl could ask for.  I’m always happy to know that I’m your favorite daughter – no wait ... favorite child!

You really are the best.

I’m sorry that I won’t be at home today to torment hang out with you.  Less than a week until I see you, though.  I can’t wait.

I hope that Barb lets you eat bacon today because you definitely deserve it!

Thanks for being the best dad.  I miss you and love you so much.

Happy Father’s Day, Bean.

FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE

Father’s Day is just around the corner.  Have you got any plans with dad?

Here are a few gift ideas for the big guy:

via marthastweart.com

Gift Guide

Inspired by Cup of Jo’s Gift Guide, these ice cube trays are just in time for summer bbqs.  They are gigantic so they melt slower than regular ice cubes – genius.

Scorned Woman.  What the heck is that?  My dad’s favorite hot sauce.

Comfortable and classic.

I’m half joking when I say, “Surprise him with a dog!”  Believe it or not, that doesn’t always go over well.  But look at those eyes …

If you didn’t pick this up for Christmas, get it now!  It’s so good.

Bacon of the Month Club.  That’s right, I’ll type that again .. Bacon of the Month Club!!!  Delivered to your home every month.  Yes.

For the intellectual types.  A place to rest their busy heads.

Take him out to the movies.  Try this new one.

And really … did anyone ever turn up their nose at breakfast in bed and a homemade card?  I think not.

Happy Monday

SUNDAY QUOTE

BAD MONEY DAYS and CANDIED GINGER COOKIES

Hi Y’all!

I’m going to talk a bit about money in this post.  It’s sort of a long one, so in case you don’t want to read about that and you’re just into the post for the cookies, here’s the recipe nice and early:

Candied Ginger Cookies

1 cup butter

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

¾ tsp vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 ½ tbsp gingerbread spices*

¼ cup diced candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugars.  Add molasses, egg, and vanilla.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine four, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture until uniform.  Add candied ginger and mix well.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Should make two batches of 12.

*I used a pre-mixed gingerbread spice that was given to me as a gift.  A mix of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg would also work really well.

*Some orange zest would be wonderful in this recipe.  Try it out and tell me how it goes.

Okay – let’s talk about the Benjamins.  Or Bordens if we’re talking CAD.

target.com

Do you ever have bad money days?  You know what I’m talking about, right?  The day when every feeling of stress you have, every bit of built up anxiety, all the insecurity you feel becomes entirely focused on your bank account.  That day.

It’s the day when all of a sudden $8 for a movie seems absolutely ridiculous.  It’s the day when you let your imagination snowball until you envision yourself selling all of your nice clothing at a garage sale along with anything else you think you may be able to get a dollar for – like your half used bottle of shampoo.  Bad money days.  Ugh.

Finances are something I stress about constantly.  I try my best to follow a loose budget and not spend my money willy nilly, but it’s hard not to feel like you just aren’t cutting it sometimes.  I try hard not to compare myself to my friends financially – everyone’s different, right?  I also try my best to save for the future and do all the mature things I know I’m supposed to do, but there are just some days when I feel flat out broke.  Now don’t get me wrong here; I am in no way living a luxurious wealthy life, but I am also not flat out broke.  I’m doing okay.  I’m doing fine.  I have financial ups and downs just like everyone else, but I am not in dire straights.

However, bad money days happen to me.  In fact, last week I had a seriously bad money week.

Gas went up to $139.9 a litre, and I found myself at the pump near tears when the total cost for my tank was around $70.  This was totally made worse by the fact that I had filled my little Golf only one week prior to that.  7 days and I was on empty.  Green?  No.  Reality – yes.  Over the next few days, gas went down to $134.5.  Eyeroll.

Then I accidentally wracked up a seriously large grocery bill because I bought the shrimp that was not on sale.  I bought the shrimp that was in the bin next to the sold out on sale shrimp – and I bought a lot of it because I thought it was on sale.  Rookie move. 

I also accidentally spent a whopping $35 at David’s Tea because, well, I just can’t help myself at that place.  Okay, so that wasn’t an accident, but I didn’t feel great about it afterward. 

It also rained for about a million days straight, so I had to put 3 big loads of laundry into the dryer.  We all know how I feel about line drying.

In retrospect, none of these things were very major, and on another week I may have just let them roll off my back.  I think I was mostly stressing about my financial future and possible changes in my life  – possible loss of sources of income, growing expenses, cost of travel, school, etc. 

These are the times when things get totally blown out of proportion in my head.  Things are rarely as bad as they seem in my head. 

I needed a serious dose of perspective.

I got it on Saturday night when I was eating a mashup of leftovers from about three different weekday dinners because I simply refused to spend another cent on food.

I realized that there are so many ways in which my situation could be worse.  There are so many people who would love to trade places with me financially, and I should never lose sight of that.  I am comfortable, I am loved, and I am able to seek support from people around me, should I need it.  I have it way better than I know.

I also reasoned that you are never too broke to paint your nails bright red and make cookies on a rainy Saturday night.  You are never too broke to enjoy simple pleasures.

Candied Ginger Cookies

1 cup butter

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

¾ tsp vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 ½ tbsp gingerbread spices*

¼ cup diced candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350 and grease cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugars.  Add molasses, egg, and vanilla.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine four, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture until uniform.  

Add candied ginger and mix well.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Should make two batches of 12.

*I used a pre-mixed gingerbread spice that was given to me as a gift.  A mix of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg would also work really well.

*Some orange zest would be wonderful in this recipe.  Try it out and tell me how it goes.

Tell me that you have bad money days too.

Tell me you like cookies.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

SUNDAY QUOTE