Book 3

The next book up on the list is Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I've heard all kinds of good stuff about this one. A couple of the blogs I read regularly just go on and on about how great the book is and how it really helped them to pay off debt and become smarter about money. I've also watched clips of his show on Fox News (the only thing I can watch on Fox, just to be clear).There was quite the waiting list for this book at the library! I managed to get it early last week and I know I won't be able to extend my due date because of the waiting list, so I've got to hurry up on this one.

Book #2

Still Growing by Kirk Cameron is now in the pile of finished books. And just in time, since that was 2nd book and today is the last day of January! It was an okay book; not one I'd go out and buy, but it was a relatively easy read checked out from the local library.

About half to 2/3 of the book deals with Kirk Cameron's childhood and his time on Growing Pains. The rest of the book concerns his years after the show. It focuses a lot on his faith, which is how I heard about the book. He shares his testimony and also explains the career decisions he makes as a Christian and how his faith affects those decisions. It also talks about his family life. He has 6 kids!

So, a good read, but not fantastic. But I generally don't think any biographies or autobiographies are fantastic. I am beginning to think that genre may not be my favorite.

Food Updates

No fun pictures to share with you, but I am pleased to report back on a few new dishes we have consumed from the Marathon Cooking experiment.
We had Chicken Durango over the weekend. I thought it was just okay, but it did get a thumbs-up from the hubby. I won't make it as a repeat. It didn't taste, just not enough flavor for my liking. I think it maybe needed a strong side dish to complement it.
We had Baked Mediterranean Tilapia as well. I loved it and thought it tasted great. Mr. Smoller liked everything but the fish (sound familiar, Amy?). It had tomatoes, olives, capers, onions, and some other stuff and had a slightly sweet taste. I think all the sauce stuff could be good with chicken, too, so we might just try it a different way next time.

The big winner has been Texas Style Lasagna. It got a huge thumbs-up from both the adults in our house and even one from the B-man, who devoured some of the leftovers I ate last night. It was a fantastic dish. Just like normal lasagna, but using tortillas instead of noodles and colby-jack cheese instead of mozzarella. Yumm-o. It's a definite keeper.

Book #2 - Still Growing: An Autobiography

Next up on the reading list is Still Growing: An Autobiography by Kirk Cameron. Now, fair warning that I thought Kirk Cameron was soooo dreamy when I was a teenager. My friend Melissa had pictures of him plastered all over her walls (along with various members of New Kids on the Block) and we would spend hours talking about how cute he was. Gag.
Fast forward to present times - I saw this book mentioned in a blog post the other day and thought it would be interesting. I'll report back with a book review when I'm done.

Book Review #1

Yep, book #1 is done. Perhaps I should be creative and come up with some fancy, schmancy rating system. But that takes too much time and I just really don't have the imagination or desire.

Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones. Well, my first instinct was correct. An okay book, but not really one geared at my personality. It really does go after the difference between people who are Born Organized (B.O.) and those who are not. This book is most definitely aimed at those who are not born organized. The whole premise of their "system" is writing all of the household chores/jobs/duties on 3x5 cards and then organizing them by day of the week, month and then also determining how long each job takes and whether it's a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or seasonal job. It's quite intricate, though I suspect it may work for some people. Just not me.

I don't need or want an index card to tell me I need to clean the bathroom or wash clothes or fix dinner. But for those who need a visual tool to help them stay focused, this system might be the one you're looking for. If you're easily distracted while doing a household job and can never seem to finish one job, it's worth a try.

Book #1

Book #1 on my list is Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young & Peggy Jones. "The slob sisters tell you how they moved from clutter and chaos to order--and how easily you can do it too!"
So, I don't really think of our house as being full of clutter and chaos (perhaps you would disagree). But, I'm always looking for tips on how to do it better and faster. And by it, I mean cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc. I should have a book review, albeit a short one, for you next week. I can already tell you this book doesn't apply much to my personality, but I definitely people who aren't Born Organized as this book opines. This book differentiates between those people who are Born Organized, B.O. and those who are not. My childhood bedroom may not have shown it, but in pseudo-adulthood, I seem to possess the organization gene.
Stay tuned for the book review!

More Walking

Here's an updated video of the B-man walking. He walks far more than he crawls now, so he's officially a toddler.