Still Alice by Lisa Genova

She didn't want to become someone people avoided and feared. She wanted to live to hold Anna's baby and know it was her grandchild. She wanted to see Lydia act in something she was proud of. She wanted to see Tom fall in love. She wanted to read every book she could before she could no longer read.
Alice Howland is proud of the life she has worked so hard to build. A Harvard professor, she has a successful husband and three grown children. When Alice begins to grow forgetful at first she just dismisses it, but when she gets lost in her own neighborhood she realizes that something is terribly wrong. Alice finds herself in the rapid downward spiral of Alzheimer's disease. She is only 50 years old.
While Alice once placed her worth and identity in her celebrated and respected academic life, now she must re-evaluate her relationship with her husband, her expectations of her children and her ideas about herself and her place in the world.
Losing her yesterdays, her short-term memory hanging on by a couple of frayed threads, she is living in the moment, living for each day. But she is still Alice.
Still Alice is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as powerful as Ordinary People. You will gain an understanding of those affected by early-onset Alzheimer's and remain moved and inspired long after you have put it down.  (Summary from goodreads.com)

Read from March 24 to 25, 2010


My Review: 5 STARS
Still Alice by Lisa Genova is the story of Alice Howland. Alice is a brilliant psychology professor at Harvard, wife and mother of three grown children who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 50. I am not going to lie this story is absolutely heartbreaking and I had a hard time reading it through all of my tears. I don't think I have ever in my life cried so much while reading a book! This is the story of Alice's downward spiral into this devastating disease, she is stripped of her career, memories and her sense of self. Still Alice is so heartbreaking but at the same time so beautifully written that I found myself physically unable to set the book down. This story will stay with me for a long time.

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Message in a Bottle launches a remarkable woman on a mysterious voyage of self-discovery and renewal when she finds a deeply-felt love letter hidden in a bottle, a letter that reawakens her belief that star-crossed lovers will find each other across time and space.
(Summary from goodreads.com)

My review: 3 STARS
Almost gave up on this one half-way through. I am glad that I decided to keep reading though because it actually turned out to be pretty good. This is my third Nicholas Sparks novel and my overall impression so far is that his writing is full of emotional pull but is lacking in any real substance. I would recommend his books for a nice beach read or to take with you on vacation.

Best potty seat for toddlers!

Just wanted to recommend this product for all of my friends who are going to be starting potty training soon. This seat is awesome! Shae was having issues with using the traditional "potty chairs" and plus I really wasn't too keen on the idea of having to clean them out anyway YUCK! Very easy set-up (Shae is able to do this herself) and also folds away for easy storage inbetween bathroom visits. Shae also loves the little handles on the sides to hold onto for stability.

These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner

Inspired by the true story of the author's pioneering great-grandmother, this mesmerizing saga tells of the emotional, intellectual, and romantic awakening of a spirited young woman of the late 19th century in the American West.

My Review: 5 STARS
These is my Words "The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901" is seriously one of the BEST books I have read in a long time!! I cannot stop thinking about it...the story and the characters really draw you in and I actually feel like I have been living in the late 1800's along with Sarah Prine and her family. This is hands down the best love story I have read (this is not a cheesy romance novel either it is a real love story.) These is my Words is full of excitement, adventure, love, romance, I laughed and I cried and will soon be reading the next novels in the series. Thank you Nancy E. Turner! Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Sassy Girl!

Make Your Own Baby Wipes

I can't even remember the last time I bought baby wipes from the store.  It is so easy to make my own and I can't even imagine the money I have saved by doing so! Not only do they work great for diaper changes but for wiping hands and small clean-ups as well.

Here is what you will need to make your own:

 container for storage (red plastic Folgers coffee can is perfect!!)

 1/2 roll of white paper towels (Bounty brand works the best)

1 1/2 cup water

1 TBS baby oil

1 TBS baby wash

Really the most difficult part about making your own baby wipes is cutting the paper towel roll in half.  I use an electric knife...if you do not have an electric knife just use a serrated knife and "saw"in half.

Next remove the cardboard tube from the center of the roll

Place paper towels in container.  Mix 1 TBS baby oil and 1 TBS baby soap into the water and pour over towels.

 You may want to let the water mixture soak into the baby wipes before using (about 10minutes). 

That is it! Easy!!

Toddler Meals

Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets

I know it is normal for toddlers to be picky eaters but UGH is it ever frustrating! I thought I would share a tasty version of homemade baked chicken nuggets that I made for the kids last night.

About 1 pound on boneless skinless chicken tenders

1 egg

2TBS melted butter

1 Cup Progresso Italian bread crumbs

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

I pounded all of the chicken tenders between two sheets of wax paper just so they were not so thick and would cook more evenly.  After pounding I cut each tender into thirds. Dip each piece into egg/butter mixture and then dip into bread crumbs/Parmesan cheese mixture.  Place chicken pieces into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Place in preheated 425 degree oven for 12 minutes and then turn them over and bake for an additional 12 minutes.  They were so delicious my husband and I could not stop eating them....oh and the kids actually ate them too!!