Lots of Reading!

I have been able to read a lot more now that I have an iPhone because I'm able to read while nursing Ethan.  Plus I've gotten into a lot of good books lately which have made it easy to power through them.  Here are the books I've read since April (#59):

I really like Sandra Gulland books.  I read her Josephine Bonaparte trilogy also which was really good.

Everyone has been talking about this book.  I found it really poorly written and could barely finish it.

I've really enjoyed Emily Giffin's books.  I thought this one was as good as Something Borrowed Something Blue.

Gone Girl is one of the best books I've read lately.  I highly recommend it!

Another Giffin book.  It was entertaining but not as good as Baby Proof.

I haven't been taking as much time as I should in reading my Environmental Management magazines but I have finished another one (#66)

I am now tasked with making a new dish (#89) for our family (Emile does 99% of the cooking) -- Mexican bean casserole.  It's really good and easy.  The best part -- the girls like to eat it!

I'm very excited that we finally converted our unfinished storage room on the 2nd floor into a playroom for the kids (#84).  It's not that big (12x8') but big enough for them to have a place to do art activities, puzzles, and play with their dollhouses!  I love it!

Emile and I have been able to go out twice in the last few months (not nearly enough) without the kids (#43).  Both times it was to dinner and a movie (The Dictator and The Dark Knight Rises).  For our recent date night, we tried a new sushi restaurant, Mizu (#90), which was excellent and close to our house - reminded me of the sushi places we went to in SoCal.

I also went to Natty Greenes for the first time with my book club friends (#90, #42).  A good American style restaurant.  I also had another night out with friends at Chili's one night this summer. (#42)

Since Ethan was born (and since getting pregnant), I've only recently got to have a new wine (I nurse so I was waiting till he started sleeping longer at night) - Blufled Riesling.  Pretty tasty.  I also had a new wine at Natty Greenes but I don't recall the name of it. (#99)

We've had a fairly wet summer and so recently, the girls and I got to play in the rain.  They loved it!  They put on their rain jackets, rain boots and brought their little umbrellas.  Before long though they gave up the umbrellas and rain boots to just run around and get soaked! (#50)

I finished my first knitting project.  I made Natalie a baby doll blanket which she loved; Natalie picked out the yarn.  I've started one for Claire also. (#85)

I love going to get massages.  Whenever I find a good Groupon for it, I make time.  I discovered the the Eco Friendly Beauty Bar which turned out to be one of my favorite spas so far (Skin Sense is the best) but I also went to Massage Envy for a last minute massage once (and again swear I'll not go back).  Ready for my next massage! (#27)

I'm not sure I've been tracking the birthday cards I've sent out but I know we sent three this summer to my Dad, sister and mother-in-law. (#95)

I've looked up the locations of all the countries I've received postcards from and their associated capitals.  I love my Postcrossing hobby!  Here's the list of countries and capitals I now know (#63) - 56 of them (many I knew before getting the postcards).

Country/Capital

Australia -Canberra
Austria - Vienna
Belarus - Minsk
Belgium - Brussels
Bosnia-Herzegovina - Sarajevo
Brazil - Brasilia
Canada - Ottawa
Chile - Santiago
China - Beijing
Costa Rica - San Jose
Croatia - Zagreb
Czech Republic - Prague
Denmark - Copenhagen
Estonia - Tallinn
Fiji - Suva
Finland - Helsinki
France - Paris
Germany - Berlin
Greece - Athens
India - New Delhi
Indonesia - Jakarta
Ireland - Dublin
Israel - Jerusalem
Italy - Rome
Japan - Tokyo
Latvia - Riga
Lithuania - Vilnius
Luxembourg - Luxembourg City
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
Malta - Valletta
Mauritius - Port Louis
Mexico - Mexico City
Moldova - Chisinau
Netherlands - Amsterdam
New Zealand - Wellington
Norway - Oslo
Philippines - Manila
Poland - Warsaw
Portugal - Lisbon
Romania - Bucharest
Russia - Moscow
Serbia - Belgrade
Slovakia - Bratislava
Slovenia - Ljubljana
South Africa - Cape Town
South Korea - Seoul
Spain - Madrid
Sweden - Stockholm
Switzerland - Bern
Taiwan - Taipei
Thailand - Bangkok
Turkey - Ankara
Ukraine - Kiev
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
United Kingdom - London

6 Month Update

I'm keeping track of the items I complete but just not updating this frequently enough.  Here is the latest update since October:

20.  Emile and I had a date night in February before our son was born in which we went to our first Hurricanes came.  It was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed the game and hope to go to more next year.

22.  Emile and I took the girls to the NC Museum in Art in February to see the Rembrandt exhibit.  The girls didn't get that much out of it given their age but it was nice for us to get to an art museum again.  But I definitely miss the Met.

27.  I got a prenatal massage right before Ethan was born.  It was wonderful.  Looking forward to my next one; hopefully in May.

42.  I had three girls night out adventures.  One night I went to the Red Room with the girls from my book club for dinner.  Always a great time with those gals.  I also went to Tribeca Tavern and also Mellow Mushroom with some friends from my baby board chat line that I'm friends with.  Also a great time.

43.  As I mentioned above, Emile and I went to dinner and to the Hurricanes game back in February.  We also went to Goodnights Comedy Club and Irregardless Cafe one night.  I wish we got out more though.  We're working on it!

55.  I have finally updated the girls baby books so they are current.  Just in time to have our third child!

59.  I tend to read very involved historical fiction or biography books so it takes me awhile to get through a book.  I've been adding in other good reads that are not quiet so dense.  Here are the recent ones I've finished.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  It was very well written but pretty sad. 

Something Borrowed and also Something Blue by Emily Giffin.  Her books are always entertaining!

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity.  This book made me appreciate my husband and want to make sure we didn't let life get away from us.

The Help by Kathyrn Stockett.  Great read!

Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn

66.  I have finally read 3 of my Environmental Management magazines which is helpful for my job.  Just wish I could keep up with them.

86.  I'm excited that I have learned how to knit.  I've started making Natalie a blanket for her dolls and hope to have it finished soon!

87.  I finished another photo album of our international travels -- Emile's and my trip to Canada

88.  I've made two new deserts -- a Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake and an Apple pie.  I was pretty happy with both of them but the apple was by far the best.

90.  I've tried the Red Room (http://redroomraleigh.com/) which is tapas food and Irregardless Cafe (http://www.irregardless.com/) which is more traditional food.  Both were pretty good.  I'd go back to both.

94.  I love movies!  I was surprised how many Academy Award winning movies I've already seen.  I had to go back quiet a few years to find one I hadn't seen.  I ended up with The Last Emperor and Platoon.  One more to go.

Catch up time

Although I don't post often, I have been mentally keeping track of my 101 goals that I've finished or worked towards.  Here's my latest:

7.  Emile, the girls and I took our first family vacation to Carolina Beach on the coast of North Carolina.  While there, we also spent a morning seeing Wilmington.  Two new locations in North Carolina!

14.  Earlier this summer, we took the girls blueberry picking.  It was actually our first time also.  They loved it.  They both did great picking only the blue fruit.

15.  While in Carolina Beach, we flew a kite with the girls for the first time.  Claire loved it.  Natalie was more interested in going back to playing in the sand and waves at the beach.

27.  I just got another massage today at the Falls Day Spa near my house.  First time going there.  It was wonderful!

29.  I did wear a bikini again to the beach one time this year early in the summer before getting pregnant again.  Thankfully, my stretch marks from Claire had actually already disappeared but wearing a bikini still felt challenging since I'm not as fit as I used to be ... but still not bad!

32.  I have been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables as snacks and although I'm not planning on cutting out carbs, I'm defintitely doing better.

34.  My splurge on myself was a new Coach hobo bag.  I got it at a outlet store in South Carolina and I love it!

40.  Emile and I did get a chance to go somewhere for our 10 year Gordo Day (our nickname for our dating anniversary).  We went to Paris for a few days before one of Emile's work conferences.  It was wonderful and our first trip together somewhere without the girls that was just for the two of us. 

41.  We did finally meet two new families in our neighborhood.  We co-hosted a barbeque in which two new families game.  One I've run interacted with since then but the other we haven't seen around yet.

42.  I may have had another girls night out since the last update but I know there was at least one when a friend was leaving town.  A bunch of us got together for a dinner at her house.

43.  As with #42, there may have been another but Emile and I did recently go out two dinner and a movie here in Raleigh and then also to a movie when we were visiting family in Minnesota.  We also went out to dinner and a movie a few months ago (we go to a lot of restaurants and movies!).

45.  Natalie is now taking ballet and loves it.  Claire will more than likely be taking it in a year as she's already into dancing a lot.

46.  The girls went to the ocean for the first time during out trip to Carolina Beach in July.  They loved it!

47.  I just finished Claire's 1 year photo album last weekend.  Just in time for her to turn two in 2.5 months.

49.  While at Carolina Beach, we took the girls to the NC Aquarium in Fort Fisher.

59.  I've recently finished reading Something Borrowed and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

68.  I have successful putting money away in savings for retirement for over a year now.

69.  After speaking with our financial planner, our approach to the girls school has changed.  The money will come out of a different source so setting it aside right now is not necessary.

78.  I have finished decorating the girls bathroom and the breakfast room.  I don't have photos yet of the breakfast room but here is the bathroom.

31. Get tonsils removed

I have been busy these last few months in tackling some of my 101 goals.  The biggest was getting my tonsils removed on January 21 (#31).  It was by far the most painful thing I've done to date; even more so than my two c-sections.  One advantage to getting my tonsils out is that I wasn't able to eat as much.  And thus, of course, I dropped some weight -- the last few pounds of my pregnancy weight.  I've gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight (#28)!  It's such a relief to be back to this stage.  I also definitely slept in and didn't feel guilty...multiple times while recovery (#39). 

Since the last post, I've done the following other things:

• Emile and I tried a new restaurant in Raleigh -- Mura Japanese Restaurant (#43, #90).  It was wonderful, although I don't think it was that much better than some of the other sushi restaurants we've frequented.  While there I tried a new wine, although I don't recall the name (#99).
• I bought a stand mixer finally!  I tried it out by making a crust for the banana cream pie that I made from scratch (#88).  It was wonderful! 

• Emile, the girls and I had a picnic at Baileywick park (#12).  It was a lot of fun and something we plan to do frequently this summer.
• I spoke to my doctor about getting a mammogram.  My previous OB doctor had recommended getting a mammogram at around 31 because my aunt got breast cancer at 36.  My new doctor doesn't think it's necessary at my age (now 34) because under 50, a mammogram is not that accurate.  If anything, he recommends doing gene testing instead which I'm looking into.  I have agreed that doing a mammogram now would not be the way to go so I'm removing that from my list since it's no longer applicable (#30).
• I hung out with some girl friends twice in the last two months (#42).
• I've read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (#59).  Great book about HeLa cells.  I highly recommend it, for even the non-scientist.

• I also read Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran a few months ago but forgot to list it (#59).  It was also a very good book.  A historical fiction (my favorite).
• I finished decorating our bathroom (#78).  I'm pretty happy with it.

• Another one that forgot to list before was that I have started helping Emile with the gardening and landscaping (#79).  I will doing more this summer also.
• I was going to make homemade green cleaning products but I instead decided to go with the green products available in the store.  I've switched over all the products I have been using for Method products (#83).
• I recently spent a weekend in Charleston, S.C. with my bookclub friends (#8).  It was a blast.  While I was away, I also didn't use the internet or computer (#92) and no TV for two days (#98).

• While I was in Charleston, I got to try five new wines:  Honey Moon Viognier, Biltmore Riesling, Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, Jacob's Creek Pinot Grigio, Mirassou Pinot Grigio (#99).  All very good!
• I've sent out one birthday card to my mom (#95).

I've tried keeping up on my Wikipedia reading but I've slacked.  I did read up on HeLa cells recently.  The following is a summary:

• A cell type in an immortal cell line in scientific research.
• Cells derived from cervical cancers cells taken from Henrietta Lacks.
• Cells were propagated by George Gey.
• Neither Lacks nor her family gave Gey permission, but, at that time, permission was neither required nor customarily sought.
• HeLa cells were used by Jonas Salk to test the first polio vaccine in the 1950s. Since that time, HeLa cells have been used for "research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and many other scientific pursuits".

36. My new hobby

I have found a new hobby (#36).  Although it's not creative or active type hobby, it's right up my alley -- travel related without traveling (with 2 kids you can't always hop on a plane and go somewhere new unfortunately).  I am now participating in Postcrossing.  The main idea is to exchange postcards with others around the world.  I send a postcard to someone in one country, they register the card on-line when they receive it and then I get put into the queue for someone in another country to send me a card.  Right now, I can send up to 5 postcards at one time. I'm signed up on Postcrossing.com; I've sent 8 cards so far (3 have been registered) to the Netherlands (ironic that it was my first one given Emile's parents are from there), Germany (2 cards), Russia, Belarus, Macau, Poland, and the United Kingdom.  Now I'm just waiting for my first 3 cards to arrive.  I can't wait to see whether they come from.

I finally got do a spa package (#38).  I've signed up for Living Social in which I get daily emails of great deals around the Raleigh area.  One happened to be 50% off a spa package.  I bought in back in May but didn't get a chance to use it until this past weekend.  Now that Claire takes a bottle well from Emile, I could spend a few hours away without having to worry.  It was so relaxing!  Massage, facial, manicure, haircut and style.  So worth it!  The masseuse was wonderful.  I hadn't gotten a facial since I lived in SoCal.

While Emile's parents, Aunt and Uncle were visiting, we finally got a chance to eat lunch at The Pit in downtown Raleigh (#90).  Their main cuisine in North Carolina barbecue.  It was wonderful!  Definitely the best barbecue place I've been since moving here.  I like NC barbecue better even than Memphis barbecue.  That weekend, I also tried a new wine, Conte Priola Pinot Grigio (#99).  It's one of Emile's favorites.  It was a littler on the drier side for me though.  I usually prefer mine to be a little more fruity.

Last month, Emile and I also had a date night in which Kinsey watched the girls while we went to dinner and a movie (#43).  We went to our favorite sushi restaurant which we hadn't been to in awhile.  Then we went to see The Inception -- absolutely fabulous movie!  One of the best I've seen in awhile.  It actually had me thinking for days trying to analyze it.  I think it's one of those I'm going to have to watch a few times -- there were so many parts that could have gone multiple ways that I need to think about it again.

I finished reading another book (#59) -- The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.  My favorite author!  It was a great book although the ending was a bit abrupt for my taste.  I'm already ready for her next book.

76. Crunches for 30 Days

Last night I completed my 30th day of crunches (#76).  I'm hoping by doing it that much I'll have not gotten into a good routine and will keep it up in the long run.  I definitely can tell a difference in my abs although they still have a long way to go after my second c-section.

Last night I also got together with some friends for a "Mom's Night In" where we meet up at someone's house to hang out (#42).  We used to play board games during these get togethers but have pretty much dropped it for just socializing.  I had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone.  I'm already looking forward to the next one which will be at my house in July.