A Round-Up

I like it when other bloggers do a round-up of links that inform and entertain. Here's what I've been reading lately.

The Mr.'s company is associated with The Cubs, so we're doing this this weekend. Too bad it's not Roo-babe-friendly.

The best way to launch a new product is to do it right the first time.

Need the skinny news instead of 30 minutes of prime time? Read it at your leisure and with quippy headlines here.

I'm still not sure I care. And I know I don't want it on my face.

Love me some self-aware, sassy ladies. Can I be your couple friend?

How Charles Ramsey knew it was a Dead Giveaway (songified, ya'll!).

Great Gatsby movie not so great? I'll still see it (movie screen or at home) because I have a feeling that it will make me feel the way this movie made me feel.

A Spaniel named Couscous?!

I love Calistoga! and Solage! I hope this couple finally gets to the spa!

Mmmm. Spa!

Thoughtful Thursday: Be Liked, Be Powerful, Be Yourself

"One of the questions I get asked most often from young women who are just discovering feminism is how they can maintain relationships when the people in their lives see feminism as so confrontational...

My answer generally consists of tips on how to strategically talk with people without putting them on the defensive—ask them their stories, meet them where they’re at, find entry points in a conversation that will resonate... 

Yes, the more successful you are—or the stronger, the more opinionated—the less you will be generally liked. All of a sudden people will think you’re too “braggy,” too loud, too something. But the trade off is undoubtedly worth it. Power and authenticity are worth it... 

Wanting to be liked means being a supporting character in your own life, using the cues of the actors around you to determine your next line rather than your own script. It means that your self-worth will always be tied to what someone else thinks about you, forever out of your control...."

by Jessica Valenti from She Who Dies With the Most 'Likes' Wins of The Nation

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If you had to be liked or powerful, which would you choose?
Do you think its possible to be both?

Tipsy Tuesday: Reading Suggestions

This one is going to be predictable and easy-peasy. Just a list of what I've read recently and what I'd suggest. The list is in descending order of my favorites to my least favorites.

Rules of Civility
Half Broke Horses
Let's Pretend This Never Happened
The Phantom Tollbooth
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power
Steve Jobs by Walter Isascson

I am currently in limbo on what to pick up next. I downloaded War and Peace and Heart of Darkness on my Kindle. W&P is over 1,000 pages long and after reading just the preface for a day, I have yet to get past 1% on reading progress. I'm thinking this was a bad choice for Kindle reading because you don't get the satisfaction of literally cracking the halfway point on this monster. Who am I kidding. I won't crack the halfway point. Even Tolsoy's biographic preface is a turn-off.

Anyone read W&P?

What are you reading?

Any suggestions for me?

I prefer good writing over a fast plot. I like brevity in explanation (which is why I think W&P is a good challenge for me), imperfect but strong characters, poetic dialog, allegory and some elements of history or real-life. I don't enjoy dialectic speech, pop-lit, sci-fi or fluffy romances. If the books I like were turned into movies, they'd star Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Olivia Wilde or Diane Keaton (she's crazy, yes?). I could imagine any one of them putting a revolver in their handbag then smashing a glass door with the loaded bag to punctuate a point (see Half Broke Horses). That kinda stuff makes me want to read on.

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Keratin Hair: What it looks like after I wash it

On day 4 I washed and conditioned my hair with Coppola Keratin treatment shampoo (warning: more expensive than Suave!). Then I combed it with a wide tooth comb and let it air dry most of the way. I used a round brush to dry the rest of the way (this step took less than 10 minutes). I used no product.

And I had breakfast on the balcony before it got too hot.

Blueberry oatmeal smoothie and a book loaned from my grammy.

Bringing back the Wish List (although my birthday and Christmas are way far off!).

Mr. S and I just both got sucked in to the fundraising at our local NPR, WBEZ. We can never agree on music in the car (he asked me recently if I could find his Hinder CD... I politely refused), so NPR is a nice happy medium for the both of us and often keeps us out of long-distance-driving-car-fights.

So I do, I really do heart NPR.

I was sad when we became members though that mugs were not an option as a membership gift. I saw all of my friend Chelsey's annual mugs and was experiencing some hipster mug envy.

Then I saw this puppy on the NPR swag site (not the WBEZ swag site):

Can I use the rest of our charity budget to buy like 5 of these? Well, heck, I might as well make it a set at 6!

Other awesome gifts from NPR:

What really bugs you?

Makes me melt.

Good for a road trip. (Are we the only ones who get in car-fights? Something about confined spaces!)

Do you think it'll be Knee-High-By-The-4th-of-July er, Christmas?

My brother and I would be good at this game. Sometimes growing up I swear we were telepathic and we can both carry a tune!

I think my friend Chelsey would be amused by this one.

Tipsy Tuesday: Phoning it in with Drift

I'm having a very busy day today. As I boasted to my sister recently, I can add "Project Management" to my resume. I am in charge of some big, expensive initiatives in my office and am battling agendas and office politics to win a better, brighter tomorrow for my team. It sounds like I'm a politician. Ha!

Speaking of politics, let's bring it in for a fireside chat. Imma gonna phone it in today. My book club is reading Rachel Maddow's book Drift. I'm in chapter 4 and liking it so far. It's eye opening. And, on the heels of a very patriotic holiday, it's ironic.

I'm in the heart of the chapters on "Reagan screwed it up a bit". Its all so interesting. I love how she refers the military as a "jobs program" and how nukes can "go rotten". Its a hot topic that we need to talk about. Rachel's side on the issue is slightly evident, but she also presents facts and lets the reader disagree with her if he or she chooses. If you know Rachel like I know Rachel (we're chums from way back!), then you know she invites debate!

Tipsy Tuesday: Read something that expands your mind. I know that a lot of people make their summer reading more along the lines of brain candy. Have a brain salad. Put down the tween-lit and even the comedian memoirs. Shelf the magazines and even put away the audio books. If those are brain candy, try a brain salad instead. Dressing on the side. Go in for the kill, my friends.

I like to alternate my brain candy and brain salad. I read The Phantom Tollbooth before this and plan to read Let's Pretend This Never Happened after this. And after that I might try to finish Capital Punishment. (It got a bit convoluted and I lost interest with only 1/4 left to go. Not unusual for me as I often take 2 tries to read a book.)

Beverage pairing: Wine cocktail

Ingredients: Malbec, dark rum, bar sugar, seltzer, orange, ice
Instructions: Pour a bit or rum in a glass; pour 3x the amount of wine as you did rum into the glass; add a teaspoon of sugar; stir to dissolve sugar (bar sugar is finely ground so it will dissolve more quickly), add ice cubes, top with seltzer, garnish with a twist of orange rind; drink slowly and with caution as this is both powerful and pleasant.

Tipsy Tuesday: How to Save on Utilities

We love being thrifty, don't we?

In light of this post by Newlyweds on a Budget, what are your utilities? Do articles like this cause you to look at what you spend on utilities?

What we spend:
Hulu: $8 for extra content and HD (Mr. S likes that)
Netflix: $8 (streaming only)
Cable/Internet bundle: $50 (We'll get a break on this from S's employer for his working from home and it will only be $30!)
Cell phones: $200 (We get reimbursed portions of it as we are the executors of a family plan with several people AND S's job will give us a break on it since he won't opt to get a work phone which will bring this down to $70 for us!)
Gas: $40
Electric: $50

Yikes. That looks like more than I thought when it's all lined up!

Anywho, we've been able to add in some luxuries lately (so thankful for turning the AC on in 90 degree heat!) and have skimped in the past. Here's how we cut corners.

1) No cable. Cable used to leave a big whole in a person's life if they had to give it up. But now that Hulu and Netflix are available, why bother?! The only reason we have it is because it was super cheap with the internet (they're practically giving it away now!).

2) Share internet. If you live in a multi-unit building or even in a close neighborhood,  you can piggyback internet for general web-surfing with no slowing speeds. If you are working from home or running a data center out of your house (ha), then this might not be a good option, but for general email or hulu-ing, this can work. We did this for a while and it worked ok (for only paying $20 a month for our portion).

3) Cell phone family plans. You see those deals all the time to add-a-line to your current plan. If you and a few family members/friends share a plan, you can save a ton of money.

4) Hulu. It's free without HD, and free is pretty affordable! (You can also read. My book club is reading this book. Anyone else read it?)

5) Dress for the weather, not for style. I wear thick hiking socks to bed in the winter and walk around pants-less in the summer. It saves on heating and cooling and I get to use a full range of my wardrobe. Win win! If you're cold in the winter, get a fleece and a blanket. Some people complain that our house is roasting or freezing and to them I say, "I'll change the temp when you agree to pay the bill!" I love the adventure of seeing how little we can pay for energy. I think I'm a masochist!

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Do you do anything to save on utilities? Do you consider more than just the bottom line when you adjust your habits? We also like feeling that we're saving the environment by sweating in the summer!

Flip It Friday:Inside Jokes and some other lightness

I know I already posted today. Here's one for those who aren't interested in all of the finance stuff.

Inside Jokes: Mega-funny or Mean?

Discuss!

Also, here are a few things to start your weekend right:

1) Nerd is the new stud.
2) Did you start off a new years resolution to get fit? I did by vowing to run/walk 5 miles a week and I already feel fitter! I am taking a tropical vacation next month and looking for a one-piece. You know how at the end of a vacation you aren't your sveltest? How do you deal with that? And what do you think of this one and this one?
3) See my other blog for how I'm spending my weekend!
4) WhatTheWhat? I'm older than Caboodle?

5) I used to live on West Oakdale (my live-alone-heaven studio) but not this terra cotta wonder! I could fill those bookshelves, though. It looks like they weren't even trying.

Reads

No advice today. This week has been all up in my grill.

Read this in the mean time. You know you can trust her, she's a Jenny too!

Tipsy Tuesday: J.Mill's Take on the Mrs. Lilien's 7 Persuasions of the Extraordinarily Successful

Pretty awesome list of how to be awesome from Mrs. Lilien (blogger I just found today via Fancy Schmantzy's blog roll). Boom goes the name dropping and the shout-outs. I know Mitzi of Fancy Schmantzy personally. I have no idea if the Mrs. is even a woman. Here we go.

I decided to do my own list of 7 Persuasions Of Awesomeness. Here's the J.Mill version:

1) The Mrs. says: Bedeck to Impress.

J.Mill says: Dress to the 9's, yes. Dare to upstage. Think: "Can I get away with wearing jeans?" But then add a blazer. Avoid wearing panty hose unless it's cold. Panty hose will cut-you-in-half. I have the oddly mishapen waistline to prove it.

2) The Mrs. says: Begin with High Stakes in Mind.

J.Mill says: Under promise, over deliver. If you set the bar low, then people will appreciate your follow-through. Get a pat on the back just for waking up in the morning whenever possible.

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"Hiiii-ya!" She gets a pat (or did that sound like a chop) on the back for waking up, fo sho.

3) The Mrs. says: Put Leisure First

J.Mill says: Can't argue there. Just make sure you define leisure in your own specially-tailored way. I, for instance, find shopping to be stressful, not leisurely. I'm more of a stare-out-the-window type of relaxer. Speaking of relaxers, muscle-putty-pills work for leisure-inducing too! Or at least they make shopping tollerable. You may walk out of a downtown Chi-town Target with nothing on your list, but at least you walk out of Target (as opposed to running, screaming out of Target).

4) The Mrs. says: Think Chin-chin. (cocktails)

J.Mill says: Can't argue with this one either. But to deviate from the Mrs., I suggest that you go more daring with your drink dates. Don't drink with friends. Drink with a bartender. Drink with Facebook. Drink with a good book. Drinking alone, once considered sad, now (or maybe not yet) is considered brave! One mojito down and I was de-friending half of my facebook friends. I didn't even KNOW these people. Try it. Purge your FB, your closet, your fridge with a glass of Malbec in hand and see how productive you are!

via awesome

5) The Mrs. says: Accessorize with Abandon

J.Mill says: Take only one piece of advice from Suzie Orman and only wear like 3 pieces of jewelry over and over again. Invest in some dime-store plastic pearls and wear them 'til the cows come home and crush'em. (If your cows are crushing your pearls, learn your lesson and pick your pearls up off of the floor/barn.)

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6) The Mrs. says: Make Marveling Merry (rando acts of kindness)

J.Mill says: I just try not to scowl at the people who play their music too loudly through headphones. Random acts of kindness might be out of reach for me. (J/K... I do nice things)

(That's not me, btw. That's a random child. Get it. Random?)
7) The Mrs. says: Capitalize on Conviviality

J.Mill says: I don't believe conviviality is a word. Woopsie daisy. It is. It means to have a good ol' time with folks. I suppose I can stand behind that. That, or invite people over and then hide in the bathroom with a 6 pack and some kebobs.

Nom nom.



Untagged photos are via pinterest.com

Flip-It Friday: Advise me on some cheap reads

This summer I am piling on the books. I even thought buying some quality reads in hardback would be a good idea... then I started carrying them around in my purse and hardback translated to sore-back. Whew! I need a break!

Summer reading calls for fun and guilty indulgences. What do you dive into when you want to take a lil mental vacation?

What's your favorite magazine? Blog? Do you pick up a YA fiction series on vampires or Chelsea Handler's latest rant? Do you just troll through the FB status updates? Check online tabloids? Stick to books on tape? (as long as they're not in German, right Kate?)






OMG, HP has a GF.

So what are you reading on your mind-vacay?

Flip-It Friday: The Time Traveler's Guilty Pleasures

I'm traveling to Louisville on this Flip-It Friday to visit family.

Whenever I fly, I allow myself to buy magazines. Or a magazine. I never get them at home and resist the urge to buy them in the checkout line.

I don't like the super sexy ones like Cosmo or the fashionista ones like InStyle. I'm more of a homemaker magazine (Real Simple - I even love the matte cover!) person or a health and fitness magazine (Self, Women's Health, Shape) person. Not that I'm all that fit, but I do like healthy recipes, encouragement and good advice they provide. Plus, the women in those mags are not wearing million dollar $hoe$ or other things that are unattainable for me. Taking a hike and making pasta with pesto is more up my alley.


Self Magazine

What helps you get through flight? Sometimes we all need a lil som-somethin' to help distract us from the screaming babies, recycled air, and the fact that we're jetting thousands of miles above the earth!

Ten Tips Tuesday: Must Read Shout Outs and Breaking Rules

So I give shout outs a lot. Maybe I'm lazy with my own thoughts. Maybe you should just follow/read/do as I say. I'm feeling bossy today. And my bossiness is letting me call this a "Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday" post too because I am including a portion of my blogroll! Broken rule #1.

Here are some internet must-reads with which I have some things in common and therefore feel charged with spreading the word. It might go along with my desire to have all my to be friends be friends with each other.

First of all, the person who got me into blogging (and my best friend, Google Reader) and spur me on to keep blogging:

1) Maddison
2) Makenzie
3) Amy and her husband.
4) Becca
5) B.Lill (love the pen-name)

And then there are the surprising amount of wonderful Jen/Jenny/Jennifer bloggers out there: (or as my brother would call me/address my mail: JenJenJennyJen)

5) Jen at MadeByGirl
6) Jenny at MFAMB ohmywordshejustkillsme (warning, adult language... hilarious adult language).
7) And hilarious author Jen, who, I think, got in my head and named her blog after my childhood invention of a new country called "Jennyslavia".

And then there are those who live in Chicago, like me (some of the previous fall in this category too and therefore intrigue me more):

8) Malori
9) Sara

And then there are those with whom I have a sense of humor in common:

10) Cake Wrecks
11) Natalie Dee



And yes, that was 11 tips. Broken rule #2!

Photo via

Flip-It Friday: READs

Ok, now that I am more mentally balanced than at the time of my last post, let's move on like nothing ever happened, shall we?

I found a new blog to read today. May I introduce you to Malori who also lives in Chicago and also has "Sunday" in her blog title like my friend Maddison. Which also starts with an M and who will be moving back to Chi-town soon. Neat! Two good Google Reader adds, people.

Anywho. Malori gave me an idea to share and talk with you about on this Flip-It Friday: Books.

Everyone should have a summer reading list. And, dare I say it, even S is sorta trying to become a reader. Blesshislittleheart.

So let's hear it. My summer reading list has included/will include/I recommend:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Just finished and highly recommend!)

Hate, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro (eager to read this on a recommendation that everything she writes is beautiful)

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (read this last summer or winter, or 2 years ago. Either way, good)

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Golden-child writer. She could describe a kitchen for 300 pages and I'd interject: "Yes! I do smell the curry and feel the heat of the rice pot and see the stain on the ceiling!")

Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner(both Steven/Stephen-s, this on is "on deck" for me)

(Yes, I stole that image from Amazon. I'm not even ashamed that is has the "look inside" tag on it. Or maybe I am. Either way, you get the point.)

What's your list?

Any recommendations?

Are you more of a magazine-on-the-beach kinda person?

Do you prefer used book shops like my beloved Myopic, Amazon, or the ever-decreasing traditional book store?