Personal Development for 2014

I am working to better myself this year and I am committing to read at least one personal development book each month! Here is my list. Let me know your thoughts on any of these book! Any I should add?

January- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell

February- Go Pro by Eric Worre

March- Failing Forward by John C Maxwell

April- Eat That Frog! By Brian Tracy

May- Push by Chalene Johnson

June- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

July- Leadership and Self-Discipline by the Arbinger Institute

August- Everyone Communicates But Few Connect by John C Maxwell

September- Influencer, The new Science of Leading Change by Joseph Grenny

October- How to Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie

November- Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey

December- No Excuses! The power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy

This Week In Pictures~ And Some Movie and Book Opinions

This past week was a little low key for me. I enjoy getting back into town and my calendar is blank for a time. The highlight of last week was my cooking class here. Below are just a couple more pictures from the week. 

Airlines based in America really NEED to come to Asia to learn about customer service! We flew back from Seoul on Asiana Air and they have a line for "Happy Mom Service" and "Pre Mom Service". That is just the beginning! The flight attendants actually enjoy serving the passengers! Who knew?

Goodbye Christmastime :( I'm already counting down to next Christmas!

Blast from the past. We brought back Jiffy Pop from the states.
It was fun for the first five minutes...not the best tasting popcorn. 

Laundry from the trip! After day four I was finally done.
I miss my full size washer and dryer so much.

It has been super cold here in the mornings!
I have been walking to the gym every morning after the kids get on the bus. 

Bundled up for the gym.

We had broken all of our mugs, among other things, in this tiny kitchen.
 I have seen these mugs all over the world and I regret not picking them up in other cities. I have really loved herbal tea in the cold afternoons lately and this was the perfect solution to drinking hot chocolate and tea out of bowls.  

I am sure you have heard that Beijing has had "off the index" bad air quality lately! This is 7:30 am and you cannot see the buildings. Yuck!

Jupiter's favorite thing to do is watch the birds in our lobby. He can sit and watch all day long if I let him. I wonder what is going through his head. Perhaps it is "how can I get at those tasty treats".

Lunch from a back of a bike anyone? This contraption has hot coals inside the compartment that is heating the hot plate on top of the cart. 

It is dangerous how many restaurants deliver here! This is our McDonald's menu. Did you know you can get a single McFlurry delivered, in less that thirty minutes, to your door for under $3? Not that I have ever done that, I swear!

Saturday night dinner out with friends.
Pizza at Kro's Nest and dessert at Dairy Queen!

Just Because!

Before we left on our trip we took some items to Golden Five Star market to get framed. Our friends picked them up for us as we were on our trip. This is all the custom framing we got for less than $100 USD! Can you tell which are for hubby and which are mine?

I really, really love giving my opinion! As a matter of fact I get a thrill when I give a review on TripAdvisor, Goodreads and even when I used to get phone call surveys back home. Kinda weird I know! But lately I have had the urge to give some opinions on books and movies I've seen over the last several weeks. I'd love to hear your opinions too!

Movies

Les Mis- I've only seen the first half (technical difficulties), but so far I really like it. I had heard lots of criticism about acting and singing but I am okay with it all so far. It is such a great story, I am not picky...although Anne Hathaway's non-prettiness was a bit distracting to me. On another rant, it is really bugging me when "big name actors" are only being cast because of their names....how about you?

Breaking Dawn Part II- Even for someone like me, who held up my fair share of the Twilight Edward bandwagon, it has just dragged on way too long. I am over it. With that being said though, he still makes my heart go pitter pat and the ending montage made me tear up and feel sad that those characters are no longer a part of our lives. On the other hand, Kristen/Bella still makes me twitch with annoyance and that made up for that one tear. I do not like surprises, so I made my sister tell me the BIG SPOILER! I am so glad I did...I would've been really, really taken back. Overall, I enjoyed it somewhat. And kudos to Stephanie Meyer for listening to us and our gripes of anti-climatic endings for the book, changing it as executive producer for the movie. 

Pitch Perfect- I LOVED this movie...the airplane edited version of this movie, that is. Basically, Glee in movie form. My perfect example of a "fun-non-thinking-for ninety-minute-good music" kind of movie. I admit I did buy the soundtrack on iTunes right after. I have a feeling the non-edited version probably wasn't as good though.

Perks of Being A Wallflower- I wish I had seen the airplane edited version (does anyone know if you can see those anywhere besides a plane btw?). Although I am not quite sure they could've taken out certain party scenes that were pertinent to the plot. While I was watching it I felt melancholy, but after it ended I felt it was thoughtful and interesting. Again, not totally loving Emma Watson being cast in her role (big name?) but I thought Logan Lerman was extraordinary! 

Books

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. See my full review click here on Goodreads.  Do not get thrown off thinking this is some war book. Just read it. You will thank me.

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani. Goodreads review here. One of the best epic love stories I've ever read. A perfect book in my opinion. I dare you to read this book without shedding a tear.

These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner. Goodreads review here. As you can see I have hit a "good book gold mine" lately and our Beijing Book Group is partly credit to that. This book was a book I probably would not have picked up on my own but it was almost life-changing. I say that because it began to help me think of my own survival instincts and will to live through any trial. You will not regret reading this book. Hesitant to read the sequels, though, since this was so good.

A Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. Goodreads review here. Even though the above books were all outstanding to me, this book has been my recent favorite. It is EVERYTHING a favorite book of mine includes. Shannon Hale has been a favorite author of mine since The Goose Girl and this genre has become a favorite  too. Her writing takes me to a different place that is not scary or eerie like sci-fi, but just as escaping. I really loved this book and will most likely read it again. 

It may seem like I love everything I read but quite the contrast. These are just some outstanding books I've read recently that I just had to share. 

I'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts too! 

Comment below.

Entertainment

Before I moved to China I had questions about how I would access my favorite things for entertainment. I remember thinking, "How will we watch Survivor?" Survivor has been the one and only show that all four members of my family enjoy equally. We would weekly gather to watch it together...I cannot emphasize enough how much we all enjoyed it equally as that NEVER happens with any other show or movie.

Here is a breakdown on how we access things to entertain us.

TV Shows~ There are a few ways to watch TV shows here. 

First, there is live t.v. We get 5 English speaking stations (AXN-Asia, CNN World, MSNBC world, HBO Asia, Discovery). I cannot emphasize enough that the stations that are common to the US are not the same stations. For example, HBO and CNN are not showing the same shows that the US is. CNN mostly reports world news, but Anderson 360 and Piers Morgan is on in the morning. HBO shows older movies and none of the big HBO series shows. AXN-Asia does show a couple of reality shows (Top Chef and The Amazing Race) but the digital transmission is so messed up you can't see the images. They also have some different shows that are cooky called "Cash Can Asia" and "Kitchen Musical" (which is supposed to be like Glee but in the kitchen of a restaurant).  The  big bummer about live t.v. is that there is no DVR here. How did we ever watch our shows when they actually aired?

A second way to watch t.v. shows is by buying DVD seasons. DVDs are a way of life here because they are so cheap. It is really great to buy an entire season of a show, but they are always a season or two behind. This works well when you are beginning to watch an older show. For example,  we got hooked on Hawaii 5-0. Unfortunately, when you watch all the DVDs and get caught up to the States, it is hard to wait an entire year before the next season comes out on DVD. We are currently waiting patiently for "Modern Family" & "The Middle", so no spoilers please!

When our patience just runs out and we cannot wait for the season to come out on DVD we turn to downloading t.v. episodes onto our Apple TV from iTunes. We have done this with Hawaii 5-0 because a) last season left on such a cliffhanger we could not possibly wait and b) I needed my McGarrett Hawaii fix and c) I wanted to discuss the ongoing story line with fellow watchers from the States instead of after the fact. On iTunes an episode for a show costs $1.99 ($2.99 for HD) or you can buy a season subscription. I have had to really hold back or else I would be racking up an enormous itunes bill.

The funny thing about t.v. shows are the ones I thought I couldn't live without (Survivor and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) are ones we haven't even watched.

Internet~ Our VPN (virtual private network) allows me to Facebook and blog, but it doesn't help with the speed of the internet. Therefore, YouTube is something that we rarely use. Likewise, watching free episodes of t.v. shows is impossible.  I tried watching a 44 minute episode of Hawaii 5-0 one time on CBS. com and it took me three hours and pausing after each line (I couldn't pause it to download in it's entirety). I also uploaded a three minute video to YouTube and it took me two and a half hours. Anything where I am downloading or uploading (even pics to FB) I dread. But I am thankful to be able to access websites that I never thought I would be able to.

Movies~ Going to the movie theater is not something we have done yet. China only allows 20 foreign movie titles a year into their box offices. They are quite expensive and there hasn't been anything released that we just had to see.

As I said earlier, DVDs are really inexpensive here so that is the way we go. We pay 8 RMB ($1.20 USD) per DVD. There are moral questions about purchasing the DVDs, but we quickly learned that if you buy a DVD at Wal-Mart (do not even think this is the same as Wal-Mart in the states) they are the same "type" of DVDs as the market, you just pay 40 RMB for them. It is impossible to find legitimate movies here. The funny thing about the DVDs are they all have Chinese subtitles at the bottom. While watching "The Help" this weekend we noticed the subtitles were for a completely different movie, "Crazy, Stupid Love". We have also heard from friends that while they were watching "Kung Fu Panda 2" in Chinese, with English subtitles, there were racial slurs and profane words...wow! Needless to say, we now own many DVDs of current and recent movies, the quality is always questionable.

Reading Material~ I really miss magazines. I never really appreciated them until I could not get them. But the other day I saw a copy of "Better Homes & Gardens" and squealed with joy, only soon to find out it was all in Chinese. I think I may research if I can get a subscription to a favorite magazine sent to me here...daring!

I brought eight books with me, thinking that would last me until my visit home in December. I was so wrong. I read those books in about three weeks (have I mentioned I have time on my hands?). Foreign bookstores are few a far between here in Beijing. I do have one about a 30 minute walk from my apartment. The prices run about $15-$20 USD for a paperback.  Some ways I have been able to get my hands on more books is having E check them out from her school library for me, buying from a foreign bookstore while on vacation in Japan, and downloading them onto my iPhone from iTunes. I always knew a Kindle, Nook or iPad was a great thing but I am the type that likes the actual book. Here, digital books are totally the way to go, for access but also because I can pull out my "book" on the subway, in a waiting room or in a taxi to read. With these digital books I have been reading an average of a book a week. I hope to begin a book swap with friends. Any good recommendations? Currently I am reading the biography of Steve Jobs...I owe a lot to this man since I couldn't function in China without my iPhone and Apple TV.

Podcasts~ Speaking of Apple products...I have come late to the game of podcasts, but am now so grateful for them. First of all, they are FREE! If they are audio podcasts I download them straight to my iphone. I have listened to spiritual podcasts, mandarin language podcasts and comedy podcasts. I am always searching for something interesting to listen to for free! If they are video podcasts we download them to our Apple TV. Each night we all gather around and watch Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News. Funny that US news was not something that I was particularly interested in while in the States, but now I grasp onto it for the connection. I also like podcasts because they don't take as long to download as TV shows.

Games~  I knew that games would be important to us here, so I brought along our favorite board games and Wii. There is nothing like bonding over a round of "Egyptian Rat Slap" or "Dominoes". We try to play together at least three times a week. Puzzles are popular here and readily available to buy, but American board games are something we will always need to bring from the States. 

Of course, entertainment is always important to us as humans and I am so grateful that I have access to some of the American entertainment we had at home. I hope that by the time we head back home we will have acquired some forms of Chinese entertainment.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

If you are anything like me I am always tempted to read a book when I hear they are making a movie. I had planned on reading books by Lisa See when I learned I was moving to China. Before I left I was not yet ready to embrace the culture I was so hesitant to be immersed in. So I waited.

Now that I am here, in Beijing, I felt comfortable to pick it up. I am so glad I did and I am also glad I waited. Now as I walk the streets I think about the ancestors of those around me. Besides the rich Chinese history, that now has personal meaning to me, this story is a beautiful story about friendship, trust, endurance, honor and loyalty. I cannot believe that it is only 258 pages long. The novel is epic in some ways, a lot of ground is covered.

The writing, for me, is what makes this book so good. It is easy to understand, yet intellectual at the same time. There were points where I felt a little bit uncomfortable, but not offended or disgusted in any way. The parts where I did feel awkward were necessary for the story, I felt. If you want a quick read that transports you to a completely different time and place, I recommend this book.

Summer Reading

Technically we are a day away from Summer vacation here, but by the looks of the weather you wouldn't know it. Chilly, windy, rainy is mostly what we've seen here in Northern CA this entire month!

With this set of books you WILL NOT care what the weather is like!

It is not uncommon for me to be waaaaay behind the curve on good books. I just don't learn my lesson when trusted friends rave about a book and I turn my nose up due to the subject matter- eh-hem a certain vampire and a certain wizard- This book was no different. The subject matter is disturbing BUT PLEASE DO NOT LET THAT STOP YOU! I promise, the way Ms Collins has written it, you will only mildly be disturbed AND the love story is so gripping you will probably be like me and read both books in one weekend!

As a matter of fact I've been picking up book after book this week and putting them right down because I want the same unexpected, 100 percent thrill ride that these books brought me. Luckily the final volume in the series hits stores August 24th! Plus you've got to read all three before the movie comes out right? Don't know who or when, just that Lionsgate has the rights.

So do not be hard headed like me and put off this great series! You will thank me...oh, and then we can talk about it!

"My Fair Godmother" by Janette Rallison

If you want to giggle out loud, read this!
If I were to write a book this is the book it would be! Good, clean, fun! In my heart I think I am still a boy crazy teenager so it really spoke to me. The overall message is good. Totally appropriate and I can't wait for my daughter to read it so I can hear her laugh out loud.

*bake time 2009*

For the past 6 years I have hosted a cookie exchange! Some years it has been so big we've had to have group exchanges. Some years it is small and quaint. This year we had 8 bakers. Below is the loot that I received!

Since I have been working on a healthier lifestyle I decided to make something that I would not be tempted to eat. I made chocolate dipped biscotti. I made original almond and a variation with anise seed, hazelnuts and chocolate chips. I have to say...they turned out pretty yummy!

The best part was that my mom and I spent an entire day baking these together. It is a memory I will always cherish. I try to add a new cookie to my repitoire each year.

Like always, we have prizes-

• Best tasting cookie went to the chocolate marshmallow fudge cookie.
• Best wrapping went to a teapot container with red and white ribbon.
• Most creative went to these below...so cute!

chocolate dipped cherries as body and tail, kiss as face, Red Hot as nose and almond slivers as ears. They are yummy too!!!

It is just SO good!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Well, I seem to remember a time where I would say, "oh, those are not my kind of books". Something very similar to what I said about a certain vampire story we all know and love!

You may remember this and Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone was on my list of summer reads.

Sadly, I did not make it, but my daughter (11) read 1-5 and my son (7) read 1. They were so enthusiastic about it I knew I just had to find out once and for all what the hooplah was all about. My great friend has all the movies, so I borrowed them and watched each of them over a 3 day period. I know, I know the movies ARE NEVER as good as the books but I was way overwhelmed by reading 7 BIG books.

When I had my HP marathon I was hooked! We went as a family to see #6 at the movies. I knew that I had to read #7 to find out how it all ended.

Finally my Review:(no spoilers here!)

HOLY COW! What an amazing story! There were times when I was annoyed with Ron, Hermione and Harry- but that all made our brave heroes so much more humanlike. I savored each and every chapter and I grew to love all of the characters and stories. Rowling is such a fabulous writer. It made me feel as though magic was happening all around me, and if you know me I am not a FANTASY person at all! But this story, the entire saga, is a story of growing up. It has all the elements of regular teenage stories, it just happens to take place in a wizard world. If you have not given Harry Potter a try, please do! You will not be sorry... I am now going back and reading 1-6!

? Bored this Weekend ?

I can't imagine anyone could be bored this weekend since it is Father's Day & a beautiful summer weekend...BUT if you find yourself needing some heart warming, here are two picks I have for you!

~The Proposal~

This movie was really, really cute and funny!

Now I understand you may question my taste since many of you did not like the last movie I LOVED, but there is something about romatic comedies when my hubby and children are gone that make them seem really good! Oh, how I've missed Sandra Bullock's comedy! My all-time favorite is the RV scene in "Two Weeks Notice". This movie has lines and scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny!

Of course, I love the pretty scenery and you must catch a quick glimpse of the kitchen in Alaska AND the chandelier above Andrew's shoulder in the barn. Speaking of the guy, Ryan Reynolds is dreamy! He has puppy dog eyes and one smokin' bod! Okay, check it out and let me know what ya think!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Do not be put off that the entire book is a series of letters written between characters. The characters are funny, sweet and the entire book makes you feel happy! The story behind the authors is interesting. The story is of the Guernsey islands just after the German occupation. It is not a "war story" and not a "history lesson". Just a book about kindred spirits who find friendships through fate and some even find love.

What are some great finds you've discovered lately? Do you agree or disagree with my picks?

☼ Summer Reading ☼

Are you all ready for SUMMER?

Some people think getting ready for summer means SLIMMING DOWN for a bikini (not!) or clean off the TENT for camping (not me either) or even getting weekly pedicures for flip-flop feet (maybe once a summer)!

My idea of getting ready for SUMMER is to get a nice stack of books! Here is my stack so far, but I've got three more in the mail to me.

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

I am way behind the times when it comes to Harry Potter, this is the summer that I will read them!

Below are two sites that I cannot live without! If you are a reader, you should really check them out!

Swaptree is the best! You put an "I have" list of all the books, cd's, dvd's and even video games that are collecting dust. Then you make an "I want" list. They match you up, and you mail off things you have for things you want. It is all free, except postage. But get this! You don't even have to go to the post office! You print the mailing label from your printer and it charges your CC (2.45-3.15). I recycle the envelopes so it is a great way to get books for free! You can either keep it or retrade it over again! So awesome! Who doesn't love to get packages in the mail?

Once you get your books from Swaptree , you head over to goodreads to chat about them! Swaptree has a spot to rate books, but I prefer the format of goodreads better. You can hook up with your friends and find out what they've read, are currently reading and planning on reading. Then you can comment all about their reviews. It is such a great way to find new books to read or find friends who enjoy the same writing style you do.

If you have a favorite summer read, let me know! I'd love to hear what YOU are reading!

Perfect for a Rainy Day

Please forgive me for being MIA lately! Not to be a downer but it has a little something to do with two new crowns (and I am NOT talking the sparkly, royal ones!) and frantic chaos about major budget cuts in the school district I work in.Okay, enough of that!

I found two morsels that I HAVE to share with you! Disclaimer: Keep in mind I choose fluffy (sometimes corny) types of entertainment.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

The first was a pleasant surprise since I hadn't really heard of anyone loving this book. WELL, I did! It is the complete fantasy-type (NOT HARRY POTTER FANTASY) book that I love! It was clean and I read it in a day and a half. Like always, it will not change your life BUT it was a lot of fun for me. Beware, if you are not a Jane Austen nut you probably want to steer clear. Final word is that it is pure, plain guilty pleasure reading!

If you are interested in reading other reviews by moi, be sure the check me out on GoodReads!

You've heard me say before that for me to enjoy a movie it has to be pretty to look at. Hence one of the big reasons I hated Benjamin Button. Recently E (who is practically 11) rented Penelope and what a fun little movie it was! I am a sucker for the modern-day fairy tale movies. This one has a great moral, good acting AND is so visually detailed! Check it out on a rainy afternoon and you will not be disappointed!

Happy New Year & Book Review ~ The Goose Girl

Ahhhh, it has taken me this long to sit down and blog a little bit.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.

Our tradition is to go to Southern California for New Years. This year I am so glad we did...my father-in-law ended up in emergency heart surgery for a double bypass. Hubby spent most of his time with his mom at the hospital. It was so good for him to support her. It was a miracle that this was found and that he is alive. We are all so grateful! I was able to spend time with family and three of my very best friends. Now I am home and I love the new year! Remember I am the one who loves Mondays because of the fresh start? I am not one to make resolutions, but I definitely take time to clear out and renew. Right now I am going through closets. I am the opposite of a pack rat, I love to throw things away and often regret it when I need it.

Onto the book review...The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Tried to upload picture but it was giving me troubles, I hate posting without a picture!

Like "that vampire book" it took me a long time to read this book despite many of my friends recommendations. I am so glad I did! The story is based on the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale, but is completely different. It takes place in a beautiful kingdom where the princess cannot find her place. You think you have heard this story before, but 'tis not so. :) The authors writing is a visual style that is so wonderfully descriptive. This book is an easy read that kept me turning page after page wanting and needing to find out what happens next. It transformed to a different time and place, and a beautiful one at that. Please let me know what you thought, if you have already read it. If not, and you want a sweet book that reminded me of childlike dreams, pick it up and give it a go!

Book & Movie Review- The Tale of Desperaux

A few years back D was given a copy of The Tale of Depseraux personalized and signed by the author. We knew that we would always treasure this book. At that time I tried reading it aloud to him, he was about 5, and he was not interested. This past month we picked it back up again, he is 7 now. It is the first book that thrilled him to every bit of his being.

Book Review- In anticipation for the movie being released we read everynight. I often felt myself wanting to read on and on because I was so interested in how the whole story would come together. The writing was excellent and D was introduced to vocabulary and loved every minute of it. With that being said, I HATE sad stories and this story is sad. I bawled my eyes out a number of times. I found the book to be dark and depressing but perfect (?) for a 7 year old boy. I totally and completely recommend this book as a read aloud. Lots of great discussion will come of it.
Movie Review- I loved this movie! I am a complete Disney fan, but this movie kicked the crud out of Ratatoullie! All of the things that made me depressed about the book they changed in the movie. This movie was filled with goodness and great morals. I love little Desperaux...he is so cute that I would totally buy a stuffed animal of that little guy (move over Twilight). The animation was so good and pretty to look at. Go see it, it is so sweet!
Comments- If you saw it, didn't the narrator sound like Martha Stewart? I thought it was her the entire time until I saw the credits. Do you love placing the voices of animated movies too?

Book Review- Love The One You're With

...by Emily Giffin

I was so excited to read this book. I loved Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Baby Proof. So when this book came out I waited until a 40 % off coupon and away I went.

"Ellen and Andy’s first year of marriage doesn’t just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she’s meant to live. At once heartbreaking and funny, Love the One You’re With is a tale of lost loves and found fortunes—and will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered what if." -Publisher Notes

This book was not gripping like the others. I didn't really like either relationship. The characters, to me, were not developed much for me to "root" for either. It is easy to relate to, but left me with an awkward feeling as I read. Who likes to feel awkward? I say...skip it.

Did you read it? What did you think?

Book Review- The Thing About Jane Spring

Disclaimer:You can always count on me to recommend a book that gives you a laugh, that does not take very much seriously and it probably will not leave you with a deeper meaning of life...because I solely read for the purpose of entertainment. And I OFTEN choose the book by it's cover.

The Thing About Jane Spring by Sharon Krum is funny and lighthearted. It was a perfect read for me with humor, nostalgic references and a small love story. Mostly it is about a woman with a great career that just really needs to find out who she really is. Rumor has it that it is being adapted into a movie. Hope you enjoy it. If you read it, let me know what you think.