Audiobooks

Today, I am thankful for audiobooks! I have more books than music on my iPod right now. I am lucky to have a job where I can listen to them as I do some of my tasks. I also listen to them in the car or while doing chores around the house. They let me do two things at once, and since one of those things is (basically) reading, it makes me happier to be doing the other thing! The best part of all is that they're free! My local library has books on cd you can physically check out. I usually check out two or three at a time and upload them to my computer to transfer to my iPod. They also offer electronic downloads of audiobooks through OneClick. There are also public domain places online like openculture, librivox, and booksshouldbefree! Of course, you can also buy them, but i like the free ones the best!

Gifting

I'll do my thankful post later today, but I now have a fun and helpful tip for you! Instead of giving gifts wrapped in wrapping paper or gift bags, I now (thanks to my sister) always try to use a reusable tote as my wrapping material! They're easy, quick, and reusable. They are available in a wide variety of sizes. They don't clog up landfills. And best of all, they are usually cheaper than their throw-away counterparts! Because they've become so popular over the past few years, you kind find them almost anywhere in all sorts of styles. The dollar store near me just got in a new shipment so I stocked up on some super cute ones today!

Hidden gems

I love it when you pick a movie just because but you go in with really low expectations (especially because the last two movies you picked--Emma and Tim & Eric's billion dollar movie--were really disappointing), but the movie turns out to be totally awesome!!! We watched Goon on Sunday, and it turned out to be a great movie! We also watched The Iron Lady this weekend, and it was also quite incredible!! Hooray for great movies you didn't originally think you'd like!

Two-for-one!

I forgot to post yesterday :/ I even had something I wanted to post; I just got busy. Anyway... Today, I will say two things I am thankful for!
1. Sale days at big lots! Yesterday I got a small vacuum, a slow cooker, a new measuring cup, several books, a few around the house small things, and a handful of new beads at big lots for under $45!! Go sale days!
2. Today I am thankful for our kitchen table. It is a place to eat, play games, or just sit and have a nice chat!

Reflex

Today's thing that makes me thankful is this adorable reflex that ash has. When she's asleep, she pets anything that lands under her hand. A cat might snuggle up next to her, and her hand just automatically goes into that scritch-scratch mode. I love it! I have also had my head scratched more than once. It's too cute, and it makes me thankful!

Cat toys

Today I am thankful for cat toys on long sticks. These are often the saviors of the skin on my feet, arms, legs, hands, and face. They keep the cats distracted while we eat, and they are easy to use! Also, petco has the long stick toys with interchangeable dangly things on sale for $2!

Better late than never!

I know it's not officially Thursday in my time zone, but it is somewhere! So, on this Thursday, I am thankful for karaoke on the iPad! It's so fun! Had a great night with some fun kids from the fruit stand!

Argyle

Today, I am thankful for argyle--the pattern, not the place! It's so lovely! You can get it in so many different colors, and it is unisex. Don't know what to get your co-worker for the holiday gift exchange? Look to argyle! Notepads, sweaters, bags, sheets...it's so versatile! I have at least seven argyle sweaters, and they are all very different. So, thanks, argyle, for being so timeless and universal! You never let me down!

As Seen on TV

Today, I'm thankful for As Seen on TV items. Well, maybe not thankful for the items themselves but more thankful for the amusement they provide to me. As I was boiling pasta for lunch today, I pulled out a piece and tasted it. I made a face, and Ash asked what the face was for. (If you have a problem with the previous sentence, please see yesterday's blog post.) I told her the pasta was definitely not done. Kind of like that time... then we both tried to remember why she made pasta that was so not done. Then, it hit us: the Pasta Express! We got this for free because someone else had gotten two, and she decided she only needed one. There have been many As Seen on TV incarnations of this device: Pasta Boat, Pasta n'More, and my favorite... Fasta Pasta! The sales pitch is always the same: Who has time to spend slaving over a pot of boiling water on the stove? You have to wait for the water to boil, then you have to put the pasta in it and wait for it to cook! Wouldn't it be great if you could just do all those steps at once? And what about when you want long spaghetti? You can't cook full sticks of spaghetti in a regular pot! There's not enough room! So, you have to break the pasta, and it goes everywhere, or you have to just cook half of it at a time. Then to top it all off, you have to figure out when the pasta is finally cooked! I haven't even mentioned the hassle of draining the pasta...You have to be superman to cook pasta! So, Ash and I acquired this Pasta Express, and we decided to give it a try. You put the pasta into the tube. (It's this foot tall clear plastic tube with a solid bottom and two lids: one is holey and the other is solid.) Next, you have to pour hot (Pasta Express recommends boiling) water into the tube. Cap it off with the solid lid. Then, let the pasta and the water sit for ten minutes. Finally switch to the holey lid, pour out the water, and BAM! perfect pasta! Or, pasta that is still crunchy in the middle and is beyond salvaging because you've already put sauce and cheese on it... So, even though I've never had an As Seen on TV product that truly worked, I have had plenty of them that have given me some good stories! And for that, I am thankful!

Thankful

In an effort to post more often, I am challenging myself to post every day for one month. If it goes well, I will choose a different topic next month and post about that! July's topic is... Quirky things I am thankful for!
Today, I am thankful that, despite what some old English teachers may claim, you are, in fact, allowed to end a sentence with a preposition! As Winston Churchill was purported to have said, "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."