Kindling my Fire

It seems I have been on a reading binge of sorts lately.  I have lost count, but I am pretty sure I have read about a dozen books in the last 2 months.  It all started when I decided to give the girls their own Kindles for their 10^th birthday.  That, and winning a Best Buy gift card, made my upgrade to a Kindle Fire totally attainable – and perfect timing for a Mother's Day treat!  I still love the feel and smell of a real book, but my Dave Ramsey budget sure likes FREE things!

While trying to figure out a way to put a few books on the girls’ Kindles without breaking the bank, I came across a blog that has now become an obsession-like fascination.  Pixel of Ink is an AWESOME resource for what’s free and discounted at the Amazon Kindle store each day.  And, much to my delight, there is a children’s book version as well, Pixel of Ink Young Edition. I found several books on this site to fill the girls new devices with enough content to keep them busy for quite a while, and when I see something I think they will like (and is appropriate), I just send it to their e-readers.  So, they get surprised when new content every once in a while!  The kids and teens sight is also FULL of fun picture books and first readers for my 5 year old to get involved with.  We love how colorful and bright they are on the Fire, and his reading skills really impress me!  I am subscribed to both blogs, so at the end of the day, I get an email chock full of free books to look through and see if any pique my interest.

I really adore reading.  While I am not a literary GIANT and a lot of what I read is just because I love a good story and to get to know new characters, it has been fun to see what all is out there.  I am partial to novels - modern romance and fiction, although I have read an enjoyable mystery now and again, and I enjoy a book with a good historical background as well.  I have read 3 books in the last year that had a futuristic element to them – a la Hunger Games.  Those are always thought provoking.  One of the books I have read recently was a memoir of sorts from growing up during the depression on a Nebraska farm.  I liked the learning I got from that one.  But my favorites are just stories.  I like to get to know the people, the culture they are in or that shaped them, and relationships they build or break.  All you can find on TV these days are ridiculous and contrived “reality” TV shows (which I do watch!), so a real story draws me in.

Don’t get me wrong, I have read a few and thought, “Wow.  I’m glad that was free.”  (I always push through to the very last page – hoping for something better along the way…)  But there have been a couple that were really written well, and were real page turners.  One I was surprised to learn was a novelist’s first attempt.  It was really good!  I’m in the middle of another one that is a bit predictable, but I like the angle it is taking, and I love the main characters.  It’s going really fast, though, so I am sure I will be one to another one in a day or two.  Missing these personalities and relationships, but getting to know some new ones…

If you need a summer reading recommendation, tell me what you like to read, and I will probably have a suggestion for you!  And for my fellow Kindle lovers, it might even be FREE!

Weavers: Unplugged

A new tradition was started in the Weaver house last night – Technology Free Monday nights!  We have decided to set aside this night as family time, get unplugged  – with no electronic interruptions.  No twitter, facebook, or blogs.  No TV, DVD or DVR.  No DSi, Wii or iXL.  No cell phones – mine was on in case of emergency.  We chose Monday nights since there are no out of the house activities for any of our kids after 5:30.  (And there is no TV we regularly watch on Monday nights, but I digress…)  We chose to do this from 5:30pm Monday nights until  5:30am Tuesday mornings (when my alarm goes off).  The biggest question the kids had was if we could use the microwave.  I said yes, since it could be used to prepare dinner…

I think last night went pretty well!  I had dinner going when Britt and Emma got home at 5:30.  We were done with dinner by 6:30.  Played board games and made puzzles, and had the kids in bed by 8:00.  Jake didn’t quite understand the how or the why, but he made it through without any movies!  Of course, the first thing he wanted to do this morning was turn on the TV – and he asked me when I dropped him off at day care if he could watch a movie when he got home today!  Sweet thing!

After the kids were in bed, Britt decided to read a book, and I read some of my book before leaving for a meeting at my sorority house (I am an alumna adviser for our chapter) which kept me out until 11pm.  When I got home, Britt was still reading – finished the entire book before we went to bed!

So night 1 of Unplugged was a SUCCESS!  And I say Pffffffffft! to all the nay-sayers and HATERS out there!  “Won’t last 20 minutes” – how about 12 hours?  “Over/Under -45 minutes” MY FOOT!  We did it, and it was GOOD!  Next week we hope the weather is better so we can get outside; being inside while a pre-schooler who wasn’t 100% on board or sure why we were doing this got a bit trying!  But, I think it’s a great time with family and a great change of pace.