Something Catchy

This school year we began a student book club at my new campus. The first book was one that I chose and then the second round of the students picked a few potential titles. We settled on the book No Safety in Numbers , which is the first book in a series. Originally she had selected the second book in the series, but we soon realized we'd need to start with book one. This book is presented as being a dystopian book that has a nod toward the ever famous and popular novel Lord of the Flies. The novel itself does have some characteristics of both. The main characters are four teenagers who are trying to navigate through a critical and difficult situation. The mall has been shut down due to a biological threat. There is now a flu outbreak among the people at the mall and the government doesn't want to let anyone out. This book was interesting enough. It was enough to keep me engaged throughout the entire book, but I wasn't dying to read the second book in the series. I thin...

As I have been on my reading journey recently, I decided that part of my journey would include reading classics that I just never read for one reason or another. William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies is definitely a classic and is considered a great work in the literary world. After reading the book, I can clearly see why this would be a classroom favorite. It offers a lot in terms of themes and content when it comes to teaching. Going beyond the classroom, it offers much to consider in terms of life and humanity. The novel follows the tale of a group of boys that become stranded on an island that is unique in the sense that there are mountains, beach, and forest on the island. The boys quickly begin to figure out a plan to become rescued, but without the guidance and adult perspective reason is often challenged or left out completely. The group faces many challenges with the island, both each other, and also internal struggles too. It is clear that they cannot figure out a...

A friend recommended this book, The Collected Schizophrenias for our monthly book club pick, but as a group we did not select it. I looked into the book a bit more and decided to read it because this topic has always interested me greatly. This book is a sort of memoir with a heavy amount of medical research dispersed throughout. The author having the disorder herself has spent a lot of time learning and dealing with the disorder. My interest was sparked due to my own personal connection with the disease. When I was a kid my best friend's uncle was someone who I interacted with regularly and had schizophrenia. I recall him talking to himself in the kitchen one night while making a sandwich. I thought he was talking to me, but it was soon clear that it was someone else. He would comment and then reply in a different voice or he'd simply look over and continue the conversation with the empty space next to him. It was clear that he was hallucinating or having delusions, but i...

Recently I decided to take on a new venture and become a high school librarian. After a year of working as a Professional Development Specialist, it was clear that I wanted to do something a bit different. A few things I missed were books, students, and a bigger connection to the school. When your main job is to support teachers and provide training to teachers, you become a bit removed from the students. And as a person who has loved books, literature, writing, and reading, it soon became clear that I lost something in this transition. For many years I saw the librarian job as boring. I thought that I wouldn't have much excitement or engagement with students. I never really paid attention to what the librarian did on a daily basis. Over the summer, after reaffirming my love for reading, it became clear that I had too quickly judged the job. I started to wonder what it would be like to run my own library and to have the space and freedom that comes with this type of job. It is ...

A no buy month sounds great and like we are going to be saving big bucks and putting a lot of money toward debts. We decided to give ourselves a strict $50 weekly grocery budget, but I think I am going to have to put a few bucks toward popcorn. I came up with a list of 20 things I would do during my no-buy month to save money & pass the time! Movie marathon (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and X-men) Grilling/BBQ- Chicken, Burgers, Hot Dogs, and dinner on the back porch Visit the public library & check out some movies or books Go to a football game at my school, where I teach (entry is free for staff and their family) Game night with our family/friends Video Game night with family/friends Play with makeup & try some new looks! Watch YouTube videos or browse Pintrest  Cocktail night, at home (use up some of our alcohol) Grocery shopping date (hit up all of the sales) Journaling/blogging Spend the entire day reading Bake some c...

As I think about the upcoming holidays and our never ending list of birthdays, we have 13 family members/friends birthdays coming up in the next three months, it is clear that I need to get more extreme with our budget. A couple weeks ago, I jotted down some ideas about how much I am willing to spend on gifts for both birthdays, holidays, and our anniversary. It soon become clear that I should have started saving up back in January! My grand total came to around $1700. I am someone who thoroughly enjoys buying and giving gifts to friends and family. And please remember this number includes 13 birthdays, our wedding anniversary, and gifts for Christmas for our family and friends: a bargain, really! I know that some people, when on a money/budget journey, tend to do homemade gifts or they simple tell family and friends that they are cutting back. I am not going to be taking that route at this time. I don't feel like our personal finances are so extreme that I cannot continue to do ...