Happy New Year!

"Another day gone. Another year passed. 

Sing the memories of song. Let the old years last.

But most important of all, one must never forget.

That Jesus took the fall, and replaced our fateful debt."

- Me

I hope that everyone of you, whether it was through difficult times or the best moments of your life, fully experienced the year of 2013. I am looking forward to continuing my blog and maybe get some more readers!! Love all ya! :-)

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As ever, 

Stephanie

Edible Puppy Chow!

It's ALMOST CHRISTMAS folks! 

Since it is so close to Christmas, I am going to give you guys a quick and easy recipe if you are rushing to make a snack for the annual family christmas/work parties. 

And yes, I did try out the recipe this morning! It was so yummy! :-)

Recipe: White Chocolate & Peppermint Puppy Chow

-4 cups of Rice Chex Cereal 

-Any color candy canes / I used regular red and white / (you need about 6)

-1 tbsp of butter

-1-2 cups of powdered sugar

-1 cup white chocolate (I used the morsels, even though it's not real chocolate)

-Milk to thin out your melted chocolate (This is optional, although I did this step, it helped a lot!) 

The video where I got the recipe from, and to show you how to make it is here. 

The result is amazing and the little specks of candy cane showing through is so pretty! It only took me a half and hour or so to make, and it's a no bake - so that's a plus for me. 

I hope you guys enjoy, and comment below if you tried it out. The ingredients can be switched out with many options, so the possibilities are endless!

As ever, 

Stephanie

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City of Bones: Book Review

Hey Audience! I am giving you an early Christmas gift. Free of charge.

Seriously though, I know it has been a while since I last posted a review.

The lovely cover is SOOOO AMAZINGGG!

(This is the same book cover I own at home)

This book has gotten more fame in the past after the movie came out. However, a lot of critics are giving bad ratings to the movie--but the trailer for it looks awesome!

I don't know. You guys decide I guess.

But you MUST read the book first.

Here is a brief synopsis given by the lovely IMDb:

When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with other like her and heads in dangerous alternate New York called Downworld. 

Well ok, I'll be honest. That wasn't the greatest summary in the world . But you get the gist. Truly, it is a great read, SO FAR.

Yes, I will also admit this. I am not finished with it yet. *GASP* What?! How can you not finish the book and still give a review on it? You must be joking. 

I can, because I can. :-)

I have made it to chapter...8...9? Somewhere along there. I AM HOOKED. I literally can not put it down. And I know you will not be able to too. {GRAMMAR NAZI INSERT COMMENT HERE}

Or perhaps not. Perhaps you will think it lame. Or boring. Or mundane. (HAHA. That was a totally inside joke, which you won't get until you read the book!)

Just read it anyway.

I give this book a [*][*][*][*][*] (5 star) rating only because I haven't finished yet.

Happy page turning!

As ever,
Stephanie

Save Money, Steal Clothes!

Honestly, this blog is not about stealing. Or shop-lifting.

I promise.

But there are certainly other ways of saving money when and if you want to go shopping. Since Christmas is right around the corner, I figured that this would be appropriate to give you guys a few suggestions for a cheaper and more old-fashioned way of buying gifts for the family.

Hope you like them!

1. Thrift Stores. Seriously guys, the majority of my closet is from some sort of thrift store. But here's the best part- no one evens knows! I find name-brand items and usually they are 80-90% off the regular store price. You can't get much better than that.

2. DIY Gifts. Pinterest has amazing easy DIY Christmas gifts for any kind of person. If you are crafty, not-so-crafty (like me), baking ideas, decorations, etc. Anything and everything you can imagine! [I also roam Youtube for easy step-by-step ideas as well.]

3. Food. I love, love, love to bake! Cookies or brownies, cupcakes or pies. Anything with sugar would be a great gift, especially for the men. ;o) 

4. Gift Cards. This is an especially nice idea if you have a major coffee drinker in the house, but you don't want to spend money on getting the whole sha-bang (coffee maker, coffee flavors, filters, yada yada). I recommend Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. But mall gift cards also work as well. Oh! And now-a-days they have this, visa, gift card. It is basically a credit card, with a limit on it. At least you don't have debt! 

5. Personal cards//room decor. I like to make a really cool, personal card with pictures and such, BUT when the holidays are over - it can be used as a wall decor or bedroom decor. This is great, especially when you know what colors your sister or your best friends room is so you can match it! 

6. Mason Jars. I love me some mason jars. Seriously. You can put anything in them, throw some ribbon on it, and it looks amazing! I have recently been getting into the putting-a-recipe-in-a-mason-jar ideas. They are simply amazing. 

Again, these are just some ideas that I love and personally have used. Let me know if you try these or if you have any other great ideas! Comment below if you want more suggestions on cheaper gift ideas. 

As ever, 

Stephanie

Divergent Review

Yup, you guessed it. Another book review.

If you haven't noticed all the hype about this book yet, well then I might be able to assist!

Here's the pretty cover:

Divergent is a very good book set in the future of America. *Notice the swampy lands in front of the skyline of Chicago. 

I can't say much about it--but I will tell you, that being an avid reader and a harsh critique, this is not a terribly written book. But why? you ask? Well, I will tell you why. 

1. It is easy to read

2. It is at a medium pace--keeps the readers attention

3. There are not too many characters to remember 

4. It is one of a trilogy--so it does have questions unanswered, making you want to read the next one

5. Will make you laugh and cry at the same time

I give it an 8.5 in my book of ratings. Can you really put a .5 on a rating? Yes. Yes I can. 

If you want a small overview of what the book is about, I recommend WIKIPEDIA. Or IMDb. 

Blogger's recommendation: I BEG you to READ the book first before you watch the movie that is scheduled to come out in 2014. Books are always better than the movies. And you will have more backstory about the characters as well. Better hit up your nearest library! 

Trailer here. 

As ever,

Stephanie

What's the Point of Marriage?

Ok, seriously. Stop for a moment and ponder this question.

What's the point of marriage?

By definition, marriage is "the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife". Please don't harp about same-sex marriage, because I didn't make up this definition. It was in the dictionary.

Anyway, recently I was chatting with a friend of mine and we were discussing the possibility of her sister getting married soon. However, she has been dating this great guy for a while now and first they want to get a house together before he pops the big question.

On an outward view, this is a logical step towards finding out if you are compatible with your partner, thus helping decide if continuing the relationship by getting married will actually work.

This practice is so common in the US, that it is socially accepted, whereas a hundred years ago, this wasn't even something to consider. It was simply ludicrous.

So this brings me back to my original question. What's the point of marriage?

If marriage is supposed to bring two people together in unity, whatever your beliefs, but they are already having pre-marital sex (another form of union!) and living t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r in a house before they get married, I honestly think that marriage should be thrown out the window in this case.

Marriage, at this point in history has no merit behind it.

It is only for the fun of planning the flowers, the dress, the decorations. The when, the where, and the how. But what about the why?

WHY is it ok to "practice" being married? It seems redundant, pointless, and utterly hypocritical. Because when you are walking down that aisle, about to be "united" with your future spouse, it seems to me like you are lying to yourself.

So why do people still torture themselves by getting married and become re-united all over again? That doesn't sound logical. That sounds crazy.

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As ever,
Stephanie