For example take a look at this beauty from Tablespoon.com:

   Another thing I find appealing to do is find recipes in books. Have you ever tried to make a food you heard from a book? I haven’t tried but I’m incredibly curious to see if anyone has ever tried.  One of the challenges I’m encountering right now is that I have decided to lose some
weight and getting the right  portions to keep the diet balance is kind of a mess . I did find a website that helps you keep track of your calories but figuring out how much is what has been the struggle, Any pointers?


So my life at the moment is kind of nuts, but hopefully in no time I will have it back on track.

• Babies grow up - Little babies are cute and cuddly, but inevitably they grow up, and there is NOTHING you can do about it. Learn that your 2 year old may need a nap in the middle of the day. They are going to want a snack at 10 and eventually they terrible two's will reach him. Educate yourself before your decide to bring a live into this world, and make their lives, and yours, a living nightmare. 
• Enjoy the little things in live - You have the gift that some people will give anything to have. You have one more day. One more day to live. One more day to laugh. One more day to share with your loved ones. Some people will give anything for that. Just one more day. So who cares if you didn't get all of the laundry done, did all the errands, or visited everything you wanted in your vacation. In our desperate attempt to give our children this or that we forget that the one thing they want is YOU. It could be by sharing an ice cream, drinking a milkshake, or just spent sitting on a bench watching people. Ultimately is not WHAT you give them, is HOW you spend time with them. 
• Learn everything about you - All children have triggers that provoke temper tantrums. Adults are no different. Learn what really sparks your temper and not only avoid it but work on it. I have no patience and can't think when I'm hungry, so I make sure I have plenty of snacks, and water during the day. 
• Mommy time out is your friend - When my girls were little there were moments I wanted to scream at them. I was going to loose it, and I knew it. So I would yell Mommy time out and my kids knew I need it just a few moments to myself. They were only allow to get me if one was sick, bleeding or in danger. I would take 5 or 10 minutes to myself and gather my thoughts. After that I was brand new and ready to begin again. Look to make mistakes is human and you can't handle it all.
• Stop listening to the "experts" - Did you kid popped out of you with a set of instructions on him? No, then you need to learn how she/he works. The so called experts have a million of advice but they forget the most important one of it all. Listen to yourself. Nobody will know your child better than you.  A recommendation may seem highly regarded, but if you think it's wrong; then it probably is. Listen to yourself and trust those instincts more often. 
• Stop being a martyr - It seems that woman these days equal leaving a child with someone as some sort of abandonment. Woe is me, and the more I do the better mother I become. Allow me to say that that it's just bullshit. You are not going to get a medal for being a martyr and trying to do it all or show you are better at this or that. Come to terms with the fact that you will never be able to protect your child on a 24/7 basis. Even if you could you would be suffocating them, and you. Set guidelines and teach him/her right from wrong. Most importantly investigate and feel comfortable with whom you leave your child. Then try to enjoy yourself. A happy person makes a good parent, trust me.   

I had a very relaxing Sunday and so before I go to bed I want to share two things.

1.       1. A news station ran a story about a teacher who writes *erotica* under a pen name. Apparently some parents are outrage. I can’t believe that in this day and age people are still in this archaic behavior. Teachers are people too and what they do, say and act in their private lives is not our concern as long as they don’t bring that to the classroom.  I think this guy gives out an excellent rant.

2.       2. I may soon need to find not so much of a critique partner but someone that can take a look over the grammar and point out some mistakes in the format. I would love to have a critique partner but I can only deal with one person at a time and I’m afraid that they need to be patient. Between the house, the job, and the kids my time is ridiculously limited. Can anyone recommend someone like that?

I deal with the public day in and day out. I love working with people and there are days that it seems less enjoyable. As a result of my work in recent years I have become more and more careful with how I conduct myself because seeing others reactions really leaves an impression in you.

Today I was in browsing in Goodreads and a friend email me a blog post from bec_fitzpatrick  title ‘Be nice’ I read the entire entry but when I got to the comments my mind burst in a fit. Perhaps it’s because I see day and day out people that seem to believe that to express your discontent with something you clearly must be rude about it to get your point across.  I can assure you folks that this is not the case. Same thing can be said in reading. So I lost my head and posted a brief rant about this not only there but I will do so here too. Here is what I said in Goodreads:

Normally I don't post in online discussions such as this. But, I'm going to break my own rule for today. Day in and day out I see people that seem to think that posting an online scathing trashy review is actually expressing your opinion. How odd that in a post where the person is saying 'be nice' some folks choose to be so rude about their opinions. Here is a clue folks; the ruder you are about your opinion the less likely you are to be taken seriously.

  Look nobody is saying you can't have your opinion. If you all read the blog entry above, Mrs. Fitzpatrick CLEARLY says so and even suggest one way to do it. Everyone should you have an opinion but you should express it in a way that would be a benefit to the author, and her/his work. Nobody ever learn from flattery alone. However, when you use a scathing way to express your opinion it becomes extremely difficult to identify your real issue with the book. Try treating others the way YOU like to be treated. Do you want to read a bunch of insults about your work? Or would you prefer to points of characterization and plot that made the book not such a fun read? Try seating yourself in the receiving end of the review and stop proclaiming to the world your right to say whatever you like. Yes, we all get it you, and everyone else has freedom of speech, but having it doesn’t mean that you have to be rude about your opinion. Try being tactful and respectful and I can honestly say that your opinion may end up being one of the most important reviews that the author may have received.

  Again, express your opinion in a way that we can all identify the controversial, failing or weak points of the books. It help others to later determined if the book could be right or wrong for them based on the things you said. However, when you launch personal attacks towards the author, and do a healthy trash of the book the review becomes laughable and in all honesty not worth to be taken seriously. So yes ‘be nice’ so authors can understand what could be the weakest points of their books; and where do they need to improve. Because by telling them that they suck, don’t know how to write, or that they have a hidden agenda you insult them and quite honestly it says more about you, than about the book.

Don’t expect to burn everyone with your words and get compliments in return. Life doesn’t work that way. 

I seriously learned a lot from the people that nicely and calmly explained the failing points of my work. I appreciate them and consider them because I don't have a big ego to believe I know it all. Life is a learning process and more than happy to be a student every day. However, it really gets me going when people feel the need to burn others with their words as if that makes them superior or more educated. Not every book will be your cup of tea and what you considerer a weak point in a book maybe the strongest for another one. Reading is subjective and that is what it constantly fascinates me about books.

It seems that in every corner there is a bully waiting to strike, and today I seem to have no patience for it.

So much for Sunday = Funday…