tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77196984681443070682024-02-18T23:39:46.585-08:00Furiously WritingAmina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.comBlogger747125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-36705195262644133162018-02-06T04:16:00.000-08:002018-02-06T04:19:01.566-08:00Feminist book of the month club <div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;">At my book club holiday party, one of the women told us about the <a href="http://cardcarryingshop.com/product/card-carrying-club">card carrying feminist bookstore</a> in NY that has a book of the month club. Very cool! I love to support indie bookstores, small businesses, and feminist indie small bookstores most of all. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">The February package included a book, buttons, keychain, information about the book, as well as activist information on how to support trans youth. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM4NHTGwT4IVS50Qnw7w-7WsXxDtE_e81SmRJ4qbtq9OGdNzwrLFsGqPI7zZ0-K5DwoE0Uor75_Nqck-726A4Nc8xNmXjbxJYH5PA1y4H5vr3ytRtfYRDkWlou1UX_6WwSU9mAkVdxTk/s1600/cc_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM4NHTGwT4IVS50Qnw7w-7WsXxDtE_e81SmRJ4qbtq9OGdNzwrLFsGqPI7zZ0-K5DwoE0Uor75_Nqck-726A4Nc8xNmXjbxJYH5PA1y4H5vr3ytRtfYRDkWlou1UX_6WwSU9mAkVdxTk/s200/cc_FW.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RD8J7DI04l2KFO1b3TfeCk-hWFTEEHXer9srrTl_SIDg03Ia5irqVdZUkXDM83_cHCp4Qe2oWd-38EN1-SNSkwfSben86sryfLgcVkiuALLuNVxxtm1l8Awadz8RmYolbNaAWb4ijEo/s1600/gift_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RD8J7DI04l2KFO1b3TfeCk-hWFTEEHXer9srrTl_SIDg03Ia5irqVdZUkXDM83_cHCp4Qe2oWd-38EN1-SNSkwfSben86sryfLgcVkiuALLuNVxxtm1l8Awadz8RmYolbNaAWb4ijEo/s200/gift_FW.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B7RaUG-qB13TjOQMke5mv7EGo0PImp46JWRaxInoRhMRfOyWWk_oJq44RNIjSU42w_VPAfsIjCcv75-M_7D_il2CB43kE_5950nxMfHB9Nrf27mAtsSrWsJeSJv7H7wxLr7fbR02V4A/s1600/book_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B7RaUG-qB13TjOQMke5mv7EGo0PImp46JWRaxInoRhMRfOyWWk_oJq44RNIjSU42w_VPAfsIjCcv75-M_7D_il2CB43kE_5950nxMfHB9Nrf27mAtsSrWsJeSJv7H7wxLr7fbR02V4A/s200/book_FW.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-19643278443316853052017-10-30T04:08:00.002-07:002017-10-30T04:08:27.872-07:00Between Me and You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMci7YLnjg0zrvHZhG4jpVGWrbt3u58YRXZ43XHJ0LmfuSTsLmZhzT8TBNbfWOVtwfmU4bBHJ8lAujscofkNDaGxkM0YByU0QR-2LsR3aRZ4XR8a-KgOoG7Dk4i84KkpcxAoLTtDuWyjI/s1600/between.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMci7YLnjg0zrvHZhG4jpVGWrbt3u58YRXZ43XHJ0LmfuSTsLmZhzT8TBNbfWOVtwfmU4bBHJ8lAujscofkNDaGxkM0YByU0QR-2LsR3aRZ4XR8a-KgOoG7Dk4i84KkpcxAoLTtDuWyjI/s320/between.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Love, like life, is messy. This book gets it. Alison Winn Scotch's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2x8faaY">Between Me and You</a></i> is a love story at once tender and funny and honest and most of all, heartfelt.<br />
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The structure of the book jumps back and forth in time and that device wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the alternating his and her points of view. It was well-written and satisfying.<br />
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ATTENTION REESE WITHERSPOON: PLEASE MAKE THIS INTO A MOVIE IMMEDIATELY.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>B</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Post contains an affiliate link. </span></i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-69579483585576035752017-09-01T04:48:00.000-07:002017-09-01T04:48:47.771-07:00Free Advice Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmmM0msTGsqcURthSZVwekOEAuOVodV4Q97xsKs3BP3oClPa5DJGAjHKal2tE9q6LXSDEtZHi0Z8EhyphenhyphenhPfcQbAcBkpwKjllYdPwA60oOegbJ0HGQAkPsAMemijI79Ljz0Rw5YmqGFyWw/s1600/Bloom+where+you+are+planted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmmM0msTGsqcURthSZVwekOEAuOVodV4Q97xsKs3BP3oClPa5DJGAjHKal2tE9q6LXSDEtZHi0Z8EhyphenhyphenhPfcQbAcBkpwKjllYdPwA60oOegbJ0HGQAkPsAMemijI79Ljz0Rw5YmqGFyWw/s400/Bloom+where+you+are+planted.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-38010921458083898652017-08-25T07:08:00.001-07:002017-09-01T04:31:30.692-07:00The Resurrection of Joan Ashby <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtatxcgKznHLdMIRi8mSxax48pTDKUoUblS_t1qo34KOU4pNOlxctk6pJ7-0dz5DpMwBjvUZCdZucUlCJu7J5W4EDHHfGd7q4Pp8oENymS0u9dCt0P5K9YrK1ON-0Ka0ojYzzg84-L2E/s1600/Joan_FW%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtatxcgKznHLdMIRi8mSxax48pTDKUoUblS_t1qo34KOU4pNOlxctk6pJ7-0dz5DpMwBjvUZCdZucUlCJu7J5W4EDHHfGd7q4Pp8oENymS0u9dCt0P5K9YrK1ON-0Ka0ojYzzg84-L2E/s320/Joan_FW%2527.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read it, read it now!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">According to Good Reads, I've read 46 books so far this year. And Cherise Wolas' <a href="http://amzn.to/2waH3Au"><i>The Resurrection of Joan Ashby </i></a>is front runner for my favorite book of the year. </span><br />
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A friend got an advance copy and lent it to me. I finished up some other books and then sat down with this and a big cup of coffee. Once I started it, I could hardly put it down. It made me <i>want </i>to get up early to read! [I got some semi-solicited advice that if I wanted to get up early, to start the day doing something I like.]<br />
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I've convinced a few other people to read it despite finding it hard to concisely answer the question: What's this book about? Well, it's about a writer, marriage, motherhood, being your own person, fitting in, family, drama, and, of course, writing. Sprinkled through the book are excerpts from the writer's stories that I also enjoyed.<br />
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My <i>only</i> complaint about this book was that it wasn't published when I was in graduate school, I would have loved to discuss this book in a literature class. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">A</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This post contains an affiliate link. </i></span>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-88843080667683982722017-08-16T04:42:00.000-07:002017-08-16T04:42:00.743-07:00Barbeque If you are ever driving and see a sign like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM7XwyOuc5AE-UJuy0EZ6mdy0Z75qNo5lu6sjto17_ugIiIEP4JIbYoATlxCEzDPn2EHm9c9RbFLvqzEHE2w030t7IHr8atQB9qLNDI7aKaJEic8-stF0QuG6Tfh7l4UQaxS8yDJ18Pw/s1600/Monks_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1482" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM7XwyOuc5AE-UJuy0EZ6mdy0Z75qNo5lu6sjto17_ugIiIEP4JIbYoATlxCEzDPn2EHm9c9RbFLvqzEHE2w030t7IHr8atQB9qLNDI7aKaJEic8-stF0QuG6Tfh7l4UQaxS8yDJ18Pw/s200/Monks_FW.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
pull over immediately!<br />
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We were driving through Purcellville, Virginia, on our way to an architectural salvage place for My Heart's Desire when we saw <a href="http://monksq.com/">Monk'</a>s in an industrial park after the smell grabbed us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9gL6PDuMcxChG4fSI9qs7Vl4oDzEbHnx_hZObcE5N9jWpy1PTP47F7bv6kPxPOJe_l9r5VXw3p3tDcaurTVk1RrEEgDj1HYaaLVR6rxDxkSOHqnePAM5UI2QJaO_IKXs_pxGjRb4E5Y/s1600/Southern+BBQ_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9gL6PDuMcxChG4fSI9qs7Vl4oDzEbHnx_hZObcE5N9jWpy1PTP47F7bv6kPxPOJe_l9r5VXw3p3tDcaurTVk1RrEEgDj1HYaaLVR6rxDxkSOHqnePAM5UI2QJaO_IKXs_pxGjRb4E5Y/s200/Southern+BBQ_FW.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Barbeque is My Heart's Desire's favorite food, after all, he's lived in the South for more than twenty-five years. He got pastrami, I had the Sunday special, burnt ends (brisket), and Babyface ate smoked chicken. The smoked Gouda mac and cheese alone is worth the drive. </div>
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Sorry, can't write more, have to plan next trip to Monk's!</div>
<br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-7468548146395210172017-08-07T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-07T05:02:50.258-07:005 Things I Love About Summer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhzmUQI5ANaQ8Rgf2FzfRD80hoYS5d7avbQDw6OGJUrvtxSJ3MWsB5sxnn2So4DPlug9a3MSssFSCjrsTBoNv0ZVSVGn_bm_Hm1NDeIEXYa4oBtrurIwFwt1iH_F7PnE9Hh-XV5Xc4NY/s1600/PancakesFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhzmUQI5ANaQ8Rgf2FzfRD80hoYS5d7avbQDw6OGJUrvtxSJ3MWsB5sxnn2So4DPlug9a3MSssFSCjrsTBoNv0ZVSVGn_bm_Hm1NDeIEXYa4oBtrurIwFwt1iH_F7PnE9Hh-XV5Xc4NY/s200/PancakesFW.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<li> <b>Babyface's birthday! </b>Of course I love Babyface's birthday. We told him he could have anything he wanted for dinner and he chose Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes from the Silver Diner. He was bouncing off the walls from the excitement of his birthday and the gallon of chocolate chips in his pancakes. </li>
<li><b>Longer mornings for me!</b> I'm an early riser and love having sunshine in the morning. (In the winter I often feel like I'm getting up in the middle of the night since it's pitch black at 6AM, so much so that I use this <a href="http://amzn.to/2wAcRxy">alarm clock </a>that wakes me gently with light.) If I want any time to myself (and you know I do), the only way I get it is to wake up earlier than everyone else. I usually exercise, read books, blog, or work on projects. </li>
<li><b>Summer fruit</b>! Oh, how I love fresh peaches, watermelon, cherries, grapes and everything sweet from the garden! My Heart's Desire was only half joking when he said he was going to buy a second fridge just for all the cut up watermelon. Babyface likes watermelon as much as I do so it doesn't stay around too long. </li>
<li><b>Vacations and day trips!</b> Babyface and I went to Colorado for a family visit and had a great time at the end of June. We also celebrated Babyface's birthday early, which was nice. My family also has gone to some smaller towns in Virginia for barbeque (My Heart's Desire's favorite) and fun (in that order). We've also got some more local activities to do on our summer fun board. I also planned my first staycation in ages, will post about that at the end of the month.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denver Botanical Gardens</td></tr>
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<li><b>Fall is coming! </b>Fall is <a href="http://furiouslywriting.blogspot.com/2013/10/fall-in-love.html">my favorite season</a> and I'm looking forward to it! And this fall Babyface is starting public school. It's a whole new world. </li>
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<i>This post contains an affiliate link. </i></div>
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Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-44616130205677755872017-08-03T04:30:00.004-07:002017-08-03T04:30:47.413-07:00Grateful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfD8ROfPcuPwWuKO-nO53saFZwqGu7O9u4Ntd60eSyWgovxTvwCqG1L57GhAB8-bkqfuGHoniyJyibQdKCy0sl48SPjuCgexPE-mXM_U-t3HRhV4HODDM-SrNuTbOTPiDLfRz5-FcV5_A/s1600/real+simpleFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfD8ROfPcuPwWuKO-nO53saFZwqGu7O9u4Ntd60eSyWgovxTvwCqG1L57GhAB8-bkqfuGHoniyJyibQdKCy0sl48SPjuCgexPE-mXM_U-t3HRhV4HODDM-SrNuTbOTPiDLfRz5-FcV5_A/s200/real+simpleFW.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Grateful today for my new coffeemaker (replaced the old one that My Heart's Desire was afraid would burn our house down), a little time to myself in the mornings, all our appliances work, ceiling fans, lighter traffic before school starts, one of my <a href="http://amzn.to/2vllgbp">favorite authors</a> has a new book coming out this fall, the calm app, a staycation to look forward to later this month, being able to laugh at my mistakes, cold water, watermelon, Babyface's face while he sleeps, and feeling at home.Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-80643307015890140692017-08-02T03:57:00.000-07:002017-08-02T03:57:38.052-07:00Eligible<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTTCJ7hpOBqOo56GxSB_A7c2xPyBT_sM_PCC_h73zJGFc4RqfwoXuOjxivhfRN-1i8eGN3lJKH9m6xWWmV_dp6qg24ZEIsyi3r_tIUDZOX2AIOWuyr1wgHVCqWeeLaNGnVHC8o5QWWRE/s1600/eligibile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTTCJ7hpOBqOo56GxSB_A7c2xPyBT_sM_PCC_h73zJGFc4RqfwoXuOjxivhfRN-1i8eGN3lJKH9m6xWWmV_dp6qg24ZEIsyi3r_tIUDZOX2AIOWuyr1wgHVCqWeeLaNGnVHC8o5QWWRE/s320/eligibile.jpg" width="209" /></a>I was waiting for a number of holds at the library (okay, <i>libraries</i>, I’m kind of a library card collector) and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2wkOCDl">Eligible: A Novel</a></i> by Curtis Sittenfeld was available. I had lower expectations since I liked and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2f7itfu">American Wife</a></i> but not so much <a href="http://furiouslywriting.blogspot.com/2014/02/sisterland.html"><i>Sisterland</i> </a>or <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2w5vD0j">Prep</a> </i>and was very pleasantly surprised. This modern retelling of Jane Austen's <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> was smart, funny, clever, and enjoyable. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">B+</span><br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links. </i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-71515890167907926682017-07-31T03:44:00.000-07:002017-07-31T03:44:53.695-07:00Family Fun BoardIt’s summer. And every season my family makes a family fun board. My Heart’s Desire, Babyface, and I all come up with ideas and write them down. It’s a list of fun stuff for us to do every season. We stay busy with regular weekend activities, like swimming lessons, chores and birthday parties, so it’s great to have a list of fun stuff to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoolbMucEWBmmHokxbt5n4W1MbNejO9dPSwmSeEyngsCV31G1GICY5B2ZqwaWzK7wk_oaWBnzYSlWO54UOvaFFVes4CW575SuiNQzlJzIigsRoqOI4Z4hZjCckjWBwaX1KII8bJihkzM/s1600/summer_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoolbMucEWBmmHokxbt5n4W1MbNejO9dPSwmSeEyngsCV31G1GICY5B2ZqwaWzK7wk_oaWBnzYSlWO54UOvaFFVes4CW575SuiNQzlJzIigsRoqOI4Z4hZjCckjWBwaX1KII8bJihkzM/s400/summer_FW.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Fun </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This summer we came up with: plant something, make ice cream, picnic, hike, blow bubbles, spot a rainbow, museum visit, camping, farmer's market, bike ride, leaf blower, draw with chalk, and water slide.<br />
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It also changes the question from, “What do you want to do?” to “Which one of these things do you want to do?” When we accomplish one, Babyface puts a sticker or stamp on it. <br />
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And it had an unexpected bonus. We keep it up in the kitchen and guests sometimes chime in with ideas, suggestions, or offer to join us. One of my friends from book club offered to join Babyface and I on a field trip to the Museum of American History. He wasn't interested in First Lady dresses and she skipped the how to DJ tutorial, but we all liked the America on the Move exhibit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsI_4lIAJ8dhk2uAmYzewAUZuIwpdgJADCq8qkroiMmuRKncAuRJSMSLbcFnqUqDL4X5g_PeOOKbaPlenfrd-jTLAtR_U_D5Waw_7PXwMAuNNcMIo2C_warVsmkh3e3ps0-Z8GtE4JgyY/s1600/winterFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsI_4lIAJ8dhk2uAmYzewAUZuIwpdgJADCq8qkroiMmuRKncAuRJSMSLbcFnqUqDL4X5g_PeOOKbaPlenfrd-jTLAtR_U_D5Waw_7PXwMAuNNcMIo2C_warVsmkh3e3ps0-Z8GtE4JgyY/s400/winterFW.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our winter fun board included make treat and deliver to neighbors, visit museum, sledding, picture with Santa, make snowman, snowball fight, drink warm cocoa (Babyface loathes hot cocoa), make gingerbread house, decorate Christmas tree, ice skating with Uncle Dinky, write letter to Santa, have a Christmas movie night, make handprint ornament, and ring in the New Year. </div>
Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-81748565112924325202017-07-25T03:52:00.000-07:002017-07-25T03:55:21.110-07:00A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">How to read </span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2gZ4mcu" style="color: #1155cc;">A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light</a>, edited by Eleanor Brown </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3Jnd_j64w-hQrNd02a3YT6wBDXqAOUXURsiHlurSxU7pPLi-vy4D3rRSW1svHupWp019rtFprQAcUiEpFqJJ_QN7BRYgBDaKmTBv2v6ZCuSNdjEPNs_Auymemo6_wbtRuQKvTgyhGGs/s1600/paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="231" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3Jnd_j64w-hQrNd02a3YT6wBDXqAOUXURsiHlurSxU7pPLi-vy4D3rRSW1svHupWp019rtFprQAcUiEpFqJJ_QN7BRYgBDaKmTBv2v6ZCuSNdjEPNs_Auymemo6_wbtRuQKvTgyhGGs/s400/paris.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">1) Get passport</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">2) Read this book 📖☕️</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">3) Ponder which you would love more, the bread or chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">4) Realize the answer is both and this is why pain au chocolat exists</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">5) Fantasize about whisking self away to Paris</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">6) Repeat step #3</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">7) Wonder if it would ever occur to hubs to whisk you away to Paris [or anywhere]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">8) Try to recall dusty high-school French </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">9) Look on Yelp where to find #4</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">10) Start mulling next adventure </span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">11) Allons-y!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This post contains an affiliate link. </i></span></div>
<br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-44895305604181377872017-07-21T03:51:00.000-07:002017-07-21T03:51:39.053-07:00All the Ugly and Wonderful ThingsBryn Greenwood’s beautifully written <a href="http://amzn.to/2uGaLyU">novel</a> with a controversial theme (the less you know about the book before you start, the better) sparked one of my book club's most interesting discussions. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenS9jYPeVJ6cwy8n9lO5nLaoXOU6rErpEz_a-_hTvX6lnpeAYREN4wpMwIvOrjisCPDrhlMiT1xGoBxYZU3jYAxvZv2zUIkb6wUgGfb25hOefqeO3poNvNwnPljumdC1hFzJBOU2p2T0/s1600/ugly+and+wondeeful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenS9jYPeVJ6cwy8n9lO5nLaoXOU6rErpEz_a-_hTvX6lnpeAYREN4wpMwIvOrjisCPDrhlMiT1xGoBxYZU3jYAxvZv2zUIkb6wUgGfb25hOefqeO3poNvNwnPljumdC1hFzJBOU2p2T0/s200/ugly+and+wondeeful.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
My awesome book club organizer (shout out to Amy!) arranged to Skype with the author and we had a long talk about right and wrong, gray areas, and figuring out the answer for yourself. Though I read a lot of books, this one has stayed with me.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">A-</span><br />
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<i>This post contains an affiliate link.</i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-75160381441440087462017-07-04T18:02:00.000-07:002017-07-04T18:12:43.006-07:00How to Murder Your LifeReading Cat Marnell's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2sKDEoF">How to Murder Your Life</a></i>, it took me a long time to realize that this was not a recovery memoir. I thought it would be the Millennial version of other memoirs in the genre, like Augusten Burrough's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2unyYXA">Dry</a></i> or Caroline Knapp's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2tOqKLg">Drinking: A Love Stor</a>y </i>(both are excellent books). Instead, her book reads just like she's telling you a long, pointless story in the most casual way possible. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSnG2o5CImC-Kw6Hu-NVE5bYSI2SiPp_VC8JvX9hn-dcJSW7hubTfIsfcWovQZ0aU90oWsSTQ82WCnNAH1DFHk5dyuIjdFSGOs_Z-IGY_3xFKzMxO60VDv25lKj8zDnBwyX1dZ3lD7ow/s1600/murder.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSnG2o5CImC-Kw6Hu-NVE5bYSI2SiPp_VC8JvX9hn-dcJSW7hubTfIsfcWovQZ0aU90oWsSTQ82WCnNAH1DFHk5dyuIjdFSGOs_Z-IGY_3xFKzMxO60VDv25lKj8zDnBwyX1dZ3lD7ow/s320/murder.PNG" width="206" /></a></div>
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ohmygod, you guys, she was, like, totally messed up. her wealthy parents did not understand her, like at all. so she got into drugs. like, the bad bad ones. and did, like, too much drugs and hung out with really toxic people and got pregnant a few times and had a glamorous NYC job and her alleged best friend was like a malignant narcissist (she read that book after, tbh) and wore expensive size 25 jeans (bulimia is "a rich-bitch disease") and made a career of being a junkie writer... but instead of recovery (rehab is totally unreasonable!), she, just, like went to thailand? and woke up really early and, like, wrote and got reeeeeaaaally tan. now, off the like bad bad drugs, she just takes adderall and ambien and only doctor shops sometimes tee hee.<br />
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Why do anything horrible like abstinence (shudder) or recovery or become a decent-ish human being, when she can take a harm reduction approach and stay shallow and self-centered? Plus, she's like really really ambitious and that will be stronger than her addiction, amirite?<br />
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<span style="color: red;">D.</span><br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links.</i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-16805140850603800962017-06-27T04:18:00.001-07:002017-06-27T04:20:33.123-07:005 Things I Learned: Procrastination Yesterday I took a class called <b>Procrastination, Perfectionism & Me.</b> It was great. I got a lot out of it, including a reminder that doing something (no matter how small) is always better than doing nothing (1). <br />
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Or like Gretchen Rubin would say (2)...<br />
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The best time to start anything is today (3). Not next week, not after this project or that class or that trip, now. Because there is no magical time to start anything that is perfect. Just start today and you've got something to build on, no matter how small (4). The imperfect present beats the future perfect every time (5).<br />
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I kept thinking about this blog and how it's been so long since I've posted and if I was going to post I should make some improvements... except that I didn't and then even more time went by. Sometimes the longer I don't do something, the harder it is to do it. So tah-dah!, here is a post that breaks that streak.Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-51894086963574874882016-05-03T04:27:00.001-07:002016-05-03T04:27:48.902-07:00Five Things I Love About Spring<ol>
<li> <b>Flowers! </b>Daffodils and forsythia are my favorites since they bloom so early.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip7EUyl12DjrmXYe_zX2xmc4D-Z9GoPlks-dHARFwGkXuPaKhpmSNO9lXp2endEXsofLoMYleDwGfZD32-CkBoDVJF4l7rN3VnV2ad09iuhM27_EyHYxYM6XkjkxParRlXuj7YhmQ5qo/s1600/spring+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip7EUyl12DjrmXYe_zX2xmc4D-Z9GoPlks-dHARFwGkXuPaKhpmSNO9lXp2endEXsofLoMYleDwGfZD32-CkBoDVJF4l7rN3VnV2ad09iuhM27_EyHYxYM6XkjkxParRlXuj7YhmQ5qo/s200/spring+2.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueoS-r9IqXSgBloAHjRqF8oGhaNGEvEa5NoudhxwZy-9oZ1Wl_l0-KYFZQMduf4qX6XBPHUMZ4E3ch09DaBzebZwN-dkm1L6G_TWm4ZND5HshKz7iwJktxaaQuy9tU8Bj1o-OE5vks0o/s1600/spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueoS-r9IqXSgBloAHjRqF8oGhaNGEvEa5NoudhxwZy-9oZ1Wl_l0-KYFZQMduf4qX6XBPHUMZ4E3ch09DaBzebZwN-dkm1L6G_TWm4ZND5HshKz7iwJktxaaQuy9tU8Bj1o-OE5vks0o/s200/spring.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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</li>
<li><b>Farmer's markets! </b> I got out of the habit of going this winter but I'm excited to get local produce and fresh veggies. I also like to take Babyface so he can help pick out food and is more likely to like new things if he's involved in choosing them.</li>
<li><b>Light! </b> Sunrise gets earlier and earlier and it stays light later. In the winter, I feel like I'm getting up in the middle of the night and when I leave work it's pitch black. For my birthday, my dad got me this <a href="http://amzn.to/1pXQ1fs" target="_blank">wake-up light</a> (it makes sounds too) and it was so helpful in the winter. It's a very gentle way to wake up<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #545454; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.2px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">—</span>first light, then gradually increasing sounds<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #545454; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.2px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">—</span>and a very nice change from being jarred awake by an alarm.</li>
<li><b>Planning! </b> I have to put fun on the agenda, otherwise it just gets pushed to the back burner. I've scheduled day trips to parks, the bay, a festival, camping (Babyface's first time), a road trip to hang out with my in-laws, and a trip to visit my mom. Here's hoping the weather cooperates. </li>
<li><b>Rain!</b> Even when we get a lot of it, spring rain is lovely. Plus it washes all of the pollen from the air.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This post contains an affiliate link. </i></span>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-19860916602095273662016-04-26T02:55:00.000-07:002016-04-26T02:55:36.631-07:00Weekend as a Word Cloud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-38276260585452158982016-04-22T11:51:00.001-07:002016-04-22T11:51:13.709-07:00Grateful on FridayToday I am grateful for library book sales, intense workouts, that it's maxi dress season, allergy medicine, super comfy jeans, um, I mean denim trousers, being a planner, <i>How to Get Away with Murder</i>, new friends, Aldi (it's a very close second to my favorite market, Publix), putting clean laundry away right away, feeling at home, and looking on the bright side. Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-41967512653219080792016-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:002016-04-19T16:58:07.324-07:00Did You Ever Have A Family? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlY6eMZkBbJr0hRgNBG4udVQ7fHS9TlOmdihhSJzsCHWp3uMq84rBKe-2m1P8uXJU3xWmlkegUkz2j5PMo1bmt_ALjhICV0_sAmhFZObHWq1DVsXT8ovrmNJdQafB-2Ua3CsJyMAIg5M/s1600/did+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlY6eMZkBbJr0hRgNBG4udVQ7fHS9TlOmdihhSJzsCHWp3uMq84rBKe-2m1P8uXJU3xWmlkegUkz2j5PMo1bmt_ALjhICV0_sAmhFZObHWq1DVsXT8ovrmNJdQafB-2Ua3CsJyMAIg5M/s320/did+you.jpg" width="213" /></a>I got <a href="http://amzn.to/1Vv2eX4" target="_blank">Did You Ever Have A Family? by Bill Clegg</a> from the library and once I started reading it, I stayed up way too late and finished it in just a few days. It's a heartbreaking story with beautiful writing. I would never have picked it up but it was a book club choice and I'm hosting this month so I really had to read it. It starts with a house fire where a woman loses her daughter, her daughter's fiance<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #545454; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.2px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span>, her boyfriend, and her ex-husband in a rush of flames. <br />
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f3ffee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.56px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">This post includes an affiliate link.</i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-28999874814787442882015-11-16T04:49:00.001-08:002015-11-16T04:50:26.093-08:005 Things I've Been Up To Since My Last Post<ol>
<li><b>Family fun. </b>My dad and stepmom have visited a few times and I love to see them with Babyface. Also, they have grandparent privilege so if all his meals with them include french fries and ice cream followed by Mickey Mouse, so be it. My sister came from Denver to DC for the first time since Babyface was born. She spent a blazing hot Sunday with us at a town festival and she gamely took Babyface on some of the sketchy carnival rides. Then we both took a half day off during the week and went to a museum, saw a movie, and had dinner. One of my favorite cousins was in town and we spent a perfect summer evening at the pool with her family.
My family traveled to Colorado and stayed with my dad and stepmom. My
brother, his girlfriend, and his daughter were there too. It was the
first time all the cousins had all been together and they had a blast. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLqGAVbgRwlN369PbFNYdK9eK-yrMUN5us6cJsNTT7IioXQ9zi9u5apMyKwL5cFHFyqmIvPM4JtJpYuI0-p4WTy5TRCVpm4ku5rnKW_NBNwXggG2C5Gb291c0zF0w4ry6a0Wkm2VjEIM/s1600/sis2FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLqGAVbgRwlN369PbFNYdK9eK-yrMUN5us6cJsNTT7IioXQ9zi9u5apMyKwL5cFHFyqmIvPM4JtJpYuI0-p4WTy5TRCVpm4ku5rnKW_NBNwXggG2C5Gb291c0zF0w4ry6a0Wkm2VjEIM/s320/sis2FW.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sister selfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrILljjKaRPTjc3vmOHKe4KCIUNT94YCjnTuOdZHZq8LvA3LF6J5i1p8QadSJ0d64kqEK-0yrmN8P4PoitWp3A67IeWGVcudrz5MzuMXAScRUAitJqSxOwPMhtUSLGQOav60qXilijHE/s1600/A+and+K_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrILljjKaRPTjc3vmOHKe4KCIUNT94YCjnTuOdZHZq8LvA3LF6J5i1p8QadSJ0d64kqEK-0yrmN8P4PoitWp3A67IeWGVcudrz5MzuMXAScRUAitJqSxOwPMhtUSLGQOav60qXilijHE/s320/A+and+K_FW.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cousin selfie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li><b>Just let me finish this chapter...</b> I joined two book clubs that meet monthly. I've read some great books, like <a href="http://furiouslywriting.blogspot.com/2015/07/euphoria.html"><i>Euphoria</i></a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/1kymM0i"><i>The Magician's Lie</i></a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/1MnvOI8"><i>The Nightingale</i></a>, none of which I would have picked up on my own. We've also gone to author readings. For my birthday My Heart's Desire gave me a gift subscription to the <a href="http://www.bookofthemonth.com/">Book of the Month Club</a> and I really enjoy it! Of course, this is on top of all of the reading that I do for fun. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UmJMm-FN14KZAaW3QI953NlVLpxP8bIGvFA3W69MpBPFQF89j-TKT4wDIqPaiTkrfAhsJv20Yf-7XxYK-eP65WbSsGW-xR9nZ9xi10keH3V2KhAlhg3TuT6y6EVncaLHkBh0DWl7Ykw/s1600/magician%2527s+lie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UmJMm-FN14KZAaW3QI953NlVLpxP8bIGvFA3W69MpBPFQF89j-TKT4wDIqPaiTkrfAhsJv20Yf-7XxYK-eP65WbSsGW-xR9nZ9xi10keH3V2KhAlhg3TuT6y6EVncaLHkBh0DWl7Ykw/s320/magician%2527s+lie.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best feminist magic book of the year!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li><b>Furiously writing</b>. I've been doing some writing and submitting, mostly in the early morning. And I'm taking an online writing class, my first. It's definitely different than taking a class IRL but it's getting me in the creative habit, which I love.</li>
<li><b>More crocking.</b> I bet you saw this one coming! I love to slow cook year-round. My favorite slow cooker cookbooks are <a href="http://amzn.to/1kZ9xG6">Art of the Slow Cooker</a> and <a href="http://amzn.to/1WVwfjJ">300 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes: Dinners that are Ready When You Are</a>. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KAmdCGEUOZwcDif2mnrOKRkWCQuJoZ3cSKiKZd6VSsU_MHe2i7j3ArDJ1rO8MHYCnhLNYwn2nta83YYVaZQOU1pDejjy6wZRq0EMMFVIrmkTbNkR8NoNCn7C-wSi09A8zdRMN67YiY8/s1600/art.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KAmdCGEUOZwcDif2mnrOKRkWCQuJoZ3cSKiKZd6VSsU_MHe2i7j3ArDJ1rO8MHYCnhLNYwn2nta83YYVaZQOU1pDejjy6wZRq0EMMFVIrmkTbNkR8NoNCn7C-wSi09A8zdRMN67YiY8/s320/art.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li><b>Happy fall, y'all!</b> This fall has been chock-full of activities.
We went to a farm fall festival, apple picking, a fall festival at
Babyface's school, trick-or-treating, a Halloween community event, as
well as a haunted house, and a Halloween event at church. We also made a kind of Waldorf-inspired nature table with found leaves, acorns, a pine cone and little pumpkin.
<i> </i></li>
</ol>
<i> </i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEF-DplhjVbbntAKKQFQUWR1xNLz06EZZS-SCK7PQzRG3ZqPgG0bqBnhEBDZvy711mKFlcBwwBCTB7BXnJfShqMFyfB-8faNHVgxAE5OOqSpwDCo129kf2NX3e9NDqttBeQv_hQRYIMg/s1600/dragon_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEF-DplhjVbbntAKKQFQUWR1xNLz06EZZS-SCK7PQzRG3ZqPgG0bqBnhEBDZvy711mKFlcBwwBCTB7BXnJfShqMFyfB-8faNHVgxAE5OOqSpwDCo129kf2NX3e9NDqttBeQv_hQRYIMg/s320/dragon_FW.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my dragon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMh_A0b7WZ4apK5C16bLoASYgsMgE0SUhZexBzbS4K-zAvC_FWHRViPBupStzd3hj_P8ATx5LVcVxXTI1d_iJSsUXFd2O3iOvky6DAgzRxFYB43u_nS_80EfbtQKDOGlhfrJ8ozVUQC4o/s1600/apples_FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMh_A0b7WZ4apK5C16bLoASYgsMgE0SUhZexBzbS4K-zAvC_FWHRViPBupStzd3hj_P8ATx5LVcVxXTI1d_iJSsUXFd2O3iOvky6DAgzRxFYB43u_nS_80EfbtQKDOGlhfrJ8ozVUQC4o/s320/apples_FW.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we made applesauce and apple crisp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>This post includes affiliate links.</i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-39703296785783137912015-07-20T04:14:00.000-07:002015-07-20T04:14:07.449-07:00Weekend Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmtVDQxX41t6fyi6WDtyUzAb9_AoE-u4jutQKgsF-OqJHMH6LW_ozDjZwpKUDMbRMYgbKSm6lyM3GwPC1fmY1bukgbbF0UBmDfXkmXP_3TnwBmQEE6WmUuXnoyaPEeMGGfyLWPZ7U5Sk/s1600/july20FW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmtVDQxX41t6fyi6WDtyUzAb9_AoE-u4jutQKgsF-OqJHMH6LW_ozDjZwpKUDMbRMYgbKSm6lyM3GwPC1fmY1bukgbbF0UBmDfXkmXP_3TnwBmQEE6WmUuXnoyaPEeMGGfyLWPZ7U5Sk/s400/july20FW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1447491441"></span><span id="goog_1447491442"></span><br />Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-25256262196579276882015-07-16T03:26:00.000-07:002015-07-16T03:26:00.221-07:00Grateful Thursday Today I am grateful for morning meditation, the break from the heat, library books on Kindle, summer produce, being able to not take things personally, bug spray, and going to bed early. Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-49637749253290005362015-07-14T03:30:00.000-07:002015-07-14T03:38:52.737-07:00Grandma loves Babyface<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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My mom visited for a long weekend and Babyface was the star of the show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwNqpa0RHVP82epJLty6wvhYf61Dfb0KvazwduJSvTUeJ8V21Qo2toDBylODAwGHR-5qjH_KmF6Skm3d2JuanbxVTqDKEtSe477J5lz-WMNkqF3v4T-a7rGHS9CimzlMjXPnMOB5La9A/s1600/grandmaFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwNqpa0RHVP82epJLty6wvhYf61Dfb0KvazwduJSvTUeJ8V21Qo2toDBylODAwGHR-5qjH_KmF6Skm3d2JuanbxVTqDKEtSe477J5lz-WMNkqF3v4T-a7rGHS9CimzlMjXPnMOB5La9A/s320/grandmaFW.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The super-strict mom I grew up with has been transformed into the most doting of grandmothers. Carousel and train ride at the mall? Ice cream before dinner? Eat the cream cheese with your fingers? All her ideas!<br />
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My heart leaps up when I see Babyface with his grandparents and since none of them see him too often, almost all our usual rules slide. <a href="http://furiouslywriting.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-greatest-hits.html" target="_blank">Last year </a>my Aunt Cece visited and kindly minded Babyface so My Heart's Desire and I could go to a movie. When he said he was hungry, she brought him cookies<i> in bed</i>. When I told my cousin this, I thought she would die laughing. Grandmas and Aunts are the best!Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-28667810102769738072015-07-13T03:52:00.000-07:002015-07-13T03:52:00.053-07:00EuphoriaLily King's <a href="http://amzn.to/1Ts8BX8" target="_blank"><i>Euphoria</i></a> is a dizzying, beautifully written novel. I listened to it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Euphoria-A-Novel/dp/B00KFJC89C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436352510&sr=8-1&keywords=audible+euphoria">Audible</a> and no wonder I was driving so slow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL866G1LPi1efOqh7iF7JL4jkn2U9XcP0ZQQu3PGY4HLaX61xIJGDTlvskmHE-a6Iav4geWy6M3oMlso2o_iqzJScxfarLb21hLqchoeJahXUwVcDmTqwypSov66yyHT1gSzSWIAoxBGM/s1600/Euphoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL866G1LPi1efOqh7iF7JL4jkn2U9XcP0ZQQu3PGY4HLaX61xIJGDTlvskmHE-a6Iav4geWy6M3oMlso2o_iqzJScxfarLb21hLqchoeJahXUwVcDmTqwypSov66yyHT1gSzSWIAoxBGM/s320/Euphoria.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
It's the story of three anthropologists in New Guinea in the 1930's, a tangle of anthropology, romance, work that intrigues almost immediately. The plot wanders a bit in the middle and there is some modern-day syntax that doesn't quite work, but the story is great and the ending makes it all worth it.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">A-</span><br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links. </i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-28577432402667703282015-07-09T05:19:00.000-07:002015-07-11T11:09:08.132-07:00Grateful ThursdayToday I am grateful for sunshine, air conditioning, homemade popsicles (My Heart's Desire bought these <a href="http://amzn.to/1HVtJ3X" target="_blank">rocket </a>and <a href="http://amzn.to/1SfLkoI">sailboat</a> shaped molds), how much Babyface likes being 4, my home office, finding a forgotten gift card, amazing in-season cherries, crepe myrtles in bloom, having family trips to look forward to, and finally figuring out how to download podcasts. <br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links.</i>Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-82363923327680756402015-07-06T05:09:00.000-07:002015-07-08T03:38:02.211-07:00The Boston GirlFirst I listened to a sample Anita Diamant's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1IIPAMW" target="_blank">The Boston Girl</a> </i>on Audible but found the narrator's voice grating, so I downloaded it on my Kindle from the library.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnR0tDWmW0lJ1nFQoK8BIgMqZ1NzORHlYDkkQ4lA8P-isPopyLdNv8KTsPyeAgvOwt7ONwps4jCBLtgKmP9izGaPg4CZc05UfA0D6zOARRZJP_emiA69JxUnhBcgF7oBXnTTbK5VfzaQ/s1600/bostongirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnR0tDWmW0lJ1nFQoK8BIgMqZ1NzORHlYDkkQ4lA8P-isPopyLdNv8KTsPyeAgvOwt7ONwps4jCBLtgKmP9izGaPg4CZc05UfA0D6zOARRZJP_emiA69JxUnhBcgF7oBXnTTbK5VfzaQ/s320/bostongirl.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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In this well-written novel, Addie Baum, 85, tells her plucky life story to her granddaughter in a series of monologues, each that make you want to pull up a chair. Addie begins when she was born, in 1900 to immigrant Russian parents, the youngest of three daughters. Her story is detailed and much of it is follows familiar archetypes.<br />
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The storytelling moves fast and it's easy to care about Addie. Much of the important historical events are rather glossed over and this doesn't explore the contextual events of the time beyond the surface. Addie's personal story has many twists and turns and Addie speaks very frankly to her granddaughter. The voice is conversational, friendly, and I found it hard to put down. <br />
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If you're looking for a deep dive into of a lifetime of complex events and thoughtful analysis, keep looking. But if you throw this book in your beach bag, you won't be disappointed. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">B+</span><br />
<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f3ffee; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">This post includes affiliate links.</i> Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719698468144307068.post-4907023961314559412015-07-02T04:18:00.000-07:002015-07-08T03:40:36.796-07:00Grateful ThursdayToday I am grateful for a long holiday weekend, My Heart's Desire's parents are coming down tonight, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1HamlOm" target="_blank">Radical Acceptance</a></i>, book clubs, southern pecan coffee, a good night's sleep, Maui Mango candle, quiet mornings,<a href="http://amzn.to/1LRLHWJ"> </a><a href="http://amzn.to/1HamFg5">Audible </a>(I'm currently listening to<a href="http://amzn.to/1IIPHI9" target="_blank"> <i>Euphoria</i></a>), being able to roll with things, the Serenity prayer, wisdom from other moms, Babyface's joyful dancing, and the thrift store jacket I rock in my chilly office. <br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links</i>.Amina Hafiz Sarrafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15189212417664560403noreply@blogger.com0