What is everyone reading?

~UPDATED AS I READ THEM CHECK BACK FOR NEWEST ADDITIONS ~

I love a good book and am always picking up one here and there.  This year I am going to list and somewhat rate what I have read for others like me always looking for a new book ~
Using a simple rating system - Read is lowest, If You Come Across it Read it next level and Buy it Read it and Share it highest level.
If you have come across one that you think is a Buy it Read it and Share it please share with us in the comments!

Buy it Read it and Share it

Love with a Chance of Drowningwild

   recommeded by  Nomadic Matt book club                                  recommended by Cierra

                        A Man Called Ove

the life-changing magic of tidying up 

A Walk in the Woods                       The President is Missing

If You Come Across it Read it

  walking in circles before lying down Sweet Salt air

Erika Jayne Pretty Mess          my grandmother        asked me to tell you she's sorry

                                             

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine



Read 

Zen and the Art of Raising Chickens      

   Clock Dance

Prescription Snorkel Mask a glasses wearer must have!

Alot of people may not know - I wear prescription glasses in fact, my sunglasses that I usually always have on are prescription with built in bifocals.  It's not that I can't see, things just aren't really clear and I will end up with a migraine.  

I have noticed over time that while snorkeling I don't see the seahorses very well or the bottom very clear.  I am very blessed to go to some great beaches that have amazing snorkeling so it was time to see about a prescription lens mask.  My mom has had one for years and always spoke highly of it.

Before Christmas I checked with our local dive shop.  The mask, prescription lens and snorkel priced out to around $300.00.  For me that was "Ouch"  I do quite a bit of snorkeling but felt that was a little too much for me.  Remember I live in Arizona and snorkeling is as many times as possible a year but still "Ouch".   

We started planning for our February trip, a beach trip of course, and I was pining over the prescription mask.   Our daughter was home from school hearing me go on about whether I should go order the mask or not.  She googled on her phone and found Promate prescription mask sold by Getwetstore on Amazon.  I read review after review checked different sites and finally decided I couldn't pass up this price.  I was going to give them a try.  Ordered online, emailed my prescription with order no (no bifocals, but I was ok with that since I am not diving and don't need to read gauges or anything).  Day later I received an email confirming they received my prescription.  Couple of days later I picked up my box at the mailbox.  Super quick shipping.  As it was that day I picked up the mail on my way into town.  I was so excited to see the mask that I opened it in a parking lot before an appointment.

Oh yes I did, sitting in a busy parking lot in Arizona I tried on my snorkel mask!  I could see crystal clear and it fit snug to my face.  I was thrilled.  I chuckled to myself as I thought I could drive home with this on and see perfectly.  

Next up was our February trip we decide it would be the island of Curacao.  (That will be another post as that turned out to be an incredibly beautiful, friendly perfect vacation island)!

Time to give this new mask the real test.  

          Do you see the little guy just above and to the left of the coral?  I did I saw him right away crystal clear through my new mask!  Everything was clear and no water leaks.  I couldn't believe how great the prescription mask and snorkel was.

 Notice no fogging and no water inside.  I did the toothpaste rub 4-5 times at home before we left but that was it.  I didn't have any extra spray or such.

Final decision on this mask BUY IT!!  In fact I even am thinking I will give up carry on space from my bose headphones for this new mask!!  (I only travel with a carry on so my packing space is a give and take situation, I loved this so much I may be willing to leave the bose home a couple of times and go back to my other go to earphones).

Promate and Getwetstore hasn't sponsored this post nor did I receive any compensation for it.  In fact I am pretty sure other than my order they don't know I exist but I can say I do love this prescription mask and the quick delivery was great!

Reduce Reuse Recycle ~ Swingset to Chicken coop~

Our daughter is a Junior at college this year and we still had her swingset in the back yard.  Parts of it were weathered and unuseable but the frame was solid.  While raking around it one day I realized it was time to either let it go or do something with it. That's when the swingset to chicken coop idea came to be ~ 

Surfing the web and pinterest I see that others had done it and it didn't seem that difficult.  Our whole 4 acres is fenced and we have dogs loose, making our chicken predators limited to hawks and owls.  We would stake it down but the fact that we could possibly move it around was going to be great!

We stripped it down added chicken wire length wise along 2/3 of swingset.   The wire is attached to each other with O rings and the pliers tool made it super easy.  silimiilar hog ring pliers The ends are wraped around the swingset frame.  The tin is attached to the frame legs

The bottom needed reinforced along the long areas, we used metal strips inside to attach the fencing to the tin.

Our swingset was extra long, the last part we decided would be enclosed.  We also wanted to leave the small cross bars for support and roosts.

The door frame was made out of extra swing set pieces and a piece of metal we had attached with hinges, don't forget the top trim to stop rain from getting in.

My husband and I can carry this around, heavy but doable, we get inside and walk it.  Later could add wheels if we wanted easier mobility.

We hung the feeder and water with chains it really helps cut down on the ants.  

After a few days we realized the crossbars were skinny and slippery so we cut tubing and placed on them with zip ties now it is much wider and they can grip on to it.

Eventually when the rooster moves out we will put a shelf in the enclosed area with nesting boxes.

It took us 2 weekends because here in AZ in the summertime it gets really hot and we only worked on it am and pm for hr or so.  A lot of what we used my husband had sitting around his shop.  Only  purchased the chicken wire, the o rings and tool to apply them, the metal trim inside on bottom to reinforce the chicken wire at bottom, trim at top for rain on enclosed area and the feeders.

 It is staked down at all 4 corners, could bury it all around if needed but we just don't have that kind of predators to deal with.  Any questions feel free to ask!!

Adventures with a Bar Cart

So some time ago I watched Cierra put together an ikea bar cart and decorate it for the holiday.  I have always liked decorating for holidays but it seems as we get older I just am not into decorating the whole house except at Christmas.  After looking around I just didn't find a cart I liked enough so had postponed the idea until I came across this one Craigs List ad.  It was her mothers cart stored in the garage with other items.  The glass top lifts off for a display area and the wood, shape and wheels fit into our eclectic western house.  $60 bucks later we are the proud owner of a bar cart ~

                             First display was grab around the house and see how it fits in...

Craigs trophy buckles fit under the glass nicely and those probably will stay most of the time.

1st holiday we have after purchase is the 4th of July so here we go with our 4th of July bar cart ~

Also in July is our anniversary.  We were married at the MGM in Las Vegas so we have ~

 Yes, I love Sunflowers, not a fan of roses

 That's as far as we have gotten with our bar cart decorating.  Looking forward to what we come up with in the future.  I do love the change of view in that little corner and really it isn't that much effort!

We have moved along into the holidays updating the bar cart as we go ~

And one of my favorites so far ~ Hot Chocolate bar ~

Halloween spririt

For some reason this year Craig and I had Halloween spirit.  We normally aren't the dressed up ones, if we do it's minor.  We haven't been putting out decorations now that Cierra is off at school.

This year, however, was different!  Starting off a little decorating inside with pumpkins candle holders, ceramic pumpkin candy dish and this little flower arrangement ~

  

Super easy, glass cube, shot glass like middle vase.  Candy corn around the edges and flowers cut to fit the little shot glass size vase in center.

(I use this at every season with different outer edge candies or ??)

Outside we had our little skeleton friends ~ sprayed with glow in the dark paint for fun~

Halloween eve we headed out to a friends Halloween party.  Both of us sporting skeleton makeup and costumes!  Finished off the night at a local club dancing and spending time with family & friends.

We did the makeup ourselves thanks to multiple you tube videos....play & pause....

The matching set is it really all that??

Craig and I have been married 20+ yrs now.  About 10 yrs ago we bought our first brand new washer & dryer set.  I can remember walking into the store and picking out our pewter color set with matching pedestals.  I thought then that Wow we have "made" it no more hand me down appliances and this beautiful expensive set is ours, we picked it out, will have it delivered and it kind of shows that we have grown up and "arrived" as mature adults.

I know weird but something inside me said buying this expensive matching appliance set with extra pedestals really did say grown up and achievement.

Fast forward 10 years.  The washer sounds like a freight train coming through the utility room and the appliance repair person says the unthinkable...replacing it is better than fixing it and this color probably isn't available anymore.

Off we go to look at washing machines and we find out this color isn't available any more.  Something inside me says no we can't have a miss matching washer & dryer.  I know its just colors but deep down my inner self is saying your appliances need to match, grown up adults that have it together have matching appliances.

We walk upon a beautiful washer loaded with all the perks, it will talk to my cell phone!  It is a display model on sale as they are putting new ones out.  The price is amazing and it is the same brand LG which I do love.  It will also fit on the existing pedestal.  What's holding me back.... it is white. My dryer is pewter my pedestals are pewter this great washer is white.

The new washer is in.  Yes, it's white and yes deep down I still think appliances should match but the grown up mature adult in me is saying this price couldn't be beat and it's the upgraded have everything model that I am loving so really it's ok my washer is white and my dryer is pewter.

(After all, eventually the dryer will go out and I will replace it with a White one and then again I will match)!

If you get nothing from this post get this ~ colored appliances are gorgeous but go with white!