Here's To Us

It's a small world, but that doesn't mean we can't share it.

Maui Munch trail mix: a breath of the tropics for any time of year February 9, 2010

Recipe for Maui Munch trail mix 

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
  • 1/2 cup dried banana chips
  • 1/2 cup granola, homemade or store-bought
  • 1/4 cup Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes

Method: 

1. Pour all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. 

2. Measure  1/2-cup portions into plastic baggies. 

Maui Munch trail mix, ready to be bagged up.

 

Tips/ About This Recipe:  

This recipe makes four 1/2-cup portions, which I’ve found to be the perfect size for a quick, energizing snack. Even though this trail mix is delicious and sweet, it’s all natural and healthful– perfect for after school or a sports event, when you need a tasty boost. 

Some of the ingredients, such as the dried banana and pineapple, might not be available at your local grocery store. If this is the case, health food stores usually carry those more exotic items.

 

Weekly Geeks 2010-4 February 3, 2010

It’s time for another Weekly Geeks post! This week, the team asks us to share some of our favorites for winter reading.

Well, here where I am, the weather outside is a bit frightful! For the past week or so, it’s been clear, but windy and piercingly cold. This morning we got some snow with a bit of accumulation– just enough to make things look pretty.

Anyway, this time of year I tend to indulge in my favorite genre: fantasy. The thicker the plot (and the spine!), the better! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve started re-reading the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling; these are a perfect example of my winter reading preferences. They’re engaging, despite the fact I’ve read them all before, and the pages really start turning. The only trouble with that is that I’m finished quickly, and, due to the weather, I don’t feel like venturing to the library to borrow a copy of the next volume. Then I end up reading books that have been gathering dust on my bookshelves for ages, such as the one I’m reading (more like slogging through) now: Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding. It’s an “eco-fantasy,” and although I like the sub-genre and am even trying my hand at writing a bit of it, I simply don’t like the story. But, when the weather outside is truly frightful, there’s not much else to do!

 

Why’d you have to do it, Evil Genius? February 1, 2010

Book Title: I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

Author: Josh Lieb

Pub. Date: October 2009

Publisher: Penguin Group

Pages: 304

Genre: Realistic fiction/ science fiction

Age Range: Teens/ young adult

Summary/Teaser: Oliver Watson may seem like nothing more than a pitifully dumb, overweight middle-schooler. But in reality, he’s an evil genius running a secret world empire, using third-richest man in the world Lionel Sheldrake as a figurehead. When Oliver decides to run for class president, however,  he discovers that it takes more than burly bodyguards and secret rooms to convince a class that you’re worthy of presidency.

Review: My first impression: this book was hilarious. Hysterical, even. I frequently burst out laughing while reading this, and I get a little smirk on my face when I think about it, even now. Even if some of the humor was mildly insulting, it was funny; the book is told in the first person (by Oliver), and he thinks everyone else is a complete imbecile. You get the picture.

The book was liberally scattered with black-and white photographs. This was both a blessing and a curse. Generally, I don’t like having pictures interrupting the text– I like to imagine things myself (that’s the curse part). But these spy-style pics were actually kind of fun. It made the story seem more real, as if Oliver’s secret security system was actually taking pictures of goings-on of interest.

The writing style was easy-to-read and fun, but had the air of someone who’s really intelligent and knows it. It fits the air of the story perfectly.

Overall, not one of the best books I’ve read. I myself sprung for the hardcover, but I don’t recommend that course of action to others. Unless you’re really a fan of the genre, I suggest getting a copy from the library, or else waiting until it comes out in paperback.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

P.S. Kudos to anyone who recognized the title of this post! Did you? It’s from the lyrics of Pat Benatar’s song Evil Genius.

 

Why “Harry Potter” is more than just a good series January 31, 2010

Book 6 in the series, which I most recently finished re-reading.

Last month or so, my dad started reading the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling for the first time. I’d read the series once, but couldn’t resist joining him, forming our own little HP “book club.” I was amazed that I had forgotten how unbelievably good the series is– it completely outshines all of my other favorites. Even though I remembered what happened in all of the books, I could hardly put them down. I became immersed, frequently finding myself in dazes induced by rushing to finish an installment. I was certain I had become a fanatic anew when I started having Harry Potter dreams nearly every night. But what makes our favorite young wizard’s adventures so amazing? I’ve thought about this, and here are my conclusions.

Number one is, as simple as it sounds, JK Rowling’s skills as a writer. Her writing is sophisticated yet easy to read. Rowling could be writing about anything, and I bet I’d enjoy it.

Another big reason is how detailed the description of the Wizarding world is, from magical creatures and plants to the government and opposing views of different kinds of people. The magical community’s folklore and sayings, history, and rules of society have been flawlessly integrated.

Of course, the protagonist, Harry, is likable and human-seeming, not flat and perfect as main characters in so many other books are. The classic theme of the down-trodden underdog triumphing over evil is just as charming as ever, but definitely not tiring.

And I feel I have to say that it helps that I’m quite a fan of fantasy. It helps if you like the genre, certainly, but I feel that anyone could read and enjoy this most highly acclaimed and well-deserving series.

 

What A Gem! January 26, 2010

Since my birthday is coming up this week, I thought I’d write a post that lists all the birthstones. Enjoy!

The garnet, my birthstone.

A birthstone is a gemstone assigned to a specific month. Below I’ve listed all of the months and their birthstones.

  1. January– garnet.
  2. February– amethyst.
  3. March– aquamarine.
  4. April– diamond.
  5. May– emerald.
  6. June– pearl.
  7. July– ruby.
  8. August– peridot.
  9. September– sapphire.
  10. October– opal.
  11. November– topaz.
  12. December– turquoise.

Gemstone.org, the website where I got the image, has lots of facts and pictures of these and many other stones, by the way!

 

Happy 1st Blogoversary, Here’s To Us! January 19, 2010

Filed under: Thoughts and Announcements — Allegra @ 5:38 pm
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Readers, I have a very special announcement to make…A year ago today, January 19, 2009, I wrote my very first post! It’s my first blogoversary! In just one year, this blog has made the transformation from an amateur personal blog into the successful about-everything blog it is now.

We have total of 3,539 hits. Not too bad for a first year, I’d say! Some other stats:

  • 161 posts
  • 229 comments
  • 655 tags
  • 11 categories

I have some questions to ask you readers now that I’ve made it one total year. a) Should I invite others to write for this blog also? and b) should I change the theme (what the blog looks like)? You can answer in comments to this or any other post, or head on over to the sidebar, find the “Poll” widget, and cast your vote there! I’d appreciate your answers!

I’ll take a celebratory tour of the blog now! Here’s to us! :)

 

The Wisdom of Dr. Seuss January 18, 2010

Filed under: Miscellaneous — Allegra @ 3:26 pm
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Recently, while looking for a good quote to put on in my “quote of the week” widget, I came across some great ones by Theodore Seuss Geisel (commonly known as Dr. Seuss). I hadn’t done a post focusing on quotes in a while, so, here we are! The wisdom of Dr. Seuss…

  • “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
  • “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
  • “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
  • “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.”
  • “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
  • “Being crazy isn’t enough.”
  • “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”

This picture of Theodore Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) and some of his characters appeared on a United States postage stamp.

All of these quotes were from GoodReads, by the way! There are a lot more by Dr. Seuss and many other authors there.

 

A Dream Within A Dream II January 8, 2010

Firstly, my apologies. It’s been more than a week since I last posted, and this Tuesday I neglected to change my “Fact of the Week” and “Quote of the Week” widgets. I needed to take a little break from blogging, un-plug myself, you know. But now I’m ready to continue!

Anyways, this installation in the “A Dream Within A Dream” series features a dream I had the other night. The asterisks mark the beginning and the end of the dream description.

***

I’m digging around in my ultra-messy room, looking for something, urgently. On my desk, I come across a book I vaguely recognize. Upon closer inspection, I can see it’s from the local library— and way overdue. I, Allegra, who has always been very careful about these things, has forgot to return a book? I almost pass out from shock. What if I forgot any others?

I start going through my room with renewed energy and find library books in my drawers, more on my desk, in my magazine containers, in my closet, on my bookshelves…There are at least fifteen collected when I’m finished, some from years past. I know the fine will be sky high. I get all of my saved-up money together and prepare to break the news…

***

There you have it. Extremely odd, that. I’ve never forgot to return a book (except maybe once or twice). Many of the books in my dream were real, but some my weirdo brain made up. Any thoughts?

 

Decorative Tacks: An Easy Way To Dress Up a Bulletin Board January 2, 2010

Filed under: Recipes, Crafts, and How-To — Allegra @ 8:20 pm
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Supplies

  • Plain plastic tacks (be sure that they have flat heads)
  • Liquid glue
  • Printer or construction paper
  • Rhinestones, stickers, small feathers, ink stamps, buttons, scraps of wrapping paper, foam shapes, etc. These are your “decorative pieces,” as referred to later on.

How To Do It

  1. Put a dab of glue on the back of your decorative piece (other than stickers or stamps; these are explained in the next step). Press the piece, glue-side down, on the head of the tack.
  2. For stickers and stamps: Apply the sticker or stamp to the printer or construction paper. Carefully cut around sticker/stamp, apply the dab of glue to the back, and press on to the tack.
  3. Once you’ve created as many decorative tacks as you wish, allow them to dry. Tip: take down your bulletin board, lay it flat on the board, and stick the wet tacks in it. This will let the tacks dry without the decorative pieces slipping off.

Some decorated tacks in use on my bulletin board.

About This Craft

I have to partially credit this craft to American Girl magazine…A year or so ago, I read an article that gave instructions for making a “bulletin board” out of a metal bookie sheet and felt. It also mentioned decorating small magnets in a similar way as I talk about decorating tacks.

Anyway, these decorated tacks are a great way to personalize a message board at home or at school. Don’t just limit yourself to the “decorative pieces” mentioned; be creative! Almost anything small and glueable will work. I myself have one made out of a small pine cone, and another that has a tiny, decorative eraser.

 

Are You a Skeptic Or A Believer? Take The Quiz and Find Out! December 30, 2009

Filed under: Quizzes and Surveys — Allegra @ 10:09 pm
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This is a first: I’ve tried my hand at quiz-writing! No, no, no, not a school type quiz, the kind you find in some newspapers and magazines that try to tell you what kind of a person you are. Some of those are pretty annoying, in my opinion, but I thought, It can’t be that hard to write one of those! You just have to come up with some scenarios, a way of scoring, and  wise-sounding little conclusions, right? So, just for fun, I decided to write a quiz on whether you’re a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between….You might want to grab a sheet of paper and a pencil to mark answers and add up your score. Once you’ve finished, be sure to let me know how you did, and what you thought of the quiz!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series, was fooled by this fake picture, created by two girls in the early 1900s. This image is one of five similar fairy "photographs."

Part One

Choose the answer that you think describes what your actions would be in each scenario best.

1.You see the horoscopes in this morning’s newspaper. You:

a. Read your prediction carefully, taking the advice seriously.

b. Pass right over them shaking your head.

c. Read yours and other’s horoscopes, but mostly for amusement.

2. On a news website, you read an article that says that a man was reportedly abducted by aliens. You:

a. Figure that since we don’t have scientific proof either way, it could be possible.

b. Immediately decide that the site isn’t a reputable source.

c. Whole-heartedly believe every word and check the sky for suspicious, blinking lights.

3. On a cruise in the tropics, an eccentric-looking passenger near the railing shouts that he sees a mermaid. You:

a. Raise your eyebrows and nervously edge away from him.

b. Grab your camera and rush over, yelling, “Where? Where?!”

c. Think it’s probably just a dolphin but look over the edge anyway.

4. One night in bed, you hear some strange noises. You:

a. Sit up and look around, telling yourself it’s a ghost.

b. Know it’s just the wind outside.

c. Listen a bit more carefully before making a judgement.

5. Walking down a sidewalk, you step on a crack. You:

a. Think nothing of it.

b. Consider the superstition, but take no action.

c. Immediately call your mom to check that she’s okay.

6. Your best friend is going to be in a huge play, and you want to give her a gift in honor of it. You:

a. Buy her some rune-engraved trinkets at the local metaphysical shop that the cashier says will bring good luck and confidence.

b. Get her a book: “How TO Deal With Stage Fright.”

c. Simply tell her to “break a leg” and give her a four-leaf clover key chain as a token.

7. You’re looking for some reading material in the local library and turn to the generalities shelf. You:

a. Keep an open mind, and select whatever looks interesting.

b. Grab a stack of paranormal info books.

c. Look for something down-to-earth, like science or history.

8. At a slumber party, some of your pals suggest a game of “Bloody Mary.” You:

a. Instantly refuse the nonsense and start setting up a game of Scrabble instead.

b. Are the first one in the bathroom, hoping Mary will be benevolent.

c. Decide to wait and see how others do before playing yourself.

9. At school, someone mentions that scientists are seriously considering “Bigfoot’s” reality. You:

a. Think it’s probable but are on the fence about it.

b. Try to convince everyone that it’s impossible.

c. Readily agree, glad that the scientists have finally come to their senses.

10. If you had to pick an honest way to describe yourself out of the following list, you’d choose:

a. Down-to-earth and stubborn.

b. Dreamy and gullible.

c. Reasonable and open.

Part Two

Add up your score.

1. a=3, b=1, c=2

2. a=2, b=1, c=3

3. a=1, b=3, c=2

4. a=3, b=1, c=2

5. a=1, b=2, c=3

6.  a=3, b=1, c=2

7. a=2, b=3, c=1

8. a=1, b=3, c=2

9. a=2, b=1, c=3

10. a=1, b=3, c=2

Part Three

Based on your score, find out your results. You are…

10-17 points: a skeptic. You certainly aren’t going to fall for any nonsense! This can be a good thing, but try to keep a more open mind. Having an imagination isn’t a bad thing by any means.

18-24 points: in the middle of the road. In this case, this is the best place to be. You keep an open mind and probably find it easy to get along with people. Bravo!

25-30 points: a believer. You believe in the more mysterious side of the world and have quite an imagination. But remember not to believe everything you hear; someone might be pulling your leg!