Quote Books Come to Life!

¡¡¡Casi terminado!!!  No puedo esperar.

Hablar más que un idioma es existir en más que un mundo
To speak more than one language is to exist in more than one world
~Me

What's so great about the above?  They're quotes, of course! And they are in Spanish and English!

I'm happy to announce that effective within the next 24-48 hours I'm bringing you the first (I believe) Spanish / English quote book!!!!  Available currently on Amazon Kindle, this book is broken up BY THEME!  That means that they are in categories like Success, Failure, Friendship, Love, Famous Quotes, etc.

The second one to come out at the same time will be broken down by Teachable Topic.  Soooooo.....for all you Spanish teachers out there, what a GREAT resource for you and the kids!  Look at famous quotes or historical quotes by the grammar topics they demonstrate:  Ser/Estar, Preterite, Imperfect, Commands, Interrogatives, Etc.

Keep posted for more info on them, and start enjoying them NOW!

Mariachis Loco

Ay Ay!  Who loves a little mariachi?! 

WE DO!!!

Recently we moved to just south of UIC campus, and we've been exploring all the local restaurants and flavors.  When my parents came down, they were in the mood for Mexican, so we went to Lalo's on Maxwell and Halsted.  We also went early, figuring we'd miss the dinner crowd. 

Wrong!  It was packed at 4:30 because the mariachi was there!  Every Sunday, Lalo's hosts a mariachi band for 3 hours every Sunday, and they travel from table to table asking for requests or just playing their favorites.

Need a recommendation?  Ask for Mariachis Loco.  You'll get a fun dance out of it too!

Quotable

Welcome to the wait!  Spanish / English quote books are .... well, are they?

They are soon!  Spanish / English quote books are coming due in less than one week!

Use for:
The home
Teaching
Personal use


Want more information?  Keep checking back!

Putting Together IKEA part 2

Well, we are still "putting together" everything, although we are almost done and only 21 swear words richer.  Lack shelves need to be hung (which, by the way, are gorgeous and I highly recommend them).  The boy's "battle station," as he calls it, is also done, except now he cannot find the chord he recently purchased.  And one of our desk chairs was put together (by moi) backwards.

Aaaaaah, the joys of moving.

Where's that wine?.....

Putting Together IKEA

Clay and I recently "furnished" our home with lots of odds and ends, gifts from people, and then our massive trip to IKEA (which really became a trip to IKEA with a massive delivery order). 

Delivered two days ago.  Thanked the men for bring them in, and then turned to start putting things together.  Have you ever tried to carry some of these boxes?  Holy sweet baby Jesus!  Both Clay and I were astonished at how heavy they were.  He laughingly asked, "How on Earth did they manage to get these in there?" and I answered, "over their shoulder."  Yes, that's right, these IKEA amazing delivery men carried half of these extremely heavy boxes over one shoulder.  You Herculean deliver men, you.

If you have never put IKEA furniture together, a word of advice.  Buy their (if they still have it) little tool kit where you can switch out the screwdriver heads because it's way more convenient than half of the little wrenches they give you!  Also, find some really good music, and make sure any small children are far away.  You will probably curse at least 12 times.

So far, we have 1 Lack shelf, 1 Besta desk, and 1 Besta wine rack / armoir (75%) put together.  We have another desk, another Lack shelf, and the other 25% of the wine thing to go.  So at least 30 more swear words, a big bottle of wine, and Clay and me arguing over which type of music best fits the mood.  He likes Deadmau5, I like general top 40 pop and random iTunes selections.

But seriously.  Get that toolkit.

The Summer of 3

If you haven't already read about it, I'm pleased to announce that my newest book has officially been available for just over a month now!  We have had great readership already, and I'm so excited for all of you who currently own the book to finish it!  It's such a privilege to write for you!

Don't own it yet?  Curious to see what all the hype's about?!

Check it out, here!

Happy reading!

Paint This House!

For the past two days, we have been painting.  Well, I painted on Friday, Clay helped today, and we spent almost 8 hours each day doing so.

Here are some things I learned:

PRIME.  Prime dark colors, or any color that isn't white, unless all of your walls in the room are "light colored walls" and the same "light color."  Otherwise, you run the risk of applying the paint and having it turn up different shades as a result of the under-color.

Some paints have primer in them.  Great!

Don't skimp on paint.  Cheap often means, well, cheap.  This is going on your walls, people!  Everyone sees these and you see them everyday.  Every little dink, miss-roll, or uneven application will show up, so do some research.  At Home Depot, they'll all tell you to go with Behr.  Otherwise, most people recommend Sherwin Williams.  They have different grades of paint.  We chose the paint and primer in one for the interior white for our baseboards and doors, and the Emerald paint for the wall color.  Emerald Pain has a great texture to it, but it will show a little more brush marks.  On the other end, it wears really well and is one of the few paints that is washable!!!! (perks for those with kids, animals, or, like me, just someone who has a tendency to spill and break things randomly!)

Go for color!  Don't be afraid of it, but also know the space you're in.  Darker colors will make the room look smaller. If you're in a loft, try a neutral: greys or beige.  The fact that all the walls connect from one room to the other makes it difficult to color the rooms differently, and too many "accent walls" only makes a loft look choppier than it is! 

Our choice?  Grayish, 6001 by Sherwin Williams.  I am in LOVE with the color.  It's a bluer neutral as opposed to a yellow/brownish neutral, and in certain lights looks almost white while other sections have a purple/blue tinge to them!  LOVE.  Very lofty.  Very cool.  Very industrial / modern.

Now, we just need to finish!  Two coats.  ALWAYS go with 2 coats.  And wine or beer and lots of good music or background noise.  It makes the time go by faster and gives you something to look forward to when you finish!

The Power of Thought

I had coffee tonight with a client who has become a good friend.  We met at 6:30 and chatted past 8:30, outside, drinking iced soy drinks, and really just connecting.  It was fantastic.  Conversation is so powerful, I think with all the high-tech gadgets and widgets we just forget what it's like to really and truly connect with someone.  And you have to to feel human.

Part of what we discussed was how things come to pass in our lives that are brought on by what we think and say.  Silly thought initially - or at least that's how I felt - but the more we compared stories and incidents, the more we solidified for us that more recently followed belief that, "what you think about you bring about".  Our conversations went everywhere from jobs to relationships to health to dreams (goals).  At every point, whether we meant it or not, we were encouraging each other to strive to be better - to believe better.

And sometimes it's hard.  At first or at all.  We spend so much time talking to ourselves and we do so in ways that if we spoke the thoughts aloud to another person we would be appalled at what we said.  But yet with ourselves we deem it okay, and it shouldn't be.  Change the way you speak to yourself and what you expect, and you will change your reality.

It's encouraging.  And it's time you thought better of yourself, even if you are already thinking very highly of yourself, keep going.  Keep pushing yourself to be better, and you will keep reaping great rewards.

Reflections in Reality

Waking up with purpose is the greatest gift we can be given.  It is freeing - to feel like we are on the path we were meant to be on.  To know, even more powerful.  But what happens when we awake and our purpose is fuzzy, or has been hidden and left somewhere just out of our reach?  It is then we feel lost, lonely, conflicted.

In that loss and confusion, we turn to those who we feel can help us either find ourselves, or further mask the pain from knowing we are not being true with who we are supposed to be.

But how do you re-find yourself? Your purpose?

Sitting on the couch watching TV is most certainly not the way.  I tell you that because that is where I am at the moment!  However, that is not to say that direction is not found in solitude and stillness.  Sitting for a period of time in the quiet, outside, or even going for walks can help you open up that inner communication with your strengths.  Listen, although it may not be immediately that you find yourself, but it is there within you.

Secondly, do.  Search for new jobs, go on interviews, and plant your hands in multiple pies until you find ones that align with who you are.  Once you've found your inner voice, listen to it.  When on an interview, take heed to the way you react internally.  Do you feel uncomfortable? Does it feel natural?  If you were called back about the job would you feel relieved or shackled?  It will help you know if you are on the correct path, for you have someone wonderful to give.  It, however, can only be given if you allow it to be found.

Still searching?  Read.  Read a book and see if you can escape into it.  Does it reflect who you are currently or who you want to become?  Reading can help you attract the thoughts about yourself that maybe you haven't learned yet, or don't know how to say over yourself.  Your thoughts and actions have power, so knowing them and knowing they are right for you are important.

Some call it your gut. Some call it your tug, but regardless, learning to listen to your inner self is important.  Once you find it, then you must act.  Things don't appear without work, but they also don't appear when the work you do isn't the right work for you.

Moving Pains

Anyone ever tried moving?  How about buying a place? ...have a good time with that?

Then you are in a very lucky place, my friend.  Our homebuying experience has been nothing short of a nightmare.  Buying for the first time?  Get ready for paperwork?  And if anything goes wrong...get ready for LOTS of paperwork.  Note: "going wrong" can simply mean the interest rate changed, the wrong box was "x"d and then all the paperwork needed to be redone, or dates get pushed back. 

Before going through this, I idolized the home-buying process.  I had noticed a few of my peers doing it, and I thought, "Wow! How great for them!"   We helped move many of them in, and suddenly they were just home owners.  Simple, easy, home owners.  One had even noted that this was the 3rd house she'd put a bid on, but I thought, 3? That's not bad!  People probably do that all the time.

Then you go through it yourself.  Let me tell you, 2 offers is 1 too many.  By the 3rd and 4th offer falling through the only thing you feel is discouraged.  Frustrated is next.  It's like nothing is supposed to be yours.  They're just teasing you!  The moment you finally receive good news about your bid, the rest of the process starts.  And that doesn't mean it's simple, easy, or quick.

Don't forget, you also have LOTS of people to pay.  There's a percentage that goes to your realtor (%, not given $, and it's based off the home's sale price); the appraisal and the inspection (which ran us about $300 each), the attorney fees, which are sometimes included in closing costs, and the rest of the closing costs.  Plus, you have to think about movers, boxes, packing material if you don't have access to a plethora of boxes and paper/bubble wrap.  Suddenly you're in the process of getting ready for the closing and all you see is red.

Plus hope.  Have to remember that too.  The whole point of buying a new place is because you want or need it.  A lot of buyers right now are buying for the, until yesterday, low interest rates, better mortgage payments, and a great home.  Many buy to upgrade their life because their family is growing or they can afford more space.  Some people are moving for jobs or just life in general.  Either way, the idea is that this new place will help fulfill the needs of your new position in life, and that alone brings hope.  Hope for a new and better tomorrow than today, and the house is its embodiment.

So be sure you have lots of patience, a good venting system or outlet, and the ability to let the small things roll off your back, because when you're done, it's worth it.

Addicting Shows

My fiancé and I have discovered that we enjoy a very inexpensive activity: watching really good TV series.  They're like extended movies and yet broken up enough that we can watch one or two while we unwind together for the evening and still have something to come back to the next day.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I am not a proponent of sitting in front of the TV endlessly.  I believe in "doing," as my mother in law likes to joke.  ("oh, you're a do-er"...as in, not someone who sits down for long periods of time well).  Yet, this, we have found, is a great together activity.

The dilemma became finding a show that we both enjoyed.  I like comedy and shows with powerful main characters - people who are strong and bring on a story that makes you think.  He likes sci-fi, horror, and action.  So, as you can imagine, finding a show we both like can be tricky.  For example, I LOVED The West Wing.  Him? Not so much.  He loves The Venture Brothers and American Horror Story.  Me? Not so much. 

We were pleased, therefore, when we stumbled across of string of shows we both LOVED.  Here is what I highly recommend:

House of Cards
Fringe
Scandal
Sherlock (BBC version)

*love*
Happy viewing!

When Money's Tight

Most people have a small (or, well, maybe not so small) panic attack when they feel the constrains of a (shh, don't say it!) ...budget... creeping its way into their lives.  You know what I'm talking about.  It's when you come back from the, well we'll just say weekend for now, sign into your bank account, and then gasp!  You hold your breath, widen your eyes, and shake your head for a moment before needing to drop your head way below your knees and start breathing in and out of a paper bag for a few (or maybe more) minutes. 

Yes, that dreaded moment of: putting yourself on a budget because money's become tight.

No fear!  Aside from the fact that we need to take a hard, solid, and immediate look at how and where you're spending your money, the good thing is it's often fixable!  Woot!  Celebrate! (but maybe only by having a personal little dance party.  You can buy youreself....well....nothing)

#1: Take a DEEP BREATH.  You're going to be okay!

#2: Before you cut yourself off from society completely (although we may need to momentarily), look at how much you're putting into savings.  Yes, I said it: SAVINGS.  Don't have a savings?  What's wrong with you?!  No. Just kidding. But really. That's first, because that leads into #3. But first, #2.  What percentage of your income do you put into savings every month?  5%?  10%?  And what about retirement?  You should always have something in both categories: retirement and savings if-I-need-to-touch-it-now money.  Conservatively, make sure you're doing 5-10%  Agressively, more like 15-30% (but this doesn't meant tell your financial adviser he's wrong because I said otherwise. Trust people who have the degree or experience first!) Personally, I put 10% in retirement and 20% in savings from each paycheck. Then, on to #3

#3:  Assess how long you could survive on your RIGHT NOW savings if you needed to.  Then look at how much it would take FROM that account to correct your budget if you did it all at once.  Maybe it's $150, maybe it's $3000.  But you need to be honest.  How far "down" are you from where you expected or needed to be.

#4: What can I cut RIGHT NOW.  Look at where you spend your money weekly!  I saw weekly and not daily, because, let's face it, some of us get our coffee to go every day, and some of us splurge for that second or forth day, but it's not a standard.  Start there.  Cut the "extras" back.  One less glass of wine or beer at dinner or that week, one less cup of coffee, condense your errand running so you do it on one day and not over three, and see where that will put your spending for the next paycheck cycle.

#5: Still haven't made all the money back through those cuts?  Go straight college style again!  Invite a friend or couple over for dinner instead of meeting at a restaurant.  Same with a girlfriend for coffee.  Have her over to chat instead of at the local percolating corner store.  Plan your meals for the week and PRE COOK so you have it all divided out.  Then if you're still hungry you'll notice what you can spare and maybe what you were just wishing to mindlessly eat.

#6: Think long term.  What can I continue doing for another paycheck cycle to help boost me past the "danger" zone again.  This way you'll have more of a cushion and less of a panic!

And remember, you work hard for your money.  Yes, it comes and goes, but remember to stay savvy, and don't worry about what people will think because you didn't have that cup of coffee or second glass of wine with them.  They don't pay your bills. You do.  And they don't suffer your panic attacks for your.  You do.  And you deserve to not have those moments ever....or at least as often as maybe you have been having them.

And if you still feel like you can't get them under control, try MINT: the app on your phone. It will help you keep track after every expense so you can see and up to the minute delineation of your (yes I'm saying it!) budget.

Happy saving!

New Book Arrival! Get Ready to Enjoy!

It's official!  We'd like to welcome Stephanie Caprini's new book, The Summer of 3!  Now available on Amazon, Kindle, and Barnes & Noble.com

During the summer before Rachel’s wedding, three friends must face realities none had foreseen. In college, everything about life and the future had seemed optimistic and ideal, but the reality of life proves more complicated, uncertain, and incongruent with what any of them had expected.

Chelsea deals with a brutally honest and traditional mother who has an opinion about everything. Danielle is caught with choosing between a career and a relationship threatened to be torn apart by distance, and Rachel must decide if the wedding and life she had always imagined for herself is worth the complications and frustrations it is presenting. Each of the girls must work through and face her own reality while learning from each other’s problems in order to arrive at the answers each so desperately seeks. In the process, each searches to discover her own voice, courage, and ability to succeed in the crazy complicated world of adulthood.



This is a GREAT story for women, teens, or those who just want an enjoyable, honest, witty, and generally good-hearted story!  Enjoy!

Teachers, Well....Pay Teachers

Coolest website ever.  Are you a teacher or know someone who is?  This is where teachers can sell their original material ONLINE to other teachers to use in their classrooms.  With all the importance placed on differentiating and creating your own unique materials to use in your classroom, why not share with others?  Maybe another teacher hasn't taught the subject before. Maybe they're struggling to create a new way to teach the material.  Or maybe they just don't like the material they've been presented and want something else.  Either way, you've put effort into your material, why not help others?!

That's where Teachers Pay Teachers comes into play!  You can do all of that sharing and helping here!  I started my own SPANISH site a while back, and it's been a great hit! I'm so happy to be helping other people, because I've been building my own curriculum for 4 years now.  Let me tell you, that is no easy feat!  It can be daunting at times, and I'm so honored to be able to help others! 

If you'd like to set up your own website, be sure to just note me as the referral!  Stephanie Caprini!  You're going to do great things!!

Book Shout-Out!

Congrats to our newest readers in Canada and the UK!! 

Living with B: A College Girl's Struggle with Bulimia and Everyday LIfe has had an amazing reception with its readership! 

Have a friend or know someone that's struggling with the disorder?  This is a great book to help them feel connected or to help you understand their struggle!  Quick, fun, and a great page turner!

Have friends in NYC?  One of the women in government there just braved her story in the NY Times!  Share with them and even her!  We need to stand together as a community and bring light to a very dark reality that has the potential to be lessened with our support!

Check it out on Amzon, Kindle, and Lulu!
http://www.amazon.com/Living-College-Struggle-Bulimia-Everyday/dp/0557498821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369402245&sr=8-1&keywords=living+with+b+stephanie+caprini