Volunteering: It Does a Body Good!

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I've been volunteering at local public libraries for the past three years, or so.

When I started, I had three goals in mind:

1. Get to know people in my community. (We'd only lived in our town for a few years, so I thought this would be a good way to get to know people.)
2. Utilize some of the skills I learned in library school. (I don't work in a "traditional" library, so I wanted to keep my mind sharp on things I'd learned.)
3. Be in an environment where I'd be able to help, and in turn be appreciated for that help. (I was struggling with my paying gig at the time.)

I ended up achieving these three goals and getting back so much more than I expected.

Do you volunteer? If yes, good for you! 

I've learned that volunteers are often the life blood of an organization, especially those with small budgets/small staff. At my town's public library (where I volunteered for a little over two years), volunteers did cataloging, weeding, and helped with programming- tasks done by employees in larger libraries. In my previous life, I worked for a non-profit, and we LOVED volunteers. There wasn't enough bandwidth to get certain things accomplished by employees, so we utilized the volunteer force.

If you don't volunteer, why? Do you think you don't have enough time? Do you think you're not qualified? To these statements, I say pshaw! Currently I volunteer one hour per week. During that time, I still make a meaningful contribution, doing an hour's worth of work that the librarians don't have time to do. There often are no "qualifications" needed for volunteering. Yes, I went to "library school," but could I do the tasks I do without the degree? You betcha. My Mom volunteers at her public library in the Friends' book shop. Other than being a lover of books (and the fastest reader I know), she doesn't have any "formal" qualifications...and doesn't need them. I think that's the beauty of volunteering. I often think about volunteering in some capacity with dogs. I'm not interested in pursuing a veterinary degree, but I'd love to walk dogs or even clean out crates! Volunteering allows you to embrace your love of something without having to go through formal schooling. A win win!

Here are some fun pictures taken throughout my last six months or so of volunteering:

One evening I was charged with a project to pull books off the shelf that were in bad shape/need of replacement, i.e, broken binding, ripped pages.

As I opened each book and started flipping through, I found all kind of "treasures."

I often stamp new books that have come in. The library I volunteer at imprints their seal on page 101 of each book. I often find some interesting things on page 101 (or page 100).

Ghanaian cuisine, anyone?

I love perusing the new books. I often find titles to add to my "to read" list. And then, there are some that I just make fun of.

An entire cookbook devoted to TOAST? (Oh, wait...TWO entire cookbooks devoted to TOAST?)

I love volunteering- it enriches my life!

Pioneer Woman's Overnight French Toast Casserole

I'm making it my mission to look back through the photo stream on my phone and write related blog posts. So, yeah, we're turning the calendar back to Christmas!

I'd wanted to try an overnight french toast casserole for a while and I saw that the Pioneer Woman had one, so I decided to give it a whirl.

I wanted to make it on Christmas Eve and we'd have it Christmas morning, but due to scheduling, that was a bit tough. So, I pushed to a day later.

On Christmas night, I threw together the ingredients and it looked like this:

It's basically a loaf of French bread torn into bite size pieces with an egg/milk/cream mixture poured over it.

You also create the topping ahead of time (no pictures, however.) That is a pebble-like mixture of cinnamon, flour, brown sugar, butter & spices. (And really...the phrase "pebble-like" describes it to a "T!")

Stick both in the fridge overnight, wake up, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, pour the topping over the casserole bread/milk/egg mixture and cook for a while.

A while? Yes.

Per the recipe (which I'll post a link to below), you cook for 45 minutes for a softer "more bread pudding texture" and an hour (or more) for a firmer less liquid texture.

I cooked ours for an hour and it still was, how can I say this? Squishy.

You can't see the squishiness, but here it is:

While I enjoyed the flavors, I had a hard time getting past the texture. If I get some feedback re: cooking time and a firmer texture, I'd try it again.

Here's the recipe.


Have you made this before? Which texture do you prefer? If you prefer the firmer texture, how long did it end up taking to cook?

Exercise Schmexercise

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Let me make no bones about it.

I.hate.exercise.

What? You didn't hear me?

I. HATE. EXERCISE.

I did the Couch to 5K program almost five years ago. I discovered that I *like* jogging (really just fast walking), but at the same time, also discovered I have no interest in competitive jogging, i.e., formal 5Ks.

Shortly thereafter, we bought a treadmill. I liked that because I could plug in my Kindle and catch up on British TV shows I'd missed. If it was cold outside, I could still jog/walk inside.

The whole "jogging thing" didn't last, however.

I got bored and found TV/Facebook/eating more interesting.

I've been on an exercise hiatus for at least a few years (sad, I know).

Recently, however, I decided I needed to stop being so sloth-like and pick up some form of exercise.

I reached deep into my memory banks and remembered that I used to LOVE Pilates!

My company used to have an instructor come in and do a lunchtime Pilates class that I was a part of. I remembered the benefits I gained- relaxation during a tough workday, improved posture, flexibility, and just the overall good feeling from exercising.

I did some creative Googling (stalking) and found that the instructor we had has her own studio in her house. I contacted her and voila - I now do a mat class on Monday nights!

Yes, it's only one day per week, but it is a workout!

After the first class, my core was killllllling me. (We did TRX, as well as Pilates.)

The last class we did on rollers and used weights. Arms? Killlllling me.

I guess that means it's working, right?

All this to say, that while exercise is NOT my favorite and I still pretty much hate it, I've found a program that I like and that invigorates me...and, as the cartoon says, it's better than being dead 24 hours a day. :)

What I'm Loving Lately: April 2016

Here are a handful of things that I've recently discovered that I'm loving!

1. Up & Up Hand Soap: Lemongrass + Basil

I'm super sensitive to fragrance, so I usually just buy unscented hand soap. I happened to see this one, took a quick smell in the store, and bought it. It has a really nice light fresh smell. It's very springy.


2. Skinnygirl Mints: Pomegranate Matcha Green Tea

I love pomegranate and I love green tea. Put them together in a mint? Awesome! (And sugar free, on top of it.)

3. Lipton Decaf Half Berry Lemonade & Half Iced Tea to Go Packets

I'm a huge fan of berry flavored iced tea. However, I generally don't drink it, because it's not caffeine free. (Caffeine wreaks havoc with my sleep!) I love this half and half...it really gives a flavor of a berry iced tea.


4. Nabisco Lemon Oreos

With Girl Scout cookie season recently ending, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't get any Lemonades, which are hands down my favorites (I even like them better than Thin Mints!) I happened to see these Oreos in the cookie aisle and tried them on a whim. OH.MY.GAWD. They taste exactly like Lemonades (and they're cheaper!)

5. BUZZR

As I believe I've stated before, I grew up on game shows and LOVE them! The Game Show Network has been around for a while, but it's a total sham. They mostly air new game shows (ones they've created). BUZZR, however, show the creme de la creme, i.e., Super Password, Sale of the Century, Family Feud (Richard Dawson). It's like reliving my childhood all over again!

BQOTD: Do You Do Spring Cleaning?

Let's start this by saying that I'm NOT good at keeping a clean house.

I hate cleaning.

I always find excuses to avoid it.

And then...

Someone comes over and I'm thrown into a frenzy. This is what I like to call "situational cleaning." It's filled with me swearing and saying I'll never wait this long to clean [insert room, appliance, toilet, bathtub, etc...]

And then it happens all over again.

Needless to say, spring cleaning does not happen here.

UNTIL NOW!!!

I happened to be scrolling through my Bloglovin feed and came across this 30-day spring cleaning calendar:

You can find this calendar at the Simply Stacie blog.

I like how it breaks the tasks down- it doesn't seem quite as overwhelming.

I also think I'll probably break it down over the weekends of spring, as the thought of cleaning the oven on a weeknight makes me want to drink!

So, the BQOTD (Big Question of the Day) is this:

DO YOU DO SPRING CLEANING AT YOUR HOUSE?

If yes, do you have any tips, schedules, shortcuts that you can share??

Happy Spring! 

(Oh, and if you're in New England, enjoy the snow coming tonight/tomorrow. Gah!)

How to Invite People Over When You Live In Your House and it Shows

In 2014, I read a pretty great book:

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What you may not be able to see is the subtitle - "It Doesn't Have to Be Beautiful to Be Perfect."

(Oh, and you may not be able to see the author's name- Myquillyn Smith. A completely funky/unique first name paired up with the most common American last name. Funny.)

Back to the book.

The gist is that your home is beautiful, no matter what. It's YOUR home and you should feel comfortable in it. You should also feel comfortable enough to have others over, regardless of the state it's in.

So what if only three sides of your house are painted (and you've lived there for nine years).

So what if you still have the mint green bathroom fixtures that were put in when the house was built?That you swore you'd get rid of ASAP.
Or, that wall to ceiling mint green tile with the purple flowers in it.

So what if you still have the hideous 80's cabinetry and even better - hideous orange countertops?

So what if we use the treadmill in the third bedroom to hang wet clothes off of?

So what if I didn't get all of the cobwebby things from the chandelier over our entryway?

The list goes on.

You know what, though?

We live here and we're happy.

Do I hope that we hit Powerball tonight and we can update everything? You betcha. Chances of that happening? (Well...you know the chances.)

I've never been good at having parties, never mind just inviting people over. I always think, "Oh, we'll just wait until we do this. Or that." And then a year goes by.

I need to get better at that. I will get better at that.

There are so many more important things than worrying about what others think about your house.

This post was inspired by the book I mention above and this blog post. (Also by Myquillyn Smith.)

This picture from the post sums it up:

Big deal.

This was a bit "deep," so I'll leave you with something humorous.

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OK, so cheese "might" be a deterrent to inviting guests over...

Four Facts

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Four names that people call me other than my real name:

1. Katie (You thought that was my real name, didn't you?!?!)
2. Kate
3. Katydid
4. Kater

Four jobs I've had:

1. Church rectory receptionist
2. Cashier (of the year!)
3. Dorm front desk attendant
4. Loss prevention associate (I chased people who wrote bad checks!)

Four movies I've watched more than once:

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Legally Blonde
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. Miracle

Four things in my work bag:

1. Laptop charger
2. Laptop
3. Notebook
4. Planner

Four books I'd recommend:

1. any book by Marian Keyes
2. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
3. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller
4. Mouse-Proof Kitchen by Saira Shah

Four places I've lived:

1. Greenfield, MA
2. Northampton, MA
3. Cambridge, MA
4. Arlington, MA

Four places I've visited:

1. Montreal
2. Aruba
3. Lake Tahoe
4. Grand Cayman

Four places/things on my bucket list:

1. Visit Europe
2. People watch on Rodeo Drive
3. Parasailing
4. Go to a Stanley Cup game (that the Bruins are in)

Four places I'd rather be right now:

1. Aruba
2. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
3. Aruba
4. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Four things I won't eat:

1. BEEF STEW!!!!!
2. Avocado
3. Coconut
4. Lamb

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Lobster
2. Mac & cheese
3. My Mom's American Chop Suey
4. Pad Thai

Four TV shows I watch:

1. The Middle (blog post to come!)
2. Downton Abbey
3. Blue Bloods
4. New Hampshire Chronicle

Four things I'm looking forward to in 2016:

1. Trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
2. Being healthy & happy
3. Reading new books
4. Learning new things at work