Happy Saturday! I'm having a quiet night in, so I thought I'd share are a few more awesome iPhone apps that I just love. If you missed my first post on this topic, be sure to check it out before you get into this second edition.
First up, Small Planet. I learned about it from my friend Liz, and the second I saw one of her photos from this app I had to get it. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn it was free! Awesome. Basically it takes a photo of wherever you are in the world (or you can move the satellite to wherever you'd like), and then makes it into a "small planet." Really, really cool. Here's one I did of downtown Prescott.
Another one of my most favorite apps is 8mm. It allows you to make old-timey movies right from your phone. I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so I can use this outside- I have a lot of fun movies I'm definitely excited to make. Here's an example I just put together from a few different little clips I had on my phone:
Over the past few months I've fallen more and more in love with Tumblr (except when it crashes, annoying!) but I found that the actual Tumblr app is the worst. Someone recommended the Tumblr Gear app to me and since then I've used it from my phone without any problems or issues. You know how every time you "like" or "reblog" in the regular app it reloads the page...well this one doesn't and it's SO much easier to use. It's actually enjoyable; super fast and user-friendly. I highly recommend this one! And, it's free!
I've also been loving the US Weekly app. Yes, I love ridiculous celebrity gossip, and I find myself mainly using this app while I'm feeding Henry. It loads the "news" quickly and includes text, photos, and videos.
And finally, Pocketbooth! I'm a sucker for old photobooths, and this app lets you have a photobooth...right in your pocket! Ha. It's awesome though and really easy to use. This is another one I definitely recommend. Here's Henry and his sweet Sophie the Giraffe.
Hello everyone! This post was from Sunday morning, but when I started going into labor I pulled it! I rescheduled it for today. :) Friday I will begin sharing my wonderful guest blog features, so get excited!
Today I thought I'd share three things: a book, a movie, and an album! 1) a book
My blog has been lacking a bit in my normal book recommendations for one reason, and that reason is...HARRY POTTER! I've been reading the HP books for the very first time, and I recently finished book four. I'm trying to go slow so I can savor every bit of the series, so I decided to take a small break before I start book five. It's hard though, because I have the last three books stacked up on my nightstand, taunting me, but my Kindle is also full of samples of great books I've been looking forward to checking out. On a related note: did you know on the Kindle you can get the first chapter (or sometimes couple of chapters) sent to your device for free? I always do this to make sure I want to read the book before I commit to spending the nine or so dollars on it, and I'd say it's one of my favorite features of the Kindle. So, during my Harry Potter break this week I've read a few books in my downtime (aka waiting to have a baby time), and there was one in particular that I really enjoyed.
I am going to include a short summary from Publisher's Weekly, but I've shortened it because if you're anything like me, you dislike hearing too much about a book!
Near the start of this outstanding novel of psychological suspense from Edgar-winner Lippman (Life Sentences), Eliza Benedict, a 38-year-old married mother of two living in suburban Maryland, receives a letter from Walter Bowman, the man who kidnapped her the summer she was 15 and is now on death row. The narrative shifts between the present and that long ago summer...
This is the first book I'd read by this author (it was published just a few months ago) and I was really impressed by not just her style of writing, but her ease of story-telling. Her characters have great depth, and as a reader I started to really feel like I knew these people, and I got to live a bit in their experiences, which was an experience in itself. I found this novel to be fascinating, dark at times, but overall an intriguing read that I'd recommend to anyone who is looking for a new book!
2. a movie
Yesterday Hank and I went and saw "Morning Glory." I love Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, and Harrison Ford (along with a lot of the other minor actors), so you'd have to imagine my happiness when I first came across this preview over the summer:
Hank wasn't too keen on seeing it, but throughout the entire movie I glanced at him to find him laughing, smiling, and even maybe, sorta, kinda having a little tear in his eye. In the end, he enjoyed it. And as for me? I LOVED it. I found it to be motivating, inspiring, and uplifting. It went beyond a "chick flick" and I thought it was a lot of genres rolled into one; romantic comedy, a feel-good film, a "finding yourself" kind of movie, and yes, a movie that girls would enjoy. But my husband loved it too! There's something for everyone. I highly recommend this movie! 3. an album
I'm quite late on the Mumford & Sons bandwagon, but recently this album has been on repeat in our house close to everyday. It's just that good. I adore these guys- their music, their voices, and those cute scruffy faces. But, on the small chance you haven't yet fallen in love with this band, give this little playlist a listen, and then head over to their website to buy their album! Enjoy!
Oh, Monday. A Monday like today is especially rough when it's the start of not just a new week and the first day back from vacation, but the first day of a new quarter. Granted it's the last quarter of the year, but it's a bummer to have to snap out of vacation mode and get back into work mode so abruptly. I write all the time that I like my job, love it even, and I really do, but sometimes I wonder if I just enjoy it so much because I know there's a time stamp on it. I couldn't ever imagine doing this for the rest of my life. A few more years maybe, but I could never be one of those admirable people (like my inspiring Mama), who teach their whole lives. Knowing that I am going to be a stay-at-home mom when Hank and I eventually have kids kind of makes it much easier. Don't get me wrong, my job is incredibly rewarding and I smile every single day knowing I'm making a positive impact in my students' lives, but it's not quite a "career" for me. I hope that makes sense. :)
So, today was a good day at work. My sophomores and I started Fahrenheit 451 today (it's probably the 25th time I've read it!) and I'm excited. I love this book a lot and I hope they do too. This week should go by fairly quickly, and then next Friday we have off! So excited. Amber is coming home to Prescott for a visit and we will be heading down to Phoenix so she can get her very first tattoo. I can't wait.
Also, I've been reading tons of books lately, but one in particular I wanted to mention: "The Last Song," by Nicolas Sparks.
This book was recommended to me by one of my students, and I have had it for a couple of weeks, but didn't pick it up until recently. I won't give anything away, but I thought it was absolutely beautifully written, full of emotion and overall just a fabulous read. I spent the last 40 minutes of the book crying pretty hard, and it was amazing that it had affected me so deeply. I recommend that all of you read it, and please let me know what you think! The movie opens this weekend, and I am so looking forward to it. I researched the film a bit earlier today and found out that Nicolas Sparks actually wrote the screenplay before he wrote the novel, and Miley Cyrus actually named her own character Ronnie. I know a lot of people are skeptical of Miley- I personally am a huge fan- but after reading the book, I feel she was perfectly cast. In fact, I think the entire movie was. Miley and her love interest in the film are actually dating in real life too, and I find that really sweet and it will make for great on-screen chemistry I'm sure! Here's the trailer:
Have any of you read the book? Are you SO excited to see it? I am literally counting down. Fortunately my friend Robyn is going to see it with me, so I don't have to drag Hank to a movie he definitely doesn't want to watch. Yay for girlfriends!
I am heading to sleep, but I hope all of you have a wonderful night. I'll see you tomorrow night for Tattoo Tuesday!
