September 2012 ~ It's Happier At Home

OH MYYA!!  You are THE WINNER!! 

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I agree. It is happier at home! I'm a home body though. I never used to be...I think I'm getting old. Anyway, where the hell was I going with that? I don't know!

The brilliant and talented and comedically blessed Connie (her latest posts have been killing it, let me tell ya!) has chosen our book for September and I think it's going to be great!  It's ALSO her birthday today!

It's Happier At Home by Gretchen Rubin is in the same vein as The Happiness Project, also by Rubin, which was a blockbuster hit.

I can't wait!

Amazon says:
One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick—why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. “Of all the elements of a happy life,” she thought, “my home is the most important.” In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home.

And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.
 
So, starting in September (the new January), Rubin dedicated a school year—September through May—to making her home a place of greater simplicity, comfort, and love. 
 
In The Happiness Project, she worked out general theories of happiness. Here she goes deeper on factors that matter for home, such as possessions, marriage, time, and parenthood. How can she control the cubicle in her pocket? How might she spotlight her family’s treasured possessions? And it really was time to replace that dud toaster.
 
Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions—and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well. 
 
With her signature blend of memoir, science, philosophy, and experimentation, Rubin’s passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire readers to find more happiness in their own lives. 

So. Are you in?

I think it's a great idea to incorporate some new and exciting resolutions to liven up our lives! Because let's face it...the day to day can sure turn into more of a "drag to drag" if you know what I mean.

And I'm not talking about sequins and feathers and men that are prettier than me, okay?

Wow. I really need to stop now.

Anyway. Get your copy, and join us on our Facebook page to discuss our new selection!

Connie is giving away ONE copy of Happier At Home.  Just leave a comment telling us what you do to be happier at home for a chance to win. Don't forget to follow our blog and join the facebook group.   Winner will be announced on Friday at 8pm MST.

Gone Girl Book Club Party

I have a confession. I've been cheating on you guys.

I've formed yet another book club with some friends from school. We all had kids in Kindergarten last year and we became fast friends! I'd venture to say that we are BEST friends. And...full disclosure, three of us are very active in the PTA. 

They let me pick the first book and since we all like different types of books,  I decided on Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I thought everyone would enjoy a mystery and after reading it and starting to plan the book club gathering...I knew what I was going to do.

I made them look for their invitation by following a clue. They were hidden in the lobby of our school and I told our office staff what I was doing so that they could laugh at observe them and possibly help them follow the clue.

Make your way to the school doors, you'll have to be crafty.

Pass through the area that might be a bit drafty!

Find the desk that is welcoming, but don't sign in.

Search underneath for something blue...Your name on a clue!

The little blue envelopes were hidden at the welcome deck and under the sign in notebook.  During our book club meeting, the girls all told me stories about their search and one story made us all laugh so hard that I almost peed my pants. Note: wear depends to the next book club meeting.

My dear friend Heather took the underneath part of the clue seriously and was crawling around on the floor looking under the desk.  The problem was....this desk is outside of the principals office and this concerned our lovely principal who came out to see if Heather needed her meds assistance.  

In true Gone Girl form....I did a little quiz in the invitation.

I love planning parties and had a blast deciding what I'd serve at our book club meeting.

In the book, when Desi has Amy trapped in his house he feeds her a few items while they watch Nick on TV. (Mouse over the previous sentence to reveal the spoiler)  Manchego cheese and a single chocolate truffle.  He also gave her Sancerre wine but we went with something else.

Not shown....baked figs with goat cheese and honey!

Another part of my plan was to have a bowls of Fritos and Jelly Beans.  I was going to throw a jelly bean at each of my guest when they answered a book club question.  My husband advised me that if I wanted to stay in the book club...I should nix that from the plan.

He's so level headed.

After posting a few pictures on insta-gram, some of my husband's co-workers were questioning if our gathering was a book club, or a wine club.

I don't know where they got that idea!

If you are planning your own book club gathering for Gone Girl here are some resources for you.

Gone Girl Discussion Questions

Gillian Flynn's Website

Gillian Flynn on Facebook

Have you read Gone Girl?  Did you like it?