What I've Read | March 2022


Welcome back to the Reading Nook & Vol.23 of the 'What I've Read' series.  The 'What I've Read" series is a monthly post and will be a combination of audible, kindle and physical books. Let me know if you've read/listened to any of these books and if so what you thought. 

Here we are at the end of March! Can you believe it?

So lets get to the books for the month of March.

  • ☆☆☆☆(audible) Auschwitz Lullaby BY: Mario Ecobar - "Based on the true story of a brave German nurse tasked with caring for Auschwitz's youngest prisoners, Auschwitz Lullaby brings to life the story of Helene Hannemann - a woman who sacrificed everything for family and fought furiously for the children she hoped to save. In 1943 Germany, Helene is just about to wake up her children to go to school when a group of policemen break into her house. The policemen want to haul away her gypsy husband and their five children. The police tell Helene that as a German she does not have to go with them, but she decides to share the fate of her family. After convincing her children that they are going off to a vacation place, so as to calm them, the entire family is deported to Auschwitz."                                                                     

  • ☆☆☆☆(audible) BECOMING MRS. LEWIS BY: PATTI CALLAHAN - "...When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis - known as Jack - she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy. 

    In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice - and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had..." 



I did enjoy both these books. The Lullaby of Auschwitz was an interesting book, I actually already knew about the experiments that Dr. Mengele did on twins from my own reading and the holocaust class I took.
I don't know how many of you know a lot about C.S. Lewis and his personal life. I didnt know much, but after listening to this book I went perusing through the apps on my firestick and found this  documentary ... "Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. LEWIS" ... if/when you get a chance and you have a firestick, watch it. There are others documentaries also that I haven't watched yet. 

Have you read either one of these books?

Happy Reading!!
Enjoy your day! ♡ Tina
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How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs That...


... peel perfectly almost every time. I'm sure you're wondering almost? Well, not everyhing in this world is perfect, so having a whole bunch of hard boiled eggs peel perfectly 100% of the time isn't happening! 

So, you're going to need a pot, I actually have a pot that I use only for boiling my eggs in. 


The pot above was my mother's, when they moved four years ago to a smaller home she got rid of her set but I took the biggest! I remember my mom soaking the beans for bean soup in this pot, making popcorn, pasta and kielbasa stew; so there's a lot of fun memories.



Hard Boil Eggs (2 options)

Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • Stock Pot

Instructions

Option 1
  1. Let eggs sit on counter while you bring water in stockpot to rolling boil
  2. Gently add eggs to water
  3. Boil for 13 minutes 
  4. Carefully remove eggs to bowl of ice water and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. 
  5. Remove from ice water, dry and place in refrigerator.
Option 2
  1. Let eggs sit on counter while you bring water in stockpot to rolling boil
  2. Gently add eggs to water
  3. Boil 6 minutes
  4. After 6 minutes turn off burner, cover pot and continue to let it cook for 7 minutes 
  5. Then carefully remove eggs to bowl of ice water and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
  6. Remove from ice water, dry and place in refrigerator.

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DIY Master Closet Organizer

propertry of www.themaplestonehome.com

Hello! So how many of you have the wire shelves in your master  bedroom closet?  We did, for 10 long years.  Just a side note, our closet also served as extra storage for home decor and furniture, but no more. I started slowly decluttering and organizing (my way) back in 2015. Yes I said 2015, not because I am slow and a procrastinator, which I am, but due to extenuating circumstances that I'm not going to get into.

Anyway...
Once our closet was clear of the furniture and decor I went about measuring and planning the space. Below is my sloppy drawing of what I wanted:
property of - www.themaplestonehome.com

It is actually a very simple build. The layout: each side is divided into thirds & measurements are the same on both sides.

We removed the carpet, baseboards, & patched holes. DH then mounted the 1x2 brace for the top shelf then proceeded with the rest of the build.



Once that was finished everything was painted then the flooring and baseboards were installed. 

Finally I moved our clothes, shoes, etc in.






Total cost was more than I had budgeted because DH decided to add a little extra support while installing the shelves. I added a runner (purchased  at Wal-Mart)...that floor gets COLD...now we can move on to the 3 other closets!

Supplies:
*Bought here {non-affiliated}
4 = 1x2x8 wood
6 = 1.375 plastic white rod socket
6 = 1.25in wood dowel
1 = 2x4x8 wood
14 = 1x12x8 wood
2 = 1x12x12 wood
*Already Had
1 gallon = Valspar 'The Perfect White' satin paint
3 = black hooks
mirror

*Bought here {non-affiliated}
3 boxes = Vinyl Wood Flooring Gunstock Walnut (no longer in stock)

TOTAL COST: About $500.00

So glad we got this finished and I'm really enjoying the layout.

What do you think? 

Happy Building!

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Ideas & Inspiration | №8


Where I will be sharing what I'm 
  • Crushing on decor, instagram feeds, inspiration, TV/movies, small business, etc 
  • Craving recipes/food to try 
  • Creating d.i.y.s, crafts to try.

CRAVING
Back last winter I was searching Pinterest for a different kind of soup recipe and came upon this recipe from Amanda Rettke @ I AM BAKER for Lasagna Soup. I wrote down the ingredients and off to the store to get the ones I didn't have. I came home made the soup and let me say that this soup is so delicious! Instagram: @iambaker

OH! I discovered  Jennifer @ Carlsbad Cravings in 2016 I believe. The first recipe I tried was for her Million Dollar Penne. You guys have got to try this. . . it is wonderful. You will not be disappointed, her whole website is just drool worthy. Instagram: @carlsbadcravings

CRUSHING 
There are a few small businesses/etsy shops that I am Crushing on. Have any of you visited Katie Willis owner of O' Sweet Goodness she sells the cutest paper flower decor for holiday and everyday. Instagram: @osweetgoodness

Then there's one of my favorite shops for equestrian antiques/ collectibles, some of the older bloggers may remember Allison from The Polohouse. Unfortunately her blog is no longer up BUT you can visit her etsy shop Thepolohouse. Instagram: @shop_thepolohouse and @polohousestyle 

CREATE 
I have this on my list for DH to make HERE
I'm working on this Eleanor blanket from Megan at Darling Be Brave right now, this will be the second one I've made.

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