How to read without going broke

When one reads 3ish books a week, how does one not go broke buying books?  Here is how I access books.

LIBRARY!!!!  

Now this is two fold.  I adore page turning, scented like old stuff, hard copy, books.  That said, I am perfectly happy to read via my computer or tablet (in my case Kindle).  I have legit read through the YA section of my library.  I started in the A's and went all the way through.  I work in a different town than I live, so I got a library card there too.  Many of the same books, lots of new ones.
Sometimes libraries have access to a digital book check out system.  My great and adored Hastings Public Library has Overdrive.  It goes to my phone, kindle, desktop... they sync to where I have read, it is grand.  Oh and FREEEEE!  So I would say a vast majority of my books have come from the Library.

Bookbub

This is a great service that is free and allows you to search for books that are free or dramatically price reduced.  Some of the books offered are gateway drug books, in that they offer the first book to a series free hoping you will get hooked on the series and buy the rest.  Others are actual classics or great read steals.  You can create an account and limit the number of emails that they send.  I get a weekly email with books that fit in my reading criteria range.

Amazon/Google Books/Apple

So anywhere you can buy e-books usually has searchable parameters.  Here I did a search for books released in the last 90 days, teens and YA, then organized from cost: low to high.  I've got 10+ pages of free books.  Now, I'm not particularly picky about what I read.  I will start about anything.  My favorite series (after HP of course) I found while procrastinating writing a paper in school... the book cover had shiny on it.  If my blog title doesn't explain, glitter is my favorite color and I love shiny.  (The Stravaganza series btw).  Try a book, give it a chapter to pull you in.  If no love, no problem...it was free.

Project Gutenberg

This offers tons upon tons of books.  Many are transcribed using volunteers and that is magic.  This is a free site.  Just check it out.

Goodreads

The more you read, the more you may forget what you read.  Goodreads is a fantastic website with book tracking, listing, following groups or authors, finding or saving book quotes, TONS.

Calibre - 

This is useful for when the book you found for free isn't in the format you want/need.  It is an e-book manager, and may be useful to you.

Me and Reading

I am now and avid reader.

Now

Not always before.

Growing up, I have always loved narrative and story, I'm a child of the original Disney Princess era.  Reading was difficult for me though.  It wasn't until college I found out I have mild dyslexia.  Then between getting bifocal contacts and learning a kind of speed reading, I was able to suddenly enjoy what I used to work so hard to do.

College doesn't really leave much time for pleasure reading.  So after graduation when I was working as a not-for-profit event planner, event planner, wedding planner, bartender... I did get to start reading much more and for pleasure.  I finally decided to listen to my mother, (also wedding planning is a special circle of hell) and went back to school to get my Masters of Teaching.  Because of my Theater major, my communications background and appreciation for reading, the Language arts endorsement area was the one that made the most sense.

Here I was now, reading book after book that I had passed before: Classics, English, American, and many more.  I have always gravitated to 'fairy tales' or what were oral classics.  My thesis became how to use fairy tales or fantasy to teach in the classroom.  This included more than Disney and Grimm.

Think Shrek.  Here is world where wonder is all around, characters from many stories interact, but rules are still established.  If a history teacher wanted to explain ruling class systems, you could ask what would a Princess would think of a monarchy vs. oligarchy vs. democracy.  What about the dukes or the peasants.  Fantasy isn't just books.  Video games offer a whole realm of other learning avenues.

So, as a part of this I did end of reading fairy tales from all sorts heritages.  German, French, Russian, American (think tall tales if you are coming up short on that one), Irish, South American/Latino, Native American, etc.  I now have a pretty geekable love of all things fairy tales, oral literature, and stories.  Please stop me if you ever hear me mid-conversation on the topic... I will go nuts.

This love of stories, and my education focus of working with secondary (jr. high/high school) students means I got to read lots and lots, and many were YA (young adult for the non-initiated) books, some were for younger students, some for my age demographic.

I now read something like 3 books a week, depending on how busy my downtime schedule is. Thanks to lots of reading fodder, I have lots of books I would recommend to adults or teens and for different reasons.  I will add some of those as I go.

Reversible Upcycled T-Shirt Bag

I can not be the only person who has a bajillion t-shirts that I love, but can't get rid of.  A t-shirt quilt is a great way to use those shirts... A t-shirt bag is another!

Easy Smeezy T-Shirt Bag

What you will need:
2 non-cutup shirts
1/2 yard other fabric
Sewing machine
scissors
thread


1. Cut off neck and sleeves.

2. Cut fabric into 2 strips of 6' x (whatever the length of your fabric is) I had a super long scrap for this one, so I did one really long one that I then cut in half after step 6

3. Turn shirt inside out and sew along bottom of shirt and up the arm holes.  For a deep bag go at the already hemmed shirt bottom, or cut it shorter and hem along that bottom.  Where my hand shadow is on this shirt is where I cut mine.

4.  Iron the strips in half (3") or if your iron starts smoking the night you decide to take pictures for the tutorial, you can just pin it.... ironing is definitely easier.

5. Tuck raw edges inside, and iron (now 4 thick and 1.5")

6. Sew .5 hem around outside of long strips

7. With on shirt right side out, and the other inside out, put the right side out shirt, inside the inside out shirt.  This way right sides are together, but the backs are facing out... for now.

One is tucked into the other, right sides facing together, then adjusted so neckline cuts match. (below)

8. Sew together along neck hole, leave a opening by the strap holes to turn bag to rights.  This should be about 1.5"/2" on each side.

9. This is the slightly confusing part.  Pull the fabric through the little hole where the straps will go, so you can now see the front of both bags.  Now, it will look like a weird 8 with arms (below).  Move the one bag into the other.  This way there is printing on both sides of the bag. This tutorial is a bit of a different bag (though totally cute) but it is great at showing the reversal and re-tucking.

10. Fold in strap holes and sew strap into that area.  Reinforce really well.

~TADA~

Notes:
If you want to use only one shirt, trace and cut two identical shapes out of other fabric.
The sewing of things right sides together, birthing them through a little hole and then re-folding is weird.  Watch the video linked here.
Some shirts have printing really close to the neck of the shirt.  Keep that in mind when sewing.  You can see in my step 9 picture, one of the shirts I used was that way.
With the strap this way, It is a cross-body style.  To turn it into a two strap shopper style bag, in step 3, don't sew up the arm holes, but sew them in a big U when you are doing step 8.  Now you have four holes for straps to go int.

Best Bubble Juice Ever

So, my real life paying job is a Mad Scientist at the Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora Nebraska.  It is a pretty awesome job.  One of my duties there is Bubble master.  I figured out last year that we go through about 500 some gallons of bubble juice a year.  FYI that is a bunch.  Our bubbles are really good too... in case you ever wanted to do some serious bubble making.

Er Mer Gerhd    Buuurrrbbbblllleeeeessss!

Here is our tried and true bubble Mixture and some notes.  

Ingredients

1 - 56oz Dawn NON-CONCENTRATED**

1 - Tbs J-Lube *

4 - Gal Water, warm

5 - Gal bucket

Instructions

1. Add water to bucket. 
2. DUST the J-lube over the top, it will goop/booger up so dust, and stir.  
3. Add dawn after stirring is done, do a careful stir,
4. Let sit an hour or so
5. MAKE ALL THE BUBBLES

You can see in the picture above, we actually put ours in a wreath case.  Then you can make a wand out of a mini-hula hoop, tennis racket, anything with holes.  Wash well afterwards.  

*Okay, so J-lube is awesome stuff.  Created for vets and farm folks, J-lube is a soap based, power, lubricant.  So like animals having a dry birth or have to stick your arm up a woohoo to check an unborn animal?... this stuff makes gallons and it is non-irritating.  On that note:  DO NOT READ REVIEWS (unless you have a semi-cool with most anything attitude towards orifices and what people put in them).

**The Dawn NON-Concentrated is also important because it dissolves and molecularly combines differently.  It says on the bottle which it is.  Science break... it has to do with the hydrophobic/hydrophilic quality that makes it a good dish cleaner.  I get it locally at our Dollar General.

I know, I know.... you were always told that you should add Glycerin.  DON'T.  Chemistry break - It doesn't make the mixture better, it makes your hands/bubble wants softer/coated.... the bubbles will still be as tender and likely to evaporate. 

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup (souper easy)

Creamy Chicken And Rice Soup

Makes about a gallon

Ingredients: 
2 cups cut chicken
2 bags Uncle Ben's 90 Microwave rice (I like the wild long grain, or the one with quona.  Feeling crazy, add different bags!)
1 brick cream cheese
2 cans cream of chicken
2+ cups milk
2+ cups water
- Steamed Veggie Bags
- Spices as you like

1. Add water and chicken to the bottom of your pot.  Simmer chicken till done (3/4 min on high)
2. Add any spices.  I like sea salt, pepper, and some garlic.  
3. Put rice bags into microwave as instructed on the bag (90sec each bag, or I do 1.45min for both)
4. Add milk, cream cheese (cut into smaller chunks), and cream of chicken into pot with chicken and stock.  
5. Add rice from bags.  These will be hot after microwave.  
6. If you like veggies in your food.  Steam bags are easy and quick.  Steam the veggies in microwave, cut, add to soup.  
7. Simmer all, stirring often.
8. If you want it less thick, add more milk.  

You can really add about anything to this.  If done this way, sans veggies, it takes about 15 minutes to make.  I love to have all of this on hand for those gross cold days after work.  I am super lazy and picky hence no veggies in the soup, but it is a great way to add them in.

Remember that time I started a blog?

So, here is the deal-i-o.  

I love all things creative and fun.  I love to read.  I love working with kids.  I love reading or doing creative things with kids!  This is my easy way to share some of my best ideas,   (If I do say so myself).

Herein, you may find: 
Crafts

Sewing
Recipes
Science Activities
Reading Lists
Book Reviews
Glitter 
Hope

I admit now I am a total hack at a lot of things, but I like to consider myself a modern craft engineer.  One definition of engineer is a person who solves problems, according to parameters, in the simplest way possible.  My laziness will get me somewhere in life.  If it is famous on tv, that makes sense.  If it is helping out a fellow human... even better.