I am so not an app person. When I got my iPhone I put the Facebook app and the weather app on it. Then I addded some that I thought I might use since they were related to TV (hello, HGTV). And that was about it. Over the course of having my phone, I added some others randomly: some app I've never used that I thought would help me sleep better; iTriage, because my BFF from high school worked on it; Southwest, since we always seem to be changing our tickets; and Find iPhone, after using it to find my mom's phone.
But this past month, thanks to recommendations I've recieved from friends and, people I follow on Twitter, and, well, commercials, I feel like my collection of apps has not only grown but improved significantly in that I actually use them. So, in case you, too, are looking to add some apps to your collection, here are my three recent favorites.
1. My ultimate, favorite-app ever: Pepperplate. This app lets me add recipes and then make meal plans. After that, it will make a grocery list for me. This sounds like something that simple enough for me to do on my own without an app, but I kind of love it, since I often cook with my iPhone or nook now. Since I've always intended on making a month or so's worth of meal plans and then recycling them, I think this is a great, easy way for me to do so.
2. P5, for everyone who needs to obsess about their dog. I have often wondered if we are giving Shelby enough exercise, though trust me, if she hasn't gotten out enough, you'll know it. So I was very excited to find P5, from Purina, so that I can track (when I remember) what the little doodlebug has done during the week. I like that the app breaks it out into different levels of activity, as well. Obviously running and walking are two different levels of activeness, but it helps to know what kind of activity she is getting and also encouraging to try to get her to meet a weekly goal.
3. Just can't get enough of Songza. My friend Brittany told me about this app, which serves as a music concierge to help you pick the right music based on what you might be doing at different times of day. You can also explore playlists based on moods and activities, or other factors, such as culture and decades. What I like about Songza that is different than Pandora is that the playlists seem to go better together in my head. (As I write this I'm listening to "A Cappella Covers." Other favorites are basically anything from the 90s and the Glee and Dawson's Creek playlists.)
Now--what apps can you not live without? Ever since I've opened my mind to downloading more of them, I'm taking suggestions.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Book Review: A Dog's Purpose
It's no secret that I love my dog. (Check out all of the posts tagged with "Shelby Love. There are a lot of them.) And as such I have started to love reading any kind of book about dogs. (See here. And here.) So on my most recent trip to the library, I checked out an audio book with a dog on the cover: A Dog's Journey, by W. Bruce Cameron. (Of course that drew me in.) I excitedly put it in my CD player only to find out that it was a sequel to another book. Disappointing. Fast forward to the next week, and my friend Kaitlyn gave me this book for my birthday: A Dog's Purpose, which as luck would have it was the book I needed to read before I could listen to my audio book. And read it I did.
I love many things about this book. For starters, it's told from a dog's perspective, and many of the things that the dog says over the course of its many lives are all things I have thought Shelby must have said at some point. I think that considering he is a person, W. Bruce Cameron does a fantastic job of articuluating what I think dogs think. This book also shows real life over the course of time through the perspective of a dog, making observations about the people the dog interacts with that seem so simple yet so accurate.
And throughout the dogs different lives, we see the different purposes dogs have and the lives they live. Some lives show the good, such as life as a rescue dog and a life loving and protecting a child. Others show the not-so-good, such as the dog being left in a hot car, the dog's first life at what seems to be some kind of puppy mill, and people trying to hurt the dog for whatever reason. But most importantly we see this dog's purpose, and the efforts he makes to find "his boy," overall showing the unconditional love and loyalty only a pet can provide.
I have loved several dogs over the course of my life, and this book made me think of all of them and how a dog can live on even after it has left us.
 |
| image source
|
I love many things about this book. For starters, it's told from a dog's perspective, and many of the things that the dog says over the course of its many lives are all things I have thought Shelby must have said at some point. I think that considering he is a person, W. Bruce Cameron does a fantastic job of articuluating what I think dogs think. This book also shows real life over the course of time through the perspective of a dog, making observations about the people the dog interacts with that seem so simple yet so accurate.
And throughout the dogs different lives, we see the different purposes dogs have and the lives they live. Some lives show the good, such as life as a rescue dog and a life loving and protecting a child. Others show the not-so-good, such as the dog being left in a hot car, the dog's first life at what seems to be some kind of puppy mill, and people trying to hurt the dog for whatever reason. But most importantly we see this dog's purpose, and the efforts he makes to find "his boy," overall showing the unconditional love and loyalty only a pet can provide.
I have loved several dogs over the course of my life, and this book made me think of all of them and how a dog can live on even after it has left us.
Monday, January 28, 2013
When In Jersey...
Well, as I said in my last post, we had only planned one trip for 2013, and that was for Chicago in March. But of course, right after I said something about it, my mom called and asked if I wanted to come out and hang out with her while my dad was out of town. So that's how I ended up in New Jersey for a week.
We had a lot of fun. Unlike our previous trip, where we spent more time in NYC than at home, we just stayed put and explored New Jersey. By that, I mean, we did a lot of shopping. We went to the mall. We went to Morristown. We went to Ikea. We went to another mall. (Of all of this, the time we spent in Ikea is kind of unbelievable. I love that tiny house. And half of our trip was spent in the storage boxes area. Wait until you see what I got.)
We also spent a lot of time doing random things. Like seashell organzing. (Yes that's a thing.) And movie watching. (I finally saw "The Vow" and kind of loved it a lot.) And baby-sitting. Wine drinking (and spilling). Lots of walking around my parents' awesome neighborhood. We also had strange encounters with store employees, particularly the owner of a vintage clothing store. We had tiny delicious cupcakes from the shop next to the paper store. (Loved the paper store and my new Kate Spade pencils.)
And now, back to real life. Which might include some more blogging?
We had a lot of fun. Unlike our previous trip, where we spent more time in NYC than at home, we just stayed put and explored New Jersey. By that, I mean, we did a lot of shopping. We went to the mall. We went to Morristown. We went to Ikea. We went to another mall. (Of all of this, the time we spent in Ikea is kind of unbelievable. I love that tiny house. And half of our trip was spent in the storage boxes area. Wait until you see what I got.)
We also spent a lot of time doing random things. Like seashell organzing. (Yes that's a thing.) And movie watching. (I finally saw "The Vow" and kind of loved it a lot.) And baby-sitting. Wine drinking (and spilling). Lots of walking around my parents' awesome neighborhood. We also had strange encounters with store employees, particularly the owner of a vintage clothing store. We had tiny delicious cupcakes from the shop next to the paper store. (Loved the paper store and my new Kate Spade pencils.)
And now, back to real life. Which might include some more blogging?
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Odd Numbers + A Look Ahead
I can't believe I haven't blogged since last year. (Last night, I said to Nathan, "I haven't been to the library since last year!" and he replied, "You love that joke, don't you?" Yes, yes I do. Even though I know it's pretty lame. So here I go, using it again.)
Among my other strange quirks (and horrible taste in jokes, based on above), I don't like odd numbers. Not even a little bit. (Well, except 5. I consider five to be an even number in my further strangeness.) But despite that, I've learned in my short-ish life that the odd years tend to be better than the even ones.
That's not to say that 2012 was bad. 2012 had a lot of good moments going for it: we were able to travel a ton (let's see if I can get it all in here: Denver, Washington, D.C., Key West, Denver (and Chadron and Rapid City), Denver, NYC, Key West. I feel like I'm missing a trip or two, though.) We spent lots of time with family and friends and had lots of visitors. Shelby learned how to be an agility dog and swim, and we learned what it was like to have a dog with no energy a few times. Our house got a lot of love--a new kitchen and landscaping most significantly--and our list of projects to complete is almost completely checked-off. (Does that mean we have to start over?) And we were able to celebrate weddings and babies and all sorts of other good news for our family and friends.
But. 2012 was still not my favorite year. It was a weird year, and it was also harder than other years, despite its greatness. I think that so far, 2013 seems like it will be pretty good. This year, we're going to Chicago. (and that's all we have planned so far. We are open to suggestions.) I'm going to finish my NaNo project. (33,000ish words to go to 50,000, so let's just say, 50,000 words to go!) And as far as resolutions, that's the only one I have, because it's the only thing that I know I really need to do.
(Though after looking over this post, maybe one should also be, use less ()s.)
(And learn how to spell parenthesis--is that right? Oh wait, spellcheck says yes. Now back down to one resolution again.)
Happy new year, to my readers. May 2013 be great for all of us!
Among my other strange quirks (and horrible taste in jokes, based on above), I don't like odd numbers. Not even a little bit. (Well, except 5. I consider five to be an even number in my further strangeness.) But despite that, I've learned in my short-ish life that the odd years tend to be better than the even ones.
That's not to say that 2012 was bad. 2012 had a lot of good moments going for it: we were able to travel a ton (let's see if I can get it all in here: Denver, Washington, D.C., Key West, Denver (and Chadron and Rapid City), Denver, NYC, Key West. I feel like I'm missing a trip or two, though.) We spent lots of time with family and friends and had lots of visitors. Shelby learned how to be an agility dog and swim, and we learned what it was like to have a dog with no energy a few times. Our house got a lot of love--a new kitchen and landscaping most significantly--and our list of projects to complete is almost completely checked-off. (Does that mean we have to start over?) And we were able to celebrate weddings and babies and all sorts of other good news for our family and friends.
But. 2012 was still not my favorite year. It was a weird year, and it was also harder than other years, despite its greatness. I think that so far, 2013 seems like it will be pretty good. This year, we're going to Chicago. (and that's all we have planned so far. We are open to suggestions.) I'm going to finish my NaNo project. (33,000ish words to go to 50,000, so let's just say, 50,000 words to go!) And as far as resolutions, that's the only one I have, because it's the only thing that I know I really need to do.
(Though after looking over this post, maybe one should also be, use less ()s.)
(And learn how to spell parenthesis--is that right? Oh wait, spellcheck says yes. Now back down to one resolution again.)
Happy new year, to my readers. May 2013 be great for all of us!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Snow-magedon
Apparently there is snow in the forecast. A lot of snow. I just finished shoveling the driveway for the first time this year, a slushy wet mess that seemed to be something other than snow. Who knows whether we will get the foot of snow they are predicting.
I am probably one of the few people that enjoys shoveling snow. I don't enjoy it, in that I would love to do it every day, but since I took over the job willingly (as Nathan is at work generally when the snow starts and it seems to me that it's awfully unfair to have to drive home in a mess and then spend another half hour plus scooping the sidewalk), I find that I don't mind it. (Unless there is a ton of snow at the end of the driveway and I get splashed while hardly able to move the icy gunk.) The sound of the shovel scraping the driveway, sidewalks, and walkways remind me of being home, at our house in Colorado, and waking up to it and knowing that it had snowed. My dad carefully clearing the front walk, and driving us to school, except the one time I was too stubbourn to let him. I know I can do it, then sliding into a tree hardly halfway there. Now I am lucky enough to be able to stay home when it snows, cuddling with my puppy and shoveling the driveway.
I know that Shelby is not a child, but it seems to me that dogs have the same innocence and excitement over everyday things that makes me feel the same way, best illustrated by my little's time in the backyard. We spent a few minutes when I was done scooping running around the backyard in the dusk that was quickly turning to dark, and I watched her run around, so happy, with just some snow and basketball. I think we can all learn a lesson from that, finding happiness in everything around us.
I am probably one of the few people that enjoys shoveling snow. I don't enjoy it, in that I would love to do it every day, but since I took over the job willingly (as Nathan is at work generally when the snow starts and it seems to me that it's awfully unfair to have to drive home in a mess and then spend another half hour plus scooping the sidewalk), I find that I don't mind it. (Unless there is a ton of snow at the end of the driveway and I get splashed while hardly able to move the icy gunk.) The sound of the shovel scraping the driveway, sidewalks, and walkways remind me of being home, at our house in Colorado, and waking up to it and knowing that it had snowed. My dad carefully clearing the front walk, and driving us to school, except the one time I was too stubbourn to let him. I know I can do it, then sliding into a tree hardly halfway there. Now I am lucky enough to be able to stay home when it snows, cuddling with my puppy and shoveling the driveway.
I know that Shelby is not a child, but it seems to me that dogs have the same innocence and excitement over everyday things that makes me feel the same way, best illustrated by my little's time in the backyard. We spent a few minutes when I was done scooping running around the backyard in the dusk that was quickly turning to dark, and I watched her run around, so happy, with just some snow and basketball. I think we can all learn a lesson from that, finding happiness in everything around us.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Book Review: Wild
Book: Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Coast Trail, by Cheryl Strayed
Wild, From Lost To Found On The Pacific Coast Trail, is the story a journey--a journey of a woman hiking from California to Washington state, and a journey of a woman finding and understanding herself during the hike.
Even though I am not what you would call a "wilderness" person, I was immediately drawn in to her experiences hiking, and could easily visualize not only the places she went but the experiences she had on the way. She weaved in her personal life, too, and what experiences had gotten her into this situation. It was also interesting to read about the logistics of planning such a trip and how these plans often got changed based on the trail. She talks about the people she met and the different relationships along the way, which provided different perspectives of the same journey and added to the story. I also appreciated how it really was just a snapshot of this moment in time for her, rather than a long-stretching memoir of her life. While we did get some of her past, it was mostly as it related to the how and why she was on this journey, and she didn't explain too much of her life afterward. I think that can be hard for those writing memoirs to do, and it was very refreshing.
Wild, From Lost To Found On The Pacific Coast Trail, is the story a journey--a journey of a woman hiking from California to Washington state, and a journey of a woman finding and understanding herself during the hike.
Even though I am not what you would call a "wilderness" person, I was immediately drawn in to her experiences hiking, and could easily visualize not only the places she went but the experiences she had on the way. She weaved in her personal life, too, and what experiences had gotten her into this situation. It was also interesting to read about the logistics of planning such a trip and how these plans often got changed based on the trail. She talks about the people she met and the different relationships along the way, which provided different perspectives of the same journey and added to the story. I also appreciated how it really was just a snapshot of this moment in time for her, rather than a long-stretching memoir of her life. While we did get some of her past, it was mostly as it related to the how and why she was on this journey, and she didn't explain too much of her life afterward. I think that can be hard for those writing memoirs to do, and it was very refreshing.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Book Review: Heaven Is Here
Book: Heaven Is Here, by Stephanie Nielson
One of my favorite bloggers mentioned that she had been reading Heaven Is Here and loved it, and since I generally love everything she posts, I decided to check it out when I found it at the library. I decided to do a review for this book this week, with Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, because it's about being thankful, not just for the life you have, but the experiences that have brought you there. Nielson is also a blogger, and blogged about her everyday life. In 2008, she was in a plane crash, and the book is the story of her life before the crash and her life since: her recovery. Her story is a powerful one, and while it ends well, she discusses her struggles, too, and how she found the faith necessary to go on. I spent several nights bawling my eyes out while reading this book, but they were mostly happy tears, happy tears for her and the life she is getting back, even though it is changed. I love how the story is also about appreciating the joys in everyday life and being grateful for those you love.
One of my favorite bloggers mentioned that she had been reading Heaven Is Here and loved it, and since I generally love everything she posts, I decided to check it out when I found it at the library. I decided to do a review for this book this week, with Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, because it's about being thankful, not just for the life you have, but the experiences that have brought you there. Nielson is also a blogger, and blogged about her everyday life. In 2008, she was in a plane crash, and the book is the story of her life before the crash and her life since: her recovery. Her story is a powerful one, and while it ends well, she discusses her struggles, too, and how she found the faith necessary to go on. I spent several nights bawling my eyes out while reading this book, but they were mostly happy tears, happy tears for her and the life she is getting back, even though it is changed. I love how the story is also about appreciating the joys in everyday life and being grateful for those you love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)