I am more than a little peeved to find that since they closed the Waldenbooks at our local mall, there is not a single bookstore for miles ’round. None at all. Not even a simple paperback shop where I can get something light and frothy. It’s a given that the book industry is not what it once was, but there are dozens of schools in the area… where do the kiddies go to find books for their English classes (or “Language Arts” as they like to call them around here)? That Waldenbooks was the nearest place to find required readings. I should know; I had to go there often enough when I was in middle and high school. That little shop was there forever. The selection was small, but you were always bound to find something interesting.

Instead, I had to drag myself to white bread Pembroke Pines, a good 20-30 minute drive, to pick up a copy of Blameless (I needs it!). The thing is, it would have been a 20-30 minute drive in any direction… there are plenty of Borders, B&Ns and indie bookshops in Miami, they are just nowhere near my area. Does no one read around here? I am sure I cannot be the only one? Even if it’s just a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, there must be a place where local students can go to get a book (and don’t say Amazon, the people in my area aren’t the most web savvy)? Surely, I am not the only one who finds this absolutely ridiculous?

I don’t usually write makeup or product reviews, but as someone who looks up reviews before making purchases, I thought I might as well contribute one.

I’ve been using LORAC’s ProtecTint for the last couple of years because I like a bit of color to even out my skin, but don’t like using foundation unless I’m going out and want to be fully made-up. However, I am an underpaid grad student with an unfortunate case of bills, so pricey makeup is not on the list of things I can properly afford at the moment. My LORAC supply is woefully depleted and I don’t want to purchase another tube at the moment, so after reading a few reviews, I thought I’d give Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer a shot. Like the LORAC, it has 30 SPF, which is something I really desire in a moisturizer given the scorching South Florida sun.

Aveeno’s tinted moisturizer comes in two shades: Fair to Light, and Medium. I purchased the Fair to Light and found that it was a bit heavier in color than I had expected, though it did blend nicely and evened out my skin tone fairly well. The main drawback, it’s not as moist as my LORAC, so my skin felt a bit drier than I like… I will try layering it over my regular moisturizer next time. My next challenge… how would it fare in the summer heat?

After a few hours, I was surprised to find that it was holding up rather well and did not have that oily, slick feel that sometimes happens as a result of the combined effects of heat and humidity. It still felt nice and smooth.

Overall, it’s been a good first experience. It’s scented, but while I normally don’t like fragrance in my facial products, it’s not a bothersome scent. It’ll do for a quick fix until I can buy my LORAC.

Like many kids with unusual names, it took a while for me to appreciate mine… it was always especially embarrassing when teachers used to get my name wrong on the first day of class. However, it grew on my and now I’m quite proud of it… it’s not often I get mistaken for another Gricel. So it was a nice little surprise to learn that there is a Tango song named “Gricel” and a Tango site dedicated to dance and all things Gricel @ Gricel.org.

Guess it’s a good thing for them I never did get around to reserving my name as a domain.

Here’s a video of the song “Gricel” that I found on the site:

There is always something to be learned on the interwebs, all this time I only knew about Patient Griselda and the Grey Lady.

Please consider donating $10 to the Miami-Dade Public Library’s 10×10 Challenge Fundraiser to support library programs!

Visit http://www.friendsofmdpl.org/to find out how you can help the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s by donating to the Friends of the Library.

If you’re a bibliophile like me, you have lots and lots of books that you don’t plan on re-reading… the question is always what to do when you don’t want them taking up shelf space? A lot of times, I donate to my local library for their Friends of the Library book sales, but sometimes I just want to get something in return… that’s when I swap

At first, I was a little doubtful about online bookswaps, but now I’m hooked!

My go to sites are:

PaperbackSwap.com

This site is great if you enjoy genre fiction or are looking for something that is a little older and hard to find.

Swaptree.com

One of the perks of Swaptree is that they let you swap dvds, cds, and videogames as well as books. They also initiate three-way trades so you have a better chance of getting what you want.

Both sites are free and offer different shipping options (you can ship through their service or go through your local post office).

• Two months of 3 day weekends thanks to 4 day work schedules (It’s nice having free weekdays when my shift rotates, but no one else is free on a Wednesday, etc.)
• Going to Tampa for my presentation. I’ve never been and this will give me an excuse to do some sightseeing.
• My Bookdrum profile was selected to be featured/published on the homepage on August 1st. I received a very nice email about it.
• My birthday in a little under 2 weeks
• Swaptree and PBS packages arriving in the post

The city of Nashville experienced a devastating storm that has flooded much of the area, leaving many homeless and others in a precarious situation as they wait for the waters to recede to inspect the damage. You can read more about it at Erin’s Food Files and Love & Olive Oil. Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil writes the following for those interested in helping out:

If you are in or around Nashville, please volunteer to help in the cleanup efforts (we have and are completely prepared to set aside work and volunteer wherever we’re needed). If you are not local and still want to help, please consider making a donation to the Metro Nashville Relief Fund or the Nashville Red Cross. The national media has not been covering this disaster as much as is really needed; right now our city needs all the help it can get. Please spread the word.

One of my classmates posted this YouTube video of a 2.5 year old playing with her new “toy”. It’s pretty fascinating to watch a child who can barely speak playing with an iPad. I’m not going to get into a debate on the advantages/disadvantages of giving kids techie toys (or the issues of education and privilege that arise), but what ever happened to giving a kid some crayons and a sheet of paper?

On a side note, my bchan made fun of me this weekend when we saw a kid (a teen this time, not a toddler) showing off his new iPad and I thought it was a black picture frame :p

Sick and miserable here. Utterly useless and incoherent.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

When weekends are slow at the library, I become a random researcher. Meaning, I start to look up random subjects and browse through sites to learn more. I was looking up information on local farmer’s markets and one site led to another, until at ended up on the Get Kids In Action site. Mind you, I don’t have kids or small siblings/cousins in my family, but my mom works with kids and I have become increasingly aware of how awful school nutrition really is.

After going through my own issues with health and weight, I have become something of an advocate for healthful living and eating. I don’t make much of a fuss about it online, but I know I drive my b-chan nuts sometimes when I go on one of my food rants. I’m not a dieter, I’m just very aware of what I eat. I have healthy breakfasts, pack my lunches, and prepare my dinner at home. My family rarely bought prepared foods or ate out when I was a kid, aside from the occasional celebratory dinner on birthdays or holidays… and even then, we often just made something special at home. On average, I eat out 3 or 4 times a month, usually because my b-chan asks me out for dinner or because I’m in the mood for something I don’t know how to make (like sushi).

However, despite my generally healthy eating habits, I was fat. I developed a thyroid condition when I was a tween, but I think much of my weight gain was exacerbated by the food I ate at school. My mom, well-meaning though she was, didn’t know any better and believed I would get the nutrition I needed from school food. Frankly, I didn’t know any better either. I had free lunches from the school cafeteria all during elementary and middle school. Looking back on it, I know that things like pizza, chicken nuggets, and mystery burgers accompanied by chocolate milk and whatever manner of carb-based side was on offer were not the best options for a growing child. Then came high school and the glories of high fat, high sugar options. I was no longer eligible for free lunch, but that was ok, my school had choices. Burgers from McDonald’s and Checker’s, slices from Papa Johns and Pizza Hut, sandwiches from Subway, chicken and biscuit boxes from KFC, and lattes from Starbucks, along with a variety of snack items, vending machines, soda machines, and whatever sugary treat the football team and/or band was selling for funds. There were no fries to be had, but I am certain I was eating well beyond the daily calorie and fat allowances for a 14-17 year old girl as it was, never mind all the added sugar. Is it any wonder that I gained weight?

Good nutrition starts at home, but I think the school nutrition boards have a lot to answer for as well. My mom works at the elementary school that I attended and every so often she brings home snacks that are leftover from the aftercare program. These are given to the students after they are picked up from their classes at the end of the day, before they are taken to their aftercare classes. In the last year, the quality of the snacks has changed. Some effort has been made to introduce more healthful snacks, but some of these efforts are still somewhat misguided. One of the snacks that always make me laugh are the Super Donuts, cinnamon cake donuts made with whole wheat. Whole wheat they may be, but a donut is still a donut. I’ve tried them, they taste alright, and my dad has certainly felt the effects of the Super Wheat blend, but teaching kids that eating donuts on a regular basis is not the right way to teach healthy habits.

And that’s the rub. I like to indulge as much as the next person. I have my guilty pleasures (dark chocolate, ice cream, a properly prepared mocha latte, pumpkin anything), but these are occasional treats enjoyed in moderation. By giving kids things like wheat-based cakes (they have these too), donuts, high sugar cereals, and mostly gelatin-based yogurts, you are not teaching them to eat well, you are giving them mixed signals about what healthy eating really is. Yogurt is healthy; yogurt that lists gelatin, sugar, and an array of artificial flavors as the main ingredients… not so much.

So, yes, healthful habits should start at home, but the lesson should be reflected at school. Schools should not undermine parents efforts, but support them.

And now I shall step down from my soap-box.