Friday, January 28, 2011

Any other book nuts out there? Cheap book nuts?

Call it "green," call it "cheap," call it what you like, this site is great for book lovers! Book lovers who don't want to buy a $20 new book every time! A friend of mine recommended this site to me a while back and I'm enamored with it now. This website has saved me so much money! I love to read, but rarely do I finish a book and think, omgoodness, I have to keep a copy of this forever! So I end up with a stack of books to take the library (someday) and a wallet that's shelling out more dough for more books! And yes, I could go to the same said library for more, but I live in a wonderful small town that has a tiny library that's closed on the weekends. Read: I have to take my kids with me and they probably won't have what I'm looking for. And yes, I do take the kids on some trips, but they're not really conducive to strolling down the aisles perusing titles, you know? Not yet at least. Back the website (Paperback Book Swap), this is how it works: You post your books (you get 2 credits for posting your first 10 titles) then you wait for someone to order a book of yours. When they do, you ship it to them media mail (super cheap, like $3 or less unless it's a big, fat hardcover, then maybe $3.50) and the label you can print from home! It even knows how much your book weighs from the ISBN (the little number above the barcode.) Pop it in the mail, either wrapped in the printed out paper, or in an envelope and pop it in the mail! Done! You can also take it the PO if you like, but see the notes about libraries, that also applies to the PO. Now you have a credit :) You take your credit(s) and go shopping! You see a book you like, you click on it, order more from the member if you feel like it, then wait for it to show up in your mailbox! Basically you are paying about $2-3 to trade books. They don't always have what you want, but you can add books to your Wishlist and as soon as your turn comes up (they keep track, as in, you are #3 of 10 people wishing for this book) they send you an email to see if you still want it. Also, if you don't have any credits you can buy them, it's about $3.50 that way. So should you be one of those people who actually keeps their books, but wants more for cheap, there you is, whiz! As of this moment, they have 4,957,608 posted. Dude. Books are flying in and out of my house like mad! And it's great for kids books too, as they grow out of them, or as we get ones that my book snobbish self doesn't love, I just trade them out for new ones! Ok. That's all I got. Had to share. 

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Slowly but surely, and I happen to rock!

I was recently informed that my blog was severely lacking, to put it nicely. So update I will! First, since it's all about me, isn't it? ;) I rock. You should all know that. But in case you were in doubt check out these pictures! I made homemade tortillas! Now for all of you who've done this before, you're like, "yeah? and?" because it turns out it's really quite simple, for for the rest of us gueras out there this was brave new territory! Here are some pics of my tastiness:


You have to roll them super thin, cool if you remembered to flour first!

Ta Da!
Now for the slowly but surely bit; I've been trying to grow broccoli for I don't know how long now. (You can look it up on here if you're terribly interested.) And courtesy of a forgotten sprinkler and the bizarre weather we have (freezing, 55, freezing, 55, my plants are going to need therapy) most of my garden has gone to heaven. However, the broccoli lives! One I had to cut so many leaves off I didn't know if there was any hope, but I didn't toss it and low and behold the little bugger is trying! I'm so proud! Here are pictures:
Plucky buggers!

The little broccoli that could!
Now let's see if they can live long enough to make something edible!