And the winner is...

My mom and I have drawn the winner and...drum roll please...she is Kathy from Just Stuff From A Boomer!
Congratulations and if you email my mom your address (asimplehappylife@gmail.com), we will get your Frankenmuth goodies out to you pronto.  Thank you everyone who entered.  You never know, we may just do this again sometime.  After all, it would be a grand excuse to go to Frankenmuth again!

Giveaway Reminder!

Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow is the last day to enter to win some Frankenmuth, Michigan goodies!

You can view my original post here.

Don't forget the rules!

1.  Be or become a public follower of my blog AND,

2.  Be or become a public follower of my mom's blog AND, 

3.  Comment either on my original giveaway post or my mom's giveaway post.  You do not have to comment on both posts, just one or the other.

Giveaway Time!

This here's my first giveaway, but it's not just an ordinary giveaway!  It's a double-blog giveaway!  Yep, that's right, my mom and I are co-hosting this giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I took a little trip to Frankenmuth to celebrate my new job (You can read about our trip on my mom's blog.  I have plans for my own post about our trip, but just haven't had a chance to work on it yet).  While we were there, we decided to do this cute little giveaway.

Here's what you'll get:

Gifts from Frankenmuth!
The ornament that Bronner's gave us (beautiful blue with sparkly snowflakes),
a Michigan bookmark,
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam (made at the Bavarian Inn),
and some Michigan Wild Cherry Tea.

Rules:

1.  Be or become a public follower of my blog AND,

2.  Be or become a public follower of my mom's blog AND, 

3.  Comment either on this post or my mom's giveaway post.  You do not have to comment on both posts, just one or the other.

That's it!  Easy as pie!  

You have until 6:00 PM EST on Monday, August 22 to enter.  We will put all the names in a hat and draw the lucky winner Monday night.

Good luck!!

Wordless Wednesday

I've been cat sitting my brother and his girlfriend's cats.
This is their new kitten, Ethel (Their other cat is my Lucy.  She loved
my brother so much, she moved with him when he bought his
house.  There really was no other choice
when it came to picking out this kitty's name. ☺)

Wordless Wednesday

Just had to put a school picture up, because I GOT A JOB!
Yep, I'm still pretty excited about finally having my own classroom
again! ☺

Novel Films Blogfest

So Madeleine over at Scribble and Edit is hosting a fun blogfest...and I've decided to join in.
The blogfest is running from August 1-3 and asks:

 How many works of fiction have you seen BOTH the film/TV drama and read the original book, play or comic story?

I started thinking and trying to make a list in my head of anything I could come up with on my own, but then I started thinking of books I've read, but not seen the film, or films I've seen, but not read the book (wow, did that make any sense at all?).  Then, I did a little searching online and found even more. Some of the books I've listed are not fiction, yes I realize that, but I thought they were still worth a mention. ☺
So, here are my lists:

Books I've read and watched:

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (no film, but saw live on stage in Stratford, ON)
3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
5. Charlie & Chocolate Factory  by Roald Dahl
6. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
7. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
8. The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
9. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
11. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
12. Helen Keller by Helen Keller (film version The Miracle Worker)
13. Holes by Louis Sachar      
14. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
15. Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
16. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
17. Matilda by Roald Dahl
18. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
19. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
20. Polar Express by Chris von Allsburg
21. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
22. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
23. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
24. The Tempest by William Shakespeare (again, no film, saw live on stage in Stratford, ON)
25. To Kill a Mocking Bird By Harper Lee *my absolute favorite book*
26. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
27. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
28. Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne

Books I've read, but not watched:

1. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Clearly
2. Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
6. Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
7. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
8. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
9. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Books I've watched, but not read:

1. 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
2. Beaches by Iris Rainer Dart
3. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
4. Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
5. Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
6. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
7. It's a Wonderful Life by Philip Van Doren Stern
8. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
9. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (I'm sure I must have read this, but I just cannot remember)
10. Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton
11. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
12. Nanny McPhee by Christianna Brand
13. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (I LOVED this live on stage, how have I never read it?!)
14. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
15. Shrek by William Steig
16. Stuart Little by E.B. White
17. Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
18. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

This "watched, but not read" list is sadly longer than it should be, but honestly, there were some titles that I didn't even realize had started out as books!  Well, my "To Read" list just got a bit longer! ☺

How many have you seen and read?  

Any recommendations of books and/or their partner film/TV version to check out and then add to my list?

Today is a Very Good Day!!

I just wanted to share some good news:

I GOT A TEACHING JOB!!!

I got a call last week on Monday for an interview, had my interview on Thursday, and got the call today!
It's teaching ECDD (Early Childhood Developmental Delay), special education preschool, which is exactly what my degree is.  And it's local!  It's right here in my own neighborhood, so I don't have to pack up all my things and move!

I may have done a bit of a happy dance when I got off the phone, and I may have a permanent grin plastered across my face this afternoon, but I think I deserve it!  I've been searching for this job since I moved back from Georgia 2 loooooong years ago!