Judging the Past

I love reading historical fiction. You know that. However, some of my favorite historical figures are, well, not exactly the best people. But one thing I always think about is how we can't compare the morals and actions of our predecessors to our morals and standards. For example, look at Henry VIII. He was a terrible womanizer and executed how many people? But look at his surroundings.  His father had only secured the throne a few years back as a result of the cousins' war.  If Henry VIII couldn't provide an heir, the country would be thrown into turmoil once more.  This is not to excuse his actions, but merely to put them into context and give them some perspective. No doubt he shouldn't have cheated, or killed, any of his wives, but were women valued then? Were men, especially the nobility, expected to be faithful? No!! That was part of their power, part of showing the court who was in charge.  One didn't necessarily lose respect by having a mistress then as one loses it now. Think former President Clinton and Newt Gingrich. Henry, on the other hand, was a beloved king. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him.  He wasn't judged then as harshly as he would be by committing the same actions now, because they didn't have the same standards during his reign. It's impossible to judge him, or any other historical figure, by today's standards. We have to look at the whole picture or it's simply unfair. 

time to come out of the closet . . .

. . . and please don't judge me! 

So back when Ashley was still pregnant with Eva, she started talking about cloth diapers. And Cass and I started thinking about them.  And a few months back, Cass presented me with this article by mint.com [yeah, it's probably his favorite website]. He was convinced that they would be a money saver. And so I agreed to try them, with the caveat that if it doesn't work for us, for me, I can quit it, no guilt. [If they're in good condition, they can resale for pretty close to original price, so we wouldn't be out a lot of money.]

The savings are the biggest reasoning for us.  Especially since it wouldn't surprise me if baby girl is stubborn [gee, where could she get that from?] and refuses to potty train. I also think the diapers are super adorable and I just love buying cute things, so that's another reason. And I like to try to save the planet when possible and feasible  so if cloth diapering works for us and saves the planet? Even better. 

So I started doing my research.  I was immediately drawn to the Flip Diapering System. 

They grow with your child, so no need to worry about finding the right size.  they come with snaps or hook and loop [basically velcro] so my one-day toddler can't unsnap and run around naked. Or she might anyway. Who knows. But I digress. . . 

The Flips are also in two parts, a cover and an insert. So no stuffing, as with the pockets, and no long drying time, as with the All-in-Ones. Plus you can reuse the cover throughout the day, unless it gets stinky, so you need less covers, which is also a money saver. We even got some on eBay, so half of ours are new and half are used. They seem perfect, on paper, so now we'll just have to wait til baby girl gets here and find out! 

The Other Boleyn Girl

Just as Katherine of Aragon is my least favorite of Henry VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn is my favorite. This is largely due to Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, which not only tells the story of Anne Boleyn, but also her sister, Mary, one of Henry VIII's many mistresses, and their brother George. 

I really enjoy The Other Boleyn Girl because it's not only an intense faux love story and affair, but it delves into the family relationships of the Boleyn siblings AND it's historical fiction where one learns about the politics and religion, and their relationship, during this portion of Henry VIII's reign. [holy run-on sentence!] Now, of course, given the subject matter and the character of Henry, who is constantly having affairs, it's not necessarily the most chaste book, but it is my favorite by Gregory and I highly recommend it!  

Pinterest Success!

Lately, I have been trying to make new things for dinner. I get bored of what I always make & I had a lot of recipes on my "Recipes to Try" board on pinterest that I just hadn't tried yet. And every time I asked Cassidy what he wanted for dinner, he said he was good with anything. So I finally made him pick some things from my pinterest that looked good and today we ate Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken from www.sixsistersstuff.com. 

Guys! It was soooo good! I used chicken tenders instead of breasts, so I just kind of made up the number of how many I put in. 8 tenders equals 6 breasts, right? And instead of pre-mixing the sauce, I just layered in on the chicken. Nor did I cook on high for one hour and then put it on low. I just cooked it on low the whole time. And ya know what? It was great. We loved it. I think next time I'll add more Apricot Preserves or brown sugar; the primary taste was more onion-y and we wouldn't have identified it as "Apricot Chicken" without the recipe title, but it was tasty! Both Cass and I liked it and it's definitely a repeat dinner! It was easy and yummy. We'll be making this again sometime! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

So here I am, 10:30 at night, sitting alone on my couch watching Pretty Little Liars, texting my husband. But it's okay, we had our Valentine's date yesterday, you know, before and after his work :)  You see, this morning I drove Cass to the Cedar airport so he could be flown out to the U. He's been accepted into their Masters of Education program and they flew him out to get a tour of Salt Lake and for interviews for an assistantship. It's super nice that they flew him out, all the way to SLC!! So last night we went to Ninja for dinner. We had a super yummy shrimp sushi roll with a sweet chili sauce and then I had the beef yakisoba. It was delicious. Like, so freaking good!! Also, I got Cass the cutest Buzz and Woody card, since we're best friends. It was a pretty good make-shift Valentine's day. Hope you all had a great one too! 

The Constant Princess

My first Philippa Gregory book ever was The Constant Princess, the tale of Catherine of Aragon before she married Henry VIII. It tells of Catherine as Catalina, the Infanta of Spain, only to become Catherine upon her marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Arthur, Henry's older brother who was to become king. Arthur, the prince who became sickly and died too soon. 

Catherine of Aragon is my least favorite of Henry VIII's wives [yes, I have them ranked. ish. Don't judge.], or at least bottom two. It's like a feel bad for her, but I don't feel her the way I feel some of the others. I don't believe this is due to Gregory's writing, but just Catherine herself. 

The Constant Princess does introduce us to a new side of Catherine, a younger Catherine. She is a desperate widow, heartbroken by Arthur's death, abandoned by her father, abandoned by England. And so, she must take her fate into her own hands: she must fight for what she wants, she must fight to become the Queen of England, as she was meant to be.  

If you're interested in Henry VIII, Historical Fiction, or Philippa Gregory at all, this book is worth the read. You'll like it. 

Time of My Life

If you could go back in time and change your life, would you? Allison Winn Scotch's Time of My Life poses that very question. Jillian, an unhappy housewife, is transported seven years into the past, before she's even met her husband, by her masseuse unlocking her chi. Knowing what she does, can she change her future? Can she? And what other aspects of life will her new choices impact? And most importantly: If she makes new choices and changes her life, will she finally be happy? 

Time of My Life is an interesting, enjoyable novel that really makes you think about your own life and your own choices. Overall, I liked it and recommend it with the caveat that there is some sex and language. If that doesn't bother you, give it a go! 

SPOILER & RANT
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SPOILER & RANT

Highlight it to read. :) 

I really hated the ending; she gets everything she wants without working for it! Unfair! Unrealistic, even for this kind of a novel!!