Operation: Office Organization!

The after-Christmas disaster bomb had officially claimed any sense of organization that was in our office, which wasn't a whole lot before Christmas. This poor office is like the "extra" room. Anything extra gets tossed in here. It is actually a office/storage/craft/music/puppy room. Here is what it looked like prior to any organizing: (I am so ashamed)

 Ok- so those pics are even THAT bad. I mostly focused on "my" areas of the office (B and I split it- his side = disaster! and I can't fix it. lol) - Here is a picture of the middle of the process of moving stuff around. This is actually a better picture of what the office generally looks like.

Yikes.

You can see the problems. I don't have enough room on my desk to do anything, there is not a lot of storage, and Brandon's lovely keyboard is taking up 1/3 of the room. I had to make some changes and do some purging. Here is what it looks like now:

SO much better! And- in my next post I will tell you all about how I covered that bulletin board hanging over my desk in about 10 min! Super Simple!!!!

Heat Wave by Richard Castle: A Review

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.
Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

Well, after my last read I really needed something kind of "fluffy" to read. A little bit of brain candy. *sigh* Thank you whoever you are ghost writing as Richard Castle. This book was basically a higher octane version of the show Castle- except the main characters do hook up (and I am not giving anything major away here, if you watch the show)!
I was happy with this book- it was a light, easy crime novel, with a simple formula. Murder+sexy detective+tension w/ male lead+danger= good.
The only thing I found a little silly/annoying is that ALL of the characters in the book are in the show, down to Castle's, I mean Jameson Rook's mom. They just have different names - Kate Becket = Nikki Heat, Espisito = Ochoa, and so on. Also, I think Castle is more likable than Rook - maybe because the show is a lot from his perspective and the book was all from Nikki's. I don't know, I am really nit-picking here. I really enjoyed the book :)
4/5 for me!
And for your viewing pleasure:

Sensory Kit (Work Project)

Well, most of my readers know that I work in long-term care and am supervisor of a mid-stage unit and a late-stage unit for those with dementia. I want to explain an itty bit what dementia is and how it effects our elders before I get into my project.

Dementia is basically a disease which causes "brain failure". Literally, the brain shrinks and holes start to form. Here is an example of a healthy brain:

 

And this is a brain with Alzheimer's disease - same age, race, sex, etc. 

The hallmark symptom in Alzheimer's disease (and most other dementia) is short-term memory loss. A person's ability to form and store new memories is gone. This disease is progressive, irreversible, and will eventually lead to death. As it progresses a person will eventually lose the ability to walk, speak, or even feed himself. Now, I know this is all sounding very negative, but it is important to understand the disease to see the benefit in what I am going to now explain to you. At the latest stages of dementia a person can still experience moments of peace, joy, and happiness- we just have to figure out how to reach that person. Sensory stimulation (hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and hearing things) is a really good way and proven method in reaching those in the latest stages (and earlier) of the disease.

This is a sensory box themed for the month of February.

It contains scented lotions (smell and touch w/ hand massages), a feather boa (sight and touch), a CD of old music (hearing), a faux rose (sight, touch), old photos of weddings (sight), a teddy bear and stuffed valentine heart (sight and touch), a book of love quotes and poems (hearing, sight, touch), scented, rose-shaped soaps (sight, smell touch), lip-smackers in strawberry and watermelon (sight, smell, touch, and taste), a light-up bouncy ball (sight, touch), and a flameless scented candle (sight, smell). All of these things can be used to trigger memories and reminiscence. I recently heard a theory that the long-term memories are they, just not accessible by the person, but can be triggered and create a moment of joy.

Lipsmackers, Rose, scented soaps

Old wedding photos, "Crooners" CD, and Love book

Sophie was being very helpful... or trying to eat the teddy bear - whatever she's adorable.

Lotions that smell like flowers (Valentine bouquet?) and strawberry

Teddy bear, feather boa, rose petals, bouncy-light-up ball

All I did was wrap a shoebox in pretty paper and go to the dollar store - I printed the photos off of the internet. This box can be used by my staff for 1:1 visits with residents who are restricted to their rooms or bedridden or it can be used in a small group setting for lower-level residents. I put a list of what is in the box on the underside of the lid. By the end of this year I hope to have one of these boxes for every month of the year.

The 19th Wife - A Review

 Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.

Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense.

It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.

Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.

And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith.

I literally just finished reading this book and my exact words were "Ugh- Finally finished!"

This book was not bad, but it is not going on my list of favorites by any means. The two words I would use to describe this book are tedious and fascinating. The author has weaved together a past and present story. He uses the present story to get you sucked in, and then beats you over the head with historical fiction. In the present day story there is Jordan (its guy - took me 30 pages to realize it - but its a guy) and his mother, a 19th wife, is accused of murdering her husband. Interesting right? Well then you get the story of Ann Eliza Young, the infamous 19th wife of Brigham Young a founder of the Morman religion. She came out and publicly denounced polygamy and was instrumental in it being banned. However, in the modern story there is just Jordan. In the historical story you get Ann Eliza's point of view, her mother's, her father's, her brothers'. her son's and Brigham's, along with some letters and newspaper articles for good measure. I really wanted to know what happened to Jordan and his mom as he tried to find enough evidence to prove she was innocent as she claimed to be and I did not get enough of this story and was a little unfulfilled by it's ending, although surprised. Ann Eliza's story was fascinating because it showed a wife's perspective of plural marriage and she was incredibly brave for publicly denouncing it and escaping, but after awhile I felt like it was historical overkill. I all but skipped over Brigham's chapter and her son's letters. I also felt like the book was flawed (but probably by design) because it was unpredictable when it would flip-flop between past and present. I would just really be getting into the present story and then Poof! It's 1878 again. I think if someone was really a fan of historical fiction that they would love this book. It just was not my cup of tea, but I liked it enough to finish it.... which is partially due to my hard-headed nature. :) I also wasn't crazy about the unnecessary use of the F-bomb. It was just strange, going from late 1800's English to modern day slang and cursing. 
Overall rating : 2.5/5 - take it or leave it. For the historical fiction fan it would be a slam dunk.

Fitness Fail

So, I have had this lofty goals of being healthy, eating well, and exercising on a regular basis. And to sum up the last month: MASSIVE FAIL.
I do not want to take full credit for the fail though, because part of it is due to health. The last 2-3 weeks I have been having lower back pain and neck pain. I am taking a break from the gym until I can get clearance from a chiropractor to safely work out. Yesterday was especially pitiful - I was laying on my in-laws floor with ice packs on my back and neck attempting to watch Julie and Julia after a particularly satisfying NFC Championship game. (Go Pack!) So, in an effort to not further damage my back/neck I have not been working out.
And the food: Oh for shame! Do you want to hear what I ate yesterday for lunch? Half dozen (maybe more) honey BBQ wings from BWW and a slab of chocolate cake WITH ice cream AND a can of fanta. I kind of want to crawl under a rock... Not such a great move on the healthy eating. Oh- and today for lunch - a big ol' plate full of leftover sesame chicken and steamed rice. *cringe*
I am basically writing this to try to hold myself accountable to these goals I had set. My health is important to me, more important than a plate full of sugar-coated chicken.

In other news: I have a craft project on the horizon and a book review as soon as I force myself through the last 20 pages of The 19th Wife. Yep - its' that good guys I can hardly make myself finish it. (read: sarcasm) Also coming up in the next week or so I have a project for work that I want to share with you, because maybe someone out there has a loved one with dementia and might be able to benefit from it.

You should go see this movie.

Golden Globes: Best and Worst Dressed

In my humble opinion anyway...

So, really, the only reason to watch awards shows is to see what the celebs are wearing- I mean that and to see how insulting the host can be. Apparently, Ricky Gervais took it a bit far... Well, I enjoyed watching the red carpet last night with my mom-in-law and here are some of the best and the worst:

Olivia Wilde - its sparkly!!

Sofia Vergara - Va va voom!

Julia Stiles - I actually LOVE this dress - she looks great!

Modern Family rocks my world and so does this dress! Julia Bowen

Minus the "jack it to Jesus" hair and odd look on her face- loving the emerald green that Mild Kunis is rocking

Amber Riley is ROCKING this dress! love love love!

And now... drum roll please... WORST: (trust me- there were ALOT to choose from - it was tough to narrow it down)

ScarJo looking SCARY. Bride o' Frankenstein anyone?

Why does JLo have to accessorize a perfectly pretty dress with a sheer bedazzled cape? I am baffled.

Recognize this actress? Me neither - until I read her name: It's Jayma Mays- Miss Pillsbury from Glee! Way to over-done

Oh Julianne Moore... Why?

Now, Heidi Klum - Ms. Project Runway should have known better.

She may have one best actress, but Natalie Portman does not win best dressed in this pink - rose adorned potato sack.

Ah- Helena Bonham Carter. We know you are quirky and love you for it... but did you HAVE to wear 2 different colored shoes? And the Bellatrix hair? The dress really was enough.

Ah- well that was fun- Can't wait to see what Joan Rivers has to say about this red carpet!