Fun Idea!

I just saw this on a blog, which had the link from Martha Stewart. Just leave it to Martha to know how to make our own scratch-offs. I can't wait to try this!!!

Make Your Own Scratch Off Cards:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/goodthings/scratch-off-save-the-date-how-to?czone=planning%2Fengagement-cnt%2Fget-inspired

This goes out...

to anyone who actually still looks at this blog, considering i haven't updated it since last summer!!!

Someday I'll post pictures of our New Year's trip to Yosemite, but since I don't have any pictures on my new Mac that B got me for Christmas, that's going to have to wait!!

I've kept my page just so that I can have links to all of my friends' blogs....which I truly love looking at! It's a great way to see everyone's kiddos grow up. Since I don't have any kids, though, I'm not very dedicated to this blogging thing. Although I have gotten more into facebook lately, so maybe I'll come back around to this also. Since I'm studying for the bar, anything and everything have become legitimate and desirable distractions!!! (Exhibit A: this post!).

If any one happens to see this, I just have to tell you about the website www.ebates.com. It's so great. You get rebates on any purchases you make if you go through their site to your shopping site, and it's amazing how little bits add up! I'm not a big online shopper, but I was excited to use it to get an Entertainment book for $20, and since Ebates was offering a 35% rebate, it ended up only costing $13!! Since I bought my Entertainment book this fall for $35, that's an awesome discount. Now I know better for next year. Ebates sends out the rebate checks 4x/year, I think, and the one that I'm getting is for $21. Nothing to sniff at, and it didn't cost me a thing! Oh, and the other nice thing is that they have all of the discount coupon codes on the ebates website, so you don't have to go hunting for them elsewhere. I'm a big fan!!! Hope it works for you too!

Maybe I'm back to blogging, maybe not, but at least now anyone who chances across this page doesn't have to see the Wicked pictures anymore :).

So totally Wicked!

I'm so far behind in blogging land that I hardly know where to start....so maybe I'll just work backwards, and see how far I get, and try to update with new stuff too.  Whatever!!

Here are a few pictures from our girls' night when we went to see Wicked in San Diego about 2 weeks ago.  We celebrated M.B.'s birthday a bit late (about a month!), but it worked out well for us to have some fun girltime to look forward to during the guys' 2nd "at-sea" period.  

Our group was 2 Marine wives, 2 Marine girlfriends, and 1 wife of a Marine who got out about a year ago.  So we had lots to talk about, that's for sure!  K.J. made a delicious dinner, and it was fun to go downtown, see a show, and then go out in the Gaslamp District afterwards.  Very San Diego, and very fun!

I liked Wicked quite a bit; it's a cute story!  I always love shows with lots of dancing, which this didn't have quite as much of, but I am so glad that we went to see it, and I loved sharing the memories!  I highly recommend it if it comes to your town!  The Lion King is coming in November, so we're planning to go to that one too.

Funny moment: at dinner we had a "mozzarella & tomato salad" that K.J.'s husband picked up from the market.  I thought it looked strange, but everyone told me to eat it, so I was the guinea pig.  Um, yeah, just as I expected...those weren't little balls of mozzarella, they were full garlic cloves.  :)  We got a great laugh out of that one.

DC, Here I Come!

I just booked my ticket to visit DC from July 1st through the 7th....I want to be there for the wonderful Independence Day celebration!  B will be at sea for a couple of weeks, so why not go on a great trip??!!  I can't wait to catch up with everyone, most of whom I haven't seen since I moved out to California 10 months ago.  I can't believe it's been almost a year!  WOW!

San Diego Wild Animal Park

I had never been to the Wild Animal Park (an annex of the famous San Diego zoo), so on New Year's Day, we went! It was awesome and very spacious. The weather was PERFECT (70s and sunny, oh right, that's every day in San Diego!) and we had a great time.

Some lovely tourists took our picture by the sign, which I'm pretty sure every visitor takes their picture with.

This was Brandt being a flamingo. For some reason he was embarrased because lots of tourists were nearby. But I LOVE action shots!!!!

The view from the Condor area, looking over the back of the park. Surprisingly pretty!

This elephant was so great! It was giving kisses to the keeper. Another elephant was getting a birthday cake, although I'm not sure what it was made out of.

Hello Mr. Giraffe!!! Too bad you are not real!!!

Let's see....where to start?

Okay, yep, I'm a terrible blogger. Any of you who really are interested in what I'm doing might just want to CALL me, because the chances of figuring out what is going on in my life from this blog are slim to none. But since I'm hanging out tonight waiting for pictures to be ready at Costco, I can update this thing!!!

Here are some pictures:

In November, we went beach camping. Perhaps I mentioned it in an earlier post? Anyway, we tried to take the train up to Carpinteria, but to no avail, as it was broken down. So Amtrak refunded our money and we had a nice little drive up the coast. My extended family camps here several times a year, but mind you, it's not real camping. There are Ralph Lauren sheets, lots of cute Coastal Living-type decorations, etc. It's a wonderful relaxing time of beach & family!! This is a picture of our campsite, which we combined with the friends next to us. Our tent-trailer was behind the red umbrella in the picture.

Brandt slept here in the tent below. Not quite as glamorous as the tent trailer, as there was a huge windstorm during the night and his tent wasn't tacked down. I had to go sit in it while he went to the bathroom so that it didn't blow away....I thought it was funny, but I don't think he was quite as amused :).

Gorgeous sunsets, though!!!

November means Marine Corps Ball, so we headed out to the Harrah's Casino for the 11th MEU's ball. It's fun getting all dressed up, and I love Brandt's "pirate costume" as I call it. We had a great time, although we girls were kind of sad that there will be no 2009 ball for us, as the guys will be at sea. Oh well!

Merry Almost Christmas!!!

It actually feels like winter here in southern California! It's in the 30s or 40s at night sometimes, and highs in the 50s or 60s during the day. Okay, so that's a light winter, but I'm getting to wear some of my winter clothes, so that is fun (most are in storage, but I have a couple of things!).

The family Christmas festivities have begun, as last night was my grandmother's 91st birthday at a British restaurant in Corona Del Mar called Five Crowns. There are carolers who come and sing at the tables, so it is always a hit with the gramma and the kiddos. It's a fun way to celebrate my gramma, and an annual tradition for many years. Yay for a wonderful gramma who is so cheerful and enthusiastic!

My parents arrived on Thursday, so my mom is racing around buying presents since she doesn't bring too many with her. The family Christmas Eve party will be at my gramma's again, then we'll do Christmas with my sister's inlaws on Saturday. Everything is spaced out this year over the whole week; in years past it's been 3 days in a row, so the less-than-frenzied pace is a welcome change.

I'm working the next 2 days, which is kind of a bummer, but I need the funds, so I'm game. Then I'll have 5 days off, and since I set my own schedule anyway, I really can't complain!!

I took the kiddos shopping for Toys for Tots last week (they each got a $10 bill to spend & I kicked in a little extra), and hopefully tomorrow afternoon we can go drop off their treasures. It was fun watching them pick out presents for other children. All 3 kids (even the 4 year old who wanted everything for herself) picked out great gifts and seemed to truly understand how important it is for us to share our resources and blessings with children who will have very little to open this Christmas, if anything at all.

I dropped B off at LAX last night for a red-eye to Tallahassee so that he can see his Dad & Stepmom & Sister & Brother in Law & Niece for Christmas. I know they will have a great time...I wish that I were there!!! They are all a great family and I love spending time with them. Brandt will enjoy relaxing and sleeping in!! Since he won't be around for the holidays next year, we spent Thanksgiving with his mom & stepdad and now he has Christmas in FL, so he is getting in lots of great family memories.

This is Brandt sleeping in the car on the way up to Monterey for Thanksgiving....it was supposed to be a 7-8 hour drive, but it ended up taking us FOURTEEN. We had to pull over twice to sleep in the car. That's what we get for leaving at 4 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and attempting to drive THROUGH Los Angeles. Big mistake. We finally got there at 6 a.m. and B had to write a paper for his class....lovely. But the rest of the weekend was delightful!

B's shipboard deployment is likely pushed back to September 09 from July 09, so I'm happy about that! More time for us to enjoy together before he leaves!!!

I hope that all (well, really both) of you who read this have a wonderful Christmas!!!

Happy December!

Isn't it fun that it is December, and the whole world is preparing to celebrate Jesus' birthday?  I love this time of year, and it is great to spend the ENTIRE month with my family, instead of just a few days.  However, I must admit, I am missing DC, because this is a wonderful time of year there (winter is just setting in and not depressing yet...plus everything looks pretty!).  But I am appreciating the fact that it's 70 degrees here, not 15 like DC!  Blessings!!!

I am flying solo these days, as Brandt is gone for 2 weeks at sea until Friday.  That just means more time for me to get together with friends.  I'm having a Present Wrapping Party on Wednesday night with some San Diego friends, which will be great (thank you, Real Simple, for the idea!).  I'm plugging away  at the shopping, and have ma

de some great progress.  Only about 5 more to go.

Things have been great here; I have a job now, so that is a HUGE weight off of my shoulders.  My boss is a Christian, so we pray every morning before we start plugging away at work.  He's a solo attorney who does only Child Support Enforcement, meaning that we go after dads (mainly) who have not paid child support in years and make them pay.  It's difficult yet rewarding, and I'm learning so much.  Plus in this economy, I am just grateful to have an income!!!

Here's some pictures from our high school reunion--such a wonderful time to reconnect!!!

Upcoming Florida weekend!

Well, posting pictures really isn't as easy as it seems.  I have a hard time getting them to line up with words, and even to stay in the post at all!!!

But anyway, coming up next weekend is my high school 10-year reunion.  It will be so wonderful to catch up with my sweet friends from my lovely formative years of braces & colored jeans.  B is coming with me to St. Pete and I can't wait to show him Northside and introduce him to everyone.  He has no idea what he's in for!!!

We'll be going up to Monterey to his mom's for Thanksgiving, so this is our one fall Florida trip this year.  It will be short, but oh so great!!!  My friend Polly has done a wonderful job planning everything, and I know it will be special times.

This picture is of me with my friend Lesley from our DC Bible study.  Their wedding was in Tehachapi, CA, in August, so we were able to make the drive up and see the wonderful celebration!!!  

Pictures, FInally!!

I'm so bad about updating this blog!!!  But anyway, things are going great in California.  I'm still job hunting, which is enormously frustrating yet wonderfully educational in growing in my faith and trust in the Lord and His timing.  So for now, I am looking around (not as diligently as I should, but still looking!) and enjoying quality time with my family.

Aside from my dear 

friends and coworkers, the thing I miss most about DC is public transportation!!!  Don't Californians realize that driving everywhere is a pain, when they could just take the train???  Unfortunately the train runs at inconvenient hours, but I managed to take it to downtown San Diego & back today for an interview.  It worked out great and was so relaxing!!!  Plus no miles on my car or $3.50/gallon for gas!!!

Here are some pictures from the last 2 months...they're on facebook

 too, though, so you might have seen them already!!!

My dad and me at the USS Midway aircraft carrier.  Brandt & I took my mom & dad there to honor dad's 80th birthday!!!!  He sure doesn't seem that old!!!

B & me at on the flight deck of the carrier.  

Catch Up Time!

Sadly, I still have no pictures for you, because my computer is not hooked up to the internet from my house, nor have I added pictures from my camera to my computer.  Technologically, I'm a mess!!  But I am in California now, loving being at my sister's and getting used to the fact that the weather is beautiful ALL the time!!!

I'm still on the job hunt...I went to an interview for a job I wanted, but no luck on that.  This is a great time for me to grow in my faith that the Lord will place me in the perfect place, I just need to wait on His timing for that to happen.  I am finally getting serious about looking...until now, I've been playing way too much!!

The kiddos are so cute.  L just started 4th grade (time flies!), M is in 2nd, and A is a preschooler who is so anxious to go to big school.  She turns 4 on Wednesday.

B is liking his job and staying busy....we are making a few friends and loving spending time with my family.  We have 2 little nephews who are just adorable, so that is fun!

Moving Thoughts

Tonight is my last night with Joy as my roomie...it breaks my heart and makes me want to cry myself to sleep. However my mom is here, so I will just hold it in and let the tears spill out another day. I have loved living in this house, this town, this large "DC Metro Area," and I am going to miss it terribly. I am excited about the future ahead of me, but my heart is heavy when I think of the life I am leaving behind. The Lord blessed me so greatly here, beyond words really, with precious friends from every moment of my past plus wonderful new ones, a beloved Bible study full of girls who are seeking the Lord and so willing to share in each other's struggles, distant family who suddenly became close, a boyfriend who I love dearly and am amazed by, a roommate who became so much more than just a friend to me, work that I never dreamed I could care about but yet now passionately support, colleagues who enjoyed sharing stories and annoyances, a big city that feels like a small town, a small town that has become tiny...oh, what a wonderful 3 years it has been. I have memories to last a lifetime, and I am different than when I arrived. The Lord continues to teach me, and for that I am grateful, and right now he is teaching me to trust Him in ALL of His ways. It would be so much easier to just trust Him in SOME and do the rest myself, but that is not what obedience looks like. I've got some learning to do, that's for sure.
The future is a mystery and filled with with great things, but the present is so wonderful that I don't want to leave it. I know that I will always look back on this time with a happy heart, and I believe that there are blessed times ahead--similar, but different. I know that I am supposed to leave (well, sometimes I second guess myself, but generally I know this), but that doesn't make this easier. I can't wait to see what the future holds, because if it's better than this, I can't even imagine how great it is. Ultimately the final destination is heaven, and this has been pretty darn close.

Prayers Requested!

Hi friends, please be in prayer for Amanda, my sister-in-law (Tyler's mommy). She had a seizure during the night while still in the hospital, possibly caused by her sodium level being too low (that's what they think at this point; she has had problems with that in the past). She is sedated and on a ventilator right now, and hopefully tomorrow the doctors can get her levels back to normal and wake her up. Lots of the family is there with her, and they are taking turns spending time with her and also visiting the baby in the nursery. The nurses brought Tyler in to lay on Amanda for a little while & bond with his mommy, even though she's sleeping.

Thanks so much--we appreciate it!

**Update! Amanda is doing much better and is awake now. She's still in the hospital, but she's alert and constantly improving. We are so thankful!

**Update 2.0: they are home now and everyone is doing great! Hallelujah!

Teddy Roosevelt Island

This morning I spent time with my darling friend K.S., and we decided to do something we've never done in DC before. We've both lived here for years, but somehow managed to miss the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on an island in the Potomac appropriately named Theodore Roosevelt Island.

We had a great time and felt like we discovered a rare and special monument, that is noticeably lacking in throngs of tourists and a very enjoyable place. The island is small and easy to walk around, shady, and refreshing compared to downtown DC that is so close you can see it when you are at the edge of the island. We also saw lots of kayakers and canoers who came to the island from Georgetown.

The monument to Teddy sort of reminded me of Lenin, but I'm pretty sure that Teddy was a nicer guy and a better leader. You can quote me on that. Nature conservation was one of his lasting legacies, and this is a fitting recognition of that.

New Babies!!!

I am an AUNTIE again, times two!! (well, sort of!)

My brother-in-law's sisters feel like my sisters, since we've grown close over the last 15 years of being "related" and spending holidays, vacations, and the ups and downs of life together. Well, both of them have new babies--one just arrived today!!!

Chrissy & Kevin greeted Cody Wyatt R. in June. I got to meet him when I was in California last weekend, as I mentioned before. Precious baby with darling parents!

Today, at 12:45 p.m., Amanda & Ryan welcomed Tyler Grant E. into the world! Tyler was supposed to wait for me to arrive in CA before he came (he was due August 15th), but he jumped the gun and came early. He was 6 pounds, 9 ounces--perfect!
**Tyler already has an amazing story of how the Lord is a miraculous healer beyond all earthly understanding (cysts literally disappearing from his body), and perhaps one day I'll post about it.

My family is so blessed in so many ways, and these two little guys are an amazing blessing to us already. I hope to have pictures soon to put with these descriptions! I now have FIVE little ones to look after in California; that could keep me busy permanently!

Cardboard Manna :)

Much like the Israelites received manna from heaven, my roommate & I were blessed with cardboard manna on Thursday night. We returned home to find that our new neighbor two doors down had neatly left his boxes in our shared parking spaces in the alley behind our house. We had just been talking about where we could buy cheap boxes to move, and bringing them home one at a time from work, when low and behold, the Lord solved our problem immediately! We brought in at least 20 boxes, large and small, and four large boxes filled with newsprint to wrap our things (another need that we had!). We were so excited and running back and forth dragging in more boxes. It was a complete blessing to us and so wonderful to see the Lord working in every aspect of our lives, not just the ones we usually think of.

Real World Road Rules!

Brandt & I finished our week-long roadtrip yesterday. We are finally in California, but I must say, it ended too soon. We had a great time and I am sad that it is already over! (as is my vacation, for that matter!) Pictures will follow later, as I'm still in CA and don't have my cords to hook up the camera. Brandt and I had a great time exploring the country together, and neither of us left the other at a rest stop, so that was good!

OUR ITINERARY

Sunday:

Left at 3 a.m. from my house, picked up Brandt & all of his remaining earthly belongings and headed towards Valdosta to see B's gramma (a vibrant 95 year old!). We went via Atlanta, so that we could see my friends Jana&Charles and Lindsey&Thomas on the way. It was so great to catch up with my friends who I haven't seen in years!!! We also stopped at Clemson because, well, why not?!

Monday:

Spent time with Gammy and B's aunt and uncle in the morning, then went all the way to Tallahassee to Brandt's dad's house (1 whole hour).

Tuesday:

Loafed around the pool and visited Lisa and little Kayleigh, who is a year-old and I hadn't met yet! It was fun to catch up with them too. I must say, I could have stayed in Tallahassee for a week, not a day and a half!

**Best day of the whole drive (there was very little driving this day!)

Wednesday:

Hauled it to Houston, where we stayed with my sweet law school friend Angie and new baby Jacob (can you notice a theme? Seeing my friends, meeting new babies, and visiting Brandt's family members?). Stopped in Baton Rouge to see the stadium & Mike the Tiger. (at UF, we let our gators stay free in the wild of Lake Alice; Mike was in a cage).

Lowpoint of the Day: an inability to locate an open Raisin' Canes chicken finger place, as the one we found was closed to film a commercial. Should have used the Food feature on Garmin a tad sooner.

Thursday:

Dragged ourselves across Texas, losing steam with every mile in the barren wilderness to Van Horn, TX. Highlight was taking Brandt to his very first Bass Pro Shop in Pearland. We played a pretend shooting game, and he definitely beat me. I was complaining that my arms hurt from holding up the gun....I'm very weak!

Friday:

Drove to Phoenix, where we met up with my roommate's family for dinner. Saw U of A and ASU.

Food Highlight: the Starbucks in El Paso, which was the first one we'd seen in 1000 miles

Funny Highlight: Joy's 2-year-old niece cautiously approaching B, then sticking out her hand saying "Nice to meet you!" to the shock of her whole family.

LOWPOINT OF THE TRIP: Discovering a roach in the shower with me at the classy Ramada Limited in Van Horn...killing it with the shower curtain, only to discover that it wasn't really dead and was crawling on my shoe once I got out of the shower.

Saturday:

Driving from Phoenix to my sister's in California, our final destination!! Slumber parties for both of us with my nieces and nephew. This is where I will be living once I arrive in CA for good in a few weeks!

Highlight of the Day: staying in a NICER hotel, instead of a roach motel

Today:

Baby shower for my sister in law! Perfect timing for me to arrive yesterday! Plus dinner tonight with most of the family...just whetting my appetite for the days when I live here permanently. We're already talking about setting up a Bible study together. I got to meet Baby Cody for the first time today, and he fell asleep in my arms--I was trying to prove that I will be an excellent babysitter for the new little ones. Baby Tyler will be coming in August!

Tomorrow:

I leave for Virginia to finish up work for three more weeks. I'll finish on August 1st, and then head back here August 6th. I have mixed emotions for the whole thing, but I think that sad and happy are two good emotions to have, when you love the place you are (sad to leave) and love the place you are going (happy to arrive). Seeking after the Lord is the most important part of life, and especially during times of change.

Eclectic

It's been a while since I updated...today I am helping Brandt clean out his house so that the packers can come Monday & the movers on Tuesday (yes, the military gives you packers for free, which I think is exceptionally awesome; unfortunately, I do not have the same coming for my stuff when I pack it in late July!).

Anyway, I am taking a break from the cleaning/organizing/asking "when was the last time you used/wore this????", so I figured I would do a post on the little blogspot! My computer is currently under review by the Geek Squad @ Best Buy trying to figure out why it turns itself off, so I'm sorta out of the loop on the happenings on the world wide web.

I never get to update my blogs, so I figured I'd do a post with some interesting links/tidbits to keep you busy. Here goes:

(1) Whenever you want to get rid of something, just put it out front with a "FREE" sign on it. I have been taking loads out to the parking lot today of Brandt's stuff, and the 1st batch was gone in 15 minutes! Amazing! Plus I post a "curb alert" on Craigslist, so that helps too!! So much easier than lugging stuff to Goodwill, plus I know it's going to a home that needs it.

(2) I LOVE LOVE LOVE these buckets! Aren't they adorable???!!!

(3) I got my sister one of these bags for her birthday...Lauren found this company in San Francisco, and they are great!

(4) To stay up to date on what's happening in DC, this is the best site for locals: http://dcist.com It's a local blog that is very liberal (and lots of foul language in the comments), but it stays on top of events and matters that interest the District.

(5) I am trying to purge my belongings in anticipation of the move, and this site is very inspirational for getting rid of clutter! It is updated daily.

(6) I'm not planning a wedding, but this is an adorable blog with links to other fun preppy/southern blogs: thepreppywedding.blogspot.com

(7) Amazing pictures on this site, updated 3x week: www.boston.com/bigpicture

(8) Aveda hair salons have a program going where they are collecting used plastic bottle caps for recycling. Generally, the caps cannot be recycled, even when the bottle can. My office has been collecting them since May, and it is amazing how many build up quickly. It is a tiny impact on the huge problem of waste, but every little bit helps! They will use the caps to make new caps for their shampoo bottles. You can drop off the caps at any Aveda salon. The first time I did it, they gave me a free sample of shampoo & conditioner (travel size). I don't know if they are still offering that, but it was nice!

(9) My Bible study just started this study, called No Other Gods, by Kelly Minter. It's recommended by Beth Moore, who is virtually organizing a summer study of it via her blog. Fun stuff!

(10) You really should try Paperbackswap.com -- I posted about it before, and several of my friends have signed up. We love it!

Okay, that's it for now....should keep you busy for a while! I need to stop procrastinating and go make piles of stuff for B to go through.

We leave July 5th for our cross-country trek--I'm very excited to get to spend lots of good quality time in the car (that's my love language, you know!) with B, laughing and doing our own version of Karaoke. Yay!!! I'll fly back to DC on the 14th of July to finish up work before I head to SoCal permanently myself! Very excited, although I know it will hit me later that my wonderful season of life in DC is now over.

Love to you all!

Okay, enough procrastinating

I'm Moving to California!

Yep, that's my big news right now!! B got his orders for Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, so we're headed to California in July! I am so excited to be close to my family and friends, and back in sunny SoCal too!

I am going to miss DC terribly--I have wonderful friends here and I just love living here, but the Lord has given me peace that my time here is nearly finished and I'm ready for the new adventure that San Diego will bring! Someday I'll have to blog about all the things that I have come to love about Alexandria/Washington DC...but that could be a REALLY long post!

We're driving out to California in mid-July, then I'll be back to finish up work until August 1st, and then I'm free! My sweet sister and her family are opening up their home to me when I arrive, so that will be a wonderful treat! Lots of time with my family is exactly what I love! My gramma is close as well, so I am happy that I get to spend more time with her too.

I will be looking for a job out there, but only the Lord knows what He has in store for me--I can't wait to see what it is!

So now that we have certain plans for the future, I am trying to get everything ready to move and yet enjoy the rest of my time here! I'm a packrat, so I have lots to get rid of...it's times like these that I envy my minimalist friends!

The Best Book Exchange

Hi friends!

Yep, having computer problems, so I've been gone for a while, but I still read everyone else's blogs every day!

I MUST share with you the best book exchange idea ever! I was reading the blog www.unclutterer.com, and it was talking about how to organize/get-rid-of books. One suggestion was www.paperbackswap.com. I signed up for it, and I LOVE IT. It is my newest online obsession. I can't tell you how much I have loved it.

The concept: each member posts all of the books that they are willing to exchange or don't want any more. If you post 10 books, you get 2 credits to start requesting books from others. You don't exchange books with a specific person, rather, you request a book that you would like, and someone somewhere sends it to you. Then when someone wants a book that you have, you send it to them. You pay the postage for the books that you send and since you can send them by Media Mail, it's only about $2.50 per book. Once someone receives the book you send, you get a credit to request another book. There are over 2 million posted, and while more popular ones have waiting lists, I've had great luck in receiving the books that I would like. Plus you can see how many people are in front of you on the waiting list. They have children's books and really a huge selection. I just can't rave about it enough! I've been reading a lot more than I was before, because I'm excited to get such great books and not have to pay full price for them! All of the books I have received have been in great shape and it's fun to pass them on to others!

Another great feature is that you can print out postage online if you would like, so you usually don't have to go to the post office to mail things. I like that feature because the line at the P.O. by my work is at least 10 people deep during lunchtime.

I did this to try to get rid of books, which isn't really working so well--I just keep requesting more! But now that the move is getting closer, I'm trying to read the ones I have and not get any more.

Happy Reading!