many years ago i watched “lover of the last empress“. it was based (loosely?) on the life of empress dowager tzu hsi starring chingmy yau, tony leung, and yu rong-guang. it was quite an unforgettable film as it was not the usual funny, light chingmy fare. there were some dark and disturbing scenes.

a few days ago i saw “empress orchid” sitting at the library and from reading the preview, it was another take on the same empress. i picked it up and finished it today. it was a great read and i love anchee min’s beautiful descriptions of the palaces and the forbidden city! it was so intriguing! i mean power shifts back and forth and heads roll at a moment’s notice…you never know what’s going to happen.

the book is of course, different from the movie and i realized everything is not facts but it still makes for a wonderful read. gaining a bit of chinese history doesn’t hurt too.

it also made me think of how hard it must be to be someone so powerful. i can’t wait to read the finale to this book, “the last empress”. it’s on request at the local library.

i was gestational during my pregnancy. a week ago i went in for a glucose follow up test to see if that is over or if i still have it. i was very anxious about the whole thing but needed to get it over with so i went in on saturday. it was a two hour test and i brought a book to read so i wouldn’t be thinking too much about the what if’s if i fail.

anyway, i got a call early monday morning and my first thought was i failed!!! i answered the call and the rep from my doctor’s office informed me that my test came back normal. my reply was “so i’m okay then??!” it was a great feeling and i’m glad i’m okay for now.

the book i took with me was “the frugal duchess” and it was a great read. i thought she was pretty witty and the way the book was set up, it felt like readin a novel instead of tips and advices on being frugal. hahahaha

i don’t really have time to read during the week, with all my doctor’s appts and what not. this week, i saw this book on amazon and had my local library held it for me. i just picked it up on friday and it’s what i’m reading this weekend. these are like little treats to me.

gorgeously green

the book is gorgeously green and so far it’s a great read. i’m not done with it yet but i love how she emphasize again and again on how you can start with just 1 green thing a day. it’s nothing overwhelming or hard to do. some very eye-pleasing things about this book is the way the book is laid out and typed. the pages all have a pastel green border at the bottom!

i do so love to read these green living books! i can’t wait to check out her website in more detail at http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com!

on a side note, i received my $25 giftcard from this promo and another $25 from buy.com for completing a trial offer from checkoutfree.com. i do love these free trial offers!

Looking for a relatively painless way to save money? Stop buying things you don’t need.

Next time you mindlessly reach for an item you’ve grown accustomed to buying out of habit, stop and think about whether you really need it. Consuming less (of anything) is not only great for your budget, it also benefits the planet.

Here are some things most of us don’t need to purchase:

• Air fresheners are not only completely unnecessary, but they can also release hazardous chemicals into your home. The Natural Resources Defense Council found phthalates (hormone-disrupting chemicals that are linked to birth defects) in 12 of the 14 common household brands of air fresheners it tested, including those that were labeled “all-natural.” Open your windows and let the fresh (and free) air in. If your home has a persistent odor, your best bet is to find the source and fix it rather than simply masking it.

• Bottled water isn’t proven to be any cleaner or safer than tap (in the United States). The New York Times estimates that it costs $1,400 a year for someone to drink eight glasses a day of bottled water, versus around 49 cents for an annual supply of tap. Drinking filtered water is a lot less expensive, just as healthy, and good for the environment.

• Dryer sheets can do more harm than good since they are loaded with a mixture of synthetic chemicals that can cling to your clothes and be absorbed through your skin. Here’s a cheaper and healthier alternative to make your clothes soft and static free: Add 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar or 1/4 cup baking soda to your laundry, suggests Patti Wood, at Grassroots Environmental Education. Want your clothes and bedding to have a scent? Wood says to spray a small piece of cloth with an essential oil and toss it in your dryer.

• DVDs and books are easily borrowed from the library. Worried about due dates or late fees? Check out the growing number of websites, such as Swaptree, that can help you trade books, movies, music, and video games. Some other money-saving and planet-friendly entertainment tips: Download music from the Internet instead of buying CDs. It’s not free, but you can save money by only purchasing the songs you like and cut back on landfill-clogging packaging. Eliminate your cable television service. See if your favorite shows are available for free on Hulu.

• Trash bags are a necessity for most of us, but that doesn’t mean you always have to pay for them. Consider using the shopping bags you get for free at the grocery store instead of buying new plastic garbage liners. You’re helping the planet by getting two uses out of a bag instead of just one. It’s like having a bag made from 50 percent recycled content, says Martin Wolf, Director of Product & Environmental Technology at Seventh Generation.

• Wrapping paper is something most of us can get along without since a little creativity can go a long way. Raid your recycling bin for old maps, sheet music, kids’ artwork, newspapers, magazines, paper bags, and more. Wrapping gifts in newspaper or magazines need not be dull, especially with a little forethought. Is the recipient a sports fan, gardener, or cook? Choose relevant images or wacky photos. Paper bags can be cut up and decorated (or not).

article from yahoo.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green’s users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.

first off, here’s a $10 off coupon for any $50 purchase at walgreens – now through may 2nd. enter code WONDERMOM at checkout.

the simple living guide

clear your clutter with feng shui

creating sacred space with feng shui

i finished reading scaling down, and clear your clutter with feng shui. the latter is a very good read, has great tips, and is very interesting how everything connect together. i’m going to reserve her book, creating sacred space with feng shui. now, i’m starting the simple living guide.

we’d gone through just about everything in the garage and have more donation items that we need to drop off.

i have greatly reduced the amount of clothes faith, jaelynn and i own. now, they have a very reasonable stash, and just the things that i know they will wear and fit. anything that was stained or doesn’t fit right were thrown away or goes in the donation bag.

i decluttered some cupboards in the kitchen – most of them are fill with dishes anyway – so that i left alone. the old spices and seasonings we no longer use or never liked went in the trash. i feel so much better with everything and feel like i have a lot of time each day. i’m starting to get an idea how content and free i feel with everything neat and orderly. sure, i was content before but this feeling is slightly different. you’ll have to experience it to know for yourself.

my next steps are the bathrooms – although i sorta declutter them a bit already. and the last step is my skincare and make up stuff. most of it is going to trash because i don’t care for them. you should see our walk in closet! i mean that in a good way. it’s clean and tidy.

i also didn’t just threw the clothes away; i cut and made a bunch of shirts into cloth rags. 2 goals i have for us in the next 2 months (until we’re out of our current supply of paper towels and water bottles) is to be paper towel-free and water-bottle-free. that’s going to be a big step for james but i feel we can make it work. therefore, all the cloth rags that we’ll need for the transition; by cutting these shirts into rags, we won’t have to spend money to buy any re-usable towels.

yesterday was jaelynn’s birthday. we didn’t do anything big because she’s still a baby. we only had a small cake and just families. it was very fun though. she loved it when we sang “happy birthday”. james and faith helped her blow out the candle. it was cute! i’ll post pictures later.

she’s not quite walking yet. oh she takes a few steps here and there and stands up by herself but not full blown walking. just the other day, james remarked about how cute she is and how everything she does is different each time. i replied that that’s why i can stay home all day and just watch them play. they are so expressive i won’t get bore.

i officially got my community library card! i have not been to the library for ages. seriously. i checked out some books on managing your money and investments (for when we are going to take the plunge).

of course, i got a few romance novels too. i love them and reading romantic suspense is always nice. i’m a little of a dreamer at heart i guess. my friends used to call me boring in high school because instead of going out, i’ll opted out to stay home and read.

i checked out susan elizabeth phillips “match me if you can” novel and enjoyed it. i’ve read just about every one of her books and she’s got a witty tone with a great sense of humor.

i got karen robards’ “obsession” novel too and i thought it was pretty good. enough suspense to keep you wanting to find out more. of course things clicked later but a very nice reading diversion.