And the Liebster Blog Award Goes To... Belle Vierge!

Y'all.

The funny and colorful Kristen over at Mama Winkle's Blog nominated me for a blog award!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to bloggers by bloggers. It is a way to acknowledge each other and say “You're all sorts of awesome." It's only for blogs with 200 or less followers, so it’s also a great way to spread the word about smaller blogs and get them more readers and followers! When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person(s) who nominated you. You pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions. You’re not allowed to nominate the blog(s) who nominated you!

My 11 Random Facts:

1. Harry Potter is my favorite book series, hands down, but Philippa Gregory is my all-time favorite author.
 

2. I love pretty much any beverage or food with lime. Diet Coke with Lime, gin & tonic, Bud Light Lime. I haven't bought them in ages, but the tortilla chips with lime. Yummy.
 

3. Before last summer, I thought koozies were the most stupid thing ever. But now I have at least one in my purse at any given point in time, and I rarely drink canned beverages without one.

From @SrattyStyle

4. I started questioning my sexuality in middle school. I finally realized I was bisexual halfway through my senior year of high school. I never told a soul until one fateful evening in London, many many years after I'd graduated high school.
 

5. I like to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, but I don't like to prepare them.
 

6. I miss being paid to cook dinner for myself and three kids. I ate so healthily last year. I'm already struggling to maintain a good diet cooking for one. =/ 

Roast beef with roasted carrots and potatoes.

7. I have a thing for elves. I think Legolas is the sexiest Orlando Bloom has ever been.
 

8. I am so blessed to have the friends that I do, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of good friends I have. I worry that I'm not a good enough friend to them. I wish I could spend more time with each of them.
 

9. I don't understand people who carry a balance on their credit card unless it was for an unexpected emergency expense. Example: when I had to pay for six cavities all at once. Or for a gap in income. I get paid this week for the first time in seven weeks. I'll pay off my Visa in full easily, but I'll have to carry a balance for a while on my American Express (but I currently have 0% APR). And this wouldn't be an issue at all if I hadn't needed to spend about $500 in medical expenses. It's just not that hard to spend only what you earn.
 

10. Sometimes the boyfriend and I skype, but don't really talk. We each do our own thing and just comment if we feel like sharing something. I just like seeing the little video of him in the corner of my screen. #lesigh
 

11. I calculate my gas mileage every time I fill up. Lately it's been really good, about 28-31 MPG, but today it was only 25 MPG. To quote my bestie: boo hiss!

These are the questions Kristen asked me: 

1) What is your age? 20-something ;)

2) Where did you grow up? A small town in the South. I miss it, but I could never live there as an adult. I was the only self-declared feminist in my graduating class...

3) Where is your favorite place to go out to dinner? I usually prefer eating out for lunch than for dinner. It's usually cheaper and more casual. Plus, I like cooking dinner with my friends, family, and/or boyfriend! If I'm going to a chain restaurant, I love Applebee's, IHOP, O'Charley's, Outback, etc. But I prefer going to local eateries whenever possible!

4) What is your "go to" meal...that one meal you love to make on the fly and is really easy for you? Does a peanut butter and jelly sandwich count? No? What about a bowl of cereal? No? Okay, then. I made this for lunch yesterday. I make two pieces of French toast (crack an egg into a bowl, mix in some soy milk, sprinkle some cinnamon; dip sliced whole wheat bread into the mixture; fry in butter), but then I use the French toast bread to make a peanut butter and honey sandwich. I also drizzle a little extra honey on top. If I have a banana, I slice half into the sandwich.

5) What's your biggest pet peeve about your significant other? The boyfriend is perfect. I don't know what you're talking about... Except for his aversion to vegetables... But at least we present a united front against onions!

6) What's your most proudest parenting moment? (If you don't have children, then name your own proudest moment) I'll meet you halfway! My proudest moment as an au pair was when Sam* stopped making gender generalizations. At the beginning of the year, he would make comments like, "I hate how girls don't like sports." After a few months, Sam carefully worded his statements like this, "In my experience, with the girls in the 5th grade at my school, I'm not speaking for all girls everywhere..." So proud.

7) Do you have any goals you are working towards? If yes, what are they? As the boyfriend so eloquently put it "Get hitched." But that's been a lifelong goal, and I see no point in rushing things just because we're at the age when everyone else is tying the knot. My other lifelong goal has been to become an internationally-renowned author. I'm slowly working on that... My three sets of memoirs (high school, college, two years in France) will probably come out first, and writing this blog helps me examine my life thematically, as opposed to just chronologically. From there, I'll publish my fiction. Feminist young adult retold fairy tales, most likely...

8) When you sleep in, what time constitutes "sleeping in"? On a weekday, sleeping in is til 10am or later. On the weekend, I didn't sleep in if I wake up before noon.

9) What is your daily make-up routine? Most of the time I don't wear make-up. If I do, I usually dab a little mineral foundation underneath my eyes, blend two mineral eyeshadow shades on my lids, and swipe on some lip gloss. The full routine is rare. Mineral foundation, mineral blush, three eyeshadow shades (usually mineral, but not always), mascara, lipstick, lip gloss.

10) What drinks are in your refrigerator right this very moment? Soy milk (for mac&cheese and hot cereal), Diet Coke with Lime, iced green tea lightly sweetened with honey, Mountain Dew (for the boyfriend).

11) And finally, what do you love the most about blogging? Connecting with people across the globe.

I'm passing this award onto:

1) Pearl at The Rarest Pearl, obviously. One of my online best friends.
2) Ashley Marie at Chickadette. I've promised her a guest post twice now, but I've barely had time (til this week) to write in my own blog... Soon, I swear!
3) Christina Ruth Johnson, a blog of all things beautiful to us artsy fantasy nerds. 
4) Classy in K.C. She wrote a guest post for me!
5) Dr. Juris at Eventual Lawyer. A feminist law blog? Yes!
6) Shoshanah at From L.A. to LA. Nerdy bibliophile blogging about wedding planning. So many creative posts! 
7) Lo at Our Crazy Ever After. I'm cheating here. She has over 200 followers. I don't care. She's wonderful. 
8) Katie at Read.Write.Love. I confess, I only skim her dog posts when I read her blog, but I enjoy everything else! 
9) Michelle at Southern Ambition. Honest, colorful, southern! 
10) Blass at Southern Love. One of my favorite people from twitter. Love her to pieces. 
11) Four awesome ladies at Victorian Swag. History, romance, and FEELINGS. 

I know at least one of these people in real life... But I'll never reveal who! #anonproblems

Questions for my fellow bloggers:

1) Why did you start blogging?
2) What is your favorite city in the world?
3) If you could relive one 24-hour period, what would it be and why?
4) What is your greatest triumph thus far?
5) What is your guilty pleasure?
6) How many of your real life friends read your blog?
7) Which Harry Potter novel is your favorite?
8) Beach or mountains?
9) Which celebrity should be your best friend?
10) Who is your favorite Disney princess?
11) What is your Halloween costume going to be this year? 

*Not his real name. Obviously.

You have read this article beauty / blog award / blog readers / diet coke with lime / feminism / marriage / meme / nanny / questions / real life / sexuality with the title nanny. You can bookmark this page URL https://myclosetnadinesh.blogspot.com/2012/08/and-liebster-blog-award-goes-to-belle.html. Thanks!

Joyeux Anniversaire à Moi... (le 8 juin)

Last Friday was my birthday, last weekend was my birthday weekend, and June is my birthday month. Let the celebrations continue!

My birthday weekend was practically perfect, despite almost nothing going according to plan. (And I LOVE to plan things very precisely).

The plan: Spend Friday at the pool with the boyfriend, and after school, the kids too. After dinner, go to the cool adult after-hours event at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) with the boyfriend. Drink champagne. Go to the nude beach on Saturday, head home to shower, get my tattoo, and go somewhere nice for dinner. Spend Sunday at Casa Loma.

What happened: The only event that went according to plan was getting my tattoo. But the weekend was still awesome. :)

The boyfriend left work early Thursday and drove to Toronto so I could wake up with him on my birthday. He brought me this beautiful cake.
 

I used Paint to hide my real name (in M&Ms!) and age

Friday morning my kids "surprised" me with cards and presents. Sam* had made a lot of very pointed comments during the previous week about how happy I would be to receive a gift card to Indigo (like Barnes & Noble, but Canadian). Amy* had been working on her card for me after school, where I could see it... Annie* had asked if pink was my favorite color, if I liked pink roses, and if I liked bows.

Clearly I went to Indigo immediately

So when Sam and Amy presented me with homemade cards and a gift card to Indigo, I acted surprised, but I had expected it. (Technically the giftcard was from my bosses, but semantics). To an extent, Annie did surprise me when she gave me bow earrings and a rose hair accessory. I thought she was hinting about real roses with a bow tied around them.
 

My favorite things: Starbucks, Diet Coke with Lime, the boyfriend, my kids

She loves me as big as the moon.

After we took the kids to school, the boyfriend and I returned home to make one of my all-time favorite breakfasts: Eggs Benedict. He's so precious. I had asked him months ago to learn how to poach eggs and fry bacon (I usually under-cook it or burn it) for this exact reason. (I already know how to cook many many complicated things, so I figure he can learn a few cooking techniques I haven't mastered). I made the Hollandaise sauce (from scratch!) and toasted the English muffins while he poached our eggs and fried the bacon. It. Was. DELICIOUS. We ate it so quickly I completely forgot to snap a photo.

After some, ahem, alone time, we hit up the mall so I could buy some new shorts from H&M and spend my gift card at Indigo. I bought the next Phillipa Gregory novel, another by Tracy Chevalier, and a nerdy book full of advice from the smartest people in the world.**

After dinner, the boyfriend, the kids, and I skyped with my parents, my brothers, my twin brother's girlfriend, my best guy friend Joe,* and his girlfriend. I then opened my presents my parents had mailed to me.

My mom is hit or miss with books

The books are "token" presents. The real gift is getting my pearl & diamond ring repaired when I'm home this summer. One of the pearls fell off in January, and I really want it replaced.

When I got off work, the boyfriend and I went into the city. The line for the ROM was ridiculous, so we gave that up and searched for a bar with champagne, to no avail. Eventually we gave up and went home, to my disappointment. But the boyfriend promised we could get champagne Saturday night.

Annnnnnd this is a really long post. I'll sum up Saturday & Sunday in another one.

*Fake names. As always.

**Still confused as to why I wasn't consulted... Maybe they also had an age requirement?

You have read this article best friend: Joe / birthday / Canada / diet coke with lime / family / friends / kid brother / making out / mother / nanny / personal post / twin brother with the title nanny. You can bookmark this page URL https://myclosetnadinesh.blogspot.com/2012/06/joyeux-anniversaire-moi-le-8-juin.html. Thanks!

Mythbusters: Virgin Edition (Part Six)

I realized I haven't busted a myth since January. Y'all, that was so long ago! My apologies!

As a reminder, my intent with my series“Mythbusters: Virgin Edition” is to challenge preconceived notions regarding virginity. Thus far, all the myths I've tackled are stereotypes I've faced in my own life, or in the case of my post on male virgins, a stereotype I myself held. (I know. Feminist fail).

But what isn't true for this feisty francophone virgin could totally be true for another virgin. Just remember.

Virgins are people too.

So, that said, let's talk about those cold bitches who won't put out! Bro.

Myth: Virgins are uninterested in sex. Virgins are frigid. Virgins lack affection.

Confession: I think about sex All. The. Fucking. Time.

There is a highly inaccurate assertionthat men think about sex every seven seconds. Highly inaccurate.

I can't claim to have ever attempted a study on myself, but I think about sex during appropriate times (making out with the boyfriend, watching a documentary on the porn industry, debating the problem of prude/slut shaming) and during highly inappropriate times (tuning out my pastor's sermon, driving to pick up the kids from school, watching Glee).

I know I'm a virgin. I know I've committed to saving myself for marriage. I know that I thoroughly enjoy the non-sex sex in which the boyfriend and I partake. I mean, geez, I have an entire blog devoted to the topic of virginity.

But sometimes I just want to fuck it all and jump the boyfriend and figure out what all the fuss is about because it sounds really really fun.

I'm totally not frigid. When I'm with the boyfriend, once my clothes come off, they only come back on if we're forced to deal with other people. Hell, in Niagara Falls, we ordered pizza delivery for dinner, and I just stayed in bed naked while the boyfriend went to the door. I like making out. I like being naked. Me, frigid? Hell no.

Affection goes beyond sex. For me, affection is kissing the head of Amy,* doing my secret handshake with Sam,* and dancing around the house with Annie.* Affection is hugging all my best friends constantly, letting my brothers destroy my cute hair as they play with it, and holding the boyfriend's hand at any given point in time. I have never lacked in affection.

In summary, being a virgin does NOT mean I am uninterested in sex, frigid, or lacking in affection.

MYTH BUSTED!

*Fake names, duh, of the three kids who I call my own. I'm just their au pair, though, not their mother. :)

You have read this article apology / family / friends / Glee / making out / Mythbusters: Virgin Edition / nanny / personal post / prude / sexuality / slut / stereotypes / television with the title nanny. You can bookmark this page URL https://myclosetnadinesh.blogspot.com/2012/04/mythbusters-virgin-edition-part-six.html. Thanks!

Book Club Friday: TWO books!

Confession: I have read a LOT of books lately. Way more than the occasional reviews I've managed to write here. My goal for the year is to read 52 new books, as in, rereads of old favorites don't count. I'm already about four books ahead... and I've also reread at least five books since January. Alas, it's not as impressive as those carefree summer days as a child... and teenager... and college student... when I read at least a book a day, if not five books a day. Still, a book a week is pretty good when juggling a full-time job.

With so many books left unreviewed, for today's Book Club Friday, I'm going to regale y'all with TWO reviews. Oh, yeah. Y'all can think of a way to thank me later. ;)

Confession: I have a bad awesome habit of buying bargain books for my kindle. I just can't resist the selection of titles for $0.99 to $2.99, especially when they're marked down for one day only. Both of today's book reviews find their origins in Amazon's kindle store.

Sometimes I just need a book set in the South. Anywhere will do, but I find a book especially appealing when it's set in one of our most charming cities: Savannah, New Orleans, and Charleston. Beguiled is a romance-suspense novel set in Charleston, co-authored by Deeanne Gist and Mark Bertrand.

Beguiled is the story of a dogwalker and a reporter who find themselves in the center of a string of burglaries. The robber is hitting Rylee's clients, and the police suspect her. Logan is covering the break-ins, not just for the newspaper, but also for the book he's writing on Charleston's eccentric characters. What ensues is a complicated romance with suspicion on both sides as the two team up to try and solve the crime.

Loved loved LOVED this book. Subtly Christian, but not annoyingly so. Accurate depiction of the setting. If you've ever been to Charleston, you'll recognize the streets and parks. Excellent characterization. Even the supporting characters are three-dimensional, like Rylee's neighbor and Logan's boss. Great red herrings on the suspects. The evidence is all over the place (definitely not a novel with clues the reader can solve), and the conclusion totally blew me away.

The other book I finished last week is Michaela MacColl's Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria Became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel. I love historical fiction, and I love strong female protagonists, so I was eager to try this book. It's written in a modern tone, which was a little disconcerting at first, but it did make it very quick and easy to read.

At the death of her parents, Liza is left penniless. She finds a position as maid to Princess Victoria. Liza soon learns that being a maid is more than just serving.

I love love LOVE Liza. She is flawed, but independent and adaptable. Her love interest is truly charming, and I was very satisfied in how their story resolved. Although the reader learns much of historical events that happened to Victoria, the book is more of a portrait of what it was like to be part of the serving class in 19th century England.

Sorry for my recent dearth of blogging. I've been job-hunting! Taking care of (someone else's) children is not my life's ambition. I'm moving to the Midwest at the end of July, and ideally I will already have a job to start in August. But the combination of searching + applying takes a lot of time and energy. Hopefully my review of two books will make up for my otherwise scarce posting.

You have read this article blog link up / book review / history / nanny / real life with the title nanny. You can bookmark this page URL https://myclosetnadinesh.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-club-friday-two-books.html. Thanks!