If you've never seen the film "Amélie" before, you really, really should. It's quirky and funny and sweet all at once, and it will make you want to grab your lover and run away to Paris. I promise you it won't disappoint. I feel the same way about the soundtrack -- it's the perfect backdrop to this film, and great to listen to on a lazy Sunday afternoon while you are sipping your cafe au lait and staring longingly into your lover's eyes. (Or your cat's. Cats need love, too.) You can preview and purchase the soundtrack here.
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I have been broadening my palate in the past few years, eating/drinking things I swore I'd never learn to like, such as beer and sushi and even root beer. Root beer always tasted slightly medicinal to me, like a sweeter version of cough syrup, but lately, I've been appreciating it more. Barq's makes a great version of the fizzy wonder and their diet flavor is surprisingly good.
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The 2010-2011 school year will forever been known to me as the Year of Innumerable Colds and Flus. I've been a sickness magnet this school year, and it has not been fun getting sick literally every month (and the school year's not even over yet *shudder*). While I was recovering from a particularly nasty bout of flu in January, my aunt suggested I try taking the vitamin Ester-C, which she swore helped her stay healthy during her career as an elementary school teacher (she recently retired after 30 years). So I decided to give it a try. It's now been over a month since I've been taking the vitamin and I have not gotten sick once, despite the fact that several of my students and co-teachers have been sick themselves. I've also felt like I have more energy, plus my nails and hair are looking healthier. Here's hoping it continues to provide health benefits for me (not to mention keep me cold- and flu-free).
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I first heard about NetGalley from Maureen Johnson's Twitter. She tweeted the link to a galley for her soon to be published book, The Last Little Blue Envelope. I pounced on this, as I am a huge Maureen Johnson fan. At the time, I didn't know what NetGalley was. I didn't even know what a galley was. After a few minutes fumbling in the dark and clicking through the website, I discovered that it's a site for educators, librarians, bloggers, and book reviewers to preview uncorrected proofs of unpublished books (galleys) for free. Let me repeat that: for free. The books are only available in digital format, so you can't really take advantage of the site unless you have an ereader (or don't mind reading books on your computer). You can register for free, but in order to read the galleys, you have to request them from the publisher -- which you can do on the site itself. All that the publishers ask is that you write reviews on the galleys -- which you can also do on the site itself. If you're a voracious reader like me and have an ereader, I highly recommend creating an account. Let me know if you have any questions! :)
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I downloaded this app for my iPhone after a friend recommended it to me and promptly forgot about it for months. I recently rediscovered it and have been having a blast snapping pictures and playing with the different filters. You can then post the pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, plus share them with friends. The best part? It's free! If you have an account, feel free to add me -- my user name is anniecristina.
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Another recent favorite app of mine is aLike Places. It's a great app to discover new restaurants, bars, and lounges. I really like that you can filter your search according to your current mood. I happen to be friends with the inventors of this app, the Z Company, and can vouch for their credibility and reliability -- two characteristics their app also shares. Right now the app is only available in the San Francisco Bay area, New York City and metro areas, and the state of Florida, but I've been told more cities will soon be available. You can download this free app for your iPhone or iPod here.
{all pictures credit of Google images}
