10 Books on My Summer To Be Read List

There is nothing I love more than laying outside in the summer on a blanket, reading a book. Here are a few books I am looking forward to reading this summer. Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish.

• Glitch by Heather Anastasiu- As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I was hooked. It almost sounds like it has a borg community type feeling to it. I am excited for this read. 
• Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• Shatter Me by Taherh Mafi- I have heard great things about this dystopian book. It is one of my absolute must reads of the summer. 
• Unravel Me- by Taherh Mafi- Knowing me, if I read the first one, Shatter Me, I am going to be dying to get my hands on the second one. 
• Spellcaster by Claudia Gray- I keep seeing this book everywhere, so I am adding to my list! 
• Entwined by Heather Dixon- I bought this book on a whim earlier this year. I have hear it is an enchanting retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and I am excited to read it. 
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - After finally giving in and reading Anna and the French Kiss and absolutely LOVING it. I know that I have to get my hands on Lola this summer. 
• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini - I spent all of my Christmas money in one day at a book store this year and this book was one of the ones I picked up. 
• Legend by Marie Lu- I swear everyone has read this one but me. I am going to fix that this summer. 
• Reached by Ally Condie- I have a mental block on this book, the last in the Matched Trilogy, for some reason I just haven't been able to bring myself to finish the series. I will finish it! 

P.S. Have you entered the Summer Reading Survival Giveaway yet? It ends tomorrow! The winner will receive 13 books and some swag! Enter here.

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Glitter 2x4 Flag

Have you entered the giveaways for tickets to The Princess Festival at Thanksgiving Point, Mugging Mixes from Shirley J or the HUGE book stash yet? 

I am a little obsessed with glitter right now. I had this 2x4 Flag displayed in my house and while I liked it, I didn't love it, so I decided it needed a little glitter. With a little glitter paper and some loose glitter, it is now one of my favorite holiday decorations.

You will need: 

a 2x4 cut into pieces, you need two 7-inch blocks and 3-3.5 inch blocks

Contact paper or a large star sticker

Red, White and Blue paint

American Crafts Glitter Paper in Red and White

American Crafts Loose Glitter in White

Star Sticker

 Paint one 7-inch block and one 3.5 inch block red. Paint one 7-inch block and two 3.5 inch blocks white.
Find a star shape that you like online. Print it out and then trace it onto contact paper. Cut out the star. Apply the contact paper star to your final white block. Paint the block blue over the contact paper. Sweep away from the center of the star. If you sweep towards the star, you risk getting paint underneath the sticker.

When the blue paint is completely dry, peel off the sticker.

 Lay your block length-wise on the back of your glitter paper and cut around the block. Take Mod Podge and secure the glitter strip to the front of your block. Repeat for all of the blocks but the blue one.

 Place your blue block on a piece of paper. Take a paint brush and paint Mod Podge over the star on your blue block, trying to stay within the lines as much as possible. Dump white glitter on top of the Mod Podge and brush off the excess.

Stack your glittered flag, starting with red on the bottom. 

This whole flag besides drying time, came together in less than a half an hour for me. It is a quick craft, perfect for a craft group or other get together.

(I was given product from American Craft to create this project. All opinions are 100% my own)

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Princess Festival at Thanksgiving Point Giveaway!

I am so lucky to have a sweet little princess in my life. She is full of spunk and most of all curiosity. She loves to dress up as any numbers of things, but princesses rank at the very top. Our trip to Disneyland this year fell through and she was really disappointed that we weren't going to be able to see "real princesses," I was completely delighted to find the Princess Festival and to know that I can make her dream come true. I can't wait to see the look on her face when we walk into the festival this week. 

The Largest and Longest Running Princess Adventure Event in America, the 2013 Princess Festival will be held June 18-22 & 25-29 in the Children’s Discovery Gardens at Thanksgiving Point (Lehi, Utah). The festival is especially designed for boys and girls that are between the ages of 3-10, but all ages are welcome to come join the fun.

I absolutely love the message of this festival. I love that it teaches that a princess is more than a pretty face who gets everything she wants. "Being a Princess is more than glitter and ribbons – a true Princess knows how to make a difference in the world by using courage, compassion, and grace!  Join the Everley Princesses on their journeys through their own life adventures as they learn the magic of love."

 There are two sessions everyday, so you can choose which will work best for your family. A morning session from 9-1 or a discounted afternoon sessions from 2-6. Make sure you are on time for your session! You can also purchase all days passes.  "All tickets start with a basic (One Adult + One Child) fee.  You can then add additional children and/or adults to that basic fee (at reduced rates per person)."

To Purchase Tickets Visit www.princessfestival.com. One lucky Housewife Eclectic reader will win a pass to the Princess Festival for up to five people. To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below and make sure to visit the Princess Festival's Facebook page and thank them for this giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Disclaimer: I was given tickets to the Princess Festival in exchange for hosting this giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own)

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Glitter Tape American Flag Craft

Glitter might be one of my favorite crafting supplies and one of my husband's least favorite, but I finally found the perfect compromise. This cute and easy-to-make American flag uses glitter tape from American Crafts. Glitter tape is darling, sparkly and best of all, mess free. It is easy to use and  speeds up any glitter craft. 

You will need:

• Navy Paint
• White Paint
• American Crafts Glitter Tape in Red
• American Crafts Folded Paper Star Pebbles
• 2 pieces of 2x4, one 3.5 inches long, the other 5 inches

Sand and paint both wood blocks. The smaller block needs to be painted navy and the larger block needs to be white. 

When the blocks are dry, cut a strip of glitter tape that is the length of the long block. Place the tape at the very bottom of the block. Use the tape as a guide of how far a part to place the stripes. Lay the next strip, right next to the last strip and then mark just above it and then place the next piece of tape over the mark. Continue until you have filled the entire block with stripes.

Peel the back off one of the 3-D stickers and place it in the center of the smaller block.

I am completely in love with the glitter tape from American Crafts. It is so much fun to use and it adds a little sparkle to everything, without the mess. It would be perfect for crafting with kids!

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Cake in a Cup- A Mugging Mix Giveaway from Shirley J

Sometimes I just want a slice of chocolate cake. Without the work of baking it, without the waiting and without the huge amount of leftovers I will inevitability eat later. Sometimes I just want a little chocolate cake, enough to satisfy my craving. Enter Shirley J Mugging Mixes. A cake mix that you mix up and then bake in a mug, right in the microwave. I love how easy it is to make and clean up and my 4-year-old is obsessed with what she calls "cake in a cup."

These mixes come in 8 great flavors including : Chocolate Brownie Cake, Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake and Cobbler, Country Style Cornbread, Pumpkin Spice Bread, Walnut Bread, Quiche in a Cup, No-Pan Pancake and even Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cake, for those of you who can't have gluten.

Our favorite flavors are the Chocolate Brownie Cake and the No-Pan Pancake. Add some syrup directly into your mug and the pancake tastes like a fresh homemade pancake. The mixes are so easy to make that my 4-year-old made her own pancake this morning, while I supervised. 

I was honestly surprised by how good these mixes are. I expected something cooked in the microwave to not taste as good as cake, but they are delicious. My husband and I love to make a mug and the share it as we watch a movie. I think one cup is just perfect for two people.

To make one of these mugging mixes, add a mix to your favorite mug, add a little bit of water and maybe a mix-in and then microwave from 60-90 seconds and in less than 2 minutes you have a perfectly moist piece of cake, quiche or a fabulous pancake. Our favorite mix-ins and toppings are chocolate chips for the Chocolate Brownie Cake Mix, Syrup on top of the pancake and cherry pie filling on top of the Yellow Cake & Cobbler. 

Do you have a chocolate cake craving yet? I hope so, because Shirley J has generously offered to giveaway a Mugging package to one lucky reader. The package will include a 4 mugs,  a 5-pack Chocolate Brownie Mugging Mix, a 5- pack Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Mix and a 5-pack No-Pan Pancake. Use the rafflecopter below to enter. Can't wait? Order some mugging mixes here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(I received some mugging mixes in exchange for my honest review. All opinion are 100% my own and we are kind of obsessed with these mixes)

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Better than Bouef Bourguignon

Bouef Bourguignon is a favorite in our household. I have modified the original recipe from Julia Child to fit our tastes and the fact that we never have wine lying around the house. I have switch my recipe to use juice instead and it is delicious. My favorite part of this whole recipe is the mushrooms. Even my dad, who hates mushrooms loves these. Just proof that butter fixes anything

You need:
1.5 -2 pounds of stew meat
a package of bacon
a carrot
a piece of celery
1/8 cup of green onion
Pasta
Mushrooms
Better than Bouillon
Water
3 Cups of Red Wine or Grape Juice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the bacon into strips. Saute the bacon in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 2 minutes until lightly brown. Put aside. Pat the stew meat dry with a paper towel and then in the same pan, saute the beef in oil. I usually saute about a third of the meat at a time. Set aside.

In the same pan, saute your chopped carrot, chopped celery and chopped green onion. Add all the ingredients to a baking dish. Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 2 T. flour and toss. Put in the oven for 4 minute, then toss the dish and put back in for 4 minutes. Turn oven down to 325.

Stir in 3 cups of wine or juice, 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon beef base. Add to pan, just covering meat mixture. Let it simmer in the oven for 2.5- 3 hours. Pull out of oven and drain sauce off into a sauce pan. Put sauce on stove and bring to a boil and then let simmer. Prepare noodles according to package directions. While noodles are cooking, prepare the mushrooms.

Mushrooms
You need:
1 lb of mushrooms
2 Tb butter
1 TB olive oil

Add butter and olive oil to pan when the pan is really hot and the butter frothy add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms brown and crispy on edges.

Serve Bouef Bourguignon over noodles, topped with mushrooms and its own sauces. Absolutely delicious. 

Before discovering Better than Bouillon, I made this recipe with two cups of beef stock instead of water and Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. I have to say I feel like Better Than Bouillon gave it a richer taste. It has changed the way we make this recipe forever. Fantastic!

(Disclaimer: I was given a jar of Better than Bouillon in exchange for this review. The recipe and opinions are my own.)

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My Top 10 Beach Reads

There is nothing I love better than sitting in a chair on the beach with a book in my hand.  I don't want to sit on the beach biting my fingernails, waiting for what happens next, or bawling because the story is so sad. To me, the perfect beach read is a light, fun read with a touch of romance. Here are 10 of my favorite beach reads. Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish.

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Anna is pulled away from her American High School just before her senior year and sent to boarding school in France. She doesn't speak the language and is sure she is going to be miserable, but as she starts to make some friends, she starts to realize how wonderful Paris can be. This is definitely a romance-y type novel. I heard so many good things about it, that I thought I would give it a shot. I am glad I did, it is such a darling, fun book.
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine- This is my absolute favorite retelling of Cinderella. Ella has been put under a curse by a fairy, she must obey any command she is given, even if someone were to tell her to jump off a cliff. It is a dangerous problem that she can't tell anybody and it becomes even more dangerous when she starts to fall for a prince.
• Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George- When Creel's aunt offers her to a local dragon in hopes that somebody wealthy will rescue her and bring money to the family, Creel decides not to stick around and rescues herself. She strikes a bargain with a dragon, that includes her freedom and an odd pair of slippers. The slipper cause trouble all over the place until the put the fate of the whole nation at risk. Creel must figure out what the slippers do and how to save the country before it is too late. I thought I had this book figured out from the very beginning, but it threw in some twists and turns I wasn't expecting. I ended up really liking it. My full review here.
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas- Brought back from laboring in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, assassin Celaena, is given the chance to win her freedom by competing with other criminals for the chance to be the King's Champion. As the trials begin, the contestants start turning up dead and Celaena must wonder what else is going in the castle. I loved this heroine and her strength. The book is clever and fun to read.
• The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen- The young prince has been missing for years, and one man has an idea to bring him back. He auditions four young men to possibly masquerade as the prince, training each one to become more like the missing prince. One will be king and the others will die. Although this book was predictable in spots, I really enjoyed it.
• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale- A small mountain society has been picked as the place where the prince will find his future princess. All the eligible girls must attend a princess academy to be prepared to possibly be the future queen. I absolutely love the characters in this book, they are fun and endearing.
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows- The story of an author looking for her next story just after WWII and her journey to the small island of Guernsey. There she learns of the struggles this occupied island went through doing the war and the struggles they still face. This book is told in a letter format between the main character and her friend. My full review here.
• Heist Society by Ally Carter- A light, fun read about a teenage girl who comes from a family of thieves. She has tried to get away to move on with her life and attend school, but she finds it is a lot harder to escape thieving when so many people don't want her to. This is a light, run read about an art heist. I enjoyed the story and the characters.
• The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - A story about an author with writer's block who tries to getaway to the Scottish coast so she can write. She unfolds a beautiful love story, only to discover as she writes that the things she is writing might have actually happened. This story is set in both the present and the 1700s and it is one of my very favorites. My full review here.
• Everneath by Brodi Ashton- A story of misunderstandings, running away and guilt. This modern day retelling of the story of Persephone is a quick engaging read. Nikki spent six months running away from her family and problems in the Everneath and now she has only 6 months on the surface with them before she must return to the Everneath forever. I love the way this story is weaved together, it is the perfect light read.

P.S. I have entered the Summer Reading Survival Giveaway yet? The winner will receive 13 books and some swag! Enter here.

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