Winner of The Watchers $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

6/30/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments


Congratulations to Judy Cox, winner of a $25 Amazon Gift Card from The Watchers by Deirdra Eden!




Finding your own unique strength and courage is a major theme of The Watchers. The characters in this series are as diverse as they come: different nationalities, male, female, dwarf, human, dragon, pixie, noble, peasant orphan, young, aged. Yet, no matter the situation, whether tragic or triumphant, they find ways to grow and develop into something stronger. 

The main character, Auriella (Aura), is born and lives in a society and time when girls, especially of her social status, didn't have opportunities for education or growth, let alone a chance to be a hero. The Watchers must learn to work together, despite differences, to defeat Erebus and the Shadow Legion, just as we, no matter our gender, race, age, circumstances, etc., are capable of great things. 

Strong men and women grow in all situations and become heroes when one is needed. They don't think about it, they just do what's right. 
-Deirdra Eden, author of The Watchers Series

Book Summary
Auriella’s new life as a royal protector is in shambles. The new king ignores her warnings of a Shadow Legion invasion and he is determined to marry her off. Ghosts from her past, the discovery of other Watchers, and a handsome Scottish warrior throw her off guard and weaken her emotional defenses. Caught in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Auriella struggles to control and protect the devastating power of Starfire. A terrible truth and a fateful choice will lead her to her destiny as the fabled Lady of Neviah, or could shroud the entire world in eternal darkness. 

Filled with action, romance, drama, and comedy, Hidden Fire is an addicting read that you won't want to put down. 

“Deirdra Eden has surpassed her earlier achievement in this daring tale of struggle between good and evil forces that exist in every universe.” Mark F. Cheney, author of MARK OF THE JAGUAR 

“Thought provoking and full of action, I didn’t want to put the book down! I really loved the symbolism and it was a fantastic read.” Mary G. – age 15



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my battle for better health

My Battle for Better Health: The Aftermath

6/24/2015 House of Geekiness 2 Comments


I took the kids swimming at the Provo Rec Center yesterday. They had so much fun, which was important to me because we haven't gotten to do much so far this summer. 

The Rec Center is amazing, but the air was so humid and the heated pools were too warm for me to cool off much. So, even though I didn't swim much (literally 2 walking laps with the current in the small lazy river and sitting around in the water for a bit), I left with my knees hurting (from my previous injury, see my last blog post) and feeling like I'd been swimming laps. Heat and humidity always make me super sick like this (so exhausted that I'm almost falling asleep sitting up), but I was hoping it wouldn't be so bad because of the water.

Today, I'm really feeling the effects of it. I woke up hurting literally from head to toe. If you've ever felt feverish and had the all-over muscle/joint pain that comes with it, that's a lot like what I'm feeling. Even my eyes hurt. I'm still really tired even though I slept for about ten hours last night. My mood is terrible. The thought of doing anything (even writing this blog post) is exhausting, and I'm having trouble being around people. My poor kids, especially our youngest, want to spend time with me, but I'm only able to focus on them for a minute or two at a time before I need a break.

But you know what? It was worth it. This is what my life is right now. I have to carefully measure cost vs benefit for everything I do. Before we left for the pool, I knew this was a likely outcome, but my kids really needed this. I'll have to spend a day or two recovering, but my kids are worth it.

My goals

I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.
I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.
I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.
I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.
I want my life back!

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    Winners of The White Mandara Giveaway!

    6/24/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments





    Congratulations to Melinda Stephens, winner of a hand sculpted Night Fury pendant and Megan McCracken, winner of Night Fury sculpture from The White Mandara!

    Follow The White Mandara on Twitter and Instagram

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      Night Fury Pendant and Sculpture Giveaway from The White Mandara!

      6/17/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments





      This time, we have 2 prizes: a hand sculpted Night Fury pendant and Night Fury sculpture from The White Mandara.

      I actually started selling little dragons for a dollar on the play ground in the 6th grade, but the lunch lady supervisor made me stop. kids were buying my dragons and gem turtles instead of lunch. 

       I lost my job in 2010 and I started this Etsy shop as a way to make my car payment in a moment of desperation. Etsy and my supporters have been an answer to many prayers
      and so far every year here gets better and better.
      - Angela of The White Mandara
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      perler beads

      Perler Bead Q&A

      6/15/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments


      What do I need to start with Perler Beads?

      Here's a whole post, just for you! :) Getting started with Perler Beads


      Can you put glue on perler beads?
      Yes! Use E6000® Craft Adhesive. I've tried a lot of different glues, and this one is the best! It stinks like crazy, and you have to ventilate properly or use it outside because of fumes, but it works like nothing else.


      What's the best way to store perler beads?

      For bead storage, I have a few essential requirements. I need to be able to organize them in a way I like, and beads need to stay where I put them! I went through a few different craft organizers and hours of resorting spilled/mixed beads before I found this organizer at Home Depot. It has saved me so so many times when my kids have knocked my bins down. Once they're latched closed, they stay closed, and the beads stay in their own individual spots. LOVE it!



       Where can I  buy perler beads for the cheapest?

      It depends on what you're buying. If you're buying individual colors, it's usually cheapest to buy the beads directly from the manufacturer. If you're buying the jars, etc. Amazon's usually your best bet. Read more about where to find beads and supplies here.


      What's the difference between Perler, Hama, Fuse, Melty, Nabbi, Pyssla Beads, etc.?

      This is a long one, so I wrote a whole post about it. Read about them here.


      How do I iron perler beads?

      It's easier than you'd think! Watch my instructional video here.


      How do I turn my bead sprite into a magnet, ornament, or wall decor?

      Read my step by step instructions here.


       What if my design is larger than my pegboard?

      There are a few options for this. Whenever I can, I just use the superpegboard. Not only do you have less steps to worry about when ironing, it's more stable (so if you accidently bump it, the beads aren't disturbed as much-which is especially important with large patterns).

      If your design is larger than the superpegboard, there's the tape method, which you can watch here. The only problem I have with that video is the "hard fuse" that he does. He over-iorns the beads on purpose for stylistic purposes, but I personally don't like how they look, how unpredictable the results are, and how harsh ironing that long is on your equipment (and yourself!) So, far large designs, watch my tutorial to learn how to iron the beads, but watch this video to learn how to tape the larger designs.

      Have a question that needs answered? Email me or leave a comment below!



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      Coming soon:
      How do I design bead sprites?

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      my battle for better health

      My Battle for Better Health: All Legs

      6/14/2015 House of Geekiness 1 Comments

      Let's talk legs. 

      Last post, I mentioned that I have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome), which isn't fun, but there are a few other things I want to talk about.

      With my symptoms, it's hard to tell where one problem ends and another begins, and somethings I have just assumed are part of my life without questioning. For example, I've always assumed I was just super clumsy and bruise easily. I always joke that I was as accident prone as Bella from Twilight,  or that people will start to think that my husband's been beating on me. (If you know my husband, you'd know that he's actually a really gentle person, the last one you'd ever see hitting anyone.) I never remember where my bruises come from, no matter how crazy they look. I also get really sick in heat and/or humidity.

       One of the hardest things is getting sick when I shower. This ends up being a lot like what I mentioned before about how I get sick and eventually black out (seems to be food related). One really weird symptom that I've noticed these have in common are my legs. I get terrible muscle weakness and feel like I need to stretch my legs really bad, almost like they're not getting enough blood pumping to them or something. I asked one of my sisters about it once, and it turns out, she gets sick when she showers too. Only, instead of feeling really weak and panicky like I do, she actually passes out.

      I asked the doctor about it and he said it could be a vasovagal syncope but there really wasn't anything to be done about it. Later, I asked the same doctor more about it, but he'd turned to the dark side. That's right, he said that it was all in my head. It might be something my sister has, but that I was just having panic attacks that were triggered because I remembered that my sister has. Then, he wanted to put me on anti-anxiety meds, because apparently there's no other hope for me.

      Anyhow, I'm still not clear what causes me to get leg pain, nausea, tunnel vision, muscle weakness, and fatigue when I shower, but it makes things really difficult.

      Back to the legs. So, being overweight and clumsy, it's really hard to get around, and I'm actually shocked I've made it this long....but on April 11th, I was rushing to a meeting, got my sandel caught in a huge crack in the pavement, and fell. To catch myself, I landed on my knees (mostly left knee), then hands. I had so much momentum that I fractured a bone on the outside of my knee and bruised the bones in my knees. But I made it to my meeting! I thought I was just being whimpy. I can't tell you how many times I'd skinned my knees growing up. I made myself walk it off. I kind of which I'd kept the picture of the bruises to show you-they were very impressive.

      Long story short. Two months later, they had to give me cortisone shots in each knee to help them heal, which ended up making them worse for the past few days.

      So, between the nearly passing out, hardly being able to walk, and lots of pain, my legs and I don't get along very well. I can deal with pain, I do every single day. What I'm having trouble with is not being able to clean myself or my house or to do the other things I'd like to get done. I'm not a pig, I don't enjoy living like one.

       My OCD and perfectionism gives me a very strict definition of how things "should" be. When they're not, like they haven't been for years now, I get very anxious and depressed. In fact, the night before last, I was driving my husband crazy because, while I wasn't able to get up and do a single thing, mentally, I was going a mile a minute. I was about ready to tear my hair out, and I kept snapping at everyone because I was so frustrated and depressed. That's actually when I started writing this blog. I needed something that I was driven to do, something that I felt made some progress in my mess of a life.

      What do you struggle with? Am I the only one at war with her body?

      My goals

      I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.
      I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.
      I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.
      I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.
      I want my life back!


      I’ll post more later, I think I’ve done enough ranting for one night. Coming Soon: A possible light at the end of the tunnel?  

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      my battle for better health

      Something's Gotta Give

      6/12/2015 House of Geekiness 1 Comments

      After more than eleven years of living like this, I’ve decided I’m finished. I’m not going to let others (including my own health) control my life.

      I’m sick of doctors telling me that I’m a hypochondriac, saying that I just need to lose weight, or acting like I’m crazy. My health has gotten to the point that not only am I not able to go out and get a “normal” job, but the work I’m able to do online from home is becoming more and more limited, and my family is suffering financially and emotionally .

      I’m tired of living in fear of people seeing how badly my house is kept—I live in Utah, where all moms are supposed to have supernatural cleaning/childrearing/craft/homeschooling abilities. (This is really odd because our religion, which is heavily concentrated here, actually teaches us not to judge others unfairly and to have Christ-like compassion.) When there’s a knock on the door, I’m honestly afraid to open it and risk people seeing the mess, let alone allowing someone inside to wallow with us.

      A Brief (ha!) Summary of My Health Problems

      Believe it or not, there’s so much more, but we’ll leave it here for now. 

      Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis—an autoimmune disease in which your body decides your thyroid is trying to kill you, so your immune system tries to take out your thyroid first. Mine was so bad that it had to be removed. It would be great if that was the end of it, but there’s always more to deal with (be in TSH levels or my immune system)
      Fibromyalgia—It’s used as a blanket term by doctors for the constant pain, inflammation, fatigue, and other crap my body has going on.
      Gastrointestinal Issues—I won’t go into details because, uh..ew! But basically, IBS and chronic acid reflux that is so bad I have to take three pills a day just to keep from constantly throwing up acid.
      Obesity—I’m 5’8” and currently weigh 324 lbs. Before baby #1, I was around 198 lbs. During that pregnancy, I literally gained 100 lbs and the doctor had no idea why. My energy level dropped to nothing, and I had to stop working my customer service job because I couldn’t stay on my feet at all. I haven’t been able to go out and work since. I try to eat healthy and to exercise, and have followed strict doctor prescribed diets and regimens, but my weight has stayed above 300 for more than two years now.
      Chronic Fatigue—Whether I sleep for 5 hours or 13, I’m always tired. Although, sleeping for less than eight hours really messes me up, making my fibromyalgia symptoms insanely worse. There are months where I can’t get through the day without a long nap in the middle of it. Sometimes it’s not so bad, but my baseline is worse than most people’s grandparents. In fact, my children’s grandparents are constantly outrunning me—even the 79 year old with heart problems.
      Depression and Anxiety—We’re not talking baby blues here. This has been a problem since childhood and it gets so bad that there are times when I have literally felt that I was the worst mom in the world and my kids were seriously going to be taken away because I didn’t do a load of laundry or that one time when my baby got a diaper rash. I’m serious. The particular episode I’m talking about was years ago, but I was hysterical and couldn’t calm down because I was so depressed and anxious that I was completely convinced CPS was going to come take away my kids and that I really deserved it because of a diaper rash!
      OCD—Yes, I like to line things up and make them pretty, but that’s not the problem. This an actual clinical diagnosis and goes along with my anxiety and depression, usually making them so much worse. I obsess, it’s what I do. Sometimes it’s an idea that I can’t get rid of until I carry it out (usually a project I want to do, or an animal I want to rescue), but it’s often a song line that repeats over and over in my head at any time of the day. I know people get songs stuck in their head all the time, but this actually makes me so anxious that I unconsciously start to clench or grind my teeth, pick at/clean my fingernails in a VERY strict rhythm and pattern, and I usually end up with a nasty tension head ache. This song line, or even movie quote, gets stuck in my head  in the middle of the day and can stick with me until I’m trying to sleep.
      ADHD—I was diagnosed with the inattentive type. Caffeine doesn’t work on me, it makes me really sick. Yay me... This means that, while I’m not hyper, I have trouble focusing because of all of the things I can’t help but pay attention to. There is just too much going on in my head.
      Food Related Episodes—This is where a lot of the doctors have been stumped. They’ve tried diagnosing me with everything from panic attacks to diabetes (which is always negative). Basically, if I wait too long to eat, eat foods that my body doesn’t tolerate well (like tortillas, yogurt, etc.), or if my body decides I need something and I don't eat it fast enough (it can be a sugar, protein, or something dry like crackers or potatoes), I start feeling sick to my stomach, get muscle weakness, dizziness, panicky, hot flashes, and blurred vision that eventually blacks out completely if I don’t take care of it in time (which involves eating the “right” thing and lay down). Once these symptoms start, I’m in bed the rest of the day.
      RLS—Restless Leg Syndrome means that my legs just don’t want to hold still when I sleep. I thought I had some major sleep apnea going on, but they sleep study showed that it was this.
        
      My goals

      I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.
      I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.
      I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.
      I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.
      I want my life back!


      I’ll post more later, I think I’ve done enough ranting for one night. Coming Soon: A possible light at the end of the tunnel?  Read part 2 here!

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      A Mother's Review of the 2015 Toyota Camry

      6/06/2015 House of Geekiness 1 Comments


      My family recently went on an emergency trip to California. Since our old van wasn't up to the task, we rented a 2015 Toyota Camry LE from Hertz. 

      Before you ask, this is not a sponsored review, and I have not been compensated in any way. This is simply my account of my experience as mother of three, using this car for two very long weeks (during which we drove from Utah to California, several hundreds of miles in CA once we got there, then back to Utah.) 



      First of all, I've got to say that it was really fun to drive this car, and it is so pretty! I actually caught a few people staring when we were parked. And no, it wasn't at how messy the car was (because it was at the beginning of our trip the kids hadn't trashed it yet).

      Seating


      At 6'3" and 5'8", my husband and I aren't exactly little people. For a full size car, this seemed a bit tighter than we'd hoped, but then again, when I think full size, I picture the boat of a Buick we used to have when we first got married. That sucker was huge! But there was quite a bit of foot room in the front.

      There was plenty of legroom up front, but our three kids were a bit squished in the back. But the part that was absolutely amazing was the adjustable lower back support on the driver's seat. I have severe back problems, so this was wonderful!



      Our car had black, textured upholstery like this, which ended up being a bit of a problem when my six year old threw up in the back seat. The smooth parts were a cinch to clean up, but I had to take it to a professional detailer to get the textured parts clean (which was most of the seat.)


      Features



      There were certainly plenty of bells and whistles, which was fun! I fell in love with the bluetooth and backup camera. 

      I'd never used a backup camera before, and now I really miss it! Wish my van had one. The bluetooth was great for streaming audio from my phone, we listened to the latest Percy Jackson audiobook, The Blood of Olympus, which made our long drive so much faster.


      I think there were actually too many buttons and switches on the steering wheel, it made it distracting to find the one I wanted while driving, so it was actually easier to use the buttons on the central display.


      There were was lots of storage space, plenty of little hidden nooks and crannies to put things, not to mention a good sized glove box.


      How Does it Drive?

      It accelerates and brakes quickly, but the steering was super sensitive. Maybe I'm just not used to it with my old van, but it was bit scary trying to steer in the snow and rain. Yes, we actually drove through both on our trip. We went through the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, and the California Bay Area, so there was a good mix of cold, hot, dry, and inclimate weather, even in late March/early April.

      During good weather, which was most of our trip, this car was so so fun to drive! I actually miss it a lot, and my kids keep telling me how much they miss it. 

      Gas Mileage

       Around town, mileage was pretty average, but driving on the highway from Utah to California and back, our gas mileage was so good that we only had to fill our tank up once on the way to CA. For the entire trip, we spent just over $300 in gas, when it normally would have cost us at least $700!

       Overall Rating 

       I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. This was a basic version of the car, so I imagine that the tricked out models are even better. It was comfortable, mostly easy to drive, and was a great family car. 

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        Watch Firefly, Batman the Animated Series, Star Trek, Buffy, and more for FREE!

        6/04/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments



        I've gotta put in a shameless plug here. Did you know you can do a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime and watch some of my favorite shows like Firefly, Star Trek, Buffy, Angel, Batman the Animated Series, Warehouse 13, Animaniacs, X-Files, Star Gate, etc. for FREE for a month?

        The free prime shipping is nice too, especially if you win our $30 Amazon gift card giveaway ;) Wish they still had Doctor Who. I'm gonna have to write them an angry letter...

        Sign up for your free trial here.

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        The Watchers $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

        6/02/2015 House of Geekiness 0 Comments



        Finding your own unique strength and courage is a major theme of The Watchers. The characters in this series are as diverse as they come: different nationalities, male, female, dwarf, human, dragon, pixie, noble, peasant orphan, young, aged. Yet, no matter the situation, whether tragic or triumphant, they find ways to grow and develop into something stronger. 

        The main character, Auriella (Aura), is born and lives in a society and time when girls, especially of her social status, didn't have opportunities for education or growth, let alone a chance to be a hero. The Watchers must learn to work together, despite differences, to defeat Erebus and the Shadow Legion, just as we, no matter our gender, race, age, circumstances, etc., are capable of great things. 

        Strong men and women grow in all situations and become heroes when one is needed. They don't think about it, they just do what's right. 
        -Deirdra Eden, author of The Watchers Series

        Book Summary
        Auriella’s new life as a royal protector is in shambles. The new king ignores her warnings of a Shadow Legion invasion and he is determined to marry her off. Ghosts from her past, the discovery of other Watchers, and a handsome Scottish warrior throw her off guard and weaken her emotional defenses. Caught in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Auriella struggles to control and protect the devastating power of Starfire. A terrible truth and a fateful choice will lead her to her destiny as the fabled Lady of Neviah, or could shroud the entire world in eternal darkness. 

        Filled with action, romance, drama, and comedy, Hidden Fire is an addicting read that you won't want to put down. 

        “Deirdra Eden has surpassed her earlier achievement in this daring tale of struggle between good and evil forces that exist in every universe.” Mark F. Cheney, author of MARK OF THE JAGUAR 

        “Thought provoking and full of action, I didn’t want to put the book down! I really loved the symbolism and it was a fantastic read.” Mary G. – age 15



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