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This was my favorite newspaper.  I think we have been subscribing to it since we have moved here.  However, about a week ago, they changed their format.  Now, I have went through several format changes with them already.  However, this one, I cannot stand.  I cannot stand it to the point that I will be leaving them and getting a subscription to another area newspaper.  (The advantage of living in Chicago is that we have quite a few to pick from).

This  makes me sad.  However, the changes that have been made this time around I just cannot stand.  The majority of their articles completely blend with the ads for things like fat burners and real estate.  As a blogger, we got a lot of slack for not disclosing what is paid and what isn’t.  However, it doesn’t look the print media has to have the same standard.  The majority of the articles have huge pictures and less content.  I know it is not just my eyes playing tricks on me either.  It actually takes me quite a bit less time to read the paper everyday.  A lot of the articles also look like blog posts with the amount of stuff on the page.  If I wanted to look at something that looked like a blog, I would read my news online.  I personally love having a print paper in my hand.  I like the style and how informative a paper is.  If I want a synopsis, I go to the internet.  If I want to read full articles, I look for my local paper.

As soon as I find my credit card, I will be canceling my Chicago Tribune subscription and signing up for the Chicago Sun Times.  Hopefully, their paper will be less tabloidy and more news.

Over the past week or so, I have been reading an awesome book called The Secret of Wellington’s Map.  Granted, this isn’t my normal reading genre (usually if I can get a few minutes away I pick up Stephen King or Dean R Koontz book), but you know what?  I enjoyed this book just as much as I do books by those authors (though I think this book would be considered in either the sci-fi or mystery genre).  I would say that The Secret of Wellington’s Map is probably geared towards the ten and up crowd.  However, as an adult, I truly enjoyed the book too.  I found the author’s style a joy to read, and she really caught the essence of teenage girls in this book.  I also enjoyed finding a book that girls are the heroines.  The other thing I liked is that even though the main characters are teenage girls, they weren’t boy crazy.  Granted, there were a few boy mentions, but their lives didn’t revolve around boys.  The author had the girls talking, acting, and dressing like teenage girls, so I found them very believable.  There is also a bit of real life history intertwined into the story.

The story centers around two girls, Jaime and Nicole, that had expected a carefree summer.  However, after they come across a magic map, they go on an adventure of a lifetime.  I hate to go into more of a synopsis of the book, because I don’t want to spoil any part of it for you.  I will tell you that the map is somewhat of a time space portal, and they do go through it and end up in 1885.  However, if you want to find out why and if they make it back, you have to go read the book!

Challenges of Life is a blog that has a little bit of everything.  I read posts about how to get your kids to eat vegetables and tips to applying makeup.  As you can tell, she covers all aross the board.  Normally, orange is not a color I like especially on a theme.  However, Challenges of Life pulls it off with style.  This blog has an awesome design.  You don’t have 40 million widgets blinking at you.  Everything just compliments each other.  Her blog theme is very pleasing to the eye, and her sidebars definitely do not take away from the post content.  Like I stated in my last review, the only thing I would change is that she needs an about page.  I like to read about the author of the blog.  It gives one a better understanding of why they write about what they do and gives another glimpse into their life.

If you are in need of a bathroom sink vanity, Premiere Vanities should be a place you stop and check out. They have everything from contemporary bathroom vanities to double vanities. They have a style for everyone there.  You can pick from something like this:

all the way to something like this:

The first thing you notice when you visit their site is that it has a very clean design.  Everything is laid out so it is pleasing to the eye.  Navigating the site is super easy too.  If you look in the left sidebar, you can sort their vanities by type, style, price, and size.  You can even run a sort on just clearance items!  Another good thing that they do is that they have free shipping.  I can only imagine what the other online companies charge for shipping.  These vanities have to be pretty heavy and that could cost a bundle to ship.  They also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  If you get your product and decide you don’t like it, you can send it back.  You can even track your order right from their site!  If are able to use Paypal also to make your purchase.  I personally like companies that allow me to pay using that service.

If you are in the market for some new bathroom sink vanities, make sure you check out Premiere Vanities.  You will be able to find something that will look awesome in your house for a good price.  Who knows, when you go to sell it, it may make the sale or be an awesome talking point for your house.  You always want something good that makes your house stick out from the rest, and one of these vanities will definitely do that for you.