I’m such a sucker for some favorite things. I love recommendations that save me hours of searching and shopping on my own because P.S. - I hate shopping. I get easily overwhelmed by too many choices which means the mall and the internet leave me exhausted and crabby. I much prefer when someone I trust tells me, “Oooo, I love this lipstick, bra, candle, podcast, book, and coffee! You will love it, too.” Yes, please. Done and done.
Each month of 2021, I will be pulling together a small collection of my monthly favorites, so hopefully you too can find a “yes, please, done and done” on this page.
Reading
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory: Sometimes I want books to touch my heart or challenge my thinking, but sometimes I just want a solid rom-com, and this one hit the spot. It was a fun read that I sped through in just a couple days. I’d love to know if you’ve read anything else by Guillory! 4/5 Stars
Bless This Mess by Rev. Molly Baskette and Ellen O’Donnell: This one was recommended by Sarah Bessey, and she rarely disappoints. I don’t agree with everything in this book—which is probably true of most parenting books—but it is a great starting place for thinking and discussion. I marked it up with dozens of post-it notes, and I know Stephen is eagerly waiting for me to go point by point through all my thoughts and questions. 5/5 Stars
Reading with My Darlings
One of the best parts of homeschooling is extra time to read all the amazing books that fill our library shelves. I adore our public library, and at least three times a week, I launch into a lengthy monologue about how public libraries are the greatest gift to modern society and the debt to which we owe those who have gone before us to pave the way for FREE access to books. (Charlotte: Mom’s talking about the library again. Stephen: Just let her be.) I currently have 92 books checked out of our public library, so this list could on for miles, but with the help of my darlings, I’ve limited it to our top four.
Ranger In Time Series by Kate Messner: This has been one of my favorite series to recommend to 3rd-5th grade students for years, and I’ve eagerly awaited the perfect opportunity to introduce them to my kids. (They are 6 and 8, so I’m reading them out loud.) I took a writing class with Kate Messner in 2015 when she was just beginning this series. I’m a lover of historical fiction, and what better way to bring this genre to kids than with a lovable golden retriever! We’ve been in an Earth Science unit, so it was the perfect opportunity to read Disaster on the Titanic (while learning about glaciers and icebergs) and Journey Through Ash and Smoke (while learning about volcanoes). Hurricane Katrina Rescue and Escape from the Great Earthquake are up next!
The Three Little Gators by Albert Whitman: Andrew is in kindergarten which means we work on a lot of retelling simple stories. The Three Little Pigs is perfect for this, so I check out a few (read: 10-15) versions of this story. Most of them I was familiar with, but this one was new to me, and we loved it! It was such a fun twist on the classic story.
The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins: First of all, Steven Jenkins is our favorite. If you are not familiar with his brilliant collection of nonfiction books for kids, get on your library website and start clicking away. During our Earth Science unit we learned about the formation of mountains and ended up on a rabbit trail of all things Mount Everest, and this book was packed with cool information!
Listening To
This episode from The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey has been in my queue for a couple months, and I finally gave it a listen. Navigating parenthood with the additional challenges of phones and computers feels so daunting, but this podcast gave some good starting points and reminders.
Eating
For nearly 10 years, I have wanted a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, but man are those suckers expensive. I hemmed and hawed over this decision, and finally Stephen just pulled the trigger for me and bought me this one for Christmas (in red.) We decided to exchange it for a smaller size, so I didn’t really dive into this beauty until a couple weeks ago, and I’m already regretting all those years of braising I’ll never get back. I’m using it all the time! One of my most-used cook books, Dinner: A Love Story, has provided some of our tastiest opportunities with pork ragu, our favorite chicken soup, and this chicken pot pie (I just used the filling recipe, and we poured it over biscuits).
What’s Making Me Smile
With the addition of that large and oh-so-pretty red Dutch Oven, I needed to do some rearranging in our tiny kitchen. I began with the underneath cupboards which lead to the up above cupboards which lead to a total reorganization of the kitchen. The last time I organized those cupboards was the day we moved it. Things needed some reshuffling, and now, I can empty the entire dishwasher without taking a single step. #smallkitchenbenefits This definitely makes me smile.
My mom bought me this from Athleta, and now I want it in every color.
I bought this from Glossier for a secret sister gift exchange in December and ended up buying one for myself, too.
Because One Day You Won’t: A Shortened Version of This Series
Because one day you won’t spread across this table to fumble our way through another day of homeschool.
Because one day you won’t surprise your dad by decorating his office for Valentine’s Day.
Because one day you won’t both fit in a toddler bed.
Because one day you won’t give yourself a pretend black eye with a pen.
*We take a lot of pictures of our kids sleeping. They’re just too cute when they sleep, right?
And Finally, Some News
Stephen and I have been certified foster parents since 2019 and have spent the past year helping foster care families by doing short term respite care. Over the summer we told our agency we were ready to accept a placement, and earlier this month, an 11-month-old little girl came to live with us. The transition to four children has been difficult and sweet, exhausting and exciting. There is so much pain that comes alongside a foster care placement, so much loss and grief and a desperate need for healing. We pray every day for this little darling’s mother and father—praying that Jesus would capture their hearts and change their lives so their daughter would be able to return safely home. For our family, it is honor to step in and fill the gap during this time.
Until next time,
