No matter how tired I am when I climb into bed, I have to read before I can fall asleep. There is always at least one book on my bedside table and a few more tucked away under the bed next to my enormous pile of magazines. And now, thanks to my Mom and Brucey, my Kindle is on my bedside table as well!
My goal for 2011 was to read 30 books and I surpassed that goal by reading 46! I attempted to track what I read last year on the blog, but I had some severe issues with the formatting that left me beyond frustrated every time I tried to update and I eventually gave up trying to update. Luckily, I did manage to keep my Goodreads account updated so I have a list of what I read.
In 2011, I read the following:
January
Alexander McCall Smith - 44 Scotland Street
Alexander McCall Smith - Espresso Tales
Tana French - The Likeness (Library Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
February
Jodi Picoult - Keeping Faith (LOVED it)
Jodi Picoult - House Rules
Sunny - Mona Lisa Awakening
Kathleen Kent - The Heretic's Daughter (Library Bookclub pick)
March
Amy Weintraub - Yoga for Depression
Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol
Pam Jenoff - The Kommandant's Girl (Library Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
April
Diana Gabaldon - The Fiery Cross (reread - finally!!!!!)
Peter Arenstam - Nicholas: A Massachusetts Tale
Peter Arenstam - Nicholas: A Maine Tale
Sara Gruen - Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen - Ape House
Kristin Hannah - Winter Garden (Library Bookclub pick)
May
Alan Brennert - Honolulu
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird (Library Bookclub pick)
June
Gretchen Rubin - The Happiness Project
Stieg Larsson - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (LOVED it)
Adriana Trigiani - Lucia, Lucia (Library Bookclub pick)
July
Annie Barrows - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (LOVED it - highly recommend!)
Danielle Trussoni - Angelology
Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (LOVED it)
Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Played with Fire (LOVED it)
August
Ian McEwan - Atonement
Kathryn Stockett - The Help
Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner
Tatiana de Rosnay - Sarah's Key
(Our summer Library Bookclub pick was John Treadwell Nichols' The Milagro Beanfield War. It's rare for me to not finish a book, but I just could not get into this one. I found it funny when I picked it up to read it, but I had to force myself to pick it up and I wasn't able to read much before our meeting.)
September
Lynn Sheene - The Last Time I Saw Paris
Mark Williams - The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
Nonna Bannister - The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister
Abraham Verghese - Cutting for Stone ( Library Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
Todd Burpo - Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Mommy Bookclub pick)
October
Brian Weiss - Many Lives, Many Masters
Paula McLain - The Paris Wife (Library Bookclub pick)
Emma Donoghue - Room (Mommy Bookclub pick)
November
Michael Pye - The Pieces from Berlin
Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Lisa See - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Library Bookclub pick - LOVED it - highly recommend!)
Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games (Mommy Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire (Mommy Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay (Mommy Bookclub pick - LOVED it)
December
Diana Gabaldon - Lord John and The Scottish Prisoner (Jamie! *swoon*)
Sammy Conner - The Dirty Parts of the Bible
Steve Thayer - The Leper (Library Bookclub pick)
Feel free to pass along recommendations for 2012! My goal is to read just as many, if not more, books as I read in 2011, so let's see if I can hit 46 again! I've already finished one and have a few in the works. I'm going to attempt to update a list of what I've read every month. ;)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
What We're Eating 1/9/12-1/15/12
When I menu planned last week, I actually planned out two weeks of meals. Sometimes this is easier for me, sometimes it's not, so I'm going to go with whatever works at the time. I'm trying hard not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. So often, I get it in my head that I have to do something an exact way in order for it to work and sometimes, knowing that something won't be the way I visualized it to be will keep me from doing it. I'm working on accepting that life doesn't always go the way I want it to go and accepting that that is okay.
This week, we'll work more on Charlie (and Isaac) trying new foods with the following menu.
Monday
L: Leftover Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet
D: Easy Shrimp & Pasta
Tuesday
L: Leftover Beef & Barley Soup
D: Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, Angel Hair, Focaccia, Green Beans
Wednesday
L: Leftover Chicken Parmesan
D: Southwest Steak Tips, Parmesan Coated Potato Wedges, Roasted Broccoli
Thursday
L: PB&J, Sliced Apples, Pears & Peppers
D: Quinoa Turkey Chili
Friday
L: Leftover Chili
D: Homemade Pizza
Saturday
L: Leftovers
D: Herb Roasted Chicken
Sunday
L: Leftovers
D: Spinach & Cheese Lasagna, French Twists
For more menu-planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
This week, we'll work more on Charlie (and Isaac) trying new foods with the following menu.
Monday
L: Leftover Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet
D: Easy Shrimp & Pasta
Tuesday
L: Leftover Beef & Barley Soup
D: Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, Angel Hair, Focaccia, Green Beans
Wednesday
L: Leftover Chicken Parmesan
D: Southwest Steak Tips, Parmesan Coated Potato Wedges, Roasted Broccoli
Thursday
L: PB&J, Sliced Apples, Pears & Peppers
D: Quinoa Turkey Chili
Friday
L: Leftover Chili
D: Homemade Pizza
Saturday
L: Leftovers
D: Herb Roasted Chicken
Sunday
L: Leftovers
D: Spinach & Cheese Lasagna, French Twists
For more menu-planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Year, New Habits
We had some great meals this past week and we've made quite a bit of progress in getting Charlie to try new foods. In the past, I've flopped back and forth between making a separate meal (if you can call popping chicken nuggets in the microwave a "meal") for the boys and making them eat what Chris and I are eating. Lately, I've gotten really tired of doing this. It's so frustrating to make a meal that I am so excited to eat only to have my kids refuse it.
Well, it's a new year and we're all working on some new habits. Each night this week, instead of popping nuggets, PB&J or a bowl of cereal in front of the boys, they have gotten a plate (or bowl) full of whatever meal was on the menu. Dinner time has not been the most pleasant time of day (not that I could say it ever really was), but I think the end result of this change will be well worth all of the tears along the way.
And there have been many tears this week! There have also been many threats of bedtime (even some trips to the bedroom to put jammies on), trips back and forth to the timer in the kitchen, and much pleading and bribing. On Monday night, when a plate of tilapia, couscous and green beans was placed in front of Isaac, he actually threw it on the floor! Chris put him in bed, I prepared another plate for him and we put him right back at the table with his dinner. Surprise, surprise! He actually ate some of the fish and couscous! He also devoured his Coconut Crusted Chicken Strips (which were absolutely amazing and will definitely be on our menu again). Charlie didn't do too well with the fish but we made progress with Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet and Crockpot Beef & Barley Soup - he liked both and actually cleared his plate when we had the turkey skillet.
Our struggle with Charlie has been more of a battle of wills than a struggle with him not liking foods. Even when he likes something, it is SO HARD for him to admit it. He would rather cry and pretend to gag (we've gotten pretty good at being able to tell the difference between a real gag and a fake one) than admit that something he's tried isn't all that bad. And when he does admit it, he says it with such surprise in his voice!
The hardest part of this dinner time change has been having the patience to deal with the tears and tantrums. Some nights are better than others, but we're going to keep pushing through.
A few things have helped make this change a bit easier. Some of the meals on the menu were pretty out there in terms of foods that are typically considered "kid" foods - pea soup, fish, couscous - but in between those "out there" meals were more "kid-friendly" meals - homemade chicken nuggets and French toast. Charlie put up a stink because the nuggets didn't look like his normal nuggets, but the French toast was eaten without complaint.
Chris and I have developed a pretty decent tag-team system. Chris tends to be the "bad cop" whereas I get to be the "good cop" (for once!) but every once in a while, it works in our favor to switch those roles. The boys can tell that we're supporting each other and they won't be able to play one of us against the other.
Charlie is a fan of rewards so I've also created a sort of "star chart" for him. Every time he's tried a new food, we draw the food on the chart we created, write its name and include the date he tried it. Next to the name of the food, we put either a red x or a green check mark to indicate whether or not he liked the food. He loves to add things to his chart (although, so far this hasn't reduced his tears about trying foods) and loves showing it off even more.
Some nights, bribing has helped, too. Charlie loves games and got a few for Christmas. He knows that if he tries his dinners and eats them in a timely manner (we've had to set a timer a few times because he d.r.a.g.s. e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. o.u.t.), we will play a game or two of Uno Moo or Sequence for Kids or Memory before bed. This is a really special thing for him and having that reward to look forward to really helps.
I'm feeling pretty excited about the progress we've made in just one week. We went from having to feed Charlie bites of the food to him actually picking up his fork tonight and putting a piece of beef into his mouth with me only having to ask him once. He liked the beef (but did comment that the broth looked like slime on some of the pieces!) and ate a good amount of his dinner. I was so happy, I got teary-eyed! I'm actually looking forward to dinner time this coming week! I'll post a meal plan tomorrow night. ;)
Well, it's a new year and we're all working on some new habits. Each night this week, instead of popping nuggets, PB&J or a bowl of cereal in front of the boys, they have gotten a plate (or bowl) full of whatever meal was on the menu. Dinner time has not been the most pleasant time of day (not that I could say it ever really was), but I think the end result of this change will be well worth all of the tears along the way.
And there have been many tears this week! There have also been many threats of bedtime (even some trips to the bedroom to put jammies on), trips back and forth to the timer in the kitchen, and much pleading and bribing. On Monday night, when a plate of tilapia, couscous and green beans was placed in front of Isaac, he actually threw it on the floor! Chris put him in bed, I prepared another plate for him and we put him right back at the table with his dinner. Surprise, surprise! He actually ate some of the fish and couscous! He also devoured his Coconut Crusted Chicken Strips (which were absolutely amazing and will definitely be on our menu again). Charlie didn't do too well with the fish but we made progress with Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet and Crockpot Beef & Barley Soup - he liked both and actually cleared his plate when we had the turkey skillet.
Our struggle with Charlie has been more of a battle of wills than a struggle with him not liking foods. Even when he likes something, it is SO HARD for him to admit it. He would rather cry and pretend to gag (we've gotten pretty good at being able to tell the difference between a real gag and a fake one) than admit that something he's tried isn't all that bad. And when he does admit it, he says it with such surprise in his voice!
The hardest part of this dinner time change has been having the patience to deal with the tears and tantrums. Some nights are better than others, but we're going to keep pushing through.
A few things have helped make this change a bit easier. Some of the meals on the menu were pretty out there in terms of foods that are typically considered "kid" foods - pea soup, fish, couscous - but in between those "out there" meals were more "kid-friendly" meals - homemade chicken nuggets and French toast. Charlie put up a stink because the nuggets didn't look like his normal nuggets, but the French toast was eaten without complaint.
Chris and I have developed a pretty decent tag-team system. Chris tends to be the "bad cop" whereas I get to be the "good cop" (for once!) but every once in a while, it works in our favor to switch those roles. The boys can tell that we're supporting each other and they won't be able to play one of us against the other.
Charlie is a fan of rewards so I've also created a sort of "star chart" for him. Every time he's tried a new food, we draw the food on the chart we created, write its name and include the date he tried it. Next to the name of the food, we put either a red x or a green check mark to indicate whether or not he liked the food. He loves to add things to his chart (although, so far this hasn't reduced his tears about trying foods) and loves showing it off even more.
Some nights, bribing has helped, too. Charlie loves games and got a few for Christmas. He knows that if he tries his dinners and eats them in a timely manner (we've had to set a timer a few times because he d.r.a.g.s. e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. o.u.t.), we will play a game or two of Uno Moo or Sequence for Kids or Memory before bed. This is a really special thing for him and having that reward to look forward to really helps.
I'm feeling pretty excited about the progress we've made in just one week. We went from having to feed Charlie bites of the food to him actually picking up his fork tonight and putting a piece of beef into his mouth with me only having to ask him once. He liked the beef (but did comment that the broth looked like slime on some of the pieces!) and ate a good amount of his dinner. I was so happy, I got teary-eyed! I'm actually looking forward to dinner time this coming week! I'll post a meal plan tomorrow night. ;)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
What We're Eating 1/2/12-1/8/12
Happy New Year!!!
I've set a few goals for myself this year, one of which is to blog at least once a week. Last year, I went back and forth between menu planning and not menu planning and the weeks that I planned were much easier for me. So, in the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, last night I sat down and planned out menus for the next two weeks. Today, after bringing Charlie to school and going to story time, Isaac and I took a trip to the grocery store and did some serious grocery shopping. We came home with cantaloupe, grapes, clementines, red peppers, cucumbers, spinach, bananas, broccoli, squash, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, black beans, quinoa, ground turkey, shrimp, lasagna noodles, split peas and so much more!
This week, we'll be eating:
Monday
L: Leftover Egg Dish & Chantilly Potatoes, Carrot Sticks, Apple Slices
D: Broiled Parmesan Tilapia, Parmesan Couscous, Green Beans
Tuesday
L: PB&J, Cheese Sticks, Cantaloupe
D: Pea Soup, Dill Biscuits (minus the dill)
Wednesday
L: Leftover Egg Dish, Fruit Salad
D: Coconut Crusted Chicken Strips, Butternut Squash Puree, Corn
Thursday
L: Leftover Pea Soup, Pepper Strips, Grapes
D: Zesty Hamburger Soup, Homemade French Bread
Friday
L: Leftover Hamburger Soup, Biscuit, Cantaloupe
D: French Toast with Orange Syrup, Fruit Salad
Saturday
L: Leftover Soup
D: Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet
Sunday
L: Leftover Cran-Apple Turkey Skillet
D: Crockpot Beef & Barley Soup
For more menu planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
We're off to a good start! Let's see how long it lasts. ;)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Fall Happenings
There's been a bit of craziness around here this fall. Charlie has started going to preschool two days a week and it's safe to say he LOVES it.
I love it because it creates some more of a schedule for us and gives me a few hours to spend with just Isaac. Isaac loves it because he can play cars without Charlie taking them away from him.
We also had craziness in the form of an October snow storm. It was kinda funny to watch Charlie ride his bike surrounded by snowflakes.
More Charlie news!!! He turned 4 yesterday! Happy Birthday, Charlie!
It blows my mind just how fast the past four years have gone by. And I can't believe that Isaac is almost two! How did that happen?
We celebrated Charlie's birthday with a trip to Friendly's for lunch and ice cream.
And some of us had more fun than others.
I love it because it creates some more of a schedule for us and gives me a few hours to spend with just Isaac. Isaac loves it because he can play cars without Charlie taking them away from him.
We also had craziness in the form of an October snow storm. It was kinda funny to watch Charlie ride his bike surrounded by snowflakes.
More Charlie news!!! He turned 4 yesterday! Happy Birthday, Charlie!
It blows my mind just how fast the past four years have gone by. And I can't believe that Isaac is almost two! How did that happen?We celebrated Charlie's birthday with a trip to Friendly's for lunch and ice cream.
Isaac really enjoyed his ice cream.
After Friendly's, we went bowling! Charlie had never been bowling before, but when we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he kept telling us he wanted to go bowling. So we did.
I LOVE this picture of Nana and giggle every time I see it. She did have fun; she was just caught in the middle of griping (probably about a gutter ball. LOL).
We can't wait to go again!
Monday, November 14, 2011
What We're Eating 11/14-11/20
It's been almost 5 months since I last posted! Sometimes it feels like forever ago and sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. I've been fighting a pretty touch-and-go battle with my depression for the past few months and really haven't had much energy to devote to writing. Things are looking better, so we'll see about getting back to regular posts. I'm also trying to get back into menu planning to get some sort of order back into our lives.
I've probably planned menus for the past 3 or 4 weeks and it's so nice not thinking "What are we going to have for dinner?" all day.
Tonight's meal was absolutely amazing, but I have to say I was a little scared of it. First, because it involved me cooking fish on the stove top instead of Chris grilling it. Second, because the side was a quinoa salad and Chris isn't always a fan. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about eating it myself because the black beans are straight out of the can, but we both approved. I did make a few adjustments (mainly leaving out jalapenos and some of the herbs) and I will definitely make it again.
So here goes!
Monday
L: Grilled Cheese, Grapes, Red Pepper Strips (for me)
D: Chili Rubbed Tilapia & Quinoa, Corn & Black Bean Salad
Tuesday
L: PB&J, Grapes, Chips
D: Chicken & Cheese Rice Bake (family favorite), Salad
Wednesday
L: Leftover Rice Bake
D: Potato-Spinach-Sausage Casserole
Thursday
L: Leftover Casserole
D: Omelets, Toast, Fruit
Friday
L: Soup, Cheese & Crackers
Saturday
L: Whatever leftovers are still in the fridge
D: Homemade Pizza
Sunday
L: Leftover Pizza
D: Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops (family favorite), Roasted Cauliflower
For more menu planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)