September 2014 Wrap-up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

September's TBR Pile (6/16):

J’s pick: Dune by Frank Herbert
Book club selection: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters √
MVPA Book Club: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green √
Feminist Book Club: No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman √
Carry-over: Washington by Ron Chernow √
Series pick: Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan √
Book to movie: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Fun and Funny: The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Terry Pratchett
Comic Pick: Fairest Vol. 3 √
Dystopian: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Adult Contemporary: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Comic Pick: Soulless Vol 1
Comic Pick 2: Soulless Vol 2
Short Story Collection: The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination
Zombie Pick: The Living Dead
Steampunk Pick: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Picture Book Roundup (I'm not planning on reviewing the picture books we read, but I do plan on recording them monthly for my reading challenge)

Elmer and the Kangaroo by David McKee
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Summer by Bright Baby
The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy by Dvid Soman
Jack and the Beanstalk by E. Nesbit
I'm Fast by Kate and Jim McMullan
Horseplay by Karma Wilson
I Love to Dance by Anna Walker
Froodle by Antoinette Portis
I Love Birthdays by Anna Walker
I Love My Mom by Anna Walker
Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman
The Crocodile and the Scorpion by Rebecca Emberley
Chameleon's Colors by Chisato Tashiro
I Love Vacations by Anna Walker
Are Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? by Julie Middleton
Let's Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas
I Love My Dad by Anna Walker
A Home for Bird by Philip C. Stead
Rainbow Fish: Colors by Marcus Pfister
A Long Way Away by Frank Viva
Stars! Stars! Stars! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Penguin Cha-Cha by Kristi Valiant
I Love to Sing by Anna Walker
Please, Bring Balloons by Lindsay Ward
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
Wiggle by Doreen Cronin
Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig
Giddy-up Daddy by Troy Cummings
Hello! Hello! by Matthew Cordell

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 2718 pages
Pages Remaining: 818,719 pages

Current Read - Dune by Frank Herbert

Books Won (0)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed

Pictures Books: 100 different pictures books read to Arthur. Let's get started on the next 100!
What's in a Name: This month's MVPA book club book completed my 2014 What's in a Name challenge

Comments - A small book count for this month, but my pages read is still good. I definitely read some good books this month. Looking forward to more awesome books. I think I have my reading mojo back.

October's TBR Pile:

J's pick: Dune by Frank Herbert
J's pick: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Book club selection: Expecting Adam by Martha Beck
MVPA Book club selection: TBD
Feminist Book club: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Series pick: Entwined by Kristen Callihan
Book to movie: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Dystopian: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Reread: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Fantasy Pick: Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
Favorite: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Short Story Collection: The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination
Zombie Pick: The Living Dead
Steampunk Pick: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Arthur: 50 Weeks

Such an active little boy this week. I'm finding it hard to keep up.

Likes: His blankies, fruit of any kind, snuggling, park playdates

Dislikes: Nap time (we're struggling a bit), when mom takes a shower

Sleeping: We've had a few rough nights, but nothing like last month. Mostly sleep has been good and fairly consistent. Still hoping for no wake ups at night.

Eating: All the foods! He eats almost anything that I put on his tray. The only issue is when I'm eating something different than what's on his tray. He always wants what i have. Usually it's not a big deal, but the other night I had spicy chili. Obviously not a good idea to give the 11 month old spicy chili. Even with the whines, I resisted giving him my food. He got over it.

Playing: He's been interacting more and more with his friends at playdates. The other day, he played peek-a-boo with a few others babies at the park. Love it! At home, we've been playing with the cars and trains. I am definitely a mom of all boys...

Medical Milestones:

Unpredictable moods and wants -- Check! We are all over the place right now. We've definitely entered the tantrums phase.
Using a handful of words -- Nope. Although I'm starting to think that there are some actual words coming soon.
Communicating nonverbally -- Check! He has his own language right now, but at least it's effective.

Out and About: Our usual activities for the week: storytime, playground playdate, Shoreline walk, and errands. Monday we had a great day visiting the Happy Hallow Park and Zoo with tons of friends. We must go back soon! Friday Arthur spent a few hours without me at a friends house. He did great. No tantrums at all. We'll be using the babysitting coop again soon. For the weekend, we had brunch at The Original Pancake House and Sunday afternoon at Lily's birthday party.

No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman

Title: No Turning Back

Author: Estelle Freedman

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2002

Genre: Nonfiction - Women's Studies

Pages: 446

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W40

Repeatedly declared dead by the media, the women’s movement has never been as vibrant as it is today. Indeed as Stanford professor and award-winning author Estelle B. Freedman argues in her compelling new book, feminism has reached a critical momentum from which there is no turning back. A truly global movement, as vital and dynamic in the developing world as it is in the West, feminism has helped women achieve authority in politics, sports, and business, and has mobilized public concern for once-taboo issues like rape, domestic violence, and breast cancer. And yet much work remains before women attain real equality. In this fascinating book, Freedman examines the historical forces that have fueled the feminist movement over the past two hundred years–and explores how women today are looking to feminism for new approaches to issues of work, family, sexuality, and creativity.

This amazing book was our first book club selection for the South Bay Feminist Book Club. I was excited to revisit a book that was written, published, and read back in my college years. And a reread did not disappoint. Freedman lays out an extensive argument for feminism in the history of the United States and the world. Each chapter focuses on a aspect of history from race to politics. I warn you that this book is dense. Freedman packs it full of information and theories of feminism. A very enjoyable and through-provoking read. I can't wait to discuss it with others next week.

Music Monday - Andrew McMahon "Cecilia and the Satellite"

I adore Andrew McMahon. While, I'm sad that Jack's Mannequin is no more, I'm looking forward to his new material. This song has been in my head for weeks now...

Sunday Sunset #27

Listening To: Anberlin, Fall Out Boy, Brandi Carlile, all from our iTunes account

Book finished: Fairest Vol. 3; An Abundance of Katherines

Reading: No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman

On the Nightstand: Dune by Frank Herbert; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Making Lists: So many lists! I spent Friday morning writing down everything I needed to do and then organizing that big list into topical lists. I have one for Arthur's party, one for the fall social, one for my Meetup group, one for the house, one for Christmas... You get the idea. At least now I have a much better picture of what I want and need to do in October.

Around the house: Slowly starting to destash and simplify. If we are going to move soon, I don't want to have to pack all this junk. We've only lived her for 2 1/2 years, but we already have accumulated a ton of crap. I did the kitchen last week, but still need to work on the others rooms in the house. And I can't forget about the closets, including the storage one and balcony one!

From the kitchen: I made a new to me version of pot roast that I think I will keep. Very yummy and ridiculously easy. I need to look up some new recipes for next week and finally make the pretzel bites and rosemary rolls that I was planning on for last week. I ran out of time and parchment paper...

Crafting: Besides teaching a few classes (Project Life and Halloween/Thanksgiving cards), I've been spending some time organizing and planning. A few friends and I will be selling at a couple of craft fairs this holiday season. I've been attempting to comb through my stash and completed cards to see what I have to sell and what I need to make. Definitely thinking some stationary sets or modified notebooks. Plus I have 30 Days of Cards coming in October, Arthur's birthday thank you cards, the fall social, and future classes to prep for. Busy, busy!

Watching: We're making our way through The Newsroom S2 (I love Sorkin!) and have started some of our returning shows (Downtown Abbey, Modern Family {argh this one!}, Sleepy Hollow, and The League). Plus, we've really been getting into Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Loving his commentary and in depth pieces on current news topics. The one about student loan debt was spot on!

From Nature: We finally got a bit of rain this past week. The weather reports stated that we hadn't had any significant rains since March! No wonder we're in a drought! The rain was nice, but very short lived. We need more...

Shopping Scores: I haven't taken any pictures, but I've been buying a ton of Christmas stash supplies, Halloween supplies (including Arthur's costume), and party supplies. Arthur's birthday party supplies are almost completely bought. I should get the last package this Monday. I've also got a few more craft supply packages on their way for later in the month. Amazon has been my best friends lately...

Project: Take your pick from my giant list. I feel like I'm working on a million different things right now because I am!

Picture: Arthur and a meerkat checking each other out at the Happy Hallow Zoo.

FrightFall Readathon is Here!

Goals:

Read two books
Review all books read
Read at least 1000 pages
Knock out 5 reading challenge spots

TBR:

Scary selection -- The Living Dead
Dune by Frank Herbert
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Terry Pratchett
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Soulless Vol 1
Soulless Vol 2
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Spark Days 6-10

I signed up for the Spark ecourse about weeks ago with every intention of sticking to it. Basically it's a 30 day course designed to help get the blogging spark back. I've been so overwhelmed with life lately that my blog seems mixed up and about to collapse. Of course it may not seem that way to readers. I've kept the everything looking nice and neat for readers, but behind the scenes, I am a mess. I needed something to help me get back on track. I needed a bit of a push to focus. Enter Spark. Every day I received an email with a bit of discussion and a task. I was supposed to do the tasks daily, but with my life, it just didn't happen. Instead, I created an email folder and just dumped the emails in when I received them. Whenever I got a 30 minute window of quiet, I pulled up the next day's email and went to town. This has resulted in a 30 day course stretching into almost three months, but that's okay. Even with the delays, I feel like I'm getting my blog back on track. Click on the pic to join in the fun!

Here are my thoughts and accomplishments for Days 6-10:

Day 6 - Blog Comments

I spent some time today attempting to write meaningful comments on posts that resonated with me. I managed about 5. I'd say that's pretty good given the time constraints on my days. In the future, I need to make sure and stop and comment if I read a post and it strikes a chord.

Day 7 - Disconnect

I spent some time away from social media today. I didn't check FB or Instagram. I didn't post anything. I didn't even open up my blog. Instead, I pulled out my trusty notebook and jotted down any and all thoughts. I ended up with a fair amount of blogging ideas and even more to-dos. I feel like I can refocus on my blog now. I didn't go that long without social media, but even a few hours of conscious abstinence helped refocus my mind.

Day 8 - Update Your Bios

I spent a few minutes updating some of my biographical information across my platforms. Most were update, but Twitter still said I lived in Fort Wayne. Ha! That was almost four years ago. I really need to put this task on my yearly to-dos.

Day 9 - Identify Your Favorites

In attempting to pick my favorite blog posts from my past, I found that my favorites were rambling writings. They were the brain dumps. I like having a record of book reviews, movie reviews, and fun videos, but I love reading my free writing. For the future, I need to make sure to leave room for these types of posts.

Day 10 - Time to Unsubscribe

As part of Bloggiesta last weekend, I did a complete weed out of the blogs that I follow through Bloglovin'. I got rid of inactive blogs helping to unclutter my feed. I updated my blogrolls on both my blogs. But the best part of the cull was getting rid of those blogs that I just always skip through and never read. Why do I keep those in my feed? I've shed the weight and it feels good.

FF #35: Casual Fall

I love the effortless look of this outfit. Start with a comfy dress, add some simple boots and an outerwear piece (leather jacket for cold weather, short sleeve sweater for warmer weather), and you get a great put together fall outfit. The bag and bracelets are nice added touches.

Green chiffon dress blackfive.com

Piazza Sempione short sleeve blazer $405 - yoox.com

Elizabeth and James real leather jacket therealreal.com

Faux boots 6pm.com

Carvela Kurt Geiger imitation purse $110 - kurtgeiger.com

Animal print jewelry bodycentral.com

Videos of the Week

Love Hank Green on SciShow and this episode is a great episode about a female paleontologist.

I love his lip sync battles...

This was way too much fun.

An amazing birthday surprise. Had to include it!

A different perspective; love it!

This made me laugh so much!

Quote Wednesday -- Beecher

A book is good company. It is full of conversation without loquacity. It comes to you longing with full instruction, but pursues you never. Henry War Beecher

Top Ten Tuesday -- Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Fall TBR: My fall TBR list always focuses on the last books that I definitely want to read before the end of the year. There are some books on here that have languished on the shelf for years. I really need to get these off and read!

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (reread)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (reread so I can finally watch the show)
Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Summer TBR Recap (4/10):

Back to the Classics
Rereading
Series -- Locke and Key #6 √
Well Rounded Reader (self help, art/design, home) -- Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon √
Movie -- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming √
Random ebook freebie
Ebook
Presidents -- Washington by Ron Chernow √
21st Century Women Authors
Nonfiction Adventure

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Title: An Abundance of Katherines

Author: John Green

Publisher: Speak 2006

Genre: YA Contemporary

Pages: 228

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: NPR Teen; Top 100 YA; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W39; What's in a Name - Names

Colin Singleton believes he is a washed-up child prodigy. A graduating valedictorian with a talent for creating anagrams, he fears he'll never do anything to classify him as a genius. To make matters worse, he has just been dumped by his most recent girlfriend (all of them have been named Katherine), and he's inconsolable. What better time for a road trip! He and his buddy Hassan load up the gray Olds (Satan's Hearse) and leave Chicago. They make it as far as Gutshot, Tennessee, where they stop to tour the gravesite of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and meet a girl who isn't named Katherine. It's this girl, Lindsey, who helps Colin work on a mathematical theorem to predict the duration of romantic relationships.

It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I was right there with the characters. Green has a way with characters that's for sure. I love the quirkiness of all the characters, especially Lindsey. The storyline wasn't the best thing, but worked well with the characters. I even loved reading about the math behind Colin's theorem. It may not be my area, but it was a great nerdy addition. Not quite as good overall as The Fault in Our Stars, but I still really loved this one.

Arthur: 49 Weeks

Lots and lots of play this week. We had a full week of fun activities with tons of friends.

Likes: Playing, eating, walking with assistance, sleeping... it was a good week

Dislikes: Staying away from the lamp, computers, xbox, and cabinets. It's an ongoing struggle.

Sleeping: We are in a great place right now! Sleep training really paid off. Arthur's going down without a fuss at about 7:30pm every night and sleeping at least until 5am, usually 6am. If I lay him down for a nap sometime right after lunch, everything seems to go great! We're are going to try and keep this going...

Eating: All the things! He's finally in love with eating cheese, especially Baby Bels. I'm so excited to have such a good eater!

Playing: So much interaction with other kids right now! He spent at least 20 minutes playing peek-a-boo around a stroller with another little boy. They were amazingly adorable. And he's more interested in manipulating toys and objects. Excited to see the developments.

Medical Milestones:

Preference of right or left hand -- None that I've noticed yet. Pushing for a lefty!
Separation anxiety -- Nope. I have a fairly independent baby.
Waving -- Nope. He loves to clap, but hasn't gotten the waving thing. Or maybe he just thinks it's silly.
Asserting his independence -- Oh yes! Arthur is very vocal now about what he wants and when he wants it. Of course, he doesn't use words, but he lets me know!

Schedule:Now that sleep has stabilized, I've been trying really hard to keep naptime consistent. Occasionally we get off track, but usually it works. Other than sleeping, we have our usual weekly activities with the parents group. Those keep us out and about.

Out and About: We had a jam packed week of activities. Something every day to keep us occupied.

Monday -- Mariposa Park playdate
Tuesday -- Sunnyvale library storytime and Serra Park playdate
Wednesday -- Blanket babies at Rengstorff
Thursday -- Shoreline walk with friends
Friday -- Mountain View library storytime (crazy time!)
Saturday -- Excursion to Fremont to see a few rental houses (mostly duds)
Sunday -- Book club with Miss Pam and Miss Angi at Hobee's (yum apple walnut coffeecake)

Music Monday -- Panic at the Disco "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Another Monday and another cover. This is becoming a bit of a trend. But I had to share this one with everyone. Panic at the Disco does an amazing cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that just has to be watched!

Bloggiesta Finishline

Overall I ended up accomplishing a ton this long weekend. I didn't finish everything, but I never expected to finish my entire list. I plan on continuing to work on finishing this list during the last weeks of September. We'll see how it goes.

My goals and progress:

Write review of Fingersmith and any other books I finish this week
Update reading challenges totals on blog, in notebook, and for RC Update #3 post
Update TBR Pile page
Fix any gaps in Reviews pages
Start 2015 TBR list; prep draft page
Tweak About Me page – here and at craft blog
Update Blogs I Love page — double check Bloglovin’
Update Current Book Wish List
Prep review drafts for rest of 2014 scheduled reading
Prep/write 5 Music Monday posts
Prep/write 5 Fashion Friday posts
Prep/write 2 TTT posts
Prep/write 5 Thursday posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Sunset posts
Prep/write October 30 Days Challenges posts
Start new Day Zero Project draft
Create FrightFall Readathon TBR pile, update posts, goal post
Record/trash/write random drafts — here and at craft blog
Update Other Crafty People — double check Bloglovin’
Add Holiday catalog to sidebar
Add any outstanding craft projects to Pinterest
Prep/write 5 Basic Technique posts
Prep/write 5 Essential Products posts
Prep/write 2 Project Life posts
Prep/write 2 New Discoveries posts
Prep/write 5 SU News posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Haul posts -- wrote 1
Prep/write October 30 Days of Cards posts
Added — Create a watermark for pictures

Bloggiesta Day 3

My goals and progress:

Write review of Fingersmith and any other books I finish this week
Update reading challenges totals on blog, in notebook, and for RC Update #3 post
Update TBR Pile page
Fix any gaps in Reviews pages
Start 2015 TBR list; prep draft page
Tweak About Me page – here and at craft blog
Update Blogs I Love page — double check Bloglovin’
Update Current Book Wish List
Prep review drafts for rest of 2014 scheduled reading
Prep/write 5 Music Monday posts
Prep/write 5 Fashion Friday posts
Prep/write 2 TTT posts
Prep/write 5 Thursday posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Sunset posts
Prep/write October 30 Days Challenges posts
Start new Day Zero Project draft
Create FrightFall Readathon TBR pile, update posts, goal post
Record/trash/write random drafts — here and at craft blog
Update Other Crafty People — double check Bloglovin’
Add Holiday catalog to sidebar
Add any outstanding craft projects to Pinterest
Prep/write 5 Basic Technique posts
Prep/write 5 Essential Products posts
Prep/write 2 Project Life posts
Prep/write 2 New Discoveries posts
Prep/write 5 SU News posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Haul posts
Prep/write October 30 Days of Cards posts
Added — Create a watermark for pictures

Bloggiesta Day 2

My goals and progress:

Write review of Fingersmith and any other books I finish this week
Update reading challenges totals on blog, in notebook, and for RC Update #3 post
Update TBR Pile page
Fix any gaps in Reviews pages
Start 2015 TBR list; prep draft page
Tweak About Me page – here and at craft blog
Update Blogs I Love page — double check Bloglovin’
Update Current Book Wish List
Prep review drafts for rest of 2014 scheduled reading
Prep/write 5 Music Monday posts
Prep/write 5 Fashion Friday posts
Prep/write 2 TTT posts
Prep/write 5 Thursday posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Sunset posts
Prep/write October 30 Days Challenges posts
Start new Day Zero Project draft
Create FrightFall Readathon TBR pile, update posts, goal post
Record/trash/write random drafts — here and at craft blog
Update Other Crafty People — double check Bloglovin’
Add Holiday catalog to sidebar
Add any outstanding craft projects to Pinterest
Prep/write 5 Basic Technique posts
Prep/write 5 Essential Products posts
Prep/write 2 Project Life posts
Prep/write 2 New Discoveries posts
Prep/write 5 SU News posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Haul posts
Prep/write October 30 Days of Cards posts
Added — Create a watermark for pictures

FF #34: Wedding Style

Once again we (well baby and I) are heading to a weeding this weekend. This was another one of my initial picks. Unfortunately the dress sold out in my size before I found it. This wedding is being held in a church with a banquet hall reception. I still wanted something long, dark, and easy to wear. I love the bright color and coverage on this dress. Even though I don't usually wear gold, this color just begs to be paired with gold accessories. Those shoes are to die for, but way too expensive for my tastes. And the earrings are very elegant even though I could never wear them (no pierced ears). Overall a very elegant and classic look.

Purple dress

forherandforhim.com

Jimmy Choo high heel pumps

luisaviaroma.com

Yves Saint Laurent monogrammed leather purse

ysl.com

David Yurman gold bangle

davidyurman.com

Irene Neuwirth fine jewellery

matchesfashion.com

Bloggiesta Day 1

My goals and progress:

Write review of Fingersmith and any other books I finish this week
Update reading challenges totals on blog, in notebook, and for RC Update #3 post
Update TBR Pile page
Fix any gaps in Reviews pages
Start 2015 TBR list; prep draft page
Tweak About Me page - here and at craft blog
Update Blogs I Love page -- double check Bloglovin'
Update Current Book Wish List
Prep review drafts for rest of 2014 scheduled reading
Prep/write 5 Music Monday posts
Prep/write 5 Fashion Friday posts
Prep/write 2 TTT posts
Prep/write 5 Thursday posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Sunset posts
Prep/write October 30 Days Challenges posts
Start new Day Zero Project draft
Create FrightFall Readathon TBR pile, update posts, goal post
Record/trash/write random drafts -- here and at craft blog
Update Other Crafty People -- double check Bloglovin'
Add Holiday catalog to sidebar
Add any outstanding craft projects to Pinterest
Prep/write 5 Basic Technique posts
Prep/write 5 Essential Products posts
Prep/write 2 Project Life posts
Prep/write 2 New Discoveries posts
Prep/write 5 SU News posts
Prep/write 5 Sunday Haul posts
Prep/write October 30 Days of Cards posts
Added -- Create a watermark for pictures

Thanks For All the Fish

1. Great Clips -- For not screwing up my haircut for once. I actually really like my short flippy do.

2. J -- For making me feel like I'm not the only one in the world that has certain thoughts. Yep, we are in sync when it comes to the multitude of stupidity in the world.

3. Keurig -- For making it easy for me to make a cup of coffee with a baby hanging on one leg and blurry eyed.

4. California -- For the beautiful weather... can't get enough.

5. Bay Area citizens and government -- For providing some awesome parks for the little one and I to enjoy with our friends.