Blog-Tember Day 3: Summer Favorites

Prompt: Now that summer's at an end, share a list of favorites from the season!

Living in the Bay Area means that summer is far from over around here. But according to the calendar, we are in fall. So, going off of the calendar and not the weather outside, here are my favorites from the season.

• Watching Arthur "swim independently" with his new floaty in the pool
• Lots of iced tea and sparkling water
• Days at the park
• Trips to the candy store with the boys
• Movie nights with the twins
• Crafting days with new friends
• Skirts and dresses in attempting to keep myself cool
• Watching this growing belly; only one month left until Quentin arrives!
• New recipes making their way into my rotation

Now I'm ready for pumpkin everything and fun cocktails (only one month)!

Blog-Tember Day 2: Goals Time

Prompt: Share a list of your current goals.

I always have a list of to-dos a mile long, but for this post, I tried to narrow it down into a few bigger goals I have.

1. Make it through the next few weeks -- J is out of the country on a work trip so I'm solo parenting until he comes back on the 16th. Arthur's 3rd birthday party is being held on the 17th. So along with the usual house things, I have a big event coming up to deal with. On top of everything, I'm nearing the end of this pregnancy. Focusing on getting through the next few weeks.
2. Finish prepping for the baby -- Baby Quentin will be arriving within the next month. I still have a few things that need to be done to prep. I need to pack my hospital bag, finish organizing the clothes, buy some more diapers, fill the rest of the freezer with prepped meals, and finish up some nursery odds and ends.
3. Finish prepping for crafting events through September -- I'll be taking a bit of leave from my crafting business during the month of October, but first I have a few events to finish. I need to prep for a crop day on the 11th, finish the stamp club projects for the 15th, prep the card buffet for the 11th and 20th, and make the rest of the October design team cards. I also want to put all the leftover garage sale items away in the garage until November or so.
4. Knock out a few more books before baby comes -- While I have relatively unemcumbered time, I want to make September's reading count. My Happiness Project focus for September is Passion and my passion is reading. I'm hoping for at least 3000 pages and at least 6 books read for the month. I also want to have my TBR piles organized for the rest of the year. I hate having to spend time figuring out what I'm reading next. I want a ready to go pile for when the baby comes.
5. Buy all the food and finish prepping for Arthur's birthday party -- I have all the decor and favor bag items purchased. Obviously I will need to decorate the week before the party and clean up the house in preparation, but more importantly I need to finalize the groceyr list and buy the food. I can do this!
6. Clean the house -- I plan to do a big downstairs clean before Arthur's party, but I also just want to do a big total house clean before the baby comes. I know I won't be able to do much housework after my c-section, so I need to take advantage of time and energy now.
7. Organize Arthur's clothes for the fall/winter -- As part of my house cleaning, I need to take another pass at Arthur's wardrobe for fall/winter. I know he will need new sneakers (his currents are getting small and torn up), but I'm sure he will need a few more pieces before it gets chilly again. I also know there are some current items that need to be retired to the hand-me-down bins.
8. Focus on using my planner more to document daily notes and activities -- I love my Happy Planner, but I've been slacking lately. I need to spend some time using it more effectively, but also making small notes in it (a la memory keeping). This will come in handy have the baby comes and I'm trying to recall when he first smiled or laughed or such things.

Blog-Tember Day 1: Hello all!

Prompt: Introduce yourself however you like! Pics, vlog, collage, your choice :)

Hello all! I'm Tobe and I currently live in California with my hubs and children (13, 13, almost 3). I'm also currently 35 weeks pregnant with my fourth boy! This blog started as a way for me to document all the books I read, but has grown into a place for me to write about anything everyone. I still review the books I read, but have focused more and more on what I want to read instead of the newest hottest book out there. In the intervening years, I've also started another blog, The Craft Sea, to document all my paper crafting efforts. Other than the blogs, I run paper crafting classes and events as an Independent Stampin' Up demonstrator and I serve on our local parent group's board as the Director of Social and Charitable Relations. Between those two activities and taking care of the kids and household, I always make time for a bit of reading.

It's Almost Blog-Tember Time!

I successfully completed all the posts last year, maybe I can do it again this year. I love that this challenge gets me out of the box a bit. So, I'm resolved to attempt to complete one blog post a day following the prompts given. Do you want to join in the fun? Click on the pick to get all the details. And watch for my posts starting September 1st.

Blog-Tember Day 30: Farewell Coffee Day

Prompt: A farewell coffee date. Take some time to breath, sip a warm drink, and share with your new blogging buddies. If you'd like a prompt: how did the Blog-tember Challenge go for you? Any surprises? What was your favorite prompt, or what would you like to see included next time?

Overall, I have really enjoyed this new-to-me challenge. Initially I was hesitant to participate. Could I keep up with 30 days of blogging? Would I get bored? What do I do with all my regular features and drafts/completed scheduled posts? In response to the last question, I just pushed everything to October. Took me a few minutes, but not a huge deal. As to keeping up with blogging, I could access the prompts at the beginning of the month. That made it easy to work on posts when I had time which wasn't always the night before. Some days I wrote 3 or 4 blog posts, some days I didn't write any. And I didn't even get bored! I liked the variety of topics and challenges. I had fun sharing parts of myself that I don't usually show on the blog. I love creating lists so those types of prompts were my favorite.

As the month comes to a close, this challenge has made me seriously think about changing this blog. I love blogging. I love posting. But some of my current reoccurring features just don't inspire me anymore. Currently, I post every day, but maybe that's not the best for me now. I'm going to continue my usual type of posts through the end of the year. But come 2016, I may change things up a bit. One big change that I've already decided: no more readathons. My daily routine is not flexible enough to participate in readathons. I have been consistently disappointed in the time that I can devote to reading. Toddler care and reading don't really mix that much. I'll still be reading of course, but i think readathons put undue pressure on me. I am cutting them out for 2016. There amy be more changes, but we'll see how the next three months go.

Blog-Tember Day 29: Blog Topics

Prompt: Write your own list of 10 blog topics to inspire us next month.

I've enjoyed my month following the prompts. I'm sure there are a few topics that I can add...

1. What character (literature, tv, etc) do you connect with most?
2. What is your Meyers-Briggs personality profile? Is it accurate?
3. What is your dream job?
4. What is your favorite recipe/meal?
5. Write your life motto.
6. Describe your dream home. Pictures encouraged!
7. What's on your tv/movie to watch list?
8. What's your favorite family/holiday tradition?
9. What's your favorite game to play (board games included)?
10. What are the top ten places in the world you want to visit?

Blog-Tember Day 28: Day in the Life

Prompt: A day in the life. Take us through it with you.

Being a stay-at-home-mom, the days can vary widely. However, we've tried to establish some sort of routine at least for the weekdays...

7:30am -- I wake up, take a shower, and get dressed. Hopefully Arthur (the 2-year-old) sleeps through all this...

7:45-8:00am -- Arthur wakes up. I get him out of his crib, dressed, and downstairs for breakfast.

8:00am -- Breakfast and daily prep. Arthur usually gets to watch an episode of Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street while eating breakfast. This gives me that break I need to eat, update my planner (essential to my day!), and pack for the day's activities.

8:30-9:00am -- Leave for activity. We often drive to an activity somewhere in the Bay Area. One day it might be something in San Jose and the next time it might be in Palo Alto. We try to have a park or museum visit at least three times a week. If we don't have an activity, we usually still leave around 9:00am to hit the grocery store or complete other errands.

12:00pm -- Lunch time! If we are at an activity, it's usually a picnic lunch. Some days we do grab lunch at a restaurant, but not often.

1:30pm -- Traveling home if out somewhere else. Or playtime if at home.

Arthur used to take a nap around 1:00-2:00 pm, but those days are gone. Sometimes this makes the afternoon seem to drag on for eternity. Often I will let Arthur loose in the backyard to get some peace and quiet. Or he may get to watch another television show for a few minutes.

5:00pm -- Dinner prep

6:00pm -- Dinner. Some days J is home in time to eat with us. Some days he arrives between 6:30-7:00pm. We don't wait for him to eat.

6:30pm -- Arthur bath time and pajamas. Often we spend about 45 minutes in the bath and playing afterward.

7:30pm -- Storytime and bedtime prep.

8:00pm -- Arthur goes to bed. J and I watch a movie or a few episodes of television.

10:00pm -- I head up to get ready for bed. I usually try to read a chapter or two before turning out the lights around 10:30pm.

That's it. Most days we follow this routine. It's a simple life, but it's mine...

Blog-Tember Day 27: Wish List

Prompt: What's on your wish list? 

I always have a running Amazon wish list (and one on Etsy). Let's take a look at a few of the thing's I've been eyeing lately. (Links will take you to Amazon or Etsy)

Blog-Tember Day 26: TBR Pile

Prompt:What's on your to-reading list, and what have you recently read?

I read constantly! Even with a toddler in the house, I average 3000 pages a month (7-10 books). I'm always excited to share what I'm reading...

Recently read:

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen -- Love her books! And loved this new one.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer -- For book club. Not my favorite but that may be because I'm not the target demographic.

On my TBR pile:

Blog-Tember Day 25: Current Song Obsessions

Prompt: Three songs you are connecting with right now.

Ohhh... I am constantly listening to music. As a plus, Arthur enjoys it also. Right now we are rocking out to:

Florence + the Machine "Ship to Wreck"

Elle King "Under the Influence"

Houndmouth "Sedona"

Blog-Tember Day 24: Must Read Blogs

Prompt: Shout out five of your favorite bloggers. Who are your regular reads?

My Bloglovin' feed is a bit out of control, but let's see if I can pull out some of my favorite go-to reads! I couldn't narrow down the list to five, so I'm going to list my favorite ten bloggers!

1. Elise Blaha -- I love the sneak peeks into her life and business. Paired with her podcast, Elise Gets Crafty, this is one of my first must reads.
2. Renegade Mothering -- Janelle writes the honest truth about mothering and life. Her honesty is a breath of fresh in my life. Plus she's been a guest multiple times on the One Bad Mother podcast. Amazing stuff!
3. The Bloggess -- Jenny Lawson is hilarious. Her use of humor to deal with the difficulties of life is inspiring. Plus her second book released this week! Furiously Happy, go check it out!
4. Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration -- Okay, confession time.  I am currently a part of this design team.  I added it to the list because I get so much great crafting inspiration from all the other ladies on the team!
5. 510 Families and Silicon Valley Toddler -- Two amazing local parent blogs. These are my go-tos when looking for area activities and reviews of places.
6. Iowa Girl Eats -- I have found so many great recipes from Kristin's site. Basically anytime she posts a recipe, I have to at least try it out. Great stuff!
7. I Like Beer and Babies -- Another awesome honest mom blog. Great stuff in the archives!
8. Strangely Mixed -- An friend from Omaha's newish blog. I love her take on a variety of topics.
9. Modern Mrs. Darcy -- A great overall lifestyle blog.
10. My Life as a Teacup -- A great blog focuses on writing and reading (two of my favorite things!).

Blog-Tember Day 23: Guest Posting

Prompt: Grab a guest post. Recruit a friend or fellow blogger to share on your space for the day.

No guest blogger here today. My blog is very much my weird personal space. I just don't have many friends who are interested in blogging. So you get just me today and everyday.

Blog-Tember Day 22: My Creative Side

Prompt: Get creative! Sketch, paint, dance, play music, whatever then give us a glimpse.

I'm an avid paper crafter, so most of crafts revolve around scrapbooking and greeting cards. I'm currently using my skills to work on Arthur's birthday party decor, thank yous, and favors. I went with a dinosaur theme because of Stampin' Up's adorable new stamp set No Bones About It. Here's a look at my finished products.

Favor bags: For the favor bags, I went very simple with a base of white paper bags. I stamped some dinosaur footprints in random patterns on top. From there, I added a cute starburst tag in a variety of colors and patterns. (I added some blue dots to help fill out the white space).

Thank you cards: I made a few different variations of these cards, but each feature a dino with a party hat! It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but the dinos have heat embossed skeletons on top of their bodies. Looks really cool in person!

Matching game (for favor bags): I made 2x2 squares featuring stamped dinosaurs on one side and some patterned paper on the other. Each set includes 18 different pairs to match. I thought about adding leaves and such, but decided that the simple dinosaur silhouette in different colors looked just right. These are matching games for toddlers.

Cupcake toppers: Simple little cupcake toppers using my scrap paper. These will look great on top of the cupcakes.

I've also got a birthday banner for last year that I'm going to reuse (it's the right colors!). Still debating about adding some other decor. I have streamers, tablecloths, and will add dinos scattered around the play area. But maybe I'll decorate his cake more than just plopping a dino on top. I'm thinking maybe chocolate rocks and fake trees...

Blog-Tember Day 21: Favorite Quote

Prompt: A favorite quote/expression and how it has impacted you.

"Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world". — Eleanor Roosevelt

I've been loving this quote lately. The idea of being friends with myself has been a difficult journey the last few years. For awhile, I didn't really like myself at all. Things have greatly improved, but I have to remind myself about this constantly.

Blog-Tember Day 20: Guilty Pleasures

Prompt: It's guilty pleasure time! Shows, books, songs, foods, whatever it may be.

J knows I have a few guilty pleasures. I am sometimes be a bit embarrassed by them, but I'm going to share today.

Television/movies:

• HGTV home shows -- Million Dollar Property, Buying and Selling, Rehab Addict, Love It or List It, etc
• CW Shows -- The 100, Reign
• Romantic Comedies -- Especially the holiday ones from ABC Family and Hallmark Channel
• Jane Austen adaptations -- Not really a pleasure that I hide, but J doesn't like watching them, so I have to watch when he's not around. I can watch these again and again.

Books:

• Historical Romances -- Yep, I love these. They are my palate cleansers between complicated and/or depressing books.
• YA Fantasy -- Sometimes silly, but I do enjoy these.

Foods:

• Ramen noodles -- Sometimes Arthur and I have these for lunch just because
• Pizza rolls -- So gross, but I really enjoy them
• Mini frosted donuts -- I forgot about my love for these until this past summer when Nick requested them for breakfast. I found myself sneaking one here and there. Yummy!
• Animal crackers -- I buy them for Arthur, but I like snacking on them also.

Music:

• Hits 1 channel on Sirius XM -- All those top pop hits. I find myself singing along all the time in between listening to Alt Nation and Octane.
• Broadway show tunes -- I love belting these out in the house when it's only Arthur and I.

Blog-Tember Day 19: Best Day

Prompt: Tell us about one of the best days of your life.

Again, I'm hit with another really difficult prompt. I thought for a few days about this prompt, but was having a lot of trouble coming up with a specific day. So, instead I will tell you about a general idea of my best days.

My best day would involve doing some activity with the family: Alex, Nick, J, and Arthur. We have had a few of these great days, mostly in the summer. We spend the morning doing an activity like time at the pool. Then lunch out somewhere and back home for Arthur's naptime. Finally everyone participates in making and cleaning up dinner before we snuggle onto the couch for a family movie. Those are definitely the best days.

Blog-Tember Day 17: Obsession!

Prompt: Just for fun, your latest obsession. What can you not get enough of these days?

My latest obsessions...

• Hazelnut coffee and/or creamer -- So incredibly yummy. Daily I have hazelnut coffee or regular coffee with hazelnut creamer.
• Scones -- What's better with coffee than scones? I say nothing.
• Gold anything -- I'm very much a silver person when it comes to jewelry, but lately I'm loving gold for everything else, especially in my crafting.
• Flowy tank tops -- I've been gravitating to a more bohemian style lately. And flower printed loose tanks are my jam right now!
• Fleece blankets -- Making a few for some friends, I had to get one for Arthur (it was dinosaur print!). I can't wait until it's a little cooler and we can snuggle with fleece blankets.
• Pasta -- I keep pinning pasta dishes to my recipe boards. I try to make only one a week, but I want to east pasta everyday right now!
• Books -- Always with the books. I'm really diving back into making reading a priority in my day.
• My mambi Happy Planner! -- This was impulse buy from Blitsy in July and I can't  believe how much I love it! This planner is perfect for my needs and it's pretty and it can be customized. And it will last me until December 2016. Perfect score!

Blog-Tember Day 16: Real Vs. Online

Prompt:The real you vs. the online you. Are they the same or different?

I have a very short answer to this prompt today. The online me and real me are basically the same. I don't always show the "dirty" or tough parts of life on my blog, but I don't try to make everything look perfect either.

Blog-Tember Day 15: In My Bag

Prompt: What's in your bag? Pick up your purse and peruse its contents, then share with us!

My current purse of choice is my newest Thirty-One acquisition: an Everything Crossbody in Palace of Jewells. (I've been a consultant for a few months now and love getting free or discounted products. Their bags are amazing!) I have a toddler, so be prepared for lots of kid related items. That was one full purse! Let's take a closer look at the contents...

• Diaper, wipes, and changing pad -- Necessities
• Backup pacified -- We still in the midst of losing this...
• Kleenex, lotion (hidden under the wipes), chapstick, headband, altoids, compact -- My necessities
• Variety of toys -- Currently I'm carrying two dinosaurs and a police car
• Variety of snacks -- Currently I'm carrying fruit snacks, pretzels, dried cranberries and goldfish. I usually have a water bottle in here also, but it's being washed
• Ear buds
• Business cards and holder -- I always carry Stampin' Up, Thirty-One, and Parent group cards
• Variety of pens -- I always carry 3-4 writing utensils in a variety of colors and types
• mambi Happy Planner -- My current lifeline for all scheduling and planning purposes
• Notebook -- While I love my planner, I also like to jot down ideas or blog entries. The notebook works better for that.
• Current book -- I also have at least one book in purse. This week it's Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
• Thirty-One mini catalogs -- Never know when I will meet someone who's interested in buying or hosting a party. I always keep a few catalogs on hand. Usually I have a full size catalog also, but I gave that away this week and haven't replaced it.
• iPhone (not pictured) -- If it's not in my bag, it's on my person somewhere
• Keys on Thirty-One key fob (not pictured) -- I try to always hang them by the door if we're at home. Less likely to lose them there.

Blog-Tember Day 14: Important Books

Prompt: The 5 books that have impacted your life the most.

I love to read! I'm constantly reading new books, but I also go back a few books over and over again.

1. The Awakening by Kate Chopin -- I was assigned this book for sophomore English class and fell in love with it. The book became my entry into Gender Studies. I eventually majored in Women's Studies in college. I reread this book every couple of years.
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen -- My favorite of Austen's works. I connect with the character of Anne Elliot. Plus, I love the story of redemption and rediscovered love. Such a great book!
3. Brace New World by Aldous Huxley -- This book started my love of science fiction. I didn't quite get it the first time I read the book, but it has become one I go back to over and over to explain all the nuances of the story and characters.
4. His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman -- J practically begged me to read this series a few years ago. Unfortunately I had seen the movie version of The Golden Compass and was turned off of reading the book. Thankfully the series is nothing like the book. Pullman's thoughts on religion and society solidified my atheist stance. I really need to read this series soon!
5. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson -- The most recent of the books on this list. I love reading Lawson's blog and her first book is an amazing collection of stories from her life and lessons learned. While I may not have had her life, I still connect with her on so many points.

Honorable Mention: The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer (fascinating life philosophy), The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (actually doing my own Happiness Project in 2016)