February Book Tallies

On February 29, 2020February 26, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized11 Comments

I started this in January and liked it so much I am keeping it going! I’ve got a few ideas cooking about how to do this post, but for this month, I am keeping it simple.

Let’s start with what I read!

Like last month, I read six books. I read Around the World in 80 Trees a few pages a day for the whole month, and it was really cool. I learned so much about different trees! Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts was one of my favorites this year so far, and I enjoyed diving back into this Eva Gates series. The Willow Tree Hall books were happy little reads, and I loved The Hands-On Home so much I bought my own copy, since I had checked it out from the library.

Wyatt and I also read about the same amount of books as last month, 27 books. I posted about our Valentine reading, and I am planning a February post soon hopefully.

Our money saved by using the library was still pretty amazing, ending up at $610.35. Combined with last month’s total of $656.10, I am at $1266.45 for the year so far!! However, I did buy a few books for myself this month, spending $29.88 on a few of the books mentioned above. The library continues to be one of our favorite places, and I love how it is the same library I used to go to. Lisa at Boondock Ramblings also posted this month about visiting her new-old library. I love reading about everyone’s library memories!

I posted two book review posts, and finished two nonfiction books as well, for my nonfiction reading challenge! I am feeling pretty happy about that – although I still need to do those reviews…

And that’s it for this month’s tallies!

Friday Favorites..

On February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

I am so behind this week. Wyatt didn’t have school Monday or Tuesday, due to his teacher being sick and no sub (if you are a teacher who needs a job, move to Michigan! Huge shortage), then snow days the rest of the week! We are also going on a short trip to the west side of Michigan next week so I am getting ready for our family vacation. It’s been nuts!

I did find some neat stuff during the time I was able to be online though!

I was most excited about this discovery – free Imagination passes to Dollywood for pre-k children born in 2015 and 2016. I signed Wyatt up for one right away! You don’t have to make reservations or commit to a certain time either, it’s good for the year. We have been talking about going (I love Dolly and Wyatt loves country music and Billy loves us so..) and this might be the year! I am thinking maybe fall. If you are interested, you have until March 15 to reserve your free pass! Also if anyone has gone and has trip hints and tricks let me know!

I have begun watching a few YouTube channels lately, mostly on in the background when I am cleaning or folding clothes, and one I am really enjoying is Northern Heart. It’s all about Maria and her life in the Swedish countryside, but also some of her struggles that brought her there to that slower paced life. It is such a cozy, warm vlog with definite hygge goals.

Since Wyatt was off this week, we had a lot of time to work on Exploring Nature with Children! We combined this week’s curriculum with next week’s – birds and a field trip to a new nature center, hiking spot, etc. We will do our field trip while on vacation, so this week we focused on birds and their nests. I hope to do a post next week, but this face can’t wait..

This book review post over at Superfluous Reading about The Year Without Summer by Guinevere Glasfurd. I have always been interested in this period in history, ever since I learned that it influenced so many writers and artists – including Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein that summer..

I am also loving this Instagram account!! Who else loves Wes Anderson, raise their hands? I find his work so visually appealing, and this Instagram is so fun!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by AWA (@accidentallywesanderson)

And this is my cue to stop….

What about you all? What social media are you imbibing? What are some neat things you have found this week?

My Sunday-Monday Post

On February 23, 2020February 22, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

I didn’t get much reading done last week, as Wyatt was home sick, poor kiddo. I of course caught his cold, although a more mild version. I have my fingers crossed we are feeling better soon, because our family “UK dinner” is this weekend! I have decided on an Irish Beef Stew, and I am hoping that this is actually a thing in Ireland. If it’s not don’t tell me yet! Lol. It should be a fun night though. My cousin has been hard at work perfecting his Yorshire Pudding, and I have to say, his look like the best efforts our family has made since my grandma used to make it.

Read Last Week/Reading This week:

That being said, I have not been able to really read or focus on anything. I did download and start one book, and I hope to settle down and read it this week. I still also have The Starless Sea sitting here unopened.

By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates: I read Spook in the Stacks back in October, and decided it was time to circle around and start the series from the beginning. I didn’t read much but I did enjoy what I have read so far! (Amazon)

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: My husband finished this and is singing its praises so hopefully I get it started this week.

Nonfiction I am reading:

The Hands-On Home: I am a very seasonal person, so I am really excited to start this book!

Around the World in 80 Trees: I am continuing to read this every week, here and there.

Posted Last Week:

I am so glad I prepped some book reviews last weekend!

Book Review: Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts

Book Reviews: Willow Tree Hall Series 1-3

Friday Favorites

Watching:

Locke and Key, Grace and Frankie, and Doc Martin. He is still kind of harsh but I feel like I understand his character so much more now, especially after a couple of key episodes.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On February 16, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized30 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Last week was all about parties it seemed – planning and preparing for Wyatt’s fifth birthday party, and then all the Valentine’s things! Party with his cousins, party at school, our family Valentine celebration..it was just a week centered around celebrating I guess. Which made it fun! Billy and I event got a date night in there as well! I am super excited about Wyatt’s party, which is going to be lumberjack themed with a cake that looks like a stack of pancakes!

Read Last Week:

A Winter Wedding at Willow Tree Hall by Alison Sherlock: The third in this series, and probably my very favorite. I have really enjoyed them all, such just pleasant happy little reads, but I loved this one. I loved boho shy Skye and her crazy Airstream and fear of the outdoors and countryside! I think that there is another one in this series but I will come back to this series; I loved them but I am ready to move on from their cozy little world.

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia: OMG I loved this book!!!! I picked it up on a whim and instantly fell in love with it once I started reading. I loved The Westing Game as a kid and this book reminded me of it. I have really kicked off my reading year with books about clever people solving puzzles (The Truly Devious series and now this book) and now I just want more like this. This book was so fantastic – it was funny, quirky, nods to pop culture from my own youth… absolutely awesome book. I’m hoping to get to some book reviews this week, and this will probably be in that roundup!

Reading This Week:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: So, I was going to give this book a pass. I was among the minority I think, who did not like The Night Circus, so I was not going to read this one. But then my husband listened to it and loved it, so I have decided to try it out. Plus, it also sounds like it is about solving a puzzle/mystery/game! So perfect timing!

Around the World in 80 Trees: I am fascinated by this book although I probably only read a few trees a week. I feel like my nerd level of telling people facts about trees without them asking is about to go up..

Posted Last Week:

A Valentine’s Day for the Birds

What Wyatt’s Reading – Valentine Edition

Watching:

I am stilling watching Grace and Frankie (which just doesn’t sound as good as Frankie and Grace..) and Billy and I have started watching Doc Martin. He is a bit abrasive but I still like it. Wyatt’s still watching Scout and the Gumboot Kids, Daniel Tiger, and Molly of Denali, so I guess I am watching that as well, at times. Lol.

What about you all? What is going on in your world?

A Valentine’s Day for the Birds

On February 13, 2020March 20, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized9 Comments

All the way back in the 14th century, Chaucer wrote a little poems called The Parliament of Fowls (Parlement of Foules), in which he describes the day as being one where birds found love and their mates. Before his poem, there had been no connection between Valentine’s Day and romance. These little love birds of his started a whole new holiday!

Since we are bird nerds over here, we decided to do a little something to honor this idea of birds and Valentine’s Day, just for a little fun, and decided to make bird feeders in the shape of hearts, an idea I got from Wyatt’s teacher. This was a super fun and super cute little craft, with very little mess, something I am not used to. We usually tend to make messy crafts around here, with paint or glue everywhere. So this was a nice change! Lol.

It’s very simple as you can see, using only yarn, pipe cleaners, and Cheerios!

Then we simply bent the pipe cleaners in a sort of heart shape to start with, strung on the Cheerios (which was great OT for Wyatt – fine motor and bilateral use of both hands!!), closed the heart off, and added the yarn! Voila. Then we took them outside and hung them in our apple tree. I hung them on itty bitty branches, hoping that squirrels and Pippin my possum friend don’t try to eat them. I am afraid that they would try to eat the pipe cleaner too. I am also keeping a close eye on them too, just in case.

We finished up by reading In the Snow by Sharon Phillps Denslow, which was a super cute read about a little boy who leaves birdseed out for his feathered and furry friends. It’s a simple little book that talks about the backyard birds and animals that might visit your feeders in winter. And it reminded me that we actually are out of birdseed, so I need to put it on our shopping list!

If you are interested in other Valentine’s Day nature crafts, I found so many cute and creative ideas around the internet!

Heart Leaf Lanterns (I am hoping to squeeze this one before Valentine’s Day!) from Rhythms of Play

Twig Centerpiece from Crafting a Green World

Pine Cone Love Bugs from Fireflies and Mudpies

Heart Shaped Homemade Bird Seed Feeders from Jen Loves Kev

These are just a few of the many I found! My Pinterest got a serious workout this week with all of my pinning.

We have a long winter break weekend, five days off for kiddo, ahead of us, I would love to hear about any craft or activities that you might do!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On February 9, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized25 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for books, where I will make a small commission if you were to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

I had kind of a different week for me – I had two mornings out while Wyatt was at school, having coffee with a few mom friends. It was a nice change of pace! Then this weekend we sort of had a regroup weekend, getting caught up on some things we needed to get done at home, and then a Valentines Party at my cousin’s later today, for our kids. It should be fun! I also ordered more seeds to start for spring. I am super excited to get working on our garden this year!

Read Last Week:

Summer Secrets at Willow Tree Hall: This little series is perfect for my mood right now; I just need something light and fun and cheery. (Amazon)

Around the World in 80 Trees: I got this book in from the library last week and so far I am really enjoying it!

Reading this Week:

A Winter Wedding at Willow Tree Hall: I have to admit that I started reading this series to get to this book. Lol. I just really love this cover and the idea of a winter wedding. I have enjoyed the journey, and am loving this little story. I think if you have Kindle Unlimited they are free! (Amazon)

And I will keep reading Around the World in 80 Trees.

Posted Last Week:

Currently…February

Winter Ponds and Snowy Walks

Watching:

We finished up This Farming Life on BritBox, and I have a new favorite farmer story – well two. The pair of sisters in their twenties who took over the farm when their dad passed away suddenly, and Raymond, who has the cutest sheep! We started watching Shakespeare and Hathaway, which is always funny. I also started watching WinterWatch on Britbox myself, and also Frankie and Grace.

How about all of you? What is new in your neighborhood?

Currently…February

On February 5, 2020February 5, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized24 Comments

Taken at book club at my friend’s house. Isn’t she brilliant?

Currently..is a meme hosted by Anne in Residence. Today we are sharing what we are currently….. loving, embracing, tasting, wearing, and preparing.

Loving: My blue light protective glasses! My little guy had to get glasses so I ordered these to wear along with him, to help to get him to keep his on. I had heard of the blue light protective glasses, so I ordered these from Zenni and I really like them! I had been noticing my eyes were getting dry and I had headaches after sitting in front of my computer, and these glasses are helping with that as well! So it worked out nicely all around!

Embracing: The 1000 Hours Outside Challenge! We are trying to go all out with our outdoors experiences this year. I am not sure we will make all 1000 hours but we are going to give it our best! We have gone out in cold weather, rainy weather, and nice weather so far this year so I can say with certainty that we are doing our best.

Tasting: All sorts of comfort food recipes. It’s winter in the mitten state now, and we have hunkered down with soups and chili, and this year, after twenty some years of vegetarianism, I have started to eat some meat, about one meat dish a month for me. It’s sort of a whole new learning curve, since my entire adult life I have never eaten meat – so I have to learn how to cook it. It is fun finding new recipes and trying them out, and my always carnivorous husband is very happy about this turn in events.

Wearing: Another new for me – I’ve started to add beauty products to my life. I know this probably sounds weird, but until recently I have never done much besides occasionally a little mascara and moisturizer. But lately I have just been feeling so frumpy – I don’t work outside my home and when I do go out, it is usually for a hike or outside somewhere so I never really take much time with that sort of regime. Lately though I have added some stuff in, and it makes me feel a little nicer, which in turn makes me feel a little happier. I started small and easy, since this is new to me, and have been absolutely loving the Pacifica line of products. I chose this brand because over the summer I found the perfect hair balm for my crazy thick wavy hair – the Salty Waves Beach Balm. A little of this and my hair would dry perfectly, no frizz, nice curls. So, when I decided to add in a different moisturizer and BB cream, I looked to this line again. I bought the Sea and C Life face lotion and the Alight BB Cream, and I love them both. So much that I now have a few other products on order. I also love the fact that these products don’t have a bunch of harmful chemicals, and are cruelty free – plus when you are finished with the product, the company will send you an envelope so you can send the packaging back! All things that make my hippy heart happy!

Preparing: For my son’s fifth birthday party next month! I am so excited! We are planning a lumberjack themed party, and we are talking about a cake that looks like pancakes and a maple syrup tapping demonstration, and I have a few other ideas percolating as well.

My Sunday-Monday Post

On February 2, 2020February 1, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized19 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for books, where I will make a small commission if you were to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. And I only Amazon link books that I have bought not checked out..

After a few crazy weeks, we started to settle in back to normal last week. Finally. Friday we had a great family day! Wyatt and I talked about winter ponds and then “made” our own, watching to see when it would freeze. Later that evening when Billy got home, we made personal pizzas and had an indoor campout, where we hung out around the tent, put blankets on the floor, our little fake fireplace stove, and turned out the lights except for my one lantern. Then we hung out talking and reading out loud. It was a great way to unplug!

Read Last Week:

Love Begins at Willow Tree Hall: I completely adored this book! So much so that I had to go and download the next two. I was really in the mood for something lighthearted and easy, there is just so much going on in the world right now that I need a true escape when I read. And this book was perfect. I loved every bit of it. (Amazon)

Reading This Week:

Summer Secrets at Willow Tree Hall: Like I said, I enjoyed the first so much I wanted to read on! (Amazon)

Around the World in 80 Trees: I am so looking forward to starting this book! It sounds like a wonderful journey through trees.

Posted Last Week:

January Book Tallies

A Few Quick Book Reviews

What Wyatt’s Reading – January

Hello February!

Watching:

We finished up The Ranch, which had me all teary at the end of the final episode. Sam Elliot is an amazing actor! Love him. We started watching This Farming Life, Season 3 on Britbox and we are loving the new farmers this year. We can’t agree on another show right now so we are sticking with farmers for the moment. Lol.

How about you guys? What is going on in your neighborhood?

What Wyatt’s Reading – January

On January 28, 2020March 20, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized12 Comments

We have had such a great reading month together! I have started keeping a book journal, where I am tracking a few different things, including the picture books we read together every month. We always have a mix of books, the ones that Wyatt picks out for himself and then the books that I pick out, because I like to theme his reading around the things we are doing and learning together. This month they were mostly picked out by me – for some reason we just couldn’t get to the library together this month, which is a bummer because I love when Wyatt and I go to the library – which generally is every Friday! Next month we will start again. And get hot chocolate afterwards too, I think.

As usual, I just listed our favorites, his and my own. Wyatt adored Snow Sisters – I read that one to him a million times, I think partly because the brunette girl in the illustrations looks a little like his cousin! Wyatt is also a little obsessed with wolves and howling right now lol, and he loved Little Wolf’s Song, and Little Wolf’s First Howling. He definitely enjoyed all the howling. And then surprisingly, he really loved Winter Walk. I say surprisingly because it had a lot of nonfiction elements, learning about different things you can find on a winter walk, like blue spruces and blue spruce pinecones, but that was his go to, drag it from the library basket favorite ALL MONTH. I guess I need to buy that one! He also seemed to love Sugar White Snow and Evergreens, and honestly I did too. The illustrations and story were wonderful!

I loved Wolf in the Snow – it was so cute, and also heartwarming. And Winter Trees book was seriously cool, I actually learned a lot from it. Wyatt wasn’t super interested in it, but I read it a few times for me. Lol. Another one I think we will buy. I actually loved all of the books this time, quite honestly.

And then, the Scout and the Gumboot Kids books! We loved these so much. We only did the craft from one of the books, but I am going to go back to them the more seasonally appropriate they become for the other books that we have. If you are interested in learning more about them, check out my Puddles and Pinecones post. We had so much with that book and activity!

Next month we have more snow books on the horizon, although I do plan to start adding in some Valentine’s books- plus whatever Wyatt finds on the shelves. I am looking forward to going to the library with him again – and I know the librarians miss him too, as they told me!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On January 26, 2020January 26, 2020 By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized32 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for books, where I will make a small commission if you were to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

Last week went sideways fast. Wyatt had a million appointments, Billy had to work late every single night, and I spent countless hours on the phone with insurance and doctors. We did have “book club” last week though, which I desperately needed by the time it came. Sometimes you just need those few hours to unwind, to recharge so that you can get back to work again right? And Michigan is so ugly right now guys. All mud and gray. Yuck. I miss the snow that we usually have – and now I sound so whiny! I apologize for sounding like a gloomy Gus, I guess I am feeling a bit of the January blues! I feel encouraged though, everyday brings us closer to spring and more light and new life in our world. We are going to start a calendar of firsts in a few weeks, where we look for these signs of the earth waking up from winter (the silly winter that we have had!), the first buds we see, etc. I think it will be so hopeful! This week in our Exploring Nature with Children program, we are going to be studying winter ponds. I am pretty excited to do this one! We are going to start by slipping on our muck boots this afternoon and hiking around the pond we have chosen to observe.

Read Last Week:

Good news, I broke my reading slump!

The Hand on the Wall: I was super excited to see that this was out! I downloaded it and immediately started reading it. Such a great series!!

Reading This Week:

One thing I miss about working my old job in the elementary school library is the excuse to read all those middle grade and younger books. Now I have no excuse, I just still like them at times. I really think I am going to buy a whole collection of Jean Craighead George for our house – I think Wyatt will enjoy them when he is older. Right now I am enjoying the Seasons of the Moon series.

Love Begins at Willow Tree Hall: I also was in the mood for something lighthearted as well – and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so… romance it is. I thought this looked like such an inviting cover.

Watching:

The Ranch, WinterWatch on Britbox, some Rachel Khoo in London cooking show whose name eludes me but I love. She made a Black Forest Gateaux in one episode that looked insanely delicious! That show is also on Britbox. We might start Frankie and Grace pretty soon – I love those ladies. When I grow up I want to be Lily Tomlin.

How about you guys? What is going on in your neighborhood?