Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized9 Comments

Hello everyone! I am writing from my bed this morning, it is so cold and I am not ready to get moving quite yet. I do have a cup of coffee next to me though, thank goodness, that will help with both issues, although it is Friday and Wyatt and I have a lighter day on Fridays.

This past weekend was my birthday! I feel like I have been celebrating all month, with all of the surprises my family and friends have had for me. They have all been so thoughtful and made me feel very special for my 50th.

On Saturday, my dad and stepmom had a party for me out at their house, and it was so chill and relaxed and just what I needed. Good food, lots of cake, family, and laughter. I loved just hanging out with my family, chatting and eating and then I took the kids outside and they were all playing hide and seek, even Wyatt. It was a nice time.

Sunday morning Billy, Wyatt, and I had plans to go to Le Supreme in Detroit, which is a French brasserie. We love their brunch menu and we got all shined up to go (Marsha, I wore my fox dress outfit!) – however, my son decided to gift me a special surprise right as our food arrived, by throwing up right in my lap. I told him I have had better gifts before. We managed to keep things low profile and cleaned up and then packed Wyatt’s food up and went home. Billy and I both had egg based breakfasts and left them behind. The waiter was so nice, and gave me a raincheck for a free creme brulee when we go back. And we are having a redo, and this time I think Wyatt will stay home with a grandparent. Ah, life with a medically complex child. Lol. It is that pesky side effect of his medication – and we never know when it will occur since it is not everyday.

The day after my birthday would have been Billy’s older brother’s birthday, and we remember him every year on that date (well we remember him everyday, but especially the 17th). He passed at 26 from squamous cell cancer of the mouth, and we tell stories about him to Wyatt all the time. About George’s tarantulas, which is one reason I took Carl in, his love of old cars, his carpentry and automotive skills, which is where Billy learned a lot of what he knows, from his older brother. He would have been 53 this year, and probably still been giving Billy a hard time but then bailing him out as well. He was a good big brother. I remember one winter, Billy and I had been watching a movie and it was over about 1 am. Billy went out to his car, and the battery was dead, so he called George. George came over in the bitter cold, and together they jumped Billy’s car, while sitting in George’s. I would check on them occasionally out there, chatting while they waited, and I remember thinking how happy they both looked, despite it being freezing cold, pitch black, and jumping a car. Just two brothers doing brother things. He was one one of the good guys, and we miss him everyday.

On Wednesday my dad came by and kicked me out of the house, telling me to go do something for me. I decided to check out Brooks Books, a local bookstore. I knew they had decorated for Christmas, and I thought it would be nice to take Wyatt there next month for our book and cookie outing. However, it was very nice to go by myself for once. I had so much time to just look at everything, in quiet. I picked up a book while I was there, Cold Clay, the second book in the Shady Hollow series. It was a nice refresh midweek!

And, I also got my items from when I went to the tie dye place with my friends! I had made a pashmina scarf, a tote bag, and socks, which they donate to the unhoused. I really love how both my scarf and tote bag turned out! My scarf makes me think of malachite, and it is so pretty!

And I here I am, looking like an art teacher from a 1990s romcom!

And that is it from around here this week. I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!

Christmas Gift Guide: Things Wyatt Has Loved

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized9 Comments

How is Christmas so close now? What is it, 35 days away? I am not even close to being finished with holiday shopping! I did see Amazon started its Black Friday Sale, so I thought I would share a few ideas of things that Wyatt has loved over the years, in case anyone needs a little inspiration. Some of these are Black Friday Deals, others are not.

These links are affiliate links, and I will receive a small commission if you were to purchase anything using a link, at no extra cost to you.

Outfoxed is a game that he got maybe a year or two ago from his aunt and uncle, and he absolutely loves it, as do all of his cousins. It is a mystery game where you eliminate suspects (all foxes) using clues and logic.

Hoot Owl Hoot is a game that we bought Wyatt when he was five. We gave it to some friends with young children a few years ago as he outgrew it, but it is an awesome game. Wyatt played the heck out of it with us. This is a cooperative game, and helps kids learn colors, strategy, and turn taking.

Pop the Pig. I can’t even tell you how many times we had to play Pop the Pig. Every teacher, every therapist I have talked to has said that they have this game in their classroom as well. Kids love it. It is also geared for younger kids. We still have ours and if you could see it – the box is tattered, the poor pig looks like he has been through the wars, but it had a lot of use and love.

This Makedo Discover Set is a current favorite. This is actually really cool, and Wyatt has fun transforming my Amazon boxes into art or tall buildings or whatever he wants to make. And we learned over Halloween that the sawing tool is handy for kids to carve pumpkins with as well! All of it is safe and not actually sharp. Wyatt will sit and create with this for a good while!

Picasso Tiles, all the sets, he loves. He wants a set like this with dragons again this year (and I already ordered it) and it is another thing he will play with for an hour or two. We have taken them with us on vacations, on his trips to the hospital for EEGs, for tests,and they travel well (as long as you don’t bring them ALL lol).

I bought this flower building garden toy for Wyatt when he was in pre-school and we were doing a unit study on plants. It was great to illustrate to him the parts of a plant, but I had no idea that he was going to love it as much as he did, or that his cousins would as well.

Hopper toys were always a winner around here, I mean who doesn’t like to bounce? Plus it is good for core building in little kids, and balance.

I got these little barns and farm animals for my niece’s second birthday this past March, and let’s just say, she didn’t care about any of her other gifts once she opened it. I was told I apparently bought her the winning gift, because she played with it the entire rest of the party. It has colors, animals, and little kids love to put things in things and take them out.

And then a bigger gift, but I would feel remiss if I didn’t share, just in case anyone is on the fence about getting one for their child or grandchild or whoever.

A play kitchen. Wyatt played with his for years and years and when he outgrew it I gave it to a friend for their child to use. This and kitchen toys to go with it – he was occupied for hours. I drank countless “cups of tea” and ate so many pieces of “cake” as did any other family member who came over. It was well worth the money. This is not the same one we had but it is by the same company, KidKraft.

If you search my blog, you might be able to find photos of Wyatt playing with most of these!

I hope that this gift guide gave you some ideas, and I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!

Mini Book Reviews: The Enchanted Greenhouse, A Land So Wide, Goblin Mode

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized19 Comments

Hello everyone!! I have an odd mix of books to review today! But I guess I always do.

Let’s start with The Enchanted Greenhouse.

This book was the very perfect book to read to kick off the end of spooky season! It is about Terlu, the librarian who was turned to wood for making a sentient plant – Caz, if you read The Spellshop. She winds up in an Enchanted Greenhouse, brought there by the letters to the capitol from the shy, slightly grumpy gardener, who is all alone on this island, other than his greenhouse. Which is gigantic, and in need of help, hence his pleas to the capitol for said help. He gets Terlu. This book is so cozy and charming, with lots of homemade soup and bread and honey cakes, eaten in a snug little house surrounded by snow, and lots of plants. I wanted to move there as well! It just made me feel happy and warm, just reading it!

You guys, I was so excited to read this one that when it came in, I dropped everything else like a hot potato. And I absolutely devoured it! However, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I loved the first half, I loved the characters and the setting but then, I disliked the final ending. Erin Craig let me down! It felt rushed and hurried, and well, sort of dumb. I feel like she had so much wrapped up in this story but then when it came time to wrap it up, she lost her way, which was a bummer because it was awesome until then. Sigh.

And finally, Goblin Mode. I picked this up randomly when we went to the library to grab A Land so Wide, and I am glad that I did. I needed a pick-me-up after that one, and this was just such a fun, silly read. I loved it. And I learned that me and my friend Kelly are goblins. Who knew? It is sort of about embracing who you are, being the person who is a bit quirky and out there, who might like weird nature items and collect lots of acorns and leaves and stuff them in their pockets on walks, or fill their houses with little collections of items, or have lots of hobbies. There is also a bit about what your Goblin companion is, and I learned that Billy’s is a frog, and mine is a turtle. It was just a little easy happy read, and I really enjoyed it! It was just a silly little fun book.

So two books I really loved, and one that was ok. Not too bad!

Top Ten Tuesday: Modern Books That You Think Will Be Classics In The Future

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized33 Comments

Today’s Prompt:  Modern Books You Think Will Be Classics In The Future (submitted by Veros @ Dark Shelf of Wonders)

I am uncertain at how far back in year I am allowed to go; like what would still be considered modern? Some of these are from early 2000, does that count? I am going to have a limit of 25 years ish. Lol.

I had fun with this one!

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers :”Becky Chambers’ series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?” This book is such a peaceful, gentle read.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy: “The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.” This book also was very depressing and I thought it about for a long time afterwards.

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley: “Angeline Boulley takes us back to Sugar Island in this high-stakes thriller about the power of discovering your stolen history.” A very moving thriller, and one that made me wish I could do more to right wrongs.

Chlorine by Jade Song: “Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary coming-of-age narrative and a dark unsettling horror tale, told from an adult perspective on the trials and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies… a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.” Phew this book is one of my favorites this year. It is a tough read sometimes but has so much to say, and is a powerhouse of a book.

City of Thieves by David Benioff: “By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, the New York Times bestseller City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men.” This is another one that is a difficult read in terms of subject matter, but another that has stayed with me. It is one of my all time favorite books.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt: “Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality”

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian: “A story of loss, adventure, and the search for friendship in the wake of catastrophe, Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is one of Chris Bohjalian’s finest novels to date—breathtaking, wise, and utterly transporting.”

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: “An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days following civilization’s collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.” I found this whole concept fascinating. I should really reread it.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: “Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, based on the author’s own experiences and coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character’s art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.”

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger: “With intelligent humor and captivating whimsy, Leif Enger conjures a remarkable portrait of a region and its residents, who, for reasons of choice or circumstance, never made it out of their defunct industrial district. Carried aloft by quotidian pleasures including movies, fishing, necking in parked cars, playing baseball and falling in love, Virgil Wander is a swift, full journey into the heart and heartache of an often overlooked American Upper Midwest by a “formidably gifted” (Chicago Tribune) master storyteller.” Another book that is an all time favorite of mine.

Have you read any of these? What do you think?

Soup and Story Saturday

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Hello everyone! This is my very first Soup and Story Saturday, and if you are not quite sure what it is yet, well, know that I am still working it out too. It is sort of amorphous right now, and that is fine. We can all work with that.

My idea was basically about community. Sharing a meal, sharing a story. You can share a soup you have made, soup you love, soup you have eaten somewhere else, homemade or restaurant made, from a can – it doesn’t matter. As for the story, you can share a story or a memory of your own, you can share the book you are reading, you can share about a book you love, a book you hate – same, it is up to you. Just any sort of story you want to share.

Last Sunday we woke up to the first snow of the season, which is always an exciting day for us. We like to celebrate the first snow and traditionally, we order Chinese for some reason on the first snow. Well, this past Sunday our budget said no to ordering food, so instead we decided to start a few new traditions. We painted and had homemade soup and I baked. However, the soup I made didn’t quite turn out! I used to make it years ago, when I was still a vegetarian, and I must have done something differently in the past because this time there just was not any broth. Lol. It was more like a bowl of beans and dumplings than soup! It was still ok but not quite soup. It was still very hearty and soothing, although a bit stodgy.

The soup I made is called Vegan Chickpea Dumpling. I won’t share the recipe I used since this is not a good representation of it. Lol.

When I conceptualized this idea, I was just about to start reading The Enchanted Greenhouse. By the time I was done reading it, I knew I wanted to do a soup sort of posting linky. That book is full of homemade soup, sitting around a table, protected against the snow outside, and feeling snug. I always got that same feeling reading Little House on the Prairie. Laura would describe the elements outside, how it was always slightly wild and dangerous, but they were safe inside their little house, wherever it was located at that time.

This month is full of milestones for me, my 25th anniversary, my 50th birthday. Billy has been such a safe place for me for so long now- we have been together since we were seventeen, and even then, just starting to date him, he made me feel safe and cared for. There were times in my life that I didn’t necessarily always feel that way, but Billy is one of those people that are just…protective and full of love. He is human and makes mistakes obviously, but that doesn’t take away from how he is. He is an extremely capable person, and so kind to people. I remember one of the moments I really realized I love him, and what a good person he is.

I was working at a retail store, during college, one that sold office supplies, but also had a gifts side, that was sort of Hallmarkish, cards and little figures and ornaments and what have you. I worked on the gifts side of the store, and while the office supply side had more business customers, the gift side had more older people who came in, who would walk down from the senior apartments a block or so away for cards for their grandchildren, little gifts, but some came in just to chat. I would chat with them while I worked, the man named Harold Angel (first and middle name) because he was born on Christmas was one of my favorites, and then there was a little tiny much older woman, who didn’t live in the apartments but in her own home. But she came in one Christmas and wistfully told me that her family lived very far away, and didn’t visit very often, and that she wished that she had someone to visit and to help her set up her Christmas village of houses. Since her husband had died she didn’t have anyone to bring them up from the basement or help her out, and she missed seeing their lights at night. You all know I have a very close family, and it made me sad that she was all alone at the holidays. So you all probably can guess what I did. I volunteered Billy and I to go over and help her out.

Later, I told my nineteen year old boyfriend that we were going to spend the next night at a stranger’s house helping her out. And it was probably the first of Billy’s shrugs and sighs and turning to me saying “What do you want me to do”, acting exasperated but not really being exasperated. So the next night we went over to her home, which turned out to be just around the corner from my home, and she met us at the door, all huge smiles.

She had eggnog for us, which neither of us care for but that we smiled and chugged down, and her house was set a million degrees so we were sweating to death, and I sat and chatted with her on the couch while my very kind boyfriend brought up all the boxes of her decorations and little village houses, set them all up the way she wanted them, made sure they worked, and were safely plugged in. And I watched him, and knew he was a keeper. It wasn’t his ideal night out, probably a far cry, but he did it because he is kind. He has a good heart, a big heart. He is a helper. There he was, in his plaid flannel shirt over a black concert tee of some punk band, wearing his camouflage pants and giant combat boots, doing his best to make this woman happy. No one would have guessed he was that full of kindness if you just looked at him – until he smiled. Then you would know because his eyes are twinkly and his smile welcoming.

And I guess that is my story today. About Billy and his kindness, his spirit, his joy. And I probably wrote this all wrong, because I am no writer and sometimes it is hard to describe a feeling or emotion or a particular event in your life. But I hope you all understand what I am trying to say in this story anyway.

And with that, I hope you all have a great day, and that whatever you do, that you do something that makes you smile.

And, I am having a problem adding the linky today. It just keeps telling me it is incompatible with wordpress. So I apologize! If you want to share a post, add your link in the comments. 🙂 Or if you just want to share a story in the comments, that works as well! I look forward to reading anything anyone wants to share.

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized23 Comments

Hello everyone! We have been keeping busy but finding a balance over here, finally. I like when we can have down time but also activities and for awhile there, it was either too much or too little. It is finally just right.

Wyatt and I had our monthly book and cookie outing last Friday! It’s such a small little thing but we have so much fun. This time we went back to Barnes & Noble; the local bookstore in our town turned their store in a Christmas wonderland so I want to save that trip for December. Anyway, Barnes and Noble turned out to be a good time – partially because the Starbucks sugar cookies are freaking delicious. Wyatt has been binging the Frog and Toad cartoon, and now wants to revisit the books, so he chose Frog and Toad All Year as his pick. I lucked out and got the $5 Barnes and Noble Cafe book promo, where if you buy anything from the cafe, you get that one particular book for $5! It is a book called Murder at Holly House and I am really excited to read it this holiday season!

The next day was a get-together with my girls for my birthday party. They arranged a whole night out for us and I had such a fantastic time hanging out with them. I am so thankful for their thoughtfulness and friendship. We have all been friends for 20-30 years and I am hoping to have that many years more with them as well.

Our first stop was the Detroit Dye House, where we made tie dye! Kelly had arranged for us to do the class, and with the class you make three things: socks to be donated, a tote bag, and your choice of a few pieces. We all chose the pashmina scarf. I loved seeing where my friends creativity took them in the making of their pieces, what colorways we all went with.

Chrissy went jewel tones, very royal, and it reminded me a little of a peacock. Kelly was more earthy, Jill went for the colors of the ocean, and then I went for a more monochromatic look of different shades of green.

That place is really fun. I also like that it is fun for all ages; this is actually the place we celebrated Wyatt’s birthday this year for his tenth birthday! I threw in a picture of us at another creative get together, that one more than ten years ago! After getting creative, we went to dinner at Ima, a noodle house which was amazing!!

We woke up Sunday to the first snow of the season, and we had a perfectly cozy day, which I blogged about here! It was also the perfect weather for the eve of the anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy. It went down 5o years ago, 6 days before I was born, and my great uncles helped build it. One of them, Hugh McIlroy was actually the superintendent of the shipyard where it was built as well. My mom attended the launch as a kid, and remembers the surge of water when it was launched that soaked everyone. Apparently the surge of water was so great that one of the workers there actually had a heart attack, poor man. Another tragic casualty of this ship. My cousin Brian invited my brother and I out for a drink (I had a cider that was described as “cozy”) that night, Monday, in remembrance of the crew, and he also surprised me with a birthday gift. He wrote me a very beautiful letter that made me cry, and then gifted me with a first edition, seventh printing, first book club edition of To Kill a Mockingbird and told me that I always reminded him of Scout. He also again made me cry by gifting me a decorative Hummel plate of my aunt’s, that I remember being displayed in her home. I miss her so much everyday, and I am so happy to have such a memento.

The rest of our week was just routine (the balance I needed for all those outings!) and yesterday we had our Blackbirds meeting. The kids seemed to really enjoy our activity! We started with spending some time in the courtyard at the church, doing some stargazing, then we headed inside for snacks, a little art project designing their own constellations, and then ended with potting paperwhites to take home, which was a gift from my stepmom to the troop. I love being outside at night this time of year, I find it so peaceful and I even enjoy the chill in the air. They also all surprised me at the end of the night with a cake and singing happy birthday, and the smiles on all the kids’ faces warmed my heart.

And that is it from over here this week! I hope that whatever you do this week, you do something that makes you smile!

And now for some random photos.

Comfy Cozy Cinema: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized13 Comments

Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are back to watching and sharing about comfy cozy (and as we move closer to Halloween, spookier) movies for the fall season.

Our last and final movie we watched is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, starring Kunal Nayyar, Lucy Hale, Christina Hendricks, and Deputy Dewey – I mean, David Arquette.

So this movie is based on a book, about a grumpy bookseller who lives on an island that is very hard to get to. His wife has recently passed away, and his grief is enormous, swallowing him up like every drink, every bottle of wine he consumes, every night. His life is looking pretty bleak and miserable, honestly, and then one day, it changes. And with that one thing, everything changes, and not just for A.J. Fikry, this grump of a bookseller, but for a whole orbit of people who are in his life.

A few things happen, actually. First his prize possession, his very rare copy of Tamerlane by Edgar Allan Poe is stolen. Secondly, he finds a small two year old girl abandoned in his bookstore, with a note saying that she is being left for the owner of the bookstore, in general but not specifically, that would be A.J. Something about this child, Maya, pulls A.J. together. He adopts her, and raises her, and from here, life happens.

This is a movie about second chances, about living after things go south, finding happiness when perhaps you have given up on that ever happening. It is about love and life and all the small moments that make life what it is. The everyday moments. The moments in the quiet spaces, and of course, the much larger moments as well. It moves like a river through time, or waves upon the beach, each one giving us a new glimpse into these lives, their emotions, their struggles and their triumphs. The beauty that life can offer, and how no matter what, books are there for us. Words. Books. Stories.

Stories. We all have them. Good, bad, ugly. And we are along for the ride for the stories of these people of Alice Island. There is happiness and sadness, knowing when a chapter ends, and when to start a new one.

I think the actors in this did a fantastic job. Kunal Nayyar, from the Big Bang Theory, was so far from his character on that show and was so believable as A.J. Lucy Hale, from Pretty Little Liars did a great job playing a grown up, since the last time I saw her was in Pretty Little Liars as one of the liars and in a terrible relationship that grossed me out the entire series – anyway, she was the sunshine to Nayarr’s grumpy. David Arquette was amazing – I always picture him as Deputy Dewey from Scream, and he also played a police officer in this movie, however Lambiase, his character was so much more than Dewey. He was sincere, compassionate, understanding, and not dopey. I loved that he formed his own book club. Christina Hendricks as Ismay was also perfectly cast – she played her role very well.

Overall, I found this movie to be heartwarming, heartbreaking, and poignant. Good times and bad, the small moments that form a life.

Of course, as a very visual person, I loved the setting and the look of this movie. The island, the bookstore itself, the cozy nooks in the bookstore aisles, the living quarters above the store, just all of it, the weather and the store reflecting all the passages of time.

I have not read the book yet that this movie is based on. I do have it in my collection of physical books, somewhere. One day I will get to it.

And this was it! The very last movie of Comfy Cozy Cinema!

Be sure to check out Lisa’s post on her blog, here.

I hope that whatever you do today, that you do something that makes you smile!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Outside My Comfort Zone

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized35 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt: Books Outside of My Comfort Zone

Hello everyone! Today I want to write about books I want to read outside my comfort zone. I actually had a goal to read some different authors and books next year, so my list of goal books are the books (plus a few more) that I will be including today. I don’t know if I will have ten, but I am excited about this goal! I like to push my boundaries sometimes as I think it is really good for our brains to be exposed to different type materials and different things.

First up, Terry Prachett. I have been toying around with wanting to read the Discworld series and next year I am going to start. I am not a binge series reader, so it will probably take a million years for me to read them all, if I even ever do. These are the ones I am planning on starting with. Let me know your thoughts about my choices!

I am hoping to read Hogfather in December, and The Wee Free Men in January. I feel like these are not too far from what I normally read, since I do like fantasy, but I honestly don’t read much comedy.

Next, science fiction and Becky Chambers and her Wayfarer series. Or at least the first book. I don’t mind fantasy but I am not usually a fan of science fiction or anything that takes place in space. And has spaceships. So, this will be interesting!

And following that, I promised Billy that I would read Dungeon Crawler Carl. Not usually my type of book at all, but I will read it for him. He has read so many of mine that I owe him. He is fairly confident that I will love Princess Doughnut. (Donut?)

Dungeon Crawler Carl

This next one is one that I have had on my TBR for a bit but I keep putting it off because the whole novel in verse is intimidating. However I do think it is sounds absolutely fascinating and like it would be a really good read!

Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit

And…I think that is it from me this morning! Not ten but I think five really solid books out of my comfort zone!

I will see you all soon!

Our Cozy Little Life

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

Hello everyone!! We had our first snow of the season yesterday, which made us all feel like hibernating. We had a perfect, cozy day.

We hurkle durkled together for a few hours, just reading, scrolling, making lists, and watching Frog and Toad. Wyatt and I have been watching these episodes like crazy lately. They are just so cute and sweet, full of the best things, like baking cookies, and reading, and sending snail mail and flying kites. I got very excited over the Christmas episode too. It is just a great comfort show when you need something fun and childish and whimsical and cozy. I am an adult who is not ashamed to say that they love cartoons.

After a while I decided I needed to get up and do something. So I attempted my first batch of cinnamon rolls! My goal this winter is to make really good cinnamon rolls, and for my first attempt, these were pretty darn good! The flavors were great, they were just maybe a bit more breadlike than cinnamon roll. I really liked them though. I decided to switch up the icing, and found a maple glaze online that I swapped the regular icing for, and it was a good choice. The cinnamon and the maple together were delicious. Billy and I split one for breakfast this morning and the flavors mingling with the coffee…yum!!

While the cinnamon rolls were proofing, we all painted together. I am not an artist, and the past few days I have been attempting the Andrea Nelson Art tutorials from Instagram. She is a watercolor artist and her reel tutorials are approachable, whimsical, and geared for people who can’t art. Like me. They might even be for children, but whatever. I am learning and having fun and that is what matters. I think too, that doing small things like this might help get rid of that art police in my head.

Afterwards I popped the cinnamon rolls in the oven, and the house filled with the most cinnamony scent. I made Christmas plans with Wyatt, talking about other things we might bake and things we want to buy (or receive lol, as he was making his list), and Billy was working on a project in the basement. I eventually wandered back into the kitchen to start dinner, which was chickpea dumpling soup, something I used to make years ago and haven’t for a while. I remember it being very filling and warm on snowy nights, and it was. I think I used to make it a bit differently though, as this was more like a bowl of beans and dumplings – the broth was non-existent. I must have used more before. It was still very good though.

While I was cleaning up, and Billy was getting Wyatt ready for bed, I listened to one of my favorite podcasters, Vic at In the Meadow. If you want a cozy podcast, full of simple goodness, give her a listen. How this young woman has such a wonderful view on life is amazing to me; you attribute that to aging, but I feel like more and more I am learning from the younger generations.

After Wyatt was all cleaned up, it was my turn to do his bedtime routine, which includes a cozy YouTube and a book. Last night we watched Shelby’s Cottage, one of her older autumn videos since she is new to us, then we followed it up with reading Bunnicula. Then it was time for Billy and I to be lazy and loungy together. We chose to watch an episode of Victorian Farm, and I worked on my embroidery while we watched.

I slept so good last night, after such a relaxing cozy day with my guys. And woke up to more snow this morning!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized28 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

Hello everyone!! It is snowing here! Our first snow of the year! I always feel like it is my personal gift from Mother Nature when it is around my birthday, which is next week. I am very Lorelai Gilmore about snow, especially the first snow. Tonight I am going to make soup and if I can, I am going to try to make cinnamon rolls for the first time as well.

What I Read Last Week:

This book was the perfect pick me up, full of cozy moments, snow, soup, and winged cats. I loved it!

Reading This Week:

I had started Shady Hollow when I finished The Enchanted Greenhouse, so I am reading that, but I also want to read A Land so Wide.

Posted Last Week:

Hello November

Good Book and a Cup of Tea Monthly Link Party

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Randomly Grabbed Off the Shelf

Introducing Soup and Story Saturdays

Comfy Cozy Cinema: The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain

Friday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching:

Billy and I must be craving cozy, because we have started our umpteenth rewatch of the BBC farm shows. We just finished up Victorian Farm again, and will probably move on to Edwardian Farm next. The hold these shows have on us! Lol. I am not the only one though. I found this reel on Instagram and it made me giggle. I even commented about how we love to watch this show, blah blah, and a bunch of people liked my comment, probably because they are the same!

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Tonight we are watching the last movie in our Comfy Cozy Cinema line up, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Then after American Thanksgiving, we will begin our Comfy Cozy Christmas link party where you can all feel free to spread the holiday cheer, all winter holidays in December btw, not just Christmas, by linking up your holiday posts! With the snow today, I can feel the winter holiday season so clearly now!

Internet Happenings:

I’ve already talked about them all a little, but Lisa and I are hosting Comfy Cozy Cinema, then Comfy Cozy Christmas together. We are also co-hosting A Good Book and a Cup of Tea, which is a monthly book linky for anything book related. And finally, I am introducing my new Soup and Story Saturdays. It is, you guessed it, all about soup! Link your posts about a soup you made or have eaten, a recipe if you made it, and either a bit about the book you are reading, or a story you want to tell us about your own life. Pretend we are at dinner together, having a meal and sharing a tale. Because I want to be a hobbit with you guys.

I also just signed up for the Library Love 2025 Challenge – I guess better late than never. I will be watching for next year’s sign up now though, if it continues. 99% of our reads come from the library and I believe wholeheartedly in supporting your local library!

And that is it from me today! I hope that whatever you do, you do something that makes you smile!