Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn day in the life8 Comments

This morning I am drinking my coffee sitting on my sofa, the skies are just beginning to lighten out the window behind me, cartoons are on the television, but I am wishing for summer mornings by the lake. I took the above picture when we were on vacation last summer up north and I am ready to go back. It was an awesome family trip, with my brother and his family and my mom, and my SIL’s mom too.

But alas, I am here. And that is ok too. My coffee is hot and delicious (Newman’s Own Sunrise Blend today) and my husband made it for me, so bonus, coffee I didn’t have to make!

I did book a small trip! Between now and the beginning of March, Wyatt has like 7 different appointments with various specialists. No fun really for any of us but just a fact of our lives. But I felt like we were going to need a break, so I booked an Airbnb and arranged for a trip with Wyatt’s interests in mind. His birthday is the first of week of March and we usually go to some sort of nature center to celebrate. Well this year we went a little bigger than the average nature center – we are going to Wolf Park in Indiana! Wyatt loves wolves so I felt like for birthday #8, we could go see a few. I also reserved a private tour just for the three of us, a golf cart to drive around in if the weather is terrible, and a spot for us at the evening howl as well. I know Wyatt will really love that part. The little town we will be staying in looks super cute too! It will give us all something to look forward to through these gray months.

So I mentioned on my blog the other day that we had a Fast Food French Fry Showdown on Saturday night at my brother’s. Billy and my niece have a french fry rivalry going, so we were determined to get to the bottom of it, and see who has the best fries around. We got fries from 6 different places – McDonald’s, Arby’s Rally’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and White Castle. My brother picked up fries from three places, we picked up fries for the other three, then met over his house for the tasting. It was an absurd amount of fries. We got two larges from each place, and then divvied them up one restaurant at a time to everyone. Some of them were cold by the time we got to them, which didn’t help when evaluating, as they were kind of soggy, which was gross. We obviously need to work on our technique for this type of thing in the future – like maybe keep the fries or food we are not ready to eat yet in the oven on low to keep warm until it is time to eat? Anyway, that is next time.

So the votes and the verdict! I won’t give the entire breakdown, but the ultimate loser was White Castle, with Arby’s a close second for last. The White Castle fries were entirely tasteless. The Arby’s curly fries were also very disappointing – they had a very oniony taste which was very off-putting. The clear winner was McDonald’s, with all but one person (Billy) voting for them. Even I voted McDonald’s first in this challenge, when I do love Burger King better. But in this particular challenge, the McDonald’s fries were still warm and tasted better. We had a lot fun with this and are going to do this again. I think next time we are going to compare cheese bread!

Billy had also been working on a surprise for Mermaid Girl and he finally finished. He gifted it to her Saturday night and she LOVED it.

He made her her very own Explorer bag! He hand cut, hand sewed every feature, created all the bits for test tubes and tweezers and containers, planned it all out, and even purchased a little whimsical unicorn charm to decorate it because that is who Mermaid Girl is. When we asked her what she was going to collect she said “fairies”. Her plan was to catch some and bring them home to play with though, not hurt them. He is busy planning out Wyatt’s bag, and after a lot of thought, he has opted for a nature bag that is also part art bag, because that is Wyatt. Billy does such good job and is so talented.

Here is happy girl with her bag.

And it is time for a refill friends. This cup is empty!

What has been going on with you all lately?

Homeschool Journey: Grunge, Gaudi, and Gray Wolves

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn homeschooling7 Comments

This post is a mash up of the past two weeks of school, since we were easing back in after the holidays and things were a little off kilter as well. It took a minute to get back into the swing of things. We spent most of our time on the basics and I don’t usually blog too much about that aspect of school because, well, it’s just doing math and reading.

Our first week back we covered Washington State and the architect Antoni Gaudi, which was a nice way to welcome January. I of course treated myself to some Starbucks in honor of the first Starbucks in Washington, a matcha latte, my favorite. Since I started with Washington, let’s stay there for a minute.

I sort of felt like I was revisiting my youth teaching Wyatt about this state. Coffee, grunge, Kurt Cobain. Ah, the 90s. Wyatt loved all of the railroad facts we talked about and learned, about the Pacific Railway, and how the trip from Chicago to Tacoma shrunk from 6 months by covered wagon to 4 days by train. What could that have seemed like back then? Magic maybe. Wyatt has been obsessed with railroads and trains ever since we covered John Henry at the beginning of the year, so all things railroad for this kid right now.

We of course talked about the arrival of grunge music on the scene. How could we not? We played a LOT of Nirvana around here that week, and Wyatt seemed to enjoy it. I was never a Pearl Jam or Soundgarden fan, I was more of a Nirvana and Alice in Chains kid, so we listened to them. Billy however was a huge Pearl Jam fan in the day. We used to stomp around in our Doc Martens, flannel shirts, and go to coffee houses (remember when those had a heyday in the 90s?). Wyatt got into the look a little that week..

For art that first week, we learned about Antoni Gaudi, who I didn’t know much about when we started but then I ended up being super interested in myself. Gaudi was an architect known for incorporating nature and whimsy into his buildings, and now, seeing Casa Batlló and all the rest in Barcelona is a huge bucket list item for me. That area of his work has become a UNESCO World Heritage Center, and the buildings are literally works of art.

So for our project I thought it would be fun to build something out of cookies, a structure following the imagination of Wyatt. Billy and Wyatt drew up “blueprints” together, I made the cookie, then construction was a family event. It turned out a little differently, like its lack of actual walls, but we had fun!

Next up, we moved on to Oregon and Bev Doolittle. And more trees in science. Oregon seems pretty cool! Wyatt always enjoys the flag part of social studies (I’d heard these people existed that like flags – I found one!), and Oregon has a flag that has two different sides. One side is the state seal, and the other is a beaver. Wyatt thought this was fantastic. Whatever floats your boat kid. 🙂 He also thought it was neat there is a college there that has cows on campus. I really wanted to take a side trip and explore the Oregon Trail with him for a in depth rabbit trail, but I decided to hold off until next year when we start American history. We talked about it a little bit though of course.

Bev Doolittle is one of Billy’s favorite artists, so I left him to the art lesson planning this week. Wyatt and I talked about some of the features found in her work, the use of camouflage and how things are hidden and you need to look more closely. How animals can be animals but also part of the landscape. I do really enjoy her work myself! Billy and Wyatt spent Sunday afternoon working on their interpretation and I think it came out really neat! Their version was of a wolf blending into rock, and it looks pretty cool.

And finally in science we talked about tree rings and what they can tell us, and about tree bark! It might be obvious which project Wyatt liked better…I had to do most of the actual work for his tree ring. He listened though so I will be happy with that. The tree bark painting – he painted over different types of bark to explore the varying textures.

And now for the resource roundup!

What We Used:

This section contains Amazon Affiliate links. In addition to the curriculum I am creating for him, we also use curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful, The Waldock Way, and Blossom and Root for phonics, reading, science, and social studies.

Gaudi: Architect of Imagination || Reading the Wild || Building on Nature || Carmen and the House that Gaudi Built || B is for Beaver || E is for Evergreen

Video Links:

Antoni Gaudi’s Barcelona – Four Unearthly Buildings

Casa Batllo

Ranger Zak – What is tree bark

SciShowKids – Life of a Tree

SciShow Kids – The World’s Tallest Tree

This week should be a fun one! I am super excited about our artist of the week!

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized36 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

2023 is just motoring along over here. It was one of those weeks where it is just full of everyday stuff – getting groceries, homeschooling, making meals, cleaning – you know those weeks. Just pretty ordinary which isn’t bad. We DID have a Fast Food French Fry Showdown at my brother’s last night. My niece and Billy have had a running “argument” over who has the best fries. Mermaid Girl is a die hard McDonald’s fan, while Billy insists the winner is Rally’s. So, we got fries to share from six different fast food restaurants – Rally’s, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s, White Castle, and Burger King (usually my favorite). The results were varied and interesting.

Read Last Week:

I was so excited to read this! I really enjoyed it but Stevie sort of annoyed me this time around. I did like the English Manor house mystery and murder storyline though! Review coming soon.

Reading This Week:

I just recently saw this one someone’s blog (and I apologize, I can’t remember whose!) and I knew I needed to read it ASAP. I can’t resist a book about faeries, and this even involves academia, also a favorite theme of mine. This cover is also absolutely gorgeous!

Posted Last Week:

MIgardener Seed Haul

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Book Review: Outfoxed by Melinda Metz

10 on the 10th – January

Watching and Listening:

We binged out on Wednesday this week, and I absolutely loved it. I have always loved The Addams Family and this version was fantastic, and had that special Burton style to it as well.

After finishing Wednesday, we watched Ghosts, Grantchester, and started Willow, the television series.

We are hoping to watch a movie tonight – White Noise. We had intended to watch it last night but went to my brother’s for the French Fry Showdown instead.

And phew, super short post this week! What is going on in your world?

MIgardener Seed Haul

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn garden13 Comments

January means garden planning. I used to spend time poring over catalogs, those glossy thick ones that come in the mail from places like Baker Creek and Johnnys, as well as the other ones like Burpee and Gurneys. I used to get together with my Uncle on a Saturday morning, and my aunt would make us tea and there would be cookies and bagels, and my uncle and I would plan our gardens together. Who would get what seeds, what we would split, and he always had tidbits of advice and suggestions for me. Gardening was the thing I learned from him. It was our bond. When he passed away from Covid in November of 2020, I was devastated. I still miss him something fierce, everyday. And since then, I have tried to recreate those moments of ordering seeds with Billy, trying to achieve the same thing, and it just didn’t work. It didn’t feel right and made me sad, despite Billy’s best efforts. So this year, I went with something new. It is time to start a new tradition, one where I am the “expert” and Billy and Wyatt my partners.

Billy has been a big fan of MIGardener’s YouTube channel for years. I only recently started watching the channel, but Luke has tons of great videos, and even better, his information is Michigancentric. I had no idea though that he had a store so close to us, only an hour away! This was it, this was the new thing we could do, the new tradition we could start – shopping directly at his store!

We rolled up after a fairly easy drive (and after Billy exclaimed that the guy walking on the side of the road with his dog was the MIgardener although we don’t really know) and found ourselves in front of a large but fairly unassuming building on a very gray blah day. I also want to note that it is wheelchair accessible, with a ramp off to the side.

Inside though was warm and bright and felt like spring and hope and sunshine, with a giant wall of seeds, a small area of fun little extras, and a wall of just tomato seeds. And plants! Wyatt was very excited which made me smile. We may have gone a bit nuts, and made a mistake that MIgardener talks about in his videos – overbuying. Next year we will be better, I promise. This year though, we had a little bit of fun. We all picked seeds, including Wyatt.

So, want to see what we picked?

Four different kinds of tomatoes. Cucumbers, cucamelons, and those pretty spring peas. And black carrots, a Wyatt choice, and then I added watermelon radish.

Moon and Stars Watermelon (me), Tigger Melons (Wyatt), and then some orange watermelon (Billy). Luffa gourds because another customer in the store talked me into it, and jack-o-lantern pumpkins.

Then Billy’s array of lettuces for salad.

And then Billy and Wyatt left me some surprises at the register, that they chose for me. A few stickers, a lip balm, and a small little strawberry recipe book.

Now that we have all of this, we need to redo our garden plan! It is something that will keep us busy and thinking of spring during these longest and grayest of winter Michigan months, dreaming of toasted tomato cheese sandwiches, evening bowls of watermelon, those early spring radish that give you that bit of excitement of something green and growing.

This year I hope to can again, something I haven’t done at all since my uncle passed. We always did that together too. So I will change it up, maybe can sauce instead of diced tomatoes, etc. Change it up, but keep the spirit of it all. Start these types of traditions with Wyatt.

All in all, it was a good day. One I wish I could have shared with my uncle, but he would be pleased that I am passing on his love for growing food.

Thursday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized14 Comments

Good morning! Or afternoon or evening or whenever you happen to be reading this. This morning I am back to my standard favorite brew, Seattle’s Best, Post Alley Blend.

I am drinking my coffee today with one eye open for my new little friend, Charles, who is the cutest little Gray squirrel – although he is in his black phase right now he doesn’t look gray/brown. I started feeding him and now he comes in the morning (most days) and waits for me to notice him and feed him his breakfast. Yesterday he didn’t show up and I was a little worried! At about 4pm though, I saw him peering in my window, trying to flag me down, demanding his sandwich. I either put out nuts or I will make him a little peanut butter sandwich cut into squares. I am crazy I know. Isn’t he so cute though?

Last Friday night we had our first Full Moon party of the year, and we had a blast! We are using the Kids Moon Club again this year and Wyatt and his cousin Mermaid Girl seem to be very much enjoying it. Billy and I actually had a fantastic time too! My brother dropped my niece off for the party and the playing and fun did not stop for hours!

First thing, I handed out their wolf ears, because that was important. Then, dinner. Dinner for these hungry wolf children was “Magic Moon Mac and Cheese” (just a party size Stouffers) which they devoured, and “Howling at the Moon Milk”. And of course, cupcakes! I love those wolf cupcake toppers! Mermaid Girl did too, she took one of each (clean) home with her. After eating, we read the full moon story, pretended to be wolves, painted, and played board games. It was a wild time and Wyatt slept good that night. And so did Billy and I!

We spent the rest of the weekend doing not as fun things – putting the house back to normal. We took down all the Christmas stuff, including the tree, and then it was time to tackle my office. It sort of became a catch all during the holidays and it was baaaad news in there.

That was taken while I was in the process of making piles and organizing. Miso was being a big helper as you can see. It is almost 100% back to its original state. Finally. And actually, I did some deeper organizing and improved how I had things. So it is not back to normal I guess, it is better!

And I am so excited I got my new candle!! I have wanted a candle from Mythologie for ages! They are so pretty and I love that they have stories to accompany them. It is just fun to browse through the website reading about all the candles. There are so many collections, like a Lord of the Rings collection, Braveheart, and an Ancient Winter collection to name a few. And there is a fun quiz to see which candle scent you should get if you are unsure. I am a quiz fan, so I took it, and actually bought the candle it suggested. I burned it for the first time the other night and I loved it. It didn’t give me or my husband a headache, which happens sometimes with candles. They are hand poured, clean burning, and I bought the wooden wick version so it makes a lovely crackling sound as it burns. I like an ambiance, guys.

It was a quiet, cozy little week around here!

Book Review: Outfoxed by Melinda Metz

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review4 Comments

Publishers Summary:

Visit the charming community of Fox Crossing, Maine in this witty, feel-good story about small town life, the power of belief, the importance of community, and one very special fox whose appearance heralds second chances, luck – or best of all, love. Animal lovers, fans of Hallmark happy endings, and those who enjoy smart, uplifting, heartwarming stories with a twist will be delighted by the latest tale from internationally bestselling author Melinda Metz.

The town of Fox Crossing, Maine, has something special—a legendary fox with a knack for bringing fortune, love, and happiness to anyone lucky enough to see it…
 
THESE TOWNSFOLK MAY THINK THEY’RE PRETTY SMART
 
Victoria Michaud has lived in Fox Crossing her entire life without encountering the fabled fox. And then, on the day of her thirtieth birthday, she spots a beautiful, golden-eyed vixen . . . right before she also recognizes Bowen Gower, the guy who made her high school years hell. So much for good luck. Victoria already has enough to deal with, between running her Junk & Disorderly antique store and refereeing her divorced, still-bickering parents.
 
BUT IT TAKES A SLY FOX TO SHOW THEM THE WAY
 
There are a lot of things Bowen doesn’t remember about growing up in this town on the Appalachian trail, and some he’s chosen to forget. Back to settle his grandfather’s estate, Bowen soon realizes it won’t be easy to make amends to those he wronged. But he’s eager to convince Victoria to give him another chance.
 It’ll take some doing—and perhaps more luck than one fox sighting can provide. Then again, sometimes one look is all you need . . .

My Thoughts:

To me, these are January books. I have read the first two books in January, and I loved them both. Then I tried to read this one, the third one in the series, before it’s NetGalley archive date in October. And I did, I read it, but I didn’t really give it a fair shake because I wasn’t in the mood for it at that time. So, this month I thought I would revisit this story at a time that felt better. I am such a mood reader! And I am so glad I did this because this time around I loved it!

This story deals with two sets of of siblings, Bowen and Tegan, and Victoria and Henry. Bowen and Tegan grew up in the town of Fox Crossing, as the grandchildren of the mayor but only recently returned upon his death. Victoria runs an eclectic antique store, while Henry has also been living out of town. He comes back to help his sister celebrate her birthday, and with all the central players now in town, the rest of the story can begin.

Romance is in the air in this little town, yet there is just so much baggage they all seem to be carrying around that needs to be dealt with before any of them can fully trust. And to me, in my opinion, that is what this book is really about. Letting go of the past, fresh new starts, second chances. Self-awareness, self-love. Bullying. The undercurrents of this book simply swirl with trauma and emotions that have not been addressed and it all seems to be coming home to roost (I feel like there is a pun in here).

The characters in this one are particularly interesting, with their flaws and eccentricities. I especially like Victoria and her crazy fashions – she just sounds like so much fun! And Tegan and her found art sculptures and statues, Henry..well he is sort of just typical I guess. Bowen is eccentric in that all work and no play way, but he is able to read people very well, so despite seeming like he shouldn’t be a people person, he kind of is.

And of course, there is the fox.

Overall this was a wonderful return to Fox Crossing, Maine, and I am so glad that I gave this book a second chance. Thank you to NetGalley for the original ebook in exchange for an honest review, although I did end up purchasing this book on Amazon this month.

10 on the 10th – January!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized15 Comments

10 on the 10th is hosted by Marsha in the Middle! This month is a “would you rather” style!

Would you rather make resolutions, select a word of the year, or make bucket lists?

Lists, hands down. I literally have lists for everything. Books, tv, movies, vacations, garden, to-do… I could go on and on. I did resolutions for years and crashed and burned most of the time. I do usually choose a word of the year, and try to embrace that spirit all year. I do pretty well with it!

Would you rather make memories on vacations or save or save for a big occasion (retirement, wedding, college, etc.)?

Hmm. Both? We do things in small ways over here, and take little trips that we try to make as full as possible but also save a little too. I want to show Wyatt new and different things while he is a at an age to just soak it all in but I also want to think about the future.

Would you rather buy all the things on sale or shop your closet?

I’m not much of a shopper, so shop my closet even though that is very limited, since I am not a shopper. Vicious cycle. Lol. I would like to add to my wardrobe this year and I want to add meaningful pieces (I mean, my word of the year is intentional), natural materials, and a mix of practical and “special” for dress up times. Most of the time I am painting with a 7 year old, hiking outside, and other activities that can get messy. I love my cotton overalls, I have so many pockets for my glasses, pens, acorns and bits of bark or whatever Wyatt finds, paint brushes, etc. I also love my long flowy sweaters, especially when they have pockets. But I desperately need some grown up clothes too.

Would you rather shed weight through fad dieting and do it quickly or eat differently and lose slowly?

Can I do it quickly and keep it off? I will choose that one then.

Would you rather undergo some type of facial treatment or update a room in your home?

A room in my home. We are slowly making our way through the house and updating and changing to accommodate our new lives, aesthetic, and needs. We are so sick of the colors on our walls, which sounds crazy, but we are craving more neutrals and a more natural, artsy look. And recently a friend told me that they loved my house, that it was warm and artsy which is EXACTLY what we were aiming for! However we still have a few rooms left to go. The purple room is going next!

Would you rather watch Paul Hollywood or RuPaul?

Paul Hollywood! I don’t have anything against RuPaul or drag queens though, I just love the Great British Baking Show so much!

Would you rather have to wear the same color all year long or not wear that color at all?

Wear the same color all year. I sort of do that anyway. LOL.

Would you rather wear a designer look or a designer knockoff?

Hmm. I don’t think I would know the difference!!

Would you rather be overdressed or underdressed at an occasion?

Underdressed. If I were overdressed and everyone was running around in casual clothes I would literally go home and change.

Would you rather have only neutral clothing or extremely colorful clothing?

Neutral. I love color and whimsy but I like it around me not one me. I’m sort of boring fashion wise! I like black, and wear a lot of it. I like that you can add to it, like Marsha’s plaid jacket from the other day would be a piece I would totally buy! I love any plaid. But extremely colorful clothing is not my style. In my defense, I am Gen-X and we were all grungey and goth back in the day! Lol.

My Sunday- Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 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

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I participated in these Sunday and Monday memes; I just hadn’t been reading anything. Now though that the holidays are over, I have been able to enjoy reading again. Yay!

Read Lately:

My last book of 2022 and my first book of 2023! Legends & Lattes was the perfect book to end the year with – it was everything I needed and didn’t even know it (review). Outfoxed was a great way to begin the year, with a story of letting go of the past and starting anew. (Review coming soon!)

Reading This Week:

I absolutely love the Truly, Devious series by Johnson and was so excited to pick this up at the library the other day! The woman working the circulation desk told me it is her favorites series and that she ordered a signed copy of this book for herself, and is waiting for it to arrive to read.

Posted Lately:

I have been posting a lot for me. Lol. Some highlights I guess would be:

My Favorite Books of 2022

Our 2022 TV Night Favorites

Our 2022 Movie Night Favorites

And then of course my usual chatty posts and updates.

Watching and Listening:

Billy and I have been watching so much Grantchester! We are almost done with it and have a few things we are tossing around to watch next – Wednesday, Shetland, The Mayfair Witches, to name a few. The Mayfair Witches is probably one of my favorite books ever so I am super nervous to watch the show. As long it sticks to the “spirit” of the story, although I already have some concerns, I won’t lie.

In movies we watched The Pale Blue Eye on Netflix and it was fabulous. Harry Melling (Dudders, Dudley Dursley) blew me away with his portrayal of a young Edgar Allan Poe! Of course, Christian Bale performed his role perfectly as well.

I’ve also been having fun catching up on my favorite YouTube Channels – Darling Desi, Alexandra Roselyn, Rachel Maksy, With Love, Kristina, and Roots and Refuge Farm.

And that is about it for today! Short and sweet. What’s been going on in your world?

Book Review: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review13 Comments

Goodreads summary:

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success ― not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

My Thoughts:

So I keep seeing people say the same thing over and over about this book, that it is a warm hug of a book. I even used it myself on Instagram to describe it, and frankly, it is true. It is 100% a warm hug of a book.

When I picked it up from the library, I was a little hesitant. Did I want to read a book about an orc? Well turns out I did, very much so. This book is just so darn cozy, something I never expected from a book that has an orc, a succubus, a ratkin, and a hob as the main characters. I loved all of the characters, but I am over here hoping for a book about Thimble. And a book about Cal too, who reminded me of Billy. This line in particular.. “Live long enough, you realize some folks can be handed a problem and some tools, and they’ll sort it out.” That is my husband in a line.

Anyways, I digress. Viv is an orc who wants to lay down her sword and live a quieter life, one without fighting and battles, one where she can sleep in the same place every night, and even better, one that involves that glorious magical bean water, coffee. This book is all about Viv starting a new life, forming a new tribe, finding her place. The description calls it a low stakes book, and it really is. It was such a calming read, so full of warmth. It will make you want to seek out a cozy spot and enjoy a cup of something warm and a little something sweet to enjoy, and just read the day away. (I ended up having a slice of alpine cake while reading – perfection, both book and cake)

I read this book in one day, which is something for me these days. I also had checked it out from the library but immediately ordered my own copy. Viv’s world is one I want to return to again and again!

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized10 Comments
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

I need alll the coffee today. Today is back to normal day and I am not ready. It was so nice to do whatever we wanted when we wanted. Oh well. At least the coffee today is good and hot and strong. I just used up the last of our coffee beans from the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co. for this pot and this cup is divine.

Billy returns to work today and Wyatt and I are bummed out. It’s been nice having him home for 10 days with us; in fact this might be the longest he has been off work since Wyatt was born! We did a lot of bopping around town, going for rides, watching birds, painting and drawing, playing with new toys, reading books.

Let’s go back to the week before Christmas though first.

We made gingerbread, and garlands and ornaments out of dried oranges.

We had my mom over for solstice dinner, and shopped for plants for gifts at my favorite little plant shop. I wasn’t going to do it, but I ended up getting myself one too, a whale fin snake plant. I told Billy to call it my stocking stuffer.

We set up for the Kids Moon Club. We were one of the first families to do the Kids Moon Club, many moons ago (sorry couldn’t resist), so we were able to buy a lifetime membership for the cost of one year, which has been a great bonus. I love how this kids club has actually taught our whole family how to live more in tune with nature and the seasons.

Then limbo week, that crazy week between Christmas and New Years.

This was our week of indulgences, staying in our pajamas until noon, being “on vacation” while being at home as much as we could. We found this amazing patisserie, tried lunch at a different little walk up place that had delicious sandwiches. While we were waiting I was talking with another customer who told me that I need to go back and try the soup and salads too. So, I am putting that on my list!

And with that, we are caught up!

What have you been up to?