Currently

Currently

Currently feeling like Halloween snuck up on us and that I can’t get enough of how beautiful it’s been outside.   I’m hoping you’re also enjoying some of the same books, shows, and so forth that I’m writing about below or that you might find something new there.  I’d also love to hear all about your current favorite things… share the love : ).

The gifted books are indicated by the thanked publishers who are so kind and wonderful to work with and the links are all affiliate, so thank you for using them or for shopping your independent bookstore.

Reading

• Thomas Taylor’s Shadowghast
  • Thank you, Candlewick! From the moment I started this one, I was immediately magically immersed, which is a favorite feeling of mine.  I have not read the first in this series, but don’t feel lost and will absolutely be going back because I can’t get enough of this world.  The characters are delightful, the story is full of adventures perfect for this time of year, and I’m reading this at any chance I can snatch. Highly recommend this to many of you!
• Romina Garber’s Lobizona
  • Listening to this one about a Latinx teen who begins thinking she’s lived a secretive life because she’s undocumented, but ends up learning that the stories of werewolves and witches that she thought were just part of Argentinian folklore are very much real. YA fantasy at its most fun.

Reading with Kids

• Kallie George’s and Birgitta Sif’s Crimson Twill: Witch in the City
  • Thank you, Candlewick! There’s something about certain moments and images in early reader books that you know will stick with kids and this one is full of them.  This book is so playful and sweet and I enjoyed the jokes for the adults, like the fact that their adventures take place in Broomingdale’s in New Wart City.
• Anne Richardson’s and Andrea Antinori’s Octopuses Have Zero Bones
  • Thank you, Tra Publishing! We adore this one.  With illustrations that remind me of the playfulness of Christian Robinson and the most interesting facts peppered throughout, this book makes learning and numbers so much fun.
• Jeanette Bradley’s Something Great
  • Thank you, Chronicle! Mixed media with a lovely story about creativity and exploration that will make you want to play right away.
• Cat Min’s The Little Toymaker
  • Thank you, Chronicle! This story is about a a toymaker who makes toys for older people, bringing back what brought them so much joy in their childhoods.  Such a creative idea and so well done.
• Kate Messner’s, Margaret E. Powell’s, and Erin’s Robinson’s Only the Best: The Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe
  • A rhyming biography of the first well-known African American fashion designer that’s elegant, flowing, and, well, fantastically designed.
• Kailan Duan’s and Jeremy Tiang’s Nine Color Deer
  • Thank you, Chronicle!  A retelling of a Buddhist story that’s perfect for any child who’s discovering their love of myth and folklore.
• So many Halloween books, some of which you can find here.

Watching

• Rings of Power
• Abbot Elementary
• Great British Bake Off
• Andor

Watching with Kids

• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
• Bluey

Making

• The BEST sundae topping: yellow cake crumbs (mix together Pillsbury yellow cake mix and butter and pop it in the oven). It is insanely good and so easy.
• Ghost costumes with happy faces, lights, and Victorian-ish white gowns.
• Candles with fishing line to float above the TV and make nights a little cozier and a lot more magical.
• Halloween sugar cookies from the grocery store placed on top of chocolate chip cookie dough, which makes for a very easy, cute, and yummy combination.

Making with Kids

• Allllll the Halloween crafts.  My favorite was turning this into a cute haunted house and adding a black cat.

Thinking About

• Having a cold weather uniform.
  • On a mission to find a few more sweaters I love, so that I can just live in a cozy sweater, jeans, and either slip-on sneakers (eyeing these gingham ones  or these yellow ones) or knock-off Boston clogs.
• Little changes I can make.
  • Looking at sticking points to see where I can shift something to make it a little easier.
• The role of being memory maker.
  • I think I can sometimes feel a bit resentful about all the planning and preparing I do seeming a bit like invisible work, so framing it this way has been helpful.

Thinking About with Kids

• • We received these affirmation cards from Sounds True Publishing. They’re done by Holly Hatam, the illustrator you might recognize from Dear Girl and Dear Boy, and are so beautiful. We have loved keeping these next to our table and starting our mornings by pulling out a card, reading the affirmation, and talking about what it means and how we can apply it our day. Highly recommend!

What have you been enjoying these days?

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