What I Am Into - May 2012

Today I am joining Megan at SortaCrunchy in sharing What I've Been Into this past month.


What I Am Into :: MAY 2012
On My Nightstand:

I've just finished Part 1 of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, and already I've lost count of how many times I have told my husband how awesomely amazing this book is. Everyone in the whole entire world should read this book, introvert or not. I want to draw pink sparkly hearts all over its cover, but alas, the library would not appreciate my visual enthusiasm. I love this book.

I've also started Gordon Fee's How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, O. M. Bakke's When Children Became People: The Birth of Childhood in Early Christianity, and Ruth Beechick's The Three R's. I need a good fiction book to read now that I've finally made it through Christopher Paolini's massive but worthy conclusion to the Inheritance Cycle series, Inheritance.

Want to Read:

Next up, after finishing one or two of my current books, is Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N. T. Wright. I'm also looking forward to reading through Your Amazing Newborn by Marshall Klaus, in mental preparation for having a newborn again late this summer.

T.V. Show Worth Watching:

I'm currently mourning the series finale of House. Oh, House. I will miss you.

Movies I've Seen:

The four of us watched We Bought a Zoo during our last family movie night. Other than mentally cringing at a couple of words I hoped the kids wouldn't pick up on, the show was excellent. Not at all what I expected, but in a good way. Definitely a worthwhile watch and one we're likely to watch again.

I was really hoping to see both The Hunger Games and The Avengers in theater, but so far babysitting just hasn't worked out. May was a busy month! Still crossing my fingers that we'll find time to fit one or both of those in before they're not playing in theaters anymore.

In My Kitchen:

I've been incredibly frustrated lately by my persistent lack of appetite this pregnancy. It has made meal planning a torturous weekly process. I don't want to think about food, plan food, cook food, or eat food. Fortunately, the husband has been a big help both with meal planning and cooking, so that makes the whole thing a bit more bearable. Still, we've had some definite meal successes this month.

PhD in Parenting's zucchini bread/muffins have continued to garner praise from family and company alike. The only change I make to her fantastic recipe is to reduce the chocolate chips by half. The muffins are great for on-the-go snacks while the bread is perfect for company or potlucks. If I only have a small zucchini, I'll add a grated carrot or two and it still tastes great. Sometimes I'll replace all of the zucchini with carrot and the chocolate chips with raisins; again, it always turns out delicious. Love this recipe.

Both these lemon sugar cookies and these honey roasted red potatoes have received enthusiastic appreciation from the husband. The leftover potatoes were even better the next day, sliced, fried, and served with fried eggs and toast. That was a breakfast that won't easily be topped anytime soon.

Source: fortysomething.ca via Hippie on Pinterest

I'm always watching for good stir fry sauce recipes, so I was thrilled to find this collection of 15 delicious-sounding recipes. It's been great to have something new to try instead of our usual stir fry sauce. So far we've particularly enjoyed the sweet and sour ones served with a stir fry of beef and various vegetables.

In My Ears:

I cannot even tell you how much I am currently despising Wee Sing Dinosaurs right now. The boys, however, love it. When they're not asking to listen to it, they're singing it. Loudly. And when they're not singing it, the songs are playing in my head anyway. Loudly.

As far as adult music goes, though, I've been enjoying Jenny & Tyler's Faint Not album. I like the sound of this new-to-me duo. We've also been listening to a lot of Beatles songs lately, thanks to a recent purchase of Rock Band: The Beatles. Super makes me proud to hear my kids singing "Hello, Goodbye" and other Beatles songs. Now there's good music, kids. Forget that dinosaur garbage.

Pinterest Finds:

Ah, Pinterest, the newest online potshot target. I am so entirely sick of reading such sarcastic statements as "it may not be pinnable, but it was fun all the same" and all the many variations thereof. What does that even mean? Pinterest is an excellent visual bookmarking tool, and if some people misuse it to create some sort of perfect fantasy life, well, so be it. The rest of us are busy visually bookmarking the useful ideas and recipes we see, no longer to be lost in the abyss of yesteryear's bookmark folders. Anyway, on to what I'm loving on Pinterest lately:

Source: weefolkart.com via Kimara on Pinterest

My newest favourite pinner is Wee Folk Art. Their boards are beautiful and their pins both inspiring and useful. I absolutely adore their rainbow gazing board; so much cheerful beauty. It always makes me smile to see new pins added to that board.

Source: craftbuds.com via Hippie on Pinterest

Love the detailed tutorial for this car trash bag or reusable lunch bag. This bag instantly became my next sewing project; I plan on lining it with ripstop nylon and keeping it in the car in hopes of preventing all those bits of garbage from taking over my floor and seats. Hey, it could happen.

Source: csupamoka2.blogspot.com via Hippie on Pinterest

My next go-to rainy day activity will be this LEGO maze. Build, find a marble, and have fun! The boy will love this, and I'm pretty excited about it myself.

What I'm Looking Forward to in June:

I'm kind of amazed at how quickly June's calendar is filling up: block parties, homeschooling get-togethers, family visits, birthdays, and more. It should be a great month, and I am very much looking forward to more sunshine and warm weather.

Well, friends, that is What I've Been Into this past month. What about you?