2021 Reading Plans and Setting Up My Reading Journal

I have ambitious reading plans for 2021.

Like many, the chaos and never endingness at the beginning of the pandemic and the impacts on all aspects of life left me feeling sluggish and unable to concentrate long enough to read. However, in June I started to create some routines around reading which I wrote about HERE, and I've been able to get back into the habit. 

My reading slowed down again -- actually almost stopped -- in October and the first half of November with all of the uncertainty of the US Presidential election, but I ramped way back up in mid-November and am almost at my pre-pandemic reading rates. 

For 2021, I decided I would set some goals and themes for the year and that I would set up a reading journal.

For the journal, I selected a notebook from my vast collection and decorated it with some stamp pads from Ranger and Hero Arts and stamps from Studio Calico, Hero Arts, and elsewhere. It was so much fun! I know that this journal will keep me inspired to read throughout the year. 

Once the stamping was done, I planned out what I hope to read in January. A few books will be read a little bit at a time over the course of the year while others will be read just like any other book I might read for pleasure. 

In 2020, I had originally planned to take part in a challenge to read all of William Shakespeare's works in a single year as part of a project that you can learn more about HERE, but the pandemic derailed that pretty fast. I'm committing to the challenge for 2021. I'm also joining a reading challenge focused on reading children's books, and I'll be reading at least two poetry collections per month, as well as doing some normal pleasure reading.

I have ambitious plans for my 2021 reading. Here's what's on deck for January:

Shakespeare: 

• Twelfth Night
• Henry VI, Parts I, II, III

Bill Bryson's The World As Stage (all about Shakespeare)

Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project -- to be read one chapter per month (each chapter corresponds to the months of the year)

• Chapter 1: January -- Boost Energy, Vitality (read about it HERE)

Children's books:

• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn (read my review HERE)
• The Dragons are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky
• Let's be Enemies by Janice May Udry
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths -- to be read in segments over the course of the year:

• In Olden Times, Gaea, The Titans
• Zeus and his Family
• Hera
• Hephaestus

Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic -- already started and will be reading chapters 5 through 11

The Black Painting by Neil Olson

Poetry:

• Blood Oranges by Dylan Brennan
• Book of Longing by Leonard Cohen

Amy Tan's The Opposite of Fate -- to be read one chapter/essay per week over the course of the year

• Chapter 1: The Cliffs Notes Version of My Life
• Chapter 2: How We Knew
• Chapter 3: A Question of Fate
• Chapter 4: Faith

Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet -- to be read one letter per week

• Letter One
• Letter Two
• Letter Three
• Letter Four

Drop a comment and tell me about something ambitious you have planned for 2021!

Want to read along? You can find all of the books above (where possible) on Bookshop in the USA HERE. I like Bookshop because you can support independent booksellers and readers more easily and directly than through Amazon, but Bookshop does have limits, including much smaller inventories than Amazon and lack of overseas availability.

These books are not available via Bookshop as of this writing:

• You can find Blood Oranges by Dylan Brennan on Amazon Kindle HERE.
• Let's Be Enemies by Janice May Udry on Amazon HERE.

Want to try to recreate my stamping project? You can find these supplies on Amazon:

• Ranger Archival Black stamping pad
• Hero Arts Lemon Yellow stamping pad (I used sunflower yellow but could not find it on Amazon)
• Stamping blocks 
• Dandelion stamp from Hero Arts (I couldn't find the exact one I used in this project, but I also have this one and love it!)
• The Studio Calico stamp set I used is sold out everywhere, but THIS stamp set is pretty cute!
• As far as notebooks, I suggest you find and use any notebook that you think will bring you joy every time you open it.

Please note: Links may be affiliate in nature. Making purchases through these links may result in a small commission on my end at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance!

3 books to help your kids (and you) cope with divorce

Please note, this is cross posted at my parenting and education blog, Mom2MomEd.

 

Divorce isn't easy for anyone, but it can be especially hard for our children who may not have the maturity or vocabulary to understand or talk about what is happening in their family. It is hard for kids who may feel insecure, who may worry that they are unloved, who may think the divorce is their fault. 

 

It's obviously hard for parents too. 

 

And, the difficulties on both sides -- parent and child -- can make talking about divorce and making your and their way through it difficult. Books can help. 

 

My son was 4 years old when his father and I separated, and it was hard on all of us, but especially on JP. My priority was making sure that he understood that he was loved and wanted and that he had a safe way to explore and express his feelings. I spent a few hours at my local bookstore, looking at children's books about divorce and changing families and brought home the following books -- the first two are specifically for children and the third is for parents.

 

I will be honest, my son wasn't always in the mood to have these books read to him or to read them with me. Sometimes he was just mad and wanted to stomp around and be angry or to curl up in a ball and cry. But, I would calmly remind him, "Hey, I know you don't want to read these books right now, but I also know that when we do read them together, you always end up feeling better. You start smiling and relaxing and we can talk about what you're feeling and thinking about afterwards. It's OK if you just want to curl up in a ball while I read to you, or I can rub your back, or you can pace around and just listen."

 

Most of the time, he'd curl up next to me or in my lap or he'd want me to rub his back while we read, and almost every time, he would feel better -- and he'd recognize that too. We read each of these books dozens of times from the time he was 4 years old until about 7 years old, and they truly helped both of us to navigate difficult emotions and conversations.

 

If your family is going through divorce or separation or you know a family that is, I hope these books will help you or them too. 

My Family's Changing: A First Look at Family Break-Up by Pat Thomas and Lesley Harker

 

This sweet book combines a story with discussion prompts. You can read it straight through as just a story, you can stop at each discussion prompt as you go, or you can stop at one discussion prompt and set the book aside while you talk things through.

 

The illustrations combined with the story and the prompts helped my son to feel like he was seen and heard amidst the grown up problems. The prompts are especially great if you aren't sure how to talk to your child about divorce or a family break up. 

 

There's an entire range of books in the series from topics such as family dynamics to bullying to inclusion and diversity and more. 

• Buy My Family's Changing on Bookshop HERE.
• Buy My Family's Changing on Amazon HERE.
  

 

Dinosaurs Divorce by Marc Brown and Laurie Krasny Brown

 

Like My Family's Changing, Dinosaurs Divorce helps kids navigate the ups and downs and new normal of divorce and changing families. And, if the dinosaurs look somewhat familiar, it's because Marc Brown is also responsible for the Arthur books and cartoon series. Of all the books we had about divorce -- and we had many -- this is the one we read the most.

 

My son particularly liked this book over the others because of the dinosaurs. I think it was easier for him to view divorce through the lens of a non-human character and it was easier to approach a very real and difficult topic through very unreal/non-human characters. Children live in a magical space between reality and make believe, and they often use make believe to sort out their feelings about very real problems. Using dinosaurs in place of humans is a great way to help ease kids through such a difficult experience.

 

Also like My Family's Changing, Dinosaurs Divorce is part of a larger series of books that tackle numerous topics. One of the most popular other books in the series is When Dinosaurs Die. 

• Buy Dinosaurs Divorce on Bookshop HERE.
• Buy Dinosaurs Divorce on Amazon HERE.
  

Mom's House, Dad's House by Isolina Ricci

 

This book is for the adults in a child's life, but it will help you manage your own way through the divorce or separation in a way that supports your child. 

 

One of the reasons I love this book is that it doesn't assume anything is one parent or the others fault. In fact, it offers suggestions and analysis for self-reflection to look at your own behavior and thoughts as both a parent and a divorcing or separating adult and think, "Is this thought or behavior reasonable or am I the problem in this situation?" Ricci also gives many ideas and tips and thoughtful suggestions for how to talk to children and how to work with the other parent or guardian.

Ricci's book helped me to navigate disruptive issues with my son's father and to set firm boundaries during a difficult situation. It gave me a framework for sorting out what I needed as a half of a divorcing couple but also what my son needed and how to best show up for him. It helped me to see both sides of the divorce and gave me many excellent ideas and tips to consider when it came to the overall situation, as well as for specific situations and for sorting out a parenting and custody plan. The book gave me a vocabulary to use and a way to look at things more objectively. 

I truly believe Ricci's book helped me to navigate what was best for my son, even when that sometimes conflicted with what I wanted for myself.

 

There's also a kids version of Mom's House, Dad's House by Isolina Ricci, but I have not read it or reviewed it. Have you?

• Buy Mom's House, Dad's House on Bookshop HERE and the kids version HERE.
• Buy Mom's House, Dad's House on Amazon HERE and the kids version HERE.
  

There are many, many books about divorce for parents and children, but time and time again I am led to believe these three are the best. What books do you think divorcing or separating couples should read? How about kids stuck in the middle?

Please note: links may be affiliate in nature. Making purchases through these links may result in a small commission to us at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance!

 

REVIEW: The Antiquarian Sticker Book -- Over 1,000 Exquisite Victorian Stickers

This certainly is not my normal book review! I never expected to review a sticker book, but this one -- The Antiquarian Sticker Book -- is fantastic!

Warning: this post is image heavy.

Even though I'm a middle aged woman, I still love stickers. I still get that school child jolt of glee at opening up a new sticker pack and deciding where and how to use them. And, I still sometimes think some stickers are too precious to use and I want to save them instead.

As a child, most of my stickers were used fairly randomly and often were affixed to construction paper, my own skin (usually the back of my hands or my cheeks), or were attached to handmade cards -- I was very much a rule follower growing up (and still mostly am), and would not have dared to put a sticker on furniture, a book, or anything else that might be of value or ruined by the placement of a sticker. The last several years, most of my sticker using has been reserved for letters sent to pen pals or I have used them in my journal and planner spreads. And, of course, I have the obligatory vinyl sticker assortment on my laptop cover -- don't you?

Recently, I realized my sticker collection had outgrown the small drawer in which I contain it. As such, I culled several, sending many on to a friend that had recently mentioned a desire to use stickers in her planner, and then I used several to create a rainbow theme, inspired by the professional crafter, Amy Tangerine (professional crafter = #goals), in a notebook. Even with both of those purges of my sticker collection, I still have a TON, so I put myself on a sticker buying ban.

The rainbow sticker spread in my planner.

Then, the very next day, someone in a Facebook group I'm part of posted a picture of The Antiquarian Sticker Book! I was in awe of the amazing stickers between the covers -- more than 1,000 of them! They were just so beautiful that I ordered the book despite my sticker buying ban.

And, I love it! The stickers and the book as a whole are gorgeous, and I don't regret the purchase at all. Let's take a walk through some of the pages:

Front Cover: The Antiquarian Sticker Book

The book's end papers are gorgeous!

There are a few page where almost the entire page is one big sticker.

The peacock is my favorite sticker in the entire book!

The stickers are fairly low-tack, meaning they aren't super duper sticky. I tested one (a sticker of a spider since I am not a fan and can't see myself ever using the spider stickers...ewwwww!), and was pleased that it was tacky enough to stick to a piece of cardstock, but not so tacky that I couldn't easily lift and reposition it. If you need to ensure that the stickers stay stuck down, use your finger to rub across the surface. A painter once told me that the friction helps. I don't know if it's really the friction or heat generated or what, but the trick seems to work on stickers and washi tape. However, if I could see a need to apply glue to some stickers if the surfaces they are going on is not paper or if they application requires that the sticker be permanently affixed. This does not bother me at all as I often use extra adhesive on stickers anyhow when I craft or if I am applying the sticker to a letter that will be folded where I've placed the sticker.

After applying a sticker to this cardstock,
I as able to peel it up with minimal damage to either.

The way the book is structured, each page features stickers on one side and a decorative backing on the other side. The backing side is the same throughout, so although the book is 1 3/16" thick, excluding the front and back covers, only half of that is actually stickered pages. 

I love the cover of this book and the backing of each sticker page so much that I plan to repurpose the book as an art journal when the stickers are all gone -- I'll do art work and collages on the sticker side of each page.

Have you bought The Antiquarian Sticker Book? If so, leave a comment and tell me which sticker is your favorite and how you'll be using the stickers.

Don't have a copy? 

• You can buy the book on Bookshop HERE. 
  
• Or, buy it on Amazon HERE.

Please note: links may be affiliate in nature. Purchases made through these links may result in a small commission for me at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance!

Now Reading ~*~ November 2020

I haven't posted any book reviews or other reading related items since late October, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. I guess I've just not been motivated to sit in front of my computer to write. I don't know...

Regardless, I thought I'd share my November 2020 reading plans and progress. 
If you are struggling with reading during the pandemic, check out THIS post where I talk about increasing my reading amid all the stress and uncertainty in the world right now. 

My full reading plan for November includes:

💙 Lips too chilled by Matuso Basho (poetry)💚 Howl by Allen Ginsberg (poetry)💛 The Scripture of the Golden Eternity by Jack Kerouac (poetry)💜 Essentialism by Grego McKeown (non-fiction, lifestyle, self-help)💛 Know My Name by Chanel Miller (memoir, sexual assault)💚 Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic (non-fiction, politics, history)💙 The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard (non-fiction, environmentalism, lifestyle)💛 The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (non-fiction, lifestyle, psychology)💚 The Black Painting by Neil Olson (fiction)💙 Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (fiction)
The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard feels like the perfect compliment to The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb (read my review HERE).
I've already finished Know My Name by Chanel Miller, but as of writing this post, I have not written a review yet. I can tell you this much for now though: Miller's memoir is MUST READ material! She recounts being the victim of a sexual assault and the lengthy trial and messy aftermath, including finding her way back to herself. I truly believe you need to read this book!
I've been slowly making my way through The Power of Habit and Blueprint for Revolution, but am likely to finish both this month. I'm enjoying them, but one has lived in my bathroom until recently, and the other was misplaced until recently. 
I've been reading a chapter or two from Crooked Kingdom several nights per week, and it's been a great book to read in the bathtub on cold nights when I need to warm up! The book is the second of a pair and follows a rag-tag group of young adults through peril, adventure, and the under belly of society. They are at turns terrible and wonderful people. Bardugo's characters all highlight that we all have potential for good and bad within us and that the two can co-exist. This is young adult fantasty/sci-fi fiction and great escapism.

The last two days, however, I've been focused primarily on:
💜 The Scripture of the Golden Eternity by Jack Kerouac (poetry -- I'll likely finish it tomorrow)......buy it on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3nz5v8e......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f59czn

💛 Howl by Allen Ginsberg (poetry -- I'll also likely finish this one tomorrow)

......buy it on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2HcRbTg......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f8qeN0

💚 Lips too chilled by Matsuo Basho (poetry, specifically Haiku -- I finished this one today)

......This specific book is not currently available on Bookshop or Amazon, but I found several copies at reasonable prices with a quick Google search; I happened to buy my copy in Paris, France at Shakespeare and Company.

💙 The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard (non-fiction, environmentalism, lifestyle -- I'll likely finish this one by week's end)......buy it on Bookshop: not available......buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pBPgcc
Drop a comment and let me know what you're reading these days!
If you aren't in the reading mood, but you still want to occupy your mind, check out my coloring pages and stationery for sale HERE on Etsy! It's all super fast and easy to download and print at home after purchase! I'm a small business owner, and with the pandemic's economic toll, it's more important than ever to shop small, local, and independent -- hence, my including links to Bookshop above!

Please note: links are affiliate in nature. I'm not sharing them to "make a buck" but rather because I love to share what I'm reading and access to finding the same books. If you do purchase through these links, many thanks! I may receive a small commission as a result, but at no additional cost to you!

My week of Frida Kahlo inspired cooking

In THIS post, I wrote about participating in a weekly women's history themed baking challenge and that the theme for the previous week was Frida Kahlo. At the time of the baking challenge, the cookbook Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo by Marie-Pierre Colle and Guadalupe Rivera was not available at my local library. However, I recently got my hands on it and loved it! 

This cookbook is one part cookbook, one part Mexican history and culture guidebook, and one part Frida Kahlo biography. It is packed with photos not just of recipes, but also from Frida Kahlo's life and Casa Azul -- her home and studio. the book is arranged by months and each month starts with three to five pages of biography and memories of the authors' experiences with Frida, followed by a page with a menu plan for the month -- often based around a holiday or celebration -- and then the recipes. 

Because I didn't have the cookbook during the baking challenge week back in August, I only used one of Frida's recipes that week (I found it online). I also went beyond baking and took it as a Mexican cooking challenge. 

The one recipe I did make that was from Frida's cookbook is Macaroni with Spinach Sauce. Due to a dairy allergy, I made some substitutions, but it turned out fairly tasty, although it looked nothing like the photo in the cookbook. Unfortunately, I neglected to get a photo of mine, but what I ended up with was a casserole that was entirely green, not yellow and green with pasta and spinach clearly defined. Oh well! I do have some ideas for making this again and having it turn out more like the cookbook photo, but we'll see. Here's the same dish in the cookbook:

For the rest of my cooking challenge focused on Mexican dishes, I made a vegan/dairy free Tres Leches cake -- but couldn't find one that fit both my and my son's allergies and so did a lot of alterations to ingredients. It turned out sooooo delicious though! For my three milks, I used Ripple dairy free milk, oat milk, and a coconut based creamer. 

The cake was so delicious! I will definitely make it again. My finished cake: 

I also made vegan barbacoa tacos which I loved, but my son didn't like the flavor very much. The filling is lentils based and was excellent as an enchilada filling too.

Lastly, I attempted to make chilaquiles, but they didn't turn out like authentic chilaquiles. I realized halfway through that the recipe I was using was not at all authentic! You don't need to tell me that these aren't authentic -- I know! I had someone tell me on repeat that they weren't authentic even though I had already stated that at the outset! I actually don't care that much that they aren't authentic because the dish tasted great anyhow!

And, finally, here are some images from Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo:

You can buy the book and support independent booksellers via Bookshop HERE.

Or, buy from Amazon HERE.

Links in this post may be affiliate in nature, resulting in a small commission to me via your purchase but at NO cost to you. Thank you in advance!

BOOK REVIEW: The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb

Several years ago, I tutored a teenaged boy who had a curious habit when it came to eating his after school snacks. This young guy, we'll call him Joe, would take the tiniest bites of his snacks and roll the bites around in his mouth with his eyes closed, chewing far more than necessary, and then swallow the bites. When I asked him about this little habit, he told me it was so that he could really enjoy what he was eating and that by closing his eyes, taking tiny bites, and holding the bites in his mouth while chewing and moving them around for longer than necessary, he created a fuller, much more enjoyable experience for himself. He said he was teaching himself to really enjoy and engage with what he consumed, and that in doing so he was also practicing self control and limiting portion sizes too. He was learning to recognize that great joy can be gained through small experiences and was saving himself many calories (he'd spent several years overweight and out of shape) and quite a lot of money (thanks to not over consuming).

What my student was doing falls under the title of frugal hedonism and today's book review is all about the concept.

Title: The Art of Frugal Hedonism -- a guide to spending less while enjoying everything more

Author: Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb

Publisher: Melliodora

Year published: 2016

ISBN: 9780994392817

Genre: non-fiction, lifestyle, frugalism, hedonism

Pairs well with freshly baked cookies, 

your favorite coffee or tea,

and your favorite reading chair.

I first read The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb when it was first published in 2016, and I greatly enjoyed revisiting this little treasure trove of tips, hints, and ideas for how to live better while spending less.

I haven't always been a frugalist or hedonist, but when I discovered that the two ideologies could co-exist, I was converted to both!

A frugal hedonist is a person who understands and takes pleasure in enjoying life to the fullest while also being fiscally conservative. Frugal hedonists aren't necessarily scouring the Goodwill for their next pair of jeans or dumpster diving for tonight's dinner, but they might if they see something that's high quality and worth the energy and effort. A frugal hedonist could just as likely be shopping at Goodwill or pulling a nightstand out of a dumpster as spending over $100 on a pair of shoes that they know are high quality and that have a lifetime guarantee and thus will last years rather than the short life span of a cheap pair of sneakers from the discount store. They understand that they have skills and knowledge that might be useful to their neighbor and vice versa and are happy to trade and barter. They understand that an experience is more valuable than an object. They understand that making small shifts here and there can bring significant improvements in their quality of life without making huge financial outlays.

And, Raser-Rowland and Grubb explore all of this and more in their book.

The Art of Frugal Hedonism is an easy read, thanks in large part to how it is organized with brief chapters ranging from one to five page and written in such a way that you could read the book straight through like any other book, or you could dip in here and there for a tip or pick me up or inspiration as you see fit. The writers both have great senses of humor as well, lending the book a friendly and upbeat tone that also adds to the immense readability. They don't use any fancy terminology and don't get bogged down in statistics and calculations to try to prove their points which I've seen in other books on the same topic. Instead, Raser-Rowland and Grubb keep things simple and easy to understand for the regular reader. 

As I noted, this was my second time reading The Art of Frugal Hedonism, but it probably won't be my last. Both times I've read it, I gleaned great tips and ideas and inspiration for my frugal hedonist journey. The first time I read the book, I was much more focused on the frugal aspects of my life journey. This time, I was much more focused on increasing the hedonistic aspects of life while staying committed to my frugalism. 

Raser-Rowland and Grubb make it clear that you don't have to give up all of your daily pleasures in order to pinch your pennies until they turn into diamonds, in fact, I think they'd be horrified if anyone came away with the impression that their book was simply about wealth building through extreme frugality! No, they greatly encourage significantly increasing your life enjoyment, but without sacrificing your financial stability -- in fact, you can significantly increase your joy in life while also increasing your financial stability. Doing so may require changing some habits and may be even more challenging amid things like the pandemic going on worldwide as I write this, but it can be done.

I urge you to start by baking some cookies or a nice quick bread as you sit down to read The Art of Frugal Hedonism. As you put together your cookies or bread, take pleasure in the act of measuring and mixing and shaping. Smell your ingredients and think about how lovely your home will smell once they are combined and baking in the oven. In the US, we are moving swiftly through fall so I also think about how cozy and warm my home will be during and after baking. I like to put on some soft music as I work in the kitchen, and I clean and put things away as I go -- done with the vanilla? Put the jar back in the cupboard and move on to my next ingredient, smelling or tasting things as I go or noting the various colors and textures. As the oven warms, I take a moment to be thankful for my apartment which I love so much. Once all the utensils and bowls are in the sink and my cookies are in the oven, I set the timer and grab my book for 15 minutes of reading joy while sitting in my favorite chair and sipping some lovely warm tea while I read. As I move further into the book, I close my eyes as the first hint of baking cookies starts to fill the air and I inhale deeply, thinking about how delicious the cookies will taste when they are done. And, with my first cookie, I eat it in tiny little bites, feeling and tasting and savoring each one.

That, my friends, is the peak of frugal hedonism for me! 

If your looking to up your life enjoyment while being more mindful of your financial situation, I urge you to consider reading The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb. This is one that I plan to read again and again, so although I read a library copy, I plan to buy a copy for myself.

You can get it from independent book sellers via Bookshop HERE.

Or, buy a copy from Amazon HERE.

Links in this post may be affiliate links in nature.

Purchases through these links may result in small commissions

for me at no added cost to you. Thank you in advance!