Bookish (& Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Bookish (& Not-So-Bookish) Thoughts is a weekly meme hosted by Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous. Head on over to link up and join in on the conversation!

1. Lately, Iʻve been feeling like my whole life is in a slump. My anxiety has been pretty active lately. Anxiety = Me feeling like Iʻm a bad mom/fiance/person = Borderline depression = Makes everything else worse. I know that I just need to "ride this wave" but itʻs still so hard. Especially with certain things that have been going on lately. I am holding on for the light at the end of the tunnel.

2. All of this anxiety has contributed to why I havenʻt been around the blog lately. I try to do this post at the very least, but I wasnʻt even really in much of a mood to write this post out. Ah well...weʻre already here, so I may as well push on through! But if I donʻt/havenʻt been commenting on blog posts as much as I usually do, now you know why.

3. Now is the time that I would usually share what Iʻm currently reading, but I donʻt think Iʻm actually reading much of anything right now. Nothing really has caught my attention lately. Huh...weird. I think Iʻm gonna have to browse the Nook store to find something that does catch my interest.

4. I just finished reading The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry and I really enjoyed it. It wasnʻt quite what I was expecting, but it was good nonetheless.

5. Little Miss received a whole bunch of books in her Easter baskets, but her favorite thus far is Too Purpley by Jean Reidy. Itʻs perfect for my girl who hates wearing clothes...haha! I want to get the rest of the books in the collection. My Aunty did good!

6. Itʻs Merrie Monarch week in Hawaii! Merrie Monarch is a Hula exhibition/competition held every spring in Hawaii to celebrate Hula and King David Kalakaua, the Hawaiian king who brought Hula back into the mainstream after the dance was almost lost to Christian missionaries (interesting story-you should look it up!). Hula girls are a real thing, yʻall! But they donʻt belong dancing on your dashboard in coconut bras and grass skirts. Check out the video above to see real hula girls in their element.

7. Iʻm actually feeling a little better after writing this post. Thank you for reading my blog. Knowing that there are people out there who care what I have to say (even when I donʻt have much to say at all) makes me feel a lot better. If youʻve gotten this far leave a comment telling me what words of wisdom you tell yourself when you need some encouraging -- I could really use it!

8. Another thing that made me feel better today: I stopped by my old job today and was able to visit with my old co-workers and kids--with the kiddo in tow. I miss them so much! And being surrounded by people I love lifted my spirits so much.

9. I have been thinking about pre-school and teaching so much lately. I love being a stay at home mom and know that, right now, that is what is best for baby & I. But I canʻt help but miss my kiddos and being in the classroom. I feel like thereʻs something so special about being a teacher to these young souls. Plus, the classroom was always my happy place--there was never a bad mood that couldnʻt be fixed by a smiling kid.

10. Since Iʻm in between books right now, I need some suggestions! What are some books that youʻve read (recently or otherwise) that you really, really enjoyed?

Show & Tell Tuesday: My Life Mixtape

Hello! Itʻs Tuesday...usually Tuesdays around here mean Top 10 Tuesday, but I couldnʻt think of anything to go with the topic so Iʻm trying something new! Show and Tell Tuesdays are hosted by Andrea over at Momfessionals. 

Todayʻs Show & Tell topic is ʻMy Life Mixtapeʻ...I think thatʻs pretty self-explanatory so letʻs get this party started!

BEST. SONG. EVER (aka my favorite song)

Iʻve loved this song since before it was even officially released back in ʻ08. Taylor is my girl (please let me be part of your squad, T). And this song has always reminded me to be fearless.

Forever Kind of Love (aka a song that reminds me of Josh)

Aside from the fact that Megan Batoon and Ian Eastwood are two of my favorite professional dancers, Josh choreographed a dance to this song for me for Valentineʻs Day 2015.

Always My Baby (aka a song that reminds me of Honey)

No joke, this song ALWAYS makes me cry.

Good ʻol Days (a song that brings back good memories)

When I was younger, we would always have epic family parties where my grandpa and uncles would play Hawaiian music while my mom & aunties danced hula. Since then, Noho Paipai (Rocking Chair) has been one of my favorite Hawaiian songs!

I could think of more, but the kiddo is crying...Momma duty calls! If you could make a mixtape of your life, what songs would be on it?

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

1. Sick Update: Sooo....baby has a slight ear infection. I took her to the doctor last Friday even though she was showing signs of feeling better and it turns out that she had a slight build up of mucus behind her ears. If she was a bit older, the doctor would have let her body fight off the infection by itself but to give her (and us) some relief a little quicker, she was given Amoxicillin. 

2. Ear infections run in my family, unfortunately, so Iʻm now preparing for a lifetime of ear infections in the kid. A bunch of family members had tubes in their ears as children to help with ear infections. And even in adulthood, I get diagnosed with ear infections every so often. Ear infections are no fun...I feel for my kid!

3. A slight ear infection is not stopping my kid, though! She is having a blast pulling herself to stand at any chance she gets. This week, I even caught her trying to escape her swimming pool. Was it cute? Of course. Am I ready for escaping yet? Not in the slightest.

Basically Josh in a nutshell.

4. We are huge nerds in our house. Joshʻs fandom of choice is Pokemon (and I like Pokemon, too...just not as much as him, haha). Since weʻre celebrating Pokemon being around 20 years in 2016, we have been on Pokemon overload lately! Most recently, Game Freak announced that the new game being released this year will be called Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. Weʻre both super excited! Thereʻs even speculation that the game will be inspired by Hawaii which would be so cool! Game Freak also released Pokemon Blue, Red, and Yellow on the 3DS and 2DS. 

5.  I am currently reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. I started reading it last week and Iʻm still not even close to done! Itʻs such a deep and heavy book that I can only read a few pages at a time before I get overwhelmed (also because the baby needs my attention...so thereʻs that).

6. I recently downloaded Audible because Iʻve got a free 3-month trial with my Amazon Prime subscription. Iʻm not really one for audiobooks, I think itʻs because I am a visual learner rather than an auditory learner and itʻs much easier for me to retain and understand information when Iʻm looking at it. But hey, I get 3 free audiobooks so I may as well give it a try, right? Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, what books would you recommend that I try out?

7. We had a blast reading through some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books today to celebrate Dr. Seussʻ birthday and Read Across America Day! We also ate cake...well, I did...because itʻs not a birthday party without cake, right?

8. How about a little throwback Thursday? One of my high school BFFs was recently looking for pictures of us from our sophomore year and that sparked a fun little look down memory lane. Iʻm ending this post with a (probably embarrassing) throwback picture from high school! Ah 2006...you were good to me. Haha

This was definitely taken on a disposable camera. Remember when you actually had to carry a CAMERA around when you wanted to take pics? What kind of dinosaur era were we living in? lol

Iʻm linking up with Bookishly Boisterous today to talk bookish and non-bookish stuff. Head on over to join the conversation!

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts.

1. The past two days have been a doooooozie (extra os for emphasis). On Monday night, I was hit with a huge migraine, itʻs been ages since my last migraine, that pretty much kept me down for the count through Tuesday. And on Tuesday night, my throat started hurting and quickly after that all the usual cold symptoms started attacking. I hate being sick.

2. Thankfully, Josh stayed home these past two days to help take care of Honey and to force me to rest even though the busy body Mama in me wants to keep pushing through and getting stuff done. He reminded me that if I donʻt want the baby to get sick then I have to focus on getting better. Today, I stayed in bed (or in a warm bath) while he took care of the kid, the house, and me. Four for you, Josh Coco!

3. Being a sick momma still means nursing the baby, playing with the baby (because she doesnʻt want to go to her daddy), making sure the baby naps, and keeping the baby clean. And also trying really hard not to dump full bottles of hand sanitizer on her to try to keep her from getting this bug.

4. Also, did I mention that Josh has also had a cold the past few days, too? And yet his main priority is making sure that weʻre ok...Go Daddy! We love him!

5. Ok, ok...enough sick talk. Being in bed has allowed me ample time to get my read on. Iʻm currently reading The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. This is my second time attempting to read it and Iʻm enjoying it much more this time around...I think the last time I tried, life just got too busy...it was literally the week before I gave birth and I didnʻt have the energy to focus on the book.

6. I am also reading A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray on my Nook, normally at night before I fall asleep. I am also really enjoying this one! Multiple dimensions! And history! And romance! And mystery! So fun.

7. I bought this Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Journal and now I kinda want one for myself, haha. I loooooved guided journals as a kid...heck, I even enjoy them as an adult! Yʻall wouldnʻt judge me if I bought one for myself, right? :P

8. Iʻm 99% sure that I will be participating in the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Kimberly over at Caffeinated Book Reviewer next month. I seriously have SO MANY BOOKS which I own that I need to read. This challenge/readathon thing will definitely be a good way to tackle that. Iʻll be posting more details about it when the time comes.

9. I had like 11,000 rewards points from my bank which I had no idea about until last week. I had to trade those points in by March 31 or I would lose them. I traded them in for two $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards. Because...#life.

10. Other than that, though, I am on a serious book buying ban until I make a healthy dent in the books I already own. Iʻm also not allowed to go to the library until April at least. Of course, websites like BookOutlet.com and Bookdepository.com make it really, really hard to lay off the books....donʻt even get me started on Barnes & Noble.

11. We are currently looking in to cloth diapering options and I would LOVE any opinions, Mamas, if youʻve got any! Weʻre a little nervous because, at first glance, it all seems soooo expensive but we know itʻll be worth it in the long run. I will gladly take any and all suggestions/opinions...as long as youʻre nice about it :D

12. I have been seriously, seriously craving a Disney World trip. We were even planning one for the fall, but with all the other plans that we have in our immediate future, I think itʻs best we keep that trip on the back burner for now. We are definitely lucky that we have Aulani right down the road from us, but I still miss my Main Street home away from home.

What bookish or not-so-bookish things are on your mind this week? For more Bookish/Non-Bookish thoughts & fun, check out Bookishly Boisterous and link up with us--we donʻt bite!

Songs That I Wish Were Books

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish today for Top 10 Tuesday! This week is all about books and music. Head on over to check out more music themed posts today!

 Songs That I Wish Were Books

I donʻt listen to a lot of music...like at all. I donʻt listen to new music at least. I am the kind of girl who prefers to stick to my old favorites or Disney music. So I apologize in advance if all of my picks are Taylor Swift songs  or One Direction songs or Disney songs...hah!

1. Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift - Seriously, the music video itself is asking to be a book!

2. I See the Light by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi - Tangled is my favorite Disney movie...if not my favorite movie in general...of all time, largely because the music is gorgeous and does not get enough recognition! I, personally, would love a book 

3. A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope - This song is just all kinds of gorgeous. If you havenʻt listened to it before, stop what youʻre doing a go listen NOW.  This would definitely be a romance book...maybe New Adult if not YA about long distance relationships. Yes. This Song. Book. Amazing.

4. The Man Who Canʻt Be Moved by The Script - THIS SONG. Ok...this song is probably my favorite song of all time, so obviously I would freaking love it if it was a book. This song is about a guy who is waiting for a girl at the place that they met and itʻs such a romantic song with deeper meanings of like betrayal and what not. I would love a contemporary YA novel about a boy and girl who wait for each other but can never quite connect...oh wait, that kinda sounds like November 9 by Colleen Hoover...but only kinda I still wouldnʻt mind a book written around this song!

5. She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 - Are ya seeing a pattern here? Must I explain myself?

6. Simple Love Song by Anuhea - OK...I tried to flip the switch a bit and put a happy song up in this thang, lol. Simple Love Song is simply a love song. I imagine this book would be just that, too...a love story. I would love a story where the characters are already in love and the whole point of the book is keeping them in love...no need for falling in love or crazy schemes...just a love story. That might be a little boring, but thatʻs what love is sometimes...itʻs just love, no gimmicks or tricks...it just IS.

7. Try by Colbie Caillat - This song actually reminds me of Dumplinʻ by Julie Murphy just because itʻs sucha a body positive song. Itʻs basically telling women that we donʻt have to change anything to be beautiful and I think thatʻs a message EVERYONE needs. More body positive books would be great!

8. Midnight Memories by One Direction - I just like the title.

Annnnd...I canʻt think of anymore. Sorry! But there ya have it, songs that I wish were books! See yʻall next week for another Top 10 Tuesday! Bye :D

Bookish & Not So Bookish Thoughts

Itʻs Thursday and you know what that means...Iʻll be linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous and sharing some bookish and non-bookish thoughts.

1. Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series and The Siren (which was released on January 26) aka one of my favorite authors of all time re-tweeted a picture of my kid. So basically, my kid is now twitter famous! But seriously, I was so excited when she RTʻed the picture of Honey checking out The Siren, I may have jumped up and down squealing for joy while said kid looked at me like I was crazy.

2. News flash, kid: Your mother is definitely crazy. And a fangirl. So, sorry Iʻm not sorry.

3. I am currently reading two books, which is very much unlike me but I had to go with two just for now. I first started reading Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor but it was making me dream weird dreams so I also had to pick up Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus to help balance everything out. Welcome to Night Vale is about a strange town in the dessert called Night Vale where weird things happen all the time. Nanny Returns is the sequel to The Nanny Diaries, which I read a few weeks ago and NEEDED resolution from, so hereʻs my resolution :D

4. So did you guys see that thing about the old Pottermore test possibly being wrong due to the need to keep houses equal for the house cup on the old Pottermore website? Itʻs probably old news but I just heard about it and promptly freaked out because WHO AM I IF I AM NOT A HUFFLEPUFF?! I retook the new and improved quiz, fully prepared to cry, but that wasnʻt necessary. I am definitely a Hufflepuff.

5. At 5 this morning, some woman was outside on the street screaming in front of the house of one of my neighbors. Since our bedroom window faces the street, we heard everything. Apparently, the womanʻs girlfriend was inside the house cheating on her with the lady that lives there. So she was screaming and hitting a car with a bottle...at 5 this morning. I mean..REALLY?! Honey was already half awake but I was trying to nurse her back to sleep and that definitely did not help. Next time someone wakes up my kid, THEY are going to be the ones to put her back to sleep. J.K. I donʻt want those crazies in my house.

6. But seriously people, donʻt cheat. Donʻt cheat on your partners. Donʻt cheat on your homework. Donʻt cheat during games. Just donʻt cheat. Cheating gets you nowhere and it only ends up hurting you and/or the people you love.

7. How do you decide what youʻre going to read next? I had a TBR jar once upon a time but I epically failed at using it. If I didnʻt like the book that I picked, I would keep picking until I got one that I wanted (see, cheating is bad). I am more of an emotional reader and normally Iʻll just go with whatever I feel like reading depending on my mood.

8. I feel like all of my most anticipated 2015 reads are coming out this month. Which basically means that I will have no money for anything. lol...Oops!

9. Was that ecard made by my child?! Haha...just kidding, herʻs would say that sheʻs tired, too. My kid is the queen of fighting her sleep. Itʻs almost like she hates missing out on things...not that sheʻll miss much cause Iʻm not very interesting when sheʻs sleeping. Anyway, in addition to waking up at 5am, she also took only 3 naps today that lasted 30 minutes each...maybe. So yeah, Iʻm tired.

10. We have been trying so, so, so hard to get her on a routine with sleeping. Look, I donʻt care if sheʻs awake 2 or 3 times a night to nurse...we mostly dream feed anyway. I donʻt care if sheʻs not sleeping through the night right now. I just want her to get the sleep that she needs instead of spending the whole evening being grumpy. I know itʻll take some time, but Iʻm hoping this whole routine thing works.

11. Iʻm pretty sure that only moms get excited when a kid poops. TMI? Sorry! Haha. But seriously, my kid hasnʻt popped in a day or so and Iʻm getting a little worried. Plus an overtired kid who is also constipated is not my favorite thing.

12. I havenʻt finished one book at all this week and Iʻm feeling a little guilty. Iʻm feeling a bit of a reading slump coming along, but Iʻm gonna treat this like a cold and just push through it and keep reading. Iʻll make it out alive...hopefully.

Whatʻs going on with you all? Do you have any crazy neighbor (or just crazy people in general) stories you wanna share? Iʻd love to hear ʻem...mostly because I want to feel like Iʻm not alone with the crazies, haha.

Top 10 Historical/Futuristic Settings I Love to See In Books

As is the usual, I am linking up with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish for Top 10 Tuesday! This weekʻs topic was Historical/Futuristic Settings that I love seeing in books and I couldnʻt decide so Iʻm doing both!

Top 6 Historical Settings I Love Seeing In Books

Iʻve never really been in to Historical fiction books. I canʻt even tell you the amount of Historical books that I DNF. But I think that I just wasnʻt reading the right historical fiction books. Iʻve come to love quite a few historically based books recently...here are some of my favorites!

1. World War II Era - This is actually a more recent love affair. In the past month alone Iʻve read two Historical fiction books based around World War II and I am itching to get my hands on more. In fact, Iʻve got Ruta Sepetysʻs newest release Salt to the Sea currently sitting in my Barnes & Noble shopping cart ready to check out as soon as Iʻm done writing this post. I think this is a particularly interesting era in historical fiction because it is such a rich time in history with so many things to write about. I canʻt wait to read more WWII Era books!

2. Monarchy Era Hawaii - I am probably cheating quite a bit because a) I am FROM Hawaii and b) Iʻve grown up reading historical books about Hawaii and c) I studied Hawaiian history for quite some time, but still...this is definitely a favorite of mine. As a child, I loved reading the Royal Diaries book about Princess Kaʻiulani...in fact, itʻs currently sitting on the bookshelf next to me because itʻs still one of my favorite books of all time. I love seeing how others interpret my culture and how these books portray Hawaii. Of course, I am extremely picky about books that depict the Hawaiian culture and that era because being Hawaiian is so much of who I am and I think itʻs so important for people to get that era right. There is definitely a need for more historical fiction books based in Hawaii...who knows, maybe Iʻll be the one to write those books.

3. Polynesia in general - Polynesian history is so diverse and rich and vibrant that there are an endless amount of stories that can come from ancient polynesia. From stories of gods from different islands, to navigating between islands, and when foreigners discovered the islands...there is so much culture to talk about! One of my favorite Polynesian authors is Albert Wendt...most of his books are about life in old Samoa and the myths of Samoa...I highly recommend checking him out. My favorite Albert Wendt book is Pouliuli...I reread it at least once a year.

4. Ancient Grease - Itʻs no secret that I love all things Greek...especially ancient Grease. I love Greek mythology and I love stories about Greek mythology. Iʻm not sure that thereʻs much else I can say! Give me a good book based in ancient Grease and I will love you forever.

5. Early-Mid 20th Century America - Weʻre going to blame my obsession with American Girl Samantha for this one. As a child, I lived for the Samantha books, mostly because I didnʻt have a Samantha doll of my own but I could own all the books, so I did. Her story takes place in 1904, a time when womenʻs rights and progress was just becoming a ʻthingʻ. Iʻve always thought that this period of American History was so interesting because there was so much going on. So much history took place in just a matter of decades and books about this era help me grasp that part of history much better than just learning about it from a text book.

6. Russia under the Romanovʻs Rule - Yet another interest that has been carried over from childhood. I adored Anastasia when I was younger...I devoured every book that I could about her, yes including a Royal Diaries book. I was obsessed with the Royal Diaries books, but I digress. This period of Russian history, and especially the monarchy at the time, was so interesting and so, so heartbreaking. Itʻs certainly a story that will live on forever.

Top 4 Futuristic Settings I Love Seeing Books

1. Space Travel! - I keep thinking that I would love to see space travel become a thing during my time here, but I also I know that I would be too much of a scaredy pants to actually do the space travel thing. That doesnʻt mean that I canʻt enjoy space travel from the safety of my home library, though. I love seeing space travel because everything is so unknown that it allows authors to create an entire world from scratch and that allows audiences to expand their imaginations, too.

2. Dystopian - I know, I know...dystopian fiction has been the it thing for so many years now and I definitely feel like itʻs been a bit played out and we may be ready for a new thread. That doesnʻt mean that I donʻt like dystopian books, though. I enjoy it because thereʻs a possibility that it is a serious look and what our futures may hold. I also feel like there are so many different worlds that can emerge from a dystopian society that although it may feel similar to other dystopian books, it probably wonʻt be.

3. Utopia - I actually havenʻt read a lot of utopian books, but I think the concept of them is interesting. Utopias are kind of the opposite of dystopian books. Utopian books portray an ideal society, while dystopian books portray a corrupt society. I think itʻs so interesting to compare the two, especially knowing that society can go either way. I think Iʻm going to have to pick up a utopian book soon because Iʻve gotten myself intrigued, haha.

4. Heightened Technology - For this one, I was specifically thinking about Time Travel and Teleportation, but I went with ʻheightened technologyʻ because there are so many things that I feel would come with these two. Iʻm thinking robots and loads of machines doing basically everything for humans, like Wall-E. These books are interesting because they can either highlight the benefits or disadvantages of having so much technology and I think that a technological overload is a very real thing the future holds.

What are your favorite historical or futuristic settings in books? Share some of your favorite reads that feature this settings!

Letʻs Talk...New Year

Happy Wednesday, beautiful blog people of the world! In lieu of the typical Wednesday ʻCurrentlyʻ post, I thought it would be fun to link up with Andrea from Momfessionals and Andrea over at A Little Bit of Everything for a bit of chit-chat session.

This monthʻs topic is New Year...what weʻve got planned, what weʻre excited about, and our goals. So hereʻs whatʻs going on around here in 2016.

Goals

At the beginning of the year, I shared my new yearʻs resolutions.

My personal resolution was to CREATE something every day. The goal is to be more creative and cultivate creativity by doing one thing every day to foster those skills. Whether it be coloring, reading, writing, crafting, or even singing. Iʻm glad to say that everything is so far, so good on that front!

I had many mommy resolutions but my main one is to be the best mommy for my daughter. I promised that I would be more ʻpresentʻ by spending more time face-to-face with her instead of on Facebook. I promised that I wouldnʻt compare myself to other mommies because they arenʻt Honeyʻs mommy...I am and I know what is best for her...I know what kind of mommy she needs. And as my little bug held my hand today while she played with her toys, I realized just how important this resolution is. She wonʻt be a baby forever...there will come a time when she would rather play with her friends then me. So I am cherishing the moments and I am trying to be the best mommy for her.

I also had a lot of bookish resolutions, like..seriously too many to list here. But I am doing a pretty good job with ʻem, if I do say so myself!

What Weʻre Planning

This year, Josh is planning on joining the National Guard! I am a little nervous about this because it means that heʻll be gone for a little while, but I also know that itʻll mean great things for our family.

Although itʻs not in the serious planning stages right now, we are also planning on making a big move this year. Right now, weʻre still in the beginning stages...meaning getting rid of our junk and tying up loose ends here.

But the biggest thing weʻre planning this year is a family vacation in September! First, weʻll be heading off to the East Coast for my best friendʻs wedding. Then weʻll be stopping in Portland to visit my parents and other family members there. Weʻre also trying to figure out if we can fit a stop over at Disneyland, too! Iʻm excited but nervous about flying with a 1-year-old, but Iʻll worry more about it when the time comes.

What Weʻre Excited About

Honey turning ONE in July! We arenʻt planning a party or anything big since weʻre going on our trip in September, but weʻll probably celebrate by visiting Mickey and Minnie at Aulani for a Disney character breakfast!

Weʻre also so excited about Meagan (my best friend) getting married! I wish that I had a picture of the two of us to share, but this is a new computer and Iʻm still off of facebook, so no picture...sorry! Not only will we be travelling to a brand new state for all of us, but Iʻll get to see my bestie whom I havenʻt seen in person for far too long!

What are your goals for this year? Anything exciting in the works? I would love to hear more!

Currently 007

Itʻs been a while since Iʻve done a ʻCurrentlyʻ post and I am so excited to do this one--the very first one of the New Year. Iʻm linking up with Anne and Jenna today. What are you currently up to?

Currently

Resolving... to do more creative things. To be the best mommy I can be to Honey. And to finally make a dent in my TBR list. You can check out more of my personal, mommy, and bookish resolutions here, here, and here.

Reading... The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. Itʻs definitely an interesting book, but Iʻm not even halfway through it yet. Book review coming soon!

Organizing... our cute (and new) little Library room. We decided to move Honeyʻs crib from what was supposed to be her room into our room (because it gives Momma some peace of mind...Iʻm just not ready for her to have her own room yet and sheʻs slept in our room since she was born anyway), so now her room is a little library with all of her and my books, plus daddyʻs gaming systems. Itʻs turning into a cute little reading room and Iʻm so excited for it to be done and ready for proper use.

Loving... how much my little monkey is exploring. She loves to touch every thing (which can be stressful, but eh). She loves looking at pictures and listening to music. This age is stressful because sheʻs so fussy (going through a developmental leap currently),  but itʻs so much fun! I love watching her grow. 

Craving... sweets, and lots of it. I want to make brownies and buckeye balls and cake and no-bake cookies and peanut butter cookies just to horde it all for myself! The struggle is real.

Top 10 Tuesday--Book to Movie Adaptations that I NEED to Watch

OK, Iʻve gotta be honest here--Iʻm not big on book to movie adaptations. Whatʻs weird though is that more than half of the movies that I watch actually are book to movie adaptations. If itʻs not a Disney movie, the chances are high that I would choose a movie based on a book. Still, Iʻm very picky about them. I donʻt watch movies very often (even less now that Iʻve got a little munchkin to bring along), so if I do watch a movie it needs to be good, otherwise I just feel like Iʻm wasting my money and time. Thatʻs why I choose to watch book to movie adaptations, for the most part Iʻll know what to expect. Still, it goes without saying that often the book is much better in my head then it is on the movie screen. 

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish to talk about some of the book to movie adaptations that I would LOVE to see....or ones that are out/have been out for a while that I still need to see. Warning, there are a lot of those.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- I honestly do not know why I havenʻt seen this one yet. At first, I was waiting until I read the book and after I read the book...I donʻt know. Iʻll have to convince Josh to watch this one with me one night after Honey goes to sleep, I guess!

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Parts 1 &2) -- I vaguely remember watching Catching Fire...I think. And then, when Mockingjay Part 1 came out, I just wasnʻt interested. Now that Part 2 is on itʻs way, I figure I should probably get around to watching ʻem. I LOVED The Hunger Games trilogy so I do want to see how the last book was brought to life in the cinematic world. Maybe weʻll have a Hunger Games marathon this Thanksgiving.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner -- I sooooo wanted to see this movie when it came out but I hadnʻt read the books yet and as a general rule, I donʻt watch movies until Iʻve read their books. I still havenʻt gotten around to reading the books yet, but Iʻm sure that Iʻll watch the movies as soon as Iʻve read ʻem!

4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling -- I feel a bit bad because Iʻm not as excited as other Potterheads for this movie. I mean, yes I am still very excited because MORE POTTER! and EDDIE REDMAYNE! and AMERICAN WIZARDS! And all that good stuff. 

5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- OK....I am pretty excited about this movie, mostly because of the cast. Emily Blunt?! Yes, please! The book was a bit predictable to me, but I still enjoyed it. It will definitely be interesting to see it all fleshed out on the big screen.

6. The Selection by Kiera Cass -- A while ago, there were rumors going around that the Selection series was going to be turned in to a TV show, but I guess that fell through. That really sucks because the books are definitely one of my guilty pleasures and I would eat that up for real. Hereʻs to hoping that something will work out in the future because I NEED America and Aspen and Maxon in my life always.

7. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- Yeah, alright, I know that there isnʻt even talk (YET) about this becoming a movie at all, but letʻs all just think positive happy thoughts and maybe the universe will manifest it and let it be. I may be obsessed with Simon and Baz. Am I turning into Cath?

8. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews -- I absolutely loved this book and Iʻve heard nothing but good things regarding the movie. 

9. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer -- This might just be because I am currently re-reading the Lunar Chronicles in anticipation for Winter, which comes out TODAY (finally), but I would love to see a movie adaptation of these books. I mean, come on, futuristic world...cyborgs...Prince Kai...Thorne...you see where Iʻm going with this, right? According to Marissa Meyerʻs blog, the rights for the movie have been optioned so I guess itʻs all just a waiting game now.

10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes -- I am excited about this movie for two reasons: 1) Emilia Clarke and 2) Sam Clafin. 

What book to movie adaptations are you just dying to see? If you could make any book into a movie, what book would you choose? 

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

01. I hadnʻt gotten around to sharing our Halloween costumes here on the blog yet, so there it is. We were Lilo, Stitch, and Liloʻs doll Scrump. I made all of our costumes (Joshʻs hat, my dress, babyʻs beanie). It has got to be my favorite Halloween costume of all time...mostly cause Honey is the CUTEST Scrump ever. 

02. Remember, remember the fifth of November...is that stuck in anyone elseʻs head today or is that just me? I have the sudden urge to start a revolution. Iʻm not sure what Iʻm rebelling against, but letʻs do this.

03. Also, is anyone else freaking out about J.K. Rowlingʻs announcement that sheʻs working on another childrenʻs book? Honestly, Iʻm not a fan of Joʻs adult fiction stuff, but Iʻm 99.9% sure that I would love another childrenʻs book from the woman that gave us Harry Potter and subsequently changed my life.

04. Even though itʻs definitely good on my wallet, Iʻm kinda bummed that November is such a slow month for anticipated book releases (for me at least). 

05. I may have gone a bit overboard on the whole book buying thing last month though, so at least Iʻll have somewhat of a break this month since Iʻm not really looking forward to anything big this month!

06. I am, however, looking forward to Winter by Marissa Meyer and The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson. I may also pick up After You by Jojo Moyes. I already have so much to read (but not too much...thereʻs no such thing as too much to read).

(via)

07. ^^^^ That will always be true about me. 

08. I made edible cookie dough today (eggless cookie dough) because Iʻve been craving that so much lately. It was good, but it somehow wasnʻt exactly what I wanted. Iʻm a little disappointed but eh. I guess that just means Iʻll have to try a new recipe next time. Anyone got good eggless cookie dough recipes?

09. Iʻm dying for cold weather to get here already! Itʻs still so ridiculously hot here and I am so over it. They say that this heat/dryness is going to last until possibly late December. Thatʻs not okay, weather. El Nino can go away now, thanks.

10. These Buzzfeed articles about life and music in the 2000s are making me feel nostalgic. Man, the early 2000s were definitely a different (dare I say better) time.

11. Iʻm super thankful that Josh has Wednesdays off. I enjoy hanging out with him and baby all day on Wednesdays without having to worry about things needing to be done, etc. Itʻs also nice having another person around to help take care of baby, especially since sheʻs going through a developmental leap and has been exceptionally grumpy lately. 

12. Iʻm currently getting ready to start Christmas shopping. This year, I want to buy more from small businesses, etsy shops, instagram shops, mom & pop stores, and direct sales consultants rather than going to the ʻbig businessesʻ. As a small business owner myself, I understand first hand how EVERY little cent helps support an actual family. If you have any suggestions that fit the criteria, leave me links to their shops/sites in the comments! I would love to check it out :D

Linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous