Twosday Fifteen

Recent Reads

1. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher. I heard this recommended on Pop Culture Happy Hour this spring, and heard the author do an interview on MPR so I was really excited for the book to come out. The format of the book was as a series of letters of recommendation. I had hoped to really love the book, but I just liked it. It was an easy read, and a good format for reading while feeding Baby C with short letters, but otherwise just ok. 
2. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. Heather has mentioned this book several time, and when I heard Julie Schumacher's interview she said she was reading it too, so I thought it would be a good one to check out. I really enjoyed this book. It follows a group of friends from their teenage years through middle age.

 Recent Listens

1. One Bad Mother. I've totally been binging this podcast lately. Two moms talking about their genius moments and mommy fails. It makes me feel better to hear other people share their fails. Also, the podcast often sounds like a conversation between two friends (which I think it is) which makes it good company for naptime.
2. Freakonomics Radio. The tagline for this podcast is "the hidden side of everything" and that's a pretty good description. The episode that led me to this podcast was How Much Does a Name Matter? Very fitting for me as I had been worrying about baby names for many months. 

Fruit I Can't Get Enough Of

1. Apples. Specifically Honeycrisp apples (Go U of M!) These are my favorite apples and I'm so happy to see them well stocked in stores right now! Lots of apples around makes it so much easier for me to #makeonehealthydecision.
2. Pomegranate. I love pomegranate on my salads. And anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a veggie lover, so having something I do like to add to my salads is super helpful. 

Someday they might all look at the camera, right?

Other Snacks I Can't Get Enough Of

1. Almonds. Can someone explain to me why I thought I didn't like almonds? Crazy! I bought a trail mix with almonds in it recently, and realized not only do I not dislike almonds, but I really like almonds. And to think of all those Blue Diamond Almonds I gave to after HLS13!
2. Pretzel Crisps. I love a good, crunchy snack and sometimes carrots just don't cut it. I have little self control with chips around, so pretzels are a good way for me to get a crunchy, salty snack without overindulging. 

(Three) Fun Adventures Last Week

1. Lunch date with Miss K at Sovereign Grounds. E was gone for part of last week, so it was really nice to meet up with a friend for lunch. I've never been to Sovereign Grounds before, but we will be visiting again! There was a great playroom area that kept the girls busy and gave me a chance to chat with a friend.
2. Sky Zone Toddler Time. The girls and I got together with one of my teacher friends and her two daughters to jump, jump, jump on Friday morning. It's been a long time since we've visited, so it was a nice treat for the girls. Plus, we got to play with friends they haven't seen in awhile. We tried a picnic after, but it was pretty windy and cold, so we wrapped it up pretty quickly. 
3. A family apple orchard and pumpkin patch visit. Miss A and Little J picked up a couple of big pumpkins to carve next weekend, we explored the apple trees a bit and, my favorite, got apple cider donuts!