Since Omicron is keeping so many of us home more than we want to be, now is a great time to catch up on books! So, here are the books I am hoping to read this month (or honestly, season…).
1. Going There
books
Fall 2021 Reading List
Not that I read much in the Fall (especially now that I needlepoint) but I hope to read more than I think I am going to….here are the books that I hope to read this season! And if you have any recommendations, send them my way!
1. Beautiful World, Where Are You?
Summer 2021 Reading List
January 2021 Reading List
New year, and more time to put effort in to my reading. Here is what I want to read this Winter (because there is literally nothing else to do besides watch Cobra Kai and Bridgerton)…..
Fall 2020 Reading List
Not that I get much time to read during the school year, but it is a goal of mine to read more this year. So here are the 10 books I would love to read right now!
1. Born a Crime
Spring 2020 Reading List
I have a lot of time on my hands. A lot. It has been hard to focus on anything other than homeschooling and the news, but I hope that as things become normal (or the new normal), I will have more concentration / strength / willpower to read. Here is a list of books I want to read during this isolation period!
1. Untamed
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys
Time is flying by and my ten year old soon will soon be a teenager (yes, I know, in a couple of years, but still…..) but I want to be prepared for discussing puberty and the physical – emotional – mental changes that take place during this time. Thankfully, a good friend told me about this book, Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, and I immediately bought it online. She suggested reading it out loud with my son, and although there are awkward moments, it is something we have been doing (and enjoying!).
Guy stuff. They also have another one for girls, too.
Currently Loving March 2020
Hi friends, I apologize for my silence last week. It was a little hectic trying to figure out my family’s next move and reaction to the COVID-19 sweeping the world and I froze (and was unable to write). Ultimately, we decided that it was best for me and the kids to go down to Florida to my in-law’s empty condo while Ken stayed behind to deal with the chaos of the virus hitting the business. It is not lost on me how lucky we are to have the option to get out of the city and have another place to go, that we have the means to buy back up supplies and groceries, and have the flexibility to get up and move. This crisis is affecting every person, world wide, and it’s devastating and hard. I waver between moments of worries, concerns, tears, frets, fears; and then being ok and breathing and dealing with moment to moment instead of thinking long term. My heart goes out to people that have it much harder….I wish it weren’t so. Stay inside, support small businesses, connect with friends, show your love, be kind, and take it day by day. In the meantime, here is what I am currently loving this month. And I will be back to normal posting — thank you for your patience.
1. I Refuse to Run a Coronavirus Home School
Fall 2019 Reading List
Not that I have picked up a book since the start of school but here are the ten books I want to read by the end of 2019! Take a look…
1. Where to Begin: A Small About Your Power to Create Big Change in our Crazy World
Winter Break 2018 Reading List
Vacation is right around the corner and I hope to have lots of time to cuddle up on the couch and read. I love reading but just haven’t been able to do as much this Fall, so I am truly looking forward to read as much as possible over the next two weeks. Here are ten books I want to read:
1. Born to Run
Fall 2018 Reading List
I don’t usually get much reading done in September- the days are busy adjusting back to school and the evenings are filled with exhaustion, homework, and activities. That being said, I am trying to make reading more of a priority this season, so here are the books on my list!
2. Dare to Lead
Kindle
Hi (or Yassou) from Greece! We have spent the past week R and R’ing with my inlaws on vacation. It has been incredible to do nothing but rest, recuperate, relax, walk, eat, and be together as a family. Due to my heavy travel schedule this summer (combined with my ability to read a lot over the summer months), I bought a Kindle so I didn’t have to lug around heavy books in all my travels. Although I love physical books, I must say that I have been LOVING my Kindle. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It has been so great to have multiple books in one little device, and know that even if I run out of books during the summer travels, I can easily buy new ones. But the best part has been the fact that my son has all of a sudden had a HUGE interest in reading on it. He loves to read, kinda sorta maybe. But somehow, reading on the Kindle has created this whole new interest in reading, and he can’t seem to put it down. The only downside in this is that I then have to fight with him for it (but it’s a battle I’m happy to “lose”).
Cruzzie loves his lego catalogues more than anything. Since he was young, he has carted them around on car travel, restaurants or any sort of activity. He loves to read his catalogues. But ever since he discovered that he could read on my Kindle…..
22 Interiors – Styling 101
Once again, our dear friend Lucie Ayres from 22 Interiors joins the blog for some designing and styling tips. I love her work and styling, so don’t just read the post for advice…. follow her on instagram to see her Californian digs and designs. Thanks, Lucie!
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The finishing touches are what make a room feel designed or not. One of 22 Interiors FAVORITE things to do is style bookshelves and coffee tables. We love discovering what clients already have, adding to it, and finalizing a curated look that works for them….We recently went to a client’s house to do some bookshelf and coffee table styling as part of our design service. Our client already had put some objects up on the shelves along with some books. This is what it looked like:
Before:
Before
Holiday 2017 Reading List
Since vacation is quickly approaching, here is my list of books to read! For whatever reason, I’ve been too busy to read this Fall, but with vacation around the corner, I am excited to try to tackle the following list:
1. Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)
Favorite New Cookbooks November 2017
Now that it is cold and dreary in NYC, I like to spend my time inside cooking. One of my favorite hobbies is looking at cookbooks (actually cooking out of them is less of a passion, but I’m working on it). I recently bought three new cookbooks and love them all.
Pretty books (and yes, pretty flowers).
Poetry Boxes
One of the reasons I love my hometown is that it feels so 1960s. Like a happy hippy commune. Nothing is upscale, fancy, or pretentious. Everything has a super “love makes the world go round” “kumbaya” type of vibe. Case in point: Eugene has ‘poetry boxes’ dispersed throughout the town. They perfectly describe Eugene — random mailboxes in town with poems to share with the community (what is NOT to love about this).
Two blocks from my parents house is this mailbox with poetry. They change it once a month.
Housewarming Gifts 101: Coffee Table Books
Last month while still in NYC, my West Coast biffle stopped in for a sleepover on her way through NYC. As always, she gifted us the most unique, thoughtful, and special housewarming gift: a collection of coffee table books. (Her last gift, which I also posted on, is here.) Each book is beautiful, interesting, and special, but what makes them even more special, is that they are so me! Take a look at the selection — I love the idea of presenting friends with a collection of books that they can flip through and read for years to come.
The large heavy stack!
Summer 2017 Reading List
Pat on my back…..one of the few things I am good at doing over the summer is reading. (Forget about reading the rest of the year!) Check out my Summer 2017 Reading List!
Books to read….but not THESE math books.
Elm Street Books
This past Fall, I discovered a small independent bookstore in New Canaan that I fell in love with — Elm Street Books. Not only does it have a great selection of books, but the employees are incredibly knowledgeable and give great recommendations. Last weekend, I went in with three needs: books my emerging reader son can read on his own, books that I can read to BOTH my kids, and books for myself. Two different employees helped me out and all of their selections have been spot on perfect. Here is what they recommended! Thank you, Elm Street Books! We will be back!
Elm Street: Walked out with a new bag filled with books — nothing better.
Truly Madly Guilty- Interview with Liane Moriarty’s Literary Agent
Don’t you love how small the world is? I was raving about Truly Madly Guilty this summer, and the next week Ken discovered that his friend’s wife, Faye Bender, is the literary agent for Liane Moriarty (not to mention a number of other authors). I had the privilege of interviewing Faye and finding out more about literary agents and the writing world. Take a look!
Meet Faye Bender, Literary Agent Extraordinaire.
Currently Loving October 2016
Can’t believe it’s the beginning of October! Here is what I am currently loving.
1. Starboy by The Weekend and Daft Punk
I can’t help my tween music taste, but really, The Weekend and Daft Punk together is the best duo ever. Kinda like if Coldplay were to jam out with Justin Bieber. This song is everything. And helps me move.
Kids Books on Race
So far this summer, I have failed at most of my motherly duties of teaching my kids how to: (1) tie their shoes (big fail), (2) do their school summer math workbook (I am a nagging Jewish mother, my GOD, I want to punch MYSELF), (3) become a self-sufficient swimmer (the fact my younger Toosh is in the water at all is a huge success), (4) ride a two-wheel bike (what was I thinking – at least I succeeded last summer with Cruz), etc….the list goes on and on of what I have failed at. The one thing that I feel proud of in regards to my mothering is having the difficult conversation about race, religion, injustice, and the world current events with my kids. The thoughts and conversations have been far from perfect, but they have been a start. Although at times it feels rather forced or weird, it is a dialogue that we want to have with our kids. They are mixed children, in terms of religion, race, and culture, and we want them to see the world as a WHOLE. With the tragedies occurring in our world / country with race relations, it is imperative that we have real conversations about what is happening.
I recently found four books (at the library) that have been helpful with our daily conversations; I want the kids to understand that even though people may look different or have different traditions, they are the same, and should be treated with the same amount of kindness. Also, here is an interesting article on how to talk to your children about race (from last year, but still relevant).
Summer 2016 Reading List
Summer (for me) officially begins tomorrow when I fly out to Oregon with the kids to spend the summer with my parents. Once out there, I have no friends, no life, no tutoring, and no real responsibilities (not necessarily very “summer-like” for most people….but it is my way of recharging). It is the PERFECT time for me to read. I have a long list of books I would like to read this summer, so here they are. If you have any book suggestions, please share.
Books / xoxo / Cruz
Fall 2015 Book List
The holidays are upon us. If you’re like us, you have a lot of travel over the next month and a half. So here is my Fall 2015 Book list. Enjoy!
Cold and rainy days are perfect for cuddling up on a couch and reading.
1. The Japanese Lover (Isabel Allende)
Summer 2015 Book List
I hope everyone had a nice Father’s Day! I had a wonderful time celebrating with my guapo, devoted, hands on, loving husband who is the BEST father out there; by riding carousels, sweating buckets at the Playground, drinking milkshakes and eating at Fred’s with my Father-in-law (also a terrific father). Next up, celebrating my own incredible fanny-pack-wearing, dependable, loveable, and smartest man alive father– when we go to Oregon on WEDNESDAY!!!! Not only do our packed bags signify the summer, but so too does my stack of fun books to read. So here is my summer 2015 Book List!
