A Slice of Brie Book Club: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (& Next Month's Book Pick)

Hey there book clubbers! Sorry again for the delay! I hope everyone was able to get through this book and is ready to talk about it...or at the very least, has seen the movie. Ha - just kidding! You should always read the book before the movie. I remember a time when this was an easier thing to do, but now a days, it feels like every movie is based on a book. Anyway, I digress.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (which from here on out will be referred to as Miss Peregrine's), has been sitting on my bookshelves for years. Five years to be exact. I remember purchasing it when I was working at a bookstore and it was just released. I was intrigued by the cover and the eeriness of it. Of course, as is the fate of many books that come home with me, it sat there on my shelves, unread. So I was pleased it was picked for book club as it meant I was finally going to read it...and just in time to see the movie! Which I think looks really good.

Anyway, just a few reminders here before we get into the book...if this is your first time here, this is your warning that this post will have spoilers (what would a book club discussion be otherwise?!) At the end of the post, I will have a few questions to get the discussion going which you can answer in the comments section if you like. And lastly, if you have a blog post about the book, you can link up at the end of this post!

Also - if you aren't here to discuss Miss Peregrine's, but would like to participate in the next book club, then be sure to jump to the end of this post to vote on the book you'd like to read for November/December! If you're new to A Slice of Brie Book Club, in a nutshell, it's an online book club for fellow book lovers. A place to talk about a chosen book from the comfort of your own home/computer! Everyone is welcome (so tell your friends!), and you definitely do not have to have a blog to participate. Every month, we vote on which book to read for the following month. The poll will stay open until Monday night and I will announce the book next Wednesday. No commitment to join, but if you've ever wanted to join a book club, this is a great place to start!

*****

Before I get into what I thought about the book, here's a quick summary of it: 16-year old Jacob finds himself traveling to a small island off the coast of Wales, with his father, after the traumatic death of his grandfather. Jacob's grandfather lived a pretty secret life, and while he tried to share things with Jacob, it was all too unbelievable and Jacob assumed it was all just "stories". But the clues his grandfather left behind, had Jacob wondering the impossible, and so he travels to the island to find out the truth and is led to the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

I will admit, I haven't been looking forward to writing about this book. Fantasy isn't really my genre of choice, and while I can enjoy it, I find it difficult to talk about. This book was well written, and my favourite part about it was the physical beauty of the book itself - from the thickness of the pages, to the inclusion of the (real) vintage photographs, to the pretty pages dedicated to each chapter - it's really a work of art. That being said, I wasn't completely enthralled with the story. Some bits I was confused (like trying to wrap my head around how all the time-loops worked), and who the hallowgasts were and their role. Again, fantasy and my brain don't always mix well together, haha.

I wasn't sure how I felt about the romance developing between Jacob and Emma either...it seemed a little wrong, given both her actual age and the fact that she still seemed to be in love with Jacob's grandfather. I just don't think it was really necessary. Unless the author thought there needed to be a love interest in order to make it seem believable that Jacob would stay behind? Who knows...even Jacob as a character was pretty flat for me. There wasn't really anything likeable about him or had me "rooting" for him, or hoping for one ending over another. I felt pretty "meh" the whole time I was reading this.

I definitely think I expected this to be a creepier read. The setting is right, the endorsements on the book lead you to believe so, and the pictures should add an eerie element. But, it's not. There wasn't one part where I felt creeped out, or on the edge of my seat. Which is fine, but I think the cover and synopsis are misleading.

And the ending? I have a big pet peeve when it comes to cliff-hangers in a series. Thankfully, this wasn't a huge one, but it's obvious that it was written with the intent for their to be another book (or two in this case). I'm undecided if I will finish the series off....part of me always wants to know what happens, but I also wasn't invested enough in this book to want to run out and read the next one. I'm also not even sure I fully understand what happened at the end of this book, or where these kids are hoping to row out to. That's right - row! How far can you get in the ocean in row boats?! With no food, water, shelter or supplies, not to mention "a silent procession of battleships punctuated the horizon"! Ya, a weak ending in my opinion.

Overall, I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it. I might just not be the right audience. Or maybe I just went in with the wrong expectations? Like I said above, it's well written and I didn't have any issues with that, I just wasn't as sucked into the story as I was hoping I would be!

So this is usually where I would have some discussion questions for you...but I'm having a hard time coming up with any! Instead:

• Tell me what you thought of the book: did you like it, love it, hate it? 
• Do you usually enjoy fantasy books? 
• Were you expecting the book to be more creepy? 
• How did you feel about the romance developing between Jacob and Emma? 
• How did you feel about the ending?

*****

NEXT MONTH'S BOOK PICK

So there's only going to be one more book club for the rest of the year. Seeing as how we are already getting into November, and since December is historically a busy month for almost everyone, it makes sense to only do one more.  That being said, I want to read something light, fun and a bit romantic to finish the year off! So I've picked three Christmas themed chick-lit fiction books to choose from. Cast your vote and I will announce the last book club book of 2016 next Wednesday!

Links to check out these books on Goodreads: Winter Street//Christmas at Tiffany's//Wrapped Up in You

And now to vote!

Happy Voting! And don't forget to link up your posts so I can check them out! 

Oh Baby: 30 Weeks

30 weeks. I am officially in my third trimester, and if everything goes according to plan (famous last words, I'm sure), then our little baby will be joining our family in exactly 9 weeks. Which is mind-boggling to me. Only two months left to cook this baby.

I haven't been doing pregnancy updates this time around, as I'm sure you've noticed (or maybe you haven't because pregnancy updates aren't really your thing anyway). I didn't do them frequently with Sully either, but I thought I would do more with this baby than I have. Truth be told, I haven't even been taking bump photos. I find the whole idea exhausting and I'm usually less than pleased with how I look on any given day. Not that I have to publicly share any of these photos, I know I should be taking them for myself, but I'm finding the weeks are bleeding one into another and all of a sudden, months have passed since I took my last bump photo. Part of me doesn't feel badly at all, but another part of me doesn't want to regret not capturing this pregnancy in some state, so going forward, I am vowing to make a better effort and documenting my growing belly.

Anyway. 30 weeks. The first trimester was a tough one. So much exhaustion. So much nausea (no morning sickness though, thank goodness) and way more food aversions than I ever experienced with Sully. Luckily, the second trimester brought me a ton of relief. Newfound energy, no more nausea, I could finally drink coffee again (yay!) and I was still somewhat active.

Enter the third trimester. The past few weeks have been tough. I don't feel incredibly large physically, but I carry my babies really high. This means the pressure on my chest and airway is almost debilitating at times. I'm constantly in a state of trying to catch my breath. I'm feeling exhausted once again and the shortness of breath is definitely to blame. The SI Joint pain I experienced with Sully has returned, although it's not as bad as the first time around. But the back pain is worse, and I know that's due to running around and picking up a toddler all day long. I also went into this pregnancy 20 pounds heavier than I did with Sully, so I know that's a factor in how I'm feeling over all too.

I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining. I wouldn't give up this experience for anything - pain, exhaustion and all! I've never once taken my pregnancy for granted and everyday I feel incredibly blessed and grateful that I have been able to become pregnant for a second time around and am carrying a healthy baby inside of me. In the grand scheme of things, pregnancy is such a short time in one's life.

So that's where I'm at right now. I'm taking it one day at a time and hoping that I get some energy back before baby arrives. In the meantime, I'm trying my hardest to be present and enjoy every single moment I have where it's just me and Sully. I have this endless 'to-do before baby comes' list, but thankfully my type B personality accepts that most of it probably won't get done, and I'm okay with that. Because in 1, 2, even 5 years, all that I'm going to remember is my babies and the feelings and memories associated with being their mother, and not the walls that didn't get painted or the clothes that didn't get organized.

Although, I do really hope the walls get painted.

Book Club Postponed Until Friday!

Hey Book Clubbers!

I'm so sorry to do this to you all (again), but I need to postpone book club for a few days. Pregnancy was being a little b*tch this weekend/week and I just haven't been able to finish the last few pages of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, nor have I written up my thoughts on the book! Basically, I haven't accomplished anything but sleep for the past 4 days (as you can tell by my lack of posting here lately).

But I promise I will be back here on Friday with my book club post and discussion questions! Hope everyone enjoyed the book!

A Day in the Life of a 2.5 Year Old

OK so, confession time: this post has been sitting in my drafts for almost two months and it just slipped my mind. Or I just got lazy because half of the photos weren't yet uploaded. Anyway. Not a lot has changed in our day to day and I love having these posts to look back on, so even though this was from a day right around when Sully turned two and a half (two months ago), I'm still posting it! Also, I can't believe the last post I did like this was when he was 14 months old. He was so little then!

Here we go...a riveting regular ol' day in the life of a 2.5 year old and a stay at home mom.

*****

08:30: I wake up. I could use this time to start getting ready before Sully calls for me, but I don't. I lay in bed and check my phone.

08:45: Go get Sully who's now yelling "MAMA!!" I change his diaper and we head downstairs for breakfast.

09:00 - 09:15: Eat breakfast.

09:15 - 09:30: Head back upstairs to get us both dressed and ready to head out.

09:45 - 10:20: Drive to my doctor's appointment. This is the last one with my family doctor before I meet my OB in a few weeks.

10:30 - 11:45: Get groceries! 

Sully loves putting money into this dog and then always says "where'd it go?!" and tries to look underneath the dog, haha!

11:45 - 12:10: Grab coffee from the drive-thru and head home.

12:15: Sully helps me unpack all the groceries. He loves exclaiming over what every item is or asking what it is. 

12:30: We eat lunch. Leftover pasta and meat sauce for Sully, and leftover steak and carrots for me.

13:00: Sully helps me unload the dishwasher. He LOVES this job and takes it very seriously. My only job is to stand at the appropriate shelf he can't reach so I can take the glasses and plates from him. Heaven help me if I try to do any of it. 

13:30: We head upstairs for nap time. I read Sully a few books in his room and then I rock him while I sing him a song.

14:00: I head back downstairs where I tidy up the kitchen from lunch, read a few blog posts, answer some emails, group text with my friends, open up the mail (it was a good mail day!), and work on my own blog posts. 

15:30: I hear Sully through the baby monitor and see that he is jumping in his crib and throwing out all his toys. He's usually pretty content to play and jump in his crib for 30 minutes, so I never rush up to him until he starts calling out for me. By some great miracle, he has never once tried to climb out of his crib!

16:00: I head upstairs and get Sully out of his crib.

16:05: We throw in a load of laundry. It's Sully's clothes so he loads them all in without my help.

16:20: We head down to the kitchen for a snack. Cereal as per his request. I put away dishes that were in the drying rack. 

16:30: I start making apple butter. Sully works on his puzzles, destroys the family room and reads books to himself.

17:00: SPUD delivery arrives! Sully wastes no time digging into the blueberries.

18:00: We run out to get Jim from the train station (5 minutes away). He usually buses home, but it was raining all afternoon, so being the nice wife that I am, I offer to pick him up. 

18:20: Arrive back home. I ladle out the apple butter into jars (don't worry, I turned the stove off before I left), and Sully and Jim head out for a walk before we eat dinner. (Yes, we eat late). 

18:30 - 19:15: Call my mom to chat. Check emails and do more dishes while I wait for the boys to return home.

19:15: Get dinner on the table. A mishmash of roast chicken, perogies, and leftovers from last night.

20:00: Head upstairs to get Sully ready for bed. No bath tonight as it's too late. PJs on and I brush his teeth. We read a few books, rock and sing songs.

20:30: Lights out! I collapse in my bed and scroll Instagram for 20 minutes.

20:50 - 21:30: I go clean up the kitchen from supper, throw the laundry from the washing machine into the dryer and fold the towels that were in the dryer already.

21:30 - 22:30: Jim and I watch the latest episode of Bachelor in Paradise.

22:30 - 24:00: Me time! I read my latest book in bed before Jim makes me turn out the lights at midnight. 

And just like that, another day is done! 

For your reading pleasure - more 'A Day in the Life' posts:

6 Months

14 Months

Oil Pulling: Tips From a Newbie

I've been intrigued with the concept of oil pulling ever since I first heard about it, which was probably  years ago now. But let's be honest, the thought of swishing coconut oil around in my mouth everyday didn't sound all that appealing. I like coconut in things, like cookies, but straight up coconut oil? Just no. 

When Kismet Essentials reached out to me to try their 14-Day Organic Coconut Oil Pulling Kit I agreed as soon as I found out they flavour their oil with mint! I love mint flavoured things! Of course, mint chocolate is my absolute favourite, but that's probably asking too much here. 

The other reason I decided it was time to give oil pulling a try is because I'm pregnant. I don't know about any of you women out there who have been pregnant (or are pregnant), but brushing and flossing your teeth, especially in that first trimester, is brutal. I could not brush my teeth without gagging and flossing was out of the question. But I know how important good oral hygiene is, especially when you are pregnant, since you are more prone to pregnancy gingivitis during this time. I figured I needed all the help I could get since teeth brushing is not at it's best during those first several months of pregnancy.

Oil pulling will help to give you:

• white teeth
• fresh breath
• reduced plaque and tartar build up
• reduced headaches
• balanced hormones
• clearer, softer skin

Coconut oil pulling is said to give you the best results if done in the morning. And it's suggested that you swirl the oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes, followed by brushing and flossing your teeth. I was so worried that I would gag doing this in the morning, but honestly, I didn't gag once! And while I don't get up early enough to oil pull before my toddler gets up, it was kind of nice to oil pull while getting our breakfasts made in the morning. He thought it was hilarious that I could only answer him with "hmms" and mumbles!

Kismet Essentials Coco Rinse is made up of 100% raw, organic, virgin, cold-pressed, non-GMO coconut oil and organic peppermint flavouring, making it completely safe to use while pregnant. And if you're one of those odd people who isn't a fan of peppermint, I assure you, the flavour is not overpowering at all, it's very subtle and just adds a little freshness to otherwise plain coconut oil. 

TIPS ON OIL PULLING

1. Start small. I find my mouth creates a lot of saliva while oil pulling and there is no way I could put the entire pouch of coconut oil in my mouth and swish it for the whole 20 minutes. So I split it up. I would do half the packet for 10 minutes, spit out, then put the remainder in for another ten minutes. I found this way, it was also easier to do the full 20 minutes.

2. Overtime, spitting of the coconut oil into your sink could cause a buildup of coconut oil in your drain so always spit into the garbage or a disposable cup. I almost always had a take-out coffee cup from the previous day that I would save to spit into. (This is also a great way to oil pull while driving, which I did once when I had to drive my husband to the airport really earning one morning).

3. Don't "gargle". Oil pulling is meant to be a gentle swishing of the oil through your teeth and in your mouth. Gargling will definitely make your jaw sore before even 10 minutes is up. 

4. The oil melts quickly in your mouth, so I don't feel it's necessary to warm the packet up, but if you don't like the sensation of it melting in your mouth, then holding the packet in your hands for a few moments will melt the oil. 

5. To make oil pulling a habit, keep your oil packets somewhere handy and in sight. I found keeping mine in the kitchen was the best visual reminder for me. As soon as I walked downstairs, I opened a package and got to work. I thought it would be hard to keep this up every single morning, but I found myself looking forward to it! And if oil pulling in the morning is absolutely not something you can do, then I would find a time of day that works best for you! 

6. When you're done, brush (and floss) and enjoy your cleaner and healthier feeling mouth! Seriously, my teeth felt so clean during the day and my breath was noticeably better.

I've recently been to the dentist and while I have no cavities, I do have a few spots the dentist made note of that he will be keeping on eye on. It will be interesting to keep up with oil pulling and see how my teeth are doing when I go back for a checkup in 6 months.  I think two weeks is too short to say if I noticed any difference in the colour of my teeth, but like I said above, I definitely noticed a difference in how clean my mouth felt and my breath. By the end of the day, if I haven't brushed my teeth since morning, my teeth feel pretty gross, but I noticed that with oil pulling, my teeth felt much cleaner when I ran my tongue over them. I was also pleasantly pleased with how fresh my mouth and breath felt throughout the day. In fact, sometimes after I was done oil pulling in the morning, my mouth would feel so fresh that I would almost forget to run back upstairs and brush my teeth! 

And if you want to give this oil pulling thing a try, you can use code SLICEOFBRIE to receive 15% off of your order! 

Have you ever tried oil pulling? Thoughts?

*I was provided with a 14-Day Cool Mint Oil Pulling Kit from Kismet Essentials in exchange for this blog post. As always, all opinions and reviews expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that make this hobby of mine possible! 

The Books I've Been Reading {#13}

I seriously feel like I just wrote last month's post on the books I've been reading. September really did fly by in the blink of an eye! The month started out slow for me on the reading front as I tried to work my way through a review book I was sent. I wasted about a week on it before finally calling it quits (more on this book below). What a relief when I did! And thank goodness too, because I ended up moving on to three WAY better books!

Here's what I read in September:

1. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I think everyone (at least out in blog land) has read this book already and I'm so glad I'm one of them. It usually takes me months (sometimes years!) before I get to a book that everyone is raving about. Luckily, this was A Slice of Brie Book Club book last month, so not only did I get to enjoy this book, but I got to talk all about it with a bunch of other people who loved it (you can read the discussion post HERE if you like).

For those in the dark, this book is about Emma, a 31 year old woman who finds love again after her first husband, Jesse, goes missing when his helicopter goes down. It's been a few years since Jesse disappeared and Emma has to accept that he is dead and never coming back. She reunites with an old highs cool friend, Sam and over time, their relationship develops and they get engaged. A few months into their engagement, Emma received a phone call from Jesse: he's still alive, having survived the crash and has been living on a tiny island and is coming home. Now Emma must figure out what she wants, who she is and ultimately, who she wants to be with.

Needless to say, I loved, loved, loved this book. I was hooked from the first page and while I wanted to devour it in one sitting, I also wanted to savour every page. I enjoyed all the characters and I really liked how emotionally invested I was in this book. And I truly wasn't sure how it was all going to end. This is one of those books that I now recommend to anyone who will listen! (5/5 stars)

2. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid: When I picked up One True Loves at the book store, they had After I Do for $5 so I grabbed it too. I read it immediately after reading OTL and really, really liked it too. Reid just writes in a way that I find addicting and I love her characters and their relationships with one another. After I Do is about a married couple who's relationship is on the brink of destruction. Rather than throw in the towel though, they mutually agree to a year long separation (in which NO communication is allowed), hoping that this would allow each of them to find themselves again, figure out why they are so unhappy and downright resentful of each other, and overall, remember why they fell in love so many years ago. I can't imagine doing what they did, but it was a really interesting look at relationships and marriage: Why do we get married? What do we expect out of our marriage? (4/5 stars)

3. The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa*: I was looking forward to receiving this book as it's a story of World War 2 that I am not familiar with (the safe passage of Jews from Europe to Cuba). Just when I think I cannot possibly learn anymore about the horrendous things that Hitler did during the war, I am proven wrong. 

This book is told in dual narrative, alternating between Hannah, a 12 year old Jewish girl living in Berlin in 1939, and 12 year old Anna, Hannah's great-niece, living in New York City 70 years later. Anna's father passed away before she was born and so she grew up knowing very little of him, especially nothing about his family's past. Until one day she receives a package in the mail from Hannah who is still living in Cuba all these years later. Anna and her mother, in an attempt to put together the pieces of Anna's father's past, travel to Havana to meet Hannah and hear her story.

The German Girl wasn't nearly as engaging for me as other historical fiction books I've read about WW2, like The Nightingale, or Sarah's Key, but the fact that it was teaching me something new about a time in history that I love to read about, kept me invested. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and an even harder time understanding why the aunt insisted on staying in Cuba her entire life. I was frustrated at times with the life Hannah had seemed to accept for herself, but then again, I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to have to flee the only country you've ever known after it turns on you and your people.

If you enjoy WW2 historical-fiction, and haven't read anything about St. Louis, the transatlantic liner that took Jewish people to Cuba at the beginning of the war, then you'll probably enjoy this book. While the ship offered a glimmer of hope, securing passage on it was another story. Not only that, once the ship arrived in the ports of Cuba, Hitler was at it again and made it nearly impossible for anyone to disembark. (3/5 stars)


DNF

I never, ever DNF a book. I know, I know, life is too short to read bad books, but I have a hard time not seeing them through to the end. There's always this part of me that thinks it just has to get better! But this book was holding me down in life. I was dreading picking it up and it took me a week just to read 100 pages. It was boring and confusing and not engaging in the least. I felt somewhat obligated to see it through to the end since I was sent it for review, but finally I knew I needed to move on. It's amazing how relieved I felt once I made that decision!





This month's A Slice of Brie Book Club book is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. If you want to join in the discussion (or link up with us), we'd love to have you! We'll be meeting back here on October 26. More details HERE.


What have you been reading lately?

Have you read One True Loves? Or any of Reid's other books? 

DNF - do you DNF books or stick them out to the end no matter what? 


*Copy of The German Girl was sent to me by Simon & Schuster Canada for review. All opinions and review are my own. 


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2016

It was a cold and snowy Thanksgiving this year, but honestly, I feel like it added an element of warmth and coziness that I enjoy when hanging out with family all weekend.

It started snowing on Friday and we debated waiting until Saturday morning to make the drive up to Red Deer, but at the last minute we loaded up the car and headed out late in the evening. I was already packed and ready to go, and there's something I like about waking up in the morning and already being where I'm supposed to be, rather than rushing to get somewhere the next day.

We spent the weekend at my sister-in-law's place and while we had originally planned to come home on Sunday, we ended up staying until late Monday afternoon. The holiday weekends we spend at Patty's are some of my favourites. We all just hang out in our PJ's, eat lots of delicious food, watch movies, play games and drink wine (ginger ale for me this weekend!). Sully adores being around his big cousins and the two dogs, and it was just really nice to have a weekend with no agenda, no driving, no running errands and no where else to be.

I didn't take very many pictures, and there's no need for a play by play of what we did(n't) do, but here's a few snapshots to capture the memories. I'm so very thankful for my family (those near and far), our health, good food, warm beds, nature walks, and our country.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends & family! I hope you were able to enjoy some time surrounded by the people you love.

Tried & True: Recipes From Pinterest You Need to Make

Pinterest gets a bad wrap sometimes. Yes, I see how it can be the rabbit hole of pinning DIY projects you will never, ever make, ridiculous recipes you will never cook, or hairstyles your arms will never allow you to attempt. So what's the point, right?

If used correctly, I think Pinterest is pretty awesome. I've utilized it for fashion advice when I'm not sure how to style a certain pair of boots, I pin hair inspiration photos for my hair stylist, recipes for meal planning, and realistic DIY crafts that not only have I made, but didn't break the bank either.

I don't spend a lot of time on it, but the one thing I use it for almost daily, is meal planning. When I'm reading blogs or articles that share recipes that sounds like something I will make, I will pin it to my "yum - recipes to try" board. Or, if I'm looking for a certain type of recipe, I will search for it on Pinterest.

This is where things get overwhelming though. Recently, I realized I had over 250 recipes pinned in my recipes to try board. That's an insane amount of pins to scroll through each week I'm meal planning, or when I'm trying to find a particular recipe I've already made and want to make again. So, like I mentioned in this post, I organized my boards into recipes to try and tried & true boards. This way, at least the recipes I've already tried and will definitely make again, I can move over to one of my tried & true boards. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it is to have such organized boards! I also always make comments underneath the pin on any changes I may have made to the original recipe so I don't forget for the next time.

The other thing I find can be overwhelming or intimidating about using recipes on Pinterest to meal plan is, how do you even know said recipe is worth making? I mean, there are literally a billion pinned recipes on there. Some have tens or hundreds of pins, while others have thousands. But here's the thing with Pinterest - A LOT of people just pin for the sake of pinning, and never make a single meal they pin. So while I like to believe that a muffin recipe with 5 thousand pins is going to be a good one, sometimes you just don't know for sure.

That's where I come in! I use my Pinterest recipe boards almost exclusively for meal planning. I do have my favourite cookbooks, but overall, I just find it easier to use Pinterest if I can. For the most part, I'd say I've had a pretty good success rate with the recipes I've made from Pinterest. There have definitely been more than a handful of ones I would never make again though, and those I just delete off my boards right away.

Anyway, consider me your guinea pig if you will! I thought every month, I'd recap the recipes I've made from Pinterest that were big wins in our house and that I think you should make too. Essentially, I'm taking the guess work out of it for you ;)


DINNER RECIPES

Crock Pot Chicken Soup: Pinned only 6 times

Thoughts: I discovered this recipe thanks to Carly and I loved the simplicity of it over baking an actual chicken pot pie. I used leftover rotisserie chicken and just threw it in in the last hour of cooking or so. I know this easily could have been done on the stove, but it's nice to just throw things in the slow cooker and forget about it. This was huge hit with Sully. I knew I would want the comfort of the crust found in traditional pot pie, so I made some quick Pillsbury biscuits to go with it.

Verdict: Comfort food at it's finest. and this literally took minutes to throw into the slow cooker. Perfect for those cold days and when you don't have a lot of time. If you use raw chicken, then you will need to give it more time to cook.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Potatoes: Pinned over 7k times

Thoughts: I also snagged this recipe from Carly, and I was intrigued because I love pot roast, but I've never done it in the slow cooker before. It was super simple and smelt amazing while cooking. Unfortunately, I wasn't really thinking and I bought a higher quality cut of roast since it was the same price as the lesser quality, so this meant my cut was way more lean and wasn't as tender as I like a roast to be. That being said, had I been thinking, I could have cooked it for a shorter amount of time and it may have come out more tender. Lesson learned!

Verdict: Definitely a must make. The leftover juices make for a delicious gravy or Au Jus. Consider choosing a fattier cut of roast so yours doesn't dry out like mine did.


BAKING RECIPES

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread: Pinned over 50k times

Thoughts: I had a ton of zucchini last month to use up from my grandma's garden so I knew I wanted to bake with it. I perused a bunch of loaf recipes before deciding upon this one. I liked that I already had everything on hand to make it and that the only sweetener it called for was honey. It did call for white whole wheat pantry which I didn't have (and didn't even know was a thing), so I took my chances and used all-purpose flour with good success.

Verdict: You guys, this was THE BEST loaf I have ever made. So delicious, and moist! We gobbled it up in just a few short days. I'm not sure I'll ever make another loaf again.

Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins: Pinned 7.5k times

Thoughts: Figured these would be a hit with the toddler, and I was right. I used coconut oil for the oil and brown sugar, but half the amount the original recipe called for and they were still moist and sweet. We topped with sprinkles instead of sugar as well.

Verdict: Definitely a fun way to disguise zucchini in chocolate. Super moist and Sully asked for one every single morning until they were gone.

and last but not least...

5 Ingredient Banana Almond Butter Muffins: Pinned 12.5k times

Thoughts: Super easy to make and ingredients I always have on hand and I liked that the batter was blended in a high speed blender for a really smooth consistency. I added peanut butter chips to my batter and baked in a mini muffin tin for about 9 minutes.

Verdict: I loved these, as did Jim, but for some reason, Sully was not a fan. I thought they were the perfect little snack for me throughout the day as I found just one or two very satisfying.


Over to you:

Do you love or hate Pinterest?

How do you like to use it? Do you make recipes you pin on there?

Currently...{October}

I have always said these are my favourite types of posts to do, yet somehow I haven't done a Currently post since May?! And you guys, somehow it's already October?! September, where did you go? I love fall though. Always have, always will. And so far, we are having a beautiful October. The weather is still warm (although there's no denying a nip in the air), the colourful leaves are still mostly on the trees (yay!), and I broke out my slow cooker last week! Not that I'm against using it during the summer months, I just don't find myself making slow cooker recipes that much when it's warmer out.

Anyway, here's a little look at what I'm currently up to!

Thinking about: how my baby is going to be here in less than three months now! I will be having another scheduled c-section with this baby (you can see more info on this in Sully's birth story post) and last week I received a letter in the mail with our scheduled date (December 28, 2016). Let me tell you, receiving that letter was both humorous and scary! Funny because, the letter is so "official", and it's kind of weird to be given the exact date and time to be at the hospital to have your baby. Of course, I could still go into labour earlier than this, but let's hope that doesn't happen! Scary because, it reminds me that this is all real and happening sooner than I think. Three months isn't a very long time in the grand scheme of things! Think about how quickly Christmas always sneaks up on you! I still plan to fully celebrate and decorate for Christmas, but I know I will have to be super organized and not wait until the last minute to put up the tree, shop for gifts, bake Christmas cookies, etc.

Reading: I just started Still Mine, a thriller/mystery about a girl on the run (Clare) and a girl that has gone missing (Shayna). Everyone in the small town that Shayna is from seems to be hiding something, and Clare must face her own secrets and demons, including what ties her to Shayna, in order to uncover the mystery surrounding Shayna's disappearance. It's too early to say if it's going to be any good, but I'm hopeful!

I'll also be diving into Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children soon here as it was the book picked for my online book club - if you missed that post, check it out here and come join us!

Listening to: Remember the band Blue October? I was obsessed with their album Foiled, back in 2007/2008. I listened to that album over and over. And then completely forgot about them until this past month when I happened to catch one of their new songs on the radio. I immediately went home and looked Blue October up and I can't believe I've missed FOUR albums since Foiled was released. I've only downloaded and listened to their most recent album, Home, and it's pretty great. My favourite song is Home, and it's been on repeat for days in the car. It even makes me tear up a bit when I pay attention to the lyrics. Such a great song!

Watching: So I haven't been reading as much these past two months and I think that's because I've been watching more Netflix than normal. There's just not enough time in the day to do both! Grey's Anatomy season 12 was FINALLY added to Netflix Canada so I've just started that, and same with The Walking Dead season 6. I also started watching Gilmore Girls from the very beginning because I just don't know which episodes I've seen and what I haven't. I never watched the show religiously, but my mom and sister did so I caught episodes here and there. I'm realizing in this first season that I've seen more than I thought, but I don't think I've seen as much in the later seasons. Anyway, Jim was painting our bathroom the other day while I was watching it in bed and he said it's the most annoying show to listen to because all anyone does on the show is bicker! I can see his point, but I still love it! Although, it's going to take me forever to get caught up in time for the reunion episodes.

And who's watching This is Us?! I've only watched the first episode, but I was instantly hooked! I don't often expect too much from a pilot and will usually give a show a few episodes before calling it quits, but you guys, this show (so far) seems like it's going to be a good one!

Eating: FIGS! Haha, I already talked about this in my last post, but I'm loving fresh figs right now and I'm going to be sad when my last clamshell is all gone. On Sunday night, thanks to Becky's inspiration, I made fig jam, chicken, arugula and Brie cheese pizza and oh my god you guys, it was DELICIOUS. I scored a beautiful jar of fig jam on sale at Homesense the other week and I'm going to need to go look for more as I ended up needing the whole jar for two pizzas. Totally worth it though!

I've also been going hard on the meal planning lately, including baking (somewhat) healthy treats for the week. I love my cookbooks, but lately it's just been easier to use Pinterest to meal plan. I make a lot of meals from Pinterest, and since I know it can be overwhelming to use, I thought I'd start a monthly post on where I share the meals I've made from it that I think everyone needs to try! Consider me your guinea pig. Check back tomorrow for that post!

Wearing: This question is no fun when you're pregnant. Or at least, not very interesting. I have to say though, I'm glad for the cooler weather as I much prefer to dress my bump in leggings and layers. I do think I'm going to need to invest in a maternity winter coat as 3 months of cold weather is too long to get away with just sweaters.

Laughing about: 

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Haha remember this show?! Oh, Arthur.

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Leggings for the win!

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Looking forward to: Thanksgiving this weekend! I feel like I haven't had stuffing or turkey in ages and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to pigging out! We'll be seeing my nephews and sister-in-law and I feel like I haven't seen them in a long time (although it was only a month ago) so it will be great to get together with them.


Your turn! Tell me:

Current favourite song?

Are you watching This is Us? Thoughts?


*Linking up with Kristen & Gretchen for What's New With You? **haha apparently I can't read a calendar and got my dates wrong...link up is on Thursday!