How can I keep from springing?

A little round-up of the books, finds, and treats putting a spring in my step this month.

I finally had time to sit outside and read yesterday and finished Lisa Beazley's Keep Me Posted.  It's a breezy read about motherhood, marriage, and sisterhood.  I was frustrated with the main character early on, but I did enjoy watching her navigate those tough years as a mom of young children when you're trying to figure out how to be your self and a mom as well.  The phrase "keep me posted" is one that my mom and sisters and I use often (by phone and text, not letter), which predisposed me to like this novel.  The blogging success storyline was appealing to me as well, which my 5-10 readers will understand.

I am just a few pages into Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things, but I can tell I am going to love it.

Note the flowers in the photo above.  Much to the frustration of my husband, I save large glass jars from spaghetti sauce and the like.  I needed to come up with some centerpieces yesterday.  Cute paper from my stash wrapped around an old jar filled with grocery store flowers (bunches are 3/$12) yielded pretty cute results for minimal effort.  Sometimes hoarding pays off.

And speaking of flowers, I have been enjoying these beauties from Trader Joe's.  That's a lot of spring happiness for $3.99.

Dollar Tree has really upped their spring game this season.  How fun and vintage-y are these treat bags and napkins?  I have no immediate plans for them, but I couldn't resist.

I used the phrase "spring in my step" above.  These flats are a dream.  They are SO comfortable.  I found them at Kohl's (brand is A2 by Aerosoles) for $39.99 minus whatever multiple discounts you should be getting with coupons, etc.  I chose the silver because it was the only pair (other than pink) available in the store in my size (nine).  After two days of wearing the silver shoes, I got online and tried to order more colors.  Most are sold out in my size, but I was able to get some black ones and some gold ones.  I love the slightly-squared toe and fancy it gives the shoes a sort of European look.  But what do I know about fashion?  Not much.  Your feet will thank you for buying these though.

What's got you springing this spring?

My Bar Method

I'm not talking about fitness.  Bar method may be a great workout, but group fitness is not for me.

My bar method is to eat a KIND bar for breakfast or to grab one for a boost if I have a tennis match at an odd time, say 10:30 a.m. -- too early for lunch, well past breakfast.

I reviewed some KIND bars a few months back, and I'm at it again.

From top to bottom:
Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt is my gold standard, go-to bar.  I'd be shocked but delighted if another KIND bar ever topped it.  I love the saltiness of the nuts and the thin layer of dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Almond Mint:  It's almost not fair for me to review this one because I don't really care for mint and chocolate together.  I enjoy the green (not blue) minty lifesavers and adore the muddled mint in a mojito, BUT thin mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, grasshopper cookies (do those still exist?), peppermint patties, Andie's mints ... nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope.  I tasted this bar and found it palatable.  I suspect that those who love the marriage of mint and chocolate will really love this bar.  Minty without that icky artificial flavor.

Goodness Knows Peach & Cherry Almond Dark Chocolate:  The flavor of this bar is okay, not offensive and not tremendous.  I do like how the bars are portioned into four big bites.  I had one in my purse at tennis and was able to grab squares during a couple water breaks.  These bars weren't expensive, but I doubt I'll buy them again.

Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut:  I know that some people's feelings about coconut mirror mine about the mint/chocolate combination.  I LOVE the flavor and texture of coconut.  This KIND bar is phenomenal, like an Almond Joy that you can pretend is sort of healthy.  I am excited to add this one into the rotation and am pleased to report that it is available at my local Jewel.  I would rank it number two after my gold standard.

Goodness Knows Cranberry Almond Dark Chocolate:  Better than the Peach & Cherry one but, still, just okay.  

What's your bar method?

National Poetry Month -- Hooray!

April can indeed be the cruelest month.  When it snows.  When you dress your son in six layers for a bitter cold baseball practice.  When you realize your moving of the winter coats into storage was premature or possibly delusional.  When glimpses of true spring and even hints of summer appear only to disappear in a puff of sinus headache haze.

And yet on those April days when the sun shines and you notice the trees blooming and realize the grass needs cut, the relief and hope are overwhelming.  Anything seems possible.  You have, after all, survived winter which, even if it not particularly cruel, was long as ever.

The highs and lows of April make it the ideal choice for National Poetry Month. 

Here a few ways we've celebrated National Poetry Month around here:

Starting the last week of March, our library offered these poetry coloring sheets.  I read the poem to my kindergartner and she illustrated it!

I plucked this poetry collection from a National Poetry Month display at the library, and my middle guy and I have been enjoying it every evening.  He is a very capable reader, but he does not love reading.  He still loves being read to though, and my goal with him is to just keep exposing him to stories (and now poems) that he enjoys.  He's read some of the poems to me as well, and that kind of reading aloud is good to practice.  He asked me to order our own copy of Judith Viorst's What Are You Glad About?  What Are You Mad About?  I'll say more about this collection in a later post, but I'll be very happy to have a copy for our home library!  It arrives tomorrow.

Finally, some of my favorite teacher friends from back in the day initiated an email poetry share.  The poem I chose to share, which seemed perfect for spring, was Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Afternoon on a Hill."  When I was linking to it, I came across a poem we always shared with our high school students when we read The Odyssey:  Millay's "An Ancient Gesture."  I had forgotten how perfect that poem is.  My friend, a wonderful poet herself, shared a poem even more suited to the hope of spring:  "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee.

Find some ways to celebrate poetry this month, okay? 

Stack Attack!

When it rains, it pours.  That cliche certainly applies to library holds, but in a way that has nothing to do with getting soaking wet or bombarded with ill fortune.  My local public library is amazing, and I regularly put tempting new releases on hold and receive them within weeks or even days.  In the past ten days, the holds have all rolled in.  Plus, I found some great finds on the new release shelf.

I am trying to attack the stack!

Here's a stack status update ... from top to bottom.

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad is fairly short.  I am reading it as a potential book club choice.  Status:  on deck.

The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle.  Read and really enjoyed it.  As a former high school teacher, I always consider suitability for the classroom when I read YA.  Unfortunately, books in which teenagers drink and/or have sex usually fall outside of that category, even when they are well written and would prompt good writing and rich discussion.  Teens struggling with grief or sexuality will hopefully find their way to this novel and Federle's skillful weaving of truth, pain, and humor.  Status: read and recommend.

Three Martini Lunch by Suzanne Rindell.  It's a fat one and according to my research on Audible.com is a sixteen-hour audiobook.  I like to maximize listening hours when I spend my monthly Audible credits so I may return this one to the library and listen instead.  Just waiting for some audiobook reviews to pop up.  Rebecca Lowman is one of the narrators though so it will likely be a great listen.  Status:  likely to listen instead.

Multiple Listings by Tracy McMillan.  I started this one last night.  So far, so good.  I placed the hold after a friend/reader I trust awarded it four stars on Goodreads.  But, should it give me pause that there are only two blurbs on the back of the book and one is from Eva Longoria?  Status: cautiously optimistic

Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey.  I read about Ways to Disappear in BookPage, a publication you know I adore.  I found it on the new release shelf and will renew it once and see if I'm in the mood.  Status: eventually, probably

I'm Glad About You by Teresa Rebeck.  I heard about this book months ago on Twitter and was so excited because a novel partially set in Cincinnati and involving at least one character who went to Notre Dame sounds so like my jam.  Bad news is that my friend, also a voracious reader, predicts I am going to be disappointed and maybe angry.  I'll still read it (can't resist a Cincy setting) but her review is the reason I went the library route instead of potentially buying it.  Status: bubble burst and not buying, but will read.  I owe it to the Nati.

What's in your stack these days?

Turning the BookPage

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy perusing the complimentary issues of BookPage on offer at my public library.

A few highlights from the March issue ...

Librarians list ten books they are excited to share with readers in March.  Three of these were already on my radar, but I appreciate the reminder!  I am looking forward to Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's The Nest, Lyndsay Faye's Jane Steele (if you haven't read her Timothy Wilde books, get to it!  Gods of Gotham is first), and Helen Simonson's The Summer Before the War.

The ad you can glimpse to the right there is my first clue about a collection of never-before-published-in-the-U.S. short stories by the late, great Maeve Binchy.  The collection is called A Few of the Girls, which sounds just like something a Maeve Binchy character would say -- "A few of the girls and I are going for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Join us, won't you?  It'll be grand."  That's not a quote from the book.  I don't always love short stories, but I do love Maeve Binchy and have been collecting hardcover editions of all of her books for a dozen years or so.

Looking forward to any March books?  Have you found BookPage at your library?

What I'm Into Right About Now

I'm linking up with Leigh Kramer by way of Modern Mrs. Darcy to share what I'm into these days.

It's stretching the truth to say that I'm into coloring, but I have settled in for a few colored pencil and adult coloring book sessions.  Perhaps I defeated the purpose (relaxation/stress reduction?) by telling myself, "Do a lovely job so you can put your final product in a frame."  But, as you know, if I like it, then I'm going to put a frame on it, and that's a nice satisfying process for me.  I think it would be fun to have a few moms over to color, chat, and enjoy some coffee, Diet Coke, or adult beverages.  I'll report back if I attempt such a gathering. 

I have a reputation for being a pretty good salad artist, though I am often disinterested in my own creations.  I was on a kick last week, however, and ate salad at home every darn day.  I don't shop at Whole Foods regularly, but I was in there out of convenience and picked up a big container of pre-washed baby kale.  Such an excellent salad base.  I love the texture and find it less prone to the slimy-ness that often plagues spring mix.  The salad of the week was:  baby kale, diced apples, gorgonzola, thinly-sliced red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette.  Once I topped it with an eight-count grilled nugget from Chick-fil-a.  YES.

After last week's World Read Aloud Day, I'm getting back into the habit of reading aloud with all three kids.  The first chapter of Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family was a success.  Megan P. sure loved these books as a girl. 

My grocery store flowers have seen spring-like sunshine, rain, sleet, and snow out my kitchen window since I purchased them last weekend.  I imagine March will continue to be a mixed bag, but as mild as this winter has been, I'm not complaining about that. 

I'm not yet into taking a break from Facebook, but I'd like to get into it or, rather, out of it.  Time suck, irritant, and blah blah blah.  Even with the post-it affixed to my screen, I found myself checking it this evening out of ingrained habit.  Typing it into the browser bar is muscle memory or something.  I'm going to try to be more intentional about not wasting time browsing and following rabbit holes of comment threads and profile snoops. 

Finally, no accompanying photos, but I am super into my audiobook, The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley (narrated by Erica Sullivan).  Just loving the story, the characters, the pace, the NYC setting, everything.

I also inhaled the Amazon Prime series, Schitt's Creek.  Great cast -- Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Elliott, and two of Levy's adult children.  Quirky-without-being-annoying characters.  Lots of laughs.  Will hate waiting for the second season.

What are you into these days?  I'm especially interested in salad ideas.

World Read Aloud Day -- Hooray!

Today is World Read Aloud Day, and I am proud to say that my family celebrated!

Especially if you have young children in your life, check out Mem Fox's 10 Read Aloud Commandments.  If you're intrigued and inspired by the commandments, try her wonderful book Reading Magic. 

Donalyn Miller, reading teacher extraordinaire and author of the much-adored The Book Whisperer, has a great piece on Scholastic's web site:  "Never too old: Reading aloud to independent readers."  Again, if you're intrigued and inspired, consider reading The Book Whisperer or its follow-up, Reading in the Wild.

Whatever you do, stay committed to reading aloud to the kids in your life!

I read to and with my kindergartner every day, but I admit that I sometimes fall out of the habit with my older kids, who are now independent readers.  We have had some great read alouds of Beverly Cleary's Henry Huggins books and her Ramona ones.  I have read aloud Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy two times through with my sons and will try for a third time with my daughter (I checked it out of my school library once a month for much of my early grade career and heart it so much).

We celebrated World Read Aloud Day after dinner this evening.  I read Last Stop on Market Street, which I purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair at school because I loved the cover.  What a gorgeous book with a beautiful (but subtle) message and wonderful language:

The outside air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, 

which freckled CJ's shirt and dripped down his nose.

The bus creaked to a stop in front of them.  It sighed and sagged and the doors swung open.

"Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."

I could go on!  Matt De La Pena (author) and Christian Robinson (illustrator) so deserve all their many honors and awards.*

My oldest chose several poems from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends.  My middle guy took on BJ Novak's The Book with No Pictures.  My newly-minted reader treated us to Mo Willem's I Really Like Slop.  A highlight of the day for sure, much better than one of the 167 episodes of Full House in our DVR.

I gathered some favorite family read alouds to pose for a pic.  I'm sure I'm forgetting many beloved read alouds, but here are some thoughts/tips ...

David Shannon's No, David! books -- Kids relate to David and can easily memorize these books, which they love! 

Ruth Krauss's I Can Fly -- Such a pleasure to read well-written rhyming books.  Joy in the language and in the beautiful illustrations in this one!  Captures the spirit of childhood.

Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox -- A simple story, but calming and engrossing.

Just a Little Critter Collection by Mercer Mayer -- We adore Little Critter at our house, and it's fun to read from these anthologies.  You can read book after book with no lag time for decisions or negotiations!

I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems -- The Elephant and Piggie books are so funny and clever.  I laugh out loud.  Beginning readers can practice reading with expression and timing, and it's such a pleasure to listen.  

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein -- Again, the pleasures of language itself!

Goose Goofs Off -- One of my favorite books from the 1980s Sweet Pickles glory days.

The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak -- Perfect for gifting.  My kids laugh at this book every time, whether they are the ones listening or reading.  Cool for them to see the power of words.

I'd love to know what the beloved read alouds are in your home or classroom. 

Starting next month on March 24th, you're invited to join my Read Aloud Roll Call.  Write a post about some read aloud experiences in your home or classroom and link up on the 24th of each month.  More on that later!

Thoughts on reading aloud or any of the books mentioned in this post?  Please share in comments.  Happy Reading!

* Last Stop on Market Street's Honors:  Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal, A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book, A 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book, A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of 2015