January Books, Podcasts and Other Loves
For a few months, I thought winter was going to forfeit its seat this year, finally relenting to my lifelong wish to go from fall to spring. But here we are, the last full week of January, and it finally decided to show up. I suppose the daffodils sprouting in our yard and the bumblebees buzzing around were a sign we needed a cold snap.
The start of the year has felt so hopeful for our family. I’m reminding myself daily that, even if I’m not pregnant, we are one day closer to a second baby. I have no idea how or what it will look like along the way, but I’m trying to stay present and approach each day with open hands.
We spent last weekend in Florida for Chris’ grandad’s 90th birthday. It was such a sweet weekend and we got to introduce Mac to his great grandpa. Four generations of Saxon men in one room! It was beautiful.
Books
I’ve been reading a lot this month, trying to get in bed early each night. Embracing those short hours of daylight, you could say. I read This Tender Land, which was incredible and I highly recommend, especially if you liked Where the Crawdads Sing. Right now, I’m reading Bringing Down the Duke, about which I’ve yet to decide how I feel. I’m also listening to The Dutch House (Audible version), which is narrated by Tom Hanks and - so far - incredible. Anything Tom Hanks touches really does turn to gold. Coincidentally, I tried to read Waiting for Tom Hanks and couldn’t get through it.
Podcasts
I’ve gotten hooked on Food, We Need to Talk. Also, Blood Ties and That Sounds Fun.
Other Loves
We’ve been buying our groceries through Imperfect Produce, which I’ve really liked. They have their imperfections, if you will, as a grocery delivery service. But overall we love the quality of the products and that they are reducing food waste. We got amazing feta because the label had a typo and delicious salmon because it was cut the wrong shape. The way food is wasted is so scary and buying from Imperfect Produce sort of feels like recycling - something small we can do to make a difference.
I’ve also been ordering a lot of products on Thrive Market, which means I am rarely going to the grocery. It’s weird! :) I’m love, loving Thrive. It has been an incredible experience and allows us to get better prices for high-quality ingredients. A few of my favorite purchases have been: Sprouted Spelt Flour and Cacao Nibs, both of which I used to make these delicious cookies. I also got the chickpea “bread” crumbs, which I’m going to use to make spicy chicken tenders.
After a lot of debate, we recently changed from the ScanPan to the Xtrema Ceramic Skillet. We got the ScanPan for our wedding and have absolutely loved it, but ever since having Mac, I’ve been nervous about it. They say their nonstick surface doesn’t leach below 600-degrees, but it was stressing me out. We LOVE the Xtrema! Something about ceramic makes me feel hardcore, too. Like running in a snowstorm.
Anyway, those are some of the updates we’ve made around the house in the new year. I hope your 2020 is off to a wonderful, hopeful start!