Skip to main content

December Reads


Christmas at Harmony Hill: A Shaker Story by Ann Gabhart: I picked up this light fiction read from my local library.  It chronicles the story of a young mother who finds refuge among the Shakers.  This book was honestly disappointing but I will say that my expectations were probably set just a little bit too high.

Professionalizing Motherhood: Encouraging, Educating, and Equipping Mothers At Home by Jill Savage: I am almost finished reading through this book and boy do I wish I would have had the opportunity to read it during my first year of mothering.  Although this book was published when I was actually in high school there is so much to glean from this book.  I love the idea of thinking about motherhood as my career.  I thought the author had a number of great ideas.  At the end of every chapter she included a few "personal reflections" that were wonderful.  It would be so much fun to work through these questions in a small group, with a friend, or even alone in a personal journal.

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Eat Up and Slim Down with More Than 350 Healthy Recipes by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison: I jumped on the THM band wagon three years ago right before I became pregnant with my daughter Eva and lost about ten pounds.  Since then I have dabbled with it from time to time and have lost a little bit of weight.  My biggest issue with Trim Healthy Mama originally was their recipes which didn't include exact measurements.  Thankfully this cookbook contains EXACT measurements which is absolutely wonderful for a go by the books type of gal like myself.  This cookbook is absolutely beautiful and I have enjoyed cooking through a number of recipes in the past few weeks.  The best part is the fact that this time around the happy hubby will actually eat some of the recipes!  This cookbook is definitely an improvement on the original self published Trim Healthy Mama book.  My favorite recipes have been the multitude of drinks.   The pictures are absolutely beautiful.  My only complaint would be the fact that the book did not come in hardback or spiral bound.  I am sure that with as much use as my cookbook is receiving it will come apart by the end of the summer.  Please note that I did receive a review copy of this book from Blogging For Books.  All opinions are my own.  If you are new to Trim Healthy Mama you will need the book Trim Healthy Mama Plan in order to fully understand Trim Healthy Mama.

The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman: The children and I enjoyed reading this lovely book over the series of a few afternoons this December.  They were absolutely enchanted with the book and it made for such a fun Christmas memory!

Although not pictured we had a delightful time as a family reading through Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping The Greatest Gift.  This was our second time enjoying it and I plan on making the nightly readings during Advent a tradition in our family.  Hopefully next year I will take the opportunity to add a Jesse Tree to our Christmas celebrations.

What books did you read in December?  Do you have any recommendations for winter read alouds for my children (2 and 6)?  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

August Reads

None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us by Jen Wilkin :  I'm quickly becoming quite the fan of Mrs. Jen Wilkin.  I've been working through her 1 Peter Bible Study this summer and I absolutely loved reading through this book on the attributes of God.  I found myself reminded of so many things and almost felt a sense of relief as I contemplated what God is like.  This book was a delight to read.  I love that there is now a book on God's attributes written especially for women.  Pure awesomeness!  I highly recommend this book for both new believers and those with years of experience.  I also think it would make a great book club book. The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian: This book is one that I have been wanting to read for years and I just never got around to it.  I am so glad that I finally took the time to read and pray through this book!  What better gift could I give my husband the past month than to spend tim...
1 comment
Read more

Our First Tent Camping Experience

Earlier in June we embarked on a new adventure.  TENT CAMPING!   Two summers ago we enjoyed a wonderful time camping in a borrowed pop-up camper but this was our first experience sleeping in a tent as a family.  We loaded up our very full van and headed to Land Between the Lakes in Western Kentucky for a new adventure.  It was wonderful.   One of the neatest aspects of our trip was the fact that Nina & Poppy Steve (Brandon's parents) were able to meet up with us!  (They live a good 10 hours away from us so this was a real treat.)  We had so much spending time with them.  We stayed at  Hillman Ferry Campground  and I would definitely stay there again.   Hillman Ferry Campground has a lovely beach with an area roped off for swimming.  The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and I even took them swimming in the lake.  I have been swimming many times in a lake but I think this was my children's first rea...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Week's Goals

We have been so blessed to fill our August with such fun family memories. In the picture above we enjoyed a day trip to the Columbus Zoo where we got to get up close with some kangaroos!   August has been so busy for our family that I've neglected to share my goals the past few weeks.  We've been squeezing in lots of summer fun as we transition back to school days.  I also began teaching fall piano lessons.  Here are a few of my goals for this upcoming week.      This Week's Goals Marriage, Mothering, & Family 1.  Eli is playing flag football this fall!  I'm excited to attend his game on Saturday. 2.  Eva has a therapy appointment this week.  I am so thankful for all of the incredible progress that she has made over the past year.   3.  Take both children to the park to play this week.   Homemaking 4.  Work on plans for Disney.  I need to work on our packing list and make some reserva...
3 comments
Read more