Read a Book Day

September 6 was someone special's birthday so I wore my bow earrings.

It was also National Read a Book Day. All of the National Literacy Month calendars from Shadow Mountain Publishing (as well as the "Daily Fun With Your Little One!" calendar from Orem Library) said Read Outside for the literacy activity.

We couldn't read just a book, however. 

#LiteracyAtEveryAge

Seeking Persephone, the Book

Let's talk about Seeking Persephone. I've mentioned over and over that I love the movie. Before I loved the movie, I loved the book.

I read it for the first time many years ago before the concept of a movie for it was even a thing. 

It is, as Sarah Eden describes it, the story of Hades and Persephone set in Regency England. It's got a little bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes, and that happens to be my favorite fairy tale.

It's the story of a woman, Persephone Lancaster, who marries Adam, the Duke of Kielder, to save her family from financial ruin. The duke of Kielder needs a bride to keep his distant relative from inheriting his estate. As the two navigate this new situation that is their marriage, they learn more about one another and learn to love each other wholeheartedly.

I love the sweet clean love story that it is. I love how the two main characters learn to complement each other as they meet different adversities together. I do love supporting characters in the book, who make appearances throughout other books in the series (and related series), sometimes having their own stories.

I definitely recommend this book and of course the movie that follows the book so well. 

September Begins

September 1 was Johann Pachelbel's Birthday. Jet and I watched The Piano Guys "Rockelbel's Canon." Later, Jr. and Lucky did a little Canon in D on the bass.

September 2 was National Blueberry Popsicle Day. We have frozen blueberries. We have otter pops. Jet was trying to figure out how we could get the blueberries combined with the popsicles by putting them inside the wrappers. Ugh. I let him know it would be too messy... and sticky. 

 

September 3 was Skyscraper Day. We didn't put a lot of effort into it but we made a little skyscraper out of graham crackers and frosting. And since skyscrapers are tall, Jet and I talked about words that rhyme with tall. That came from the "Daily Fun With Your Little One!" calendar from Orem Library.

September 4 was Lazy Mom's Day. I was not lazy this year. I was so busy running errands and cleaning, etc. The kids did make dinner, though, and Jr. made no bake cookies for Eat an Extra Dessert Day.

Since it was National Wildlife Day, a few of us went up Kyhv Peak Road to see... turkey vultures... a kettle of turkey vultures. That way we also celebrated Turkey Vulture Day (observed) which was the next day, September 5.

Besides Turkey Vulture Day, September 5 was Be Late for Something Day. We were so late for an event (van troubles) that we didn't make it at all. I was sad. It was a potluck, too, so I ended up having to make dinner. I made salad with some of our garden veggies and bacon for International Bacon Day.

It was World Beard Day so Jr. showed me that he celebrated.

We started watching Seeking Persephone because I missed my monthly watching of it in August. I figured I was being late for something by watching it that day.

Favorite Book I've Read This Year

 

Every once in a while, I come across a book that I love so much that as soon as I finish it, I immediately want to start reading it again. A Lady's Guide to Love and Pirates by Jennifer Moore was such a book for me.

I've read plenty of wonderful books this year, but this has been my favorite. So much excitement, adventure, danger, a claustrophobic scene that I felt along with the character, and of course a sweet love story.

I absolutely would recommend this book and I have a few times already.

Thanks, Jenny, for writing this. I love many of your books but this one is my favorite. 

National Literacy Month

September is National Literacy Month. You know I usually don't keep track of whole month celebrations. I do Shelftember every year, though, and I guess I try to Light the World in December. O.K. So sometimes I do whole month celebrations, even though throughout most of the rest of the year I stick to one day celebrations at a time. Sigh. Whatever. Consistent. Not consistent. Who cares?

The point is this year I found out Shadow Mountain Publishing has calendars of literacy activities for National Literacy Month. There's an adult calendar, a YA calendar, a middle-grade calendar, and a children's calendar. We've got the spread in our family so I printed the calendars out and made them available for my family members. I do like reading challenges. 

I personally have been doing the literacy activities for the adult calendar and doing the literacy activities with Jet for the children's calendar. The other kids can do what they want. I have them available should they wish to use them. #LiteracyAtEveryAge

This is what Jet and I did the first few days of September (in order of adult calendar and children's calendar):

 

September 1 Set a reading goal for September 

Enter children's book giveaway

September 2 Read for 20 minutes

Let your child pick tonight's story

September 3 Read a chapter with a friend

Read a book about animals

This also works for Orem Library's September book club.

September 4 Read a chapter from a new genre

Make funny voices for every character

 

September 5 Share a favorite book recommendation

Read together for 10 minutes  

It's Shelftember

You know I love participating in Shelftember- saving money on groceries. So here we go again.

So far I've:

inventoried our freezer, 

collected and used produce from our garden,

tried out new recipes using what we have (These chicken and dumplings are from a little book from our young married ward at BYU.),

made what I wanted from what we have (mmm, enchiladas, using falling apart corn tortillas and BLTs using homemade bread and tomatoes from our garden),

ground wheat to make homemade bread.  

You know, the usual. 

The KAT's Meow

Jr. Jr.: How does yeast get ready for sleep?

A breadtime baking story.

 

 

 

 

Jet: What does Watchie do?

Mom: You tell me. What does Watchie do?

Jet: Yes. 

 

 

 

 

Mom: We need to decide what to bring to the potluck. Something non perishable.

Jr. Jr.: The undead.

Mom: Uh...

Oh, non perishable!