Monday, October 2, 2017

Podcasts, Books & Looks of September

September was kind of a blur for me as my schedule was pretty busy. It was a pretty good month, aside from the painful flare I got mid-month! Fingers crossed that is my last one of this pregnancy!

Podcasts:

Dating (in Marriage) on The Simple Show - As I've mentioned before, I am really loving this season of The Simple Show as they are taking a 'yes and no' approach to a range of topics. The episode on dating in marriage was really interesting. Phil and I aren't super intentional about going on 'dates' but it's something we'll need to be more intentional about after the baby comes as making time to connect one-on-one is really important.

Books:



September was a really strong month of reading for me, which is good as August was kind of a dud. It's tough to pick a favorite as I really like so many of these books, but my top 2 were Beartown and Refugee.

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips - 3 stars - This is a thriller about a mom and her son that are at the zoo when a shooters take over the zoo. It was a page turner but I didn't LOVE it.

Marlena by Julie Buntin - 4 stars - This was a really great debut novel that I got from my Book of the Month Club subscription. It's about the friendship of Cat and Marlena - two girls that might seem similiar on the surface, but are actually quite different as Marlena is sadly the victim of a broken home, poverty, and drug abuse. It's the kind of book where the characters stay with you finish reading it.

Beartown by Fredrick Backman - 5 stars - I liked this book even more than his previous novel, A Man Called Ove. He does a great job of telling the story of a hockey-obsessed town that is divided when a crime occurs that involves a player on the hockey team. 

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - 2 stars - I struggled to finish this book. It was a Man Booker prize winner so I should have known that it might be a miss for me as award-winning books are often my least favorite. 

Expecting Better by Emily Oster - 5 stars - This is an excellent book about pregnancy that I will recommend to anyone I know who gets pregnant in the future. It's written by an economist. She takes all of recommendations about what you should or shouldn't do and looks at the research behind those decisions. It was really interesting and a very engaging read. 

Refugee by Alan Gratz - 5 stars - This is a middle-grade book about 3 different refugee families who are seeking assylum. The stories cover 3 different periods as we meet a Jewish family during WWII, a Cuban family in the mid-90s, and a Syrian family in 2016. Even though this is a middle-grade novel, the author does not shy away from exposing the terrible realities that refugees face. People die and terrible things happen to each family as they pursue safety for their families.

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny - 4 stars - This book was quirky and delightful. It's a character-driven story about a man who is on his 2nd marriage and has a son on the Asperger spectrum. His 2nd wife couldn't be more different than his first wife, but she decides that they should befriend his first wife and develop a friendship with her. The story unfolds from there and is told from the husband's perspective.

Looks:

After several look-less months I have a few looks to share!



Look #1:  Unbeknownst to me, this was my last day in my regular clothes (I was 16 weeks, 2 days). The pants are from Nordstrom, the top is from Ann Taylor, and the seer-sucker blazer is from Loft. When I got home from work that day, some maternity clothes had arrived and when I tried on the maternity pants I realized just how uncomfortable my pre-pregnancy pants had gotten! Maternity pants are kind of amazing!
 


Look #2:  This was my first day of wearing a maternity shirt + a belly band with my pre-pregnancy pants. I was excited to finally have a little baby bump to show off!

16 weeks + 3 days

Looks #3: This is a 100% maternity outfit. The top is from Target, the pants are from The Gap. This top makes me look like my bump is bigger than it actually is, but I'm beyond trying to look 'slim' or hiding the bump. If you compare this picture to the 2 above you can see how much hair I chopped off! I'm loving my new haircut!

17 weeks + 3 days

15 comments:

missris said...

Wow your hair was really long! I *love* that last picture of you and your cute little bump. You look so fall-ish and cozy!

Charbelle said...

I love the looks! I'm so glad you found maternity pieces that you like!!! Your hair is fabulous!!! Prayers for no more flares!!!

Marlys said...

I love that flannel look! And I'm praying for no more flares, too!

Carolina John said...

Maternity clothes are the best. The more weight I gain the more I appreciate them, but now I have to call them "thanksgiving pants".

Amber said...

You read so many books in September! I am super anxious to read Beartown, I've heard such great things. You really can see how much hair you chopped off when you compare those two photos!! Also I love that plaid top, never would have guessed it's a maternity top!

Gracie said...

Your hair looks great, and I think your pregnancy clothes are pretty cute!

Leigh said...

Your hair cut looks great! Maternity pants are way more comfortable and better to wear as long as they stay up (I had a couple pairs that just didn’t stay up until my belly was larger)

Jeanie said...

Loving your mini baby bump and you look so darned cute! Beartown -- now on my list.

Marlys said...

I, too, want to read Beartown as I loved the Man Called Ove.
Thanks for the reviews - forgot to mention that yesterday!

Caroline said...

I love your little bump!! Your outfits are so cute, and the new haircut! I'm so excited for cozy fall clothing!

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Aw, that's awesome you can see your bump more now and I love that last outfit! Too cute.

I LOVED Refugee, and I'm so glad you did too. It's a great novel and I think a lot of people should read it - or really, everyone.

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net

Stephany said...

Haha - so cool to see how much hair you chopped off from one picture to the next! I'm debating a chop myself, but I might wait a little to let it get long enough to donate. (It's long enough now, but my hair would be too short for my liking, I think!)

I think I'm moving up Refugee in my TBR list. I've heard so many rave reviews!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

That Dating in Marriage on the Simple Show sounds good! I hope you do more yes/no posts too!! Also, I am intrigued by a couple of those books.

Not sure if you saw Christopher's response to your comment on my post, but he says he feels like he knows you already (from all the things I tell him, and because he's usually near me while I am reading posts ... and from your comments too).

I love your haircut, and the tiny little bump is so sweet!!!!

San said...

Love your bump! Show it off!

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

Your little bump is the cutest! It will be a big bump before you know it! I am also loving your new haircut; I am always wary of chopping off a big hunk, but sometimes it's just the ticket. Yours has a very clean and sleek look now!

I added your five star books to my reading list, although my TBR list is so long; I know I will never get through all of them. However, I love having options! I am currently reading Strangers in Their Own Land, which I finally got off hold from the library (it was at least 6 months!) and so far am liking it!