January Book Review 2018

I read some amazing books this month!  I love books that make you think about the way you view things or people and challenge you to understand another perspective.  I feel like most of the books I read this month did that one way or another. 

I'm writing book reviews each month as part of a goal I set.  If you missed my December book review, be sure to check that out!  Also visit my Goodreads page. :) 

I read Kindred Souls to my class for read aloud.  It was a quick read and a very poetic book about a special bond between a boy and his grandfather, Billy.  Billy falls ill and has one request.  He asks his grandson, Jake to build him a sod house like the one he grew up in.  The book was sweet and the story actually made me think of my late Grandma Doris and the special memories all of her grandkids have with her.  

I am a big Love and Logic fan and have been since learning about Jim Fay's parenting style while getting my masters through Doane.  I bought the audio book version because I heard that it is nice to hear the tone of his voice when he is sharing examples.  I have a 10-15 minutes drive to work in the morning and a 25 minute drive to pick up the girls after work so I used this time to listen.  I am officially hooked on audio books!  If you have toddlers, I highly suggest this book.  It is amazing and so far, his suggestions have worked well with Hadley.  I do have to warn you though that sometimes his tone while reading can be annoying... almost like he is talking down to you; BUT the examples he gives are super helpful.

Okay, A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backmanwas one of my favorite books I read this month.  Maybe even one of the top five books I have EVER read.  I read Bear Town by Fredrick Backman last month and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read this one.  It did not disappoint!  Ove is a grumpy man who has been through a lot in his life.  He doesn't tolerate much and isn't afraid to share his opinion with anyone.  He is known as the "bitter neighbor from hell".  Things change when new neighbors move in.  They interrupt his plans in the most annoying way and help Ove realize how needed he is.  I don't want to give too much away, but this is a must read!  You'll cry, laugh, and hopefully remember how much we all really need one another.  

I found out that this book was made into a movie and I was so excited to watch it!  I even had Hadley skip her nap so she went to bed early and Zack and I could watch it.  We popped popcorn and had the computer ready (the movie is on Amazon Prime).  Turns out, the movie is in Swedish.  I do not know Swedish.  I was SO sad.  Turns out, Tom Hanks is going to star in the English-language adaptation of the movie.  I seriously can't wait! Sigh. 

A friend recommended this book and I am so thankful she did!  Life with a toddler, a nursing infant, and a full time job can be a lot.  I was starting to feel like I lost me and had stopped doing the things that I enjoyed.  The last (almost) 3 years I have either been pregnant or nursing.  Both are amazing things and it is crazy what a woman's body is capable of, but in that time you are literally sharing your body.  The last two years I have had a baby or a toddler in my arms just about every moment I was not working.  Which is a whole other guilt thing. #momguiltisreal Don't get me wrong, I LOVE love my girls and am so thankful for every moment they are in my arms and I am so grateful that I have been able to nurse and all of that.  But, in the midst of all these changes I wasn't taking care of myself and I started feeling overwhelmed and anxious. #honesty.  The book focuses on prioritizing priorities and really digging into what is truly important to you and letting go of the rest.  She talks about self care, slowing down, decluttering, etc. etc.  It was such a good read and exactly what I needed to hear.  

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas popped up on my Goodreads page and had a high rating so I put it on hold at the Library.   Starr, the main character, goes to a private school in an upper-class neighborhood while living in a poor neighborhood.  She bounces back between two completely different worlds while trying to avoid connecting them in any way.  When one of her best friends from her neighborhood is killed by a police office and Starr is the only witness, her two words collide and she realizes she has to stand against silence.  Although, I wish the author would have focused more on an unjust police shooting rather than skin color, it opened my eyes to a few things I hadn't ever considered.  Overall,  I appreciated the way she approached an extremely sensitive topic of a world that I am totally naive to.  

On a teacher note, I found a site for kids to review books they have read!  It is called DOGO Books and basically you can create accounts for your students and have them go online and review books they are reading.  I am looking into setting up accounts for my class and I am so excited!  Do any of my teacher friends use this? If so, please share how you use it in your classroom and if you like it. :) 

xoxo, 

amanda breazeale

Calling All InstaPot Lovers! BBQ Meatloaf

ZB and I decided to jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon.  I have to admit, at first I was annoyed with it and thought we wasted money.  However; I can honestly say now that I LOVE it!!  We decided to buy it because we were getting tired of the same old meals and we didn't have the time to try these long elaborate new dinners.  To be honest, even prepping and baking chicken in the oven on a weeknight is literally not even an option.  We both get home between 5:15-5:45 and if dinner isn't on the table by 6/6:30 then I have a two year old who eats snacks for supper.  Plus there is bath time and story time and quality time that I would rather spend my time doing.

I spent some time looking up recipes and adjusting them so they worked for us.  We use it about twice a week and so far all of the recipes have been a hit.  If you don't have an one of these instant pots, treat yoself.  They are worth it!

For Christmas we got Hadley a kitchen-helper stool.  It is SO stinkin' cute!  She absolutely loves to help in the kitchen so this was the perfect gift for her.  And bonus, it came in pink! To go along with this gift her and I got matching aprons that I found on Etsy.  I am slightly obsessed and she has to have her apron on every time we cook.  Melt.My.Heart.










I will share some of my favorite Instant Pot recipes as they come up - this bbq meatloaf definitely makes the top 10 list so far.

BBQ Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

I'm not a huge meatloaf fan so I was hesitant to try it, but I reluctantly did because ZB does love it.  I have to say, it was SO good.  I loved that I could throw in the potatoes and have it all in one pot.  We don't usually do mashed potatoes so it was a nice change. :) In addition to this I just made some mixed vegetables a boom, done!

8-10 small potatoes - red or yellow (you leave the skin on so whichever you prefer)
2 cups water
1lb ground turkey
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (does anyone else have a hard time pronouncing this???!)
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup bbq Sauce ( I use Anne's bbq sauce because it doesn't have nearly as much sugar as regular)
turkey bacon (6-8 slices)
1 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (you can use sour cream if you prefer)
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter


Seasonings
salt
pepper
garlic powder

1. Wash potatoes and cut into quarters.  Toss into the bottom of the instant and add water.  I seasoned the potatoes with a bit of salt and garlic.  Place the trivet on top of the potatoes with the handles facing up.

2. In a bowl combine the turkey, worcestershire sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, bbq sauce, bacon (cooked), pepper, and onion.  Add a little salt and garlic powder.  Mix with your (clean) hands.

3. Place tin foil into a small bread pan and place meat mixture in and then wrap it in tinfoil.  Remove from the bread pan so it keeps shape.  Put on top of trivet in the instant pot.

4. Cover/Secure lid and press the manual button.  Set the timer for 20 minutes on high pressure.  The valve should be set to sealing.  When the timer goes off do a quick release by moving the valve to venting. Open the lid and lift the foil and place on a pan.  Base the top with bbq sauce.

5. Remove the trivet and drain the water out of the pot.  Add in butter, milk, and yogurt.  Mash and add salt and pepper to taste.


Now excuse me while I obsessively watch the weather channel in hopes of a snow day tomorrow!  I am convinced that teachers are more obsessed with snow days than the students are! ;)

xoxo,

amanda breazeale

December Book Review

I am a sucker for new year resolutions, so as I was thinking about my goals I made the decision that this time I'm not going to wait until the new year to become better and to work toward my goals.  Why not start now?!  One of my goals is to read more.  Time, or lack of time, was always my excuse for not reading.  But you know what, it is true - you have time for what you make time for.  Along with the whole "read more" goal, I decided to do a monthly book review to hold myself accountable.  SO, here are the books I read in the month of December.  Follow me on Goodreads and enjoy. :)


The Thing About Jellyfish - Ali Benjamin

"If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better. If people were silent, it would make what they did say, whenever they chose to say it, more important. If people were silent, they could read one another's signals, the way underwater creatures flash lights at one another, or turn their skin different colors."

"Humans may be newcomers to this planet.  We may be plenty fragile.  But we're also the only ones who can decide to change."


I finished this book quickly.  Ali Benjamin has a way with putting words to your feelings and I wanted to highlight and write down many lines from the book.  I got it for my classroom this year and it has quickly become a favorite.  It is geared more toward middle school students to adults.  I loved all of the interesting facts about science that the author included, but the main theme is grief and how the main character deals with the loss of her best friend.  


Faceless - Alyssa B. Sheinmel


“You have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else. Because it's only when we love ourselves that we feel worthy of someone else's love.”

This is another book I had in my classroom library.  I actually pulled it from the shelf after reading it because it would be a better book for high school-young adult.   It was another book that I didn't want to put down.  The main character, Maisie, loses her face in an electrical fire while running in a thunderstorm.  It is another book about grief and learning to love yourself.  When I finished the book I had a lot of questions about her story and was longing to continue following her story.

Wonder - R.J. Palacio


“If every person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.” 


Okay, I've been meaning to read this books since it was a Golden Sower book in 2013-2014.  I finally picked it up because the movie came out and had such good reviews.  I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will when it comes out on DVD.  The book did not disappoint.  If you have an upper elementary kid or middle school kid, this would be the perfect book to read with them!  The This book will be added to my read aloud list for school.

Beartown - Fredrik Backman


“What an uncomfortable, terrible source of shame it is for the world that the victim is so often the one left with the most empathy for others.” 

“The love a parent feels for a child is strange. There is a starting point to our love for everyone else, but not this person. This one we have always loved, we loved them before they even existed. No matter how well prepared they are, all moms and dads experience a moment of total shock, when the tidal wave of feelings first washed through them, knocking them off their feet. It's incomprehensible because there's nothing to compare it to. It's like trying to describe sand between your toes or snowflakes on your tongue to someone who's lived their whole life in a dark room. It sends the soul flying.” 

Amazing!!  This was a heavy book and there were times I had to put the book down because so much was going on and I just wanted to process it all.  The moment I hit the climax of the story though, I couldn't put it down.  The story follows many characters which I love when authors do.  After reading this book I went and put another book by this author on hold at the Library.  I would say it was my favorite book of the month. :)

xoxo,

amanda breazeale

Gymnastics! Trampoline! Stamps!

It's Tuesday!  In our house this means it is gymnastics night!  Oh boy does my little girl LOVE gymnastics!!

 Last year I took Hadley to an open gym at our gymnastics place and she absolutely loved it.  I looked into classes and called to sign her up thinking we could start whenever.  Boy was I wrong.  You guys there was a waiting list!! For gymnastics class for a child who wasn't even two.   Not only was there a waiting list, it took 6 months for us to get a call that she got an open spot!  I was so shocked.  Of course the call came the week we found out that we would be having Brynlee three weeks early, which in itself was unexpected.  I couldn't turn the spot down though and be on a waiting list for another 6 months, so the first class I was 36 week pregnant and the next class we had a baby only a few days old.

If you tell Hadley she has gymnastics she will run around screaming "gymnastics!! trampoline!! stamps!!"  It is adorable! (They get stamps on their feet at the end of class and she is obsessed with them)

Cutest gymnast ever!  

I'll have to get some pictures in the actual class.  It is too adorable!

Last week we didn't have gymnastics because of Halloween.  We didn't dress Brynlee up since she is only 2 months old and we figured it'd be super cold.  Hadley was the cutest little monkey!  I figured she wouldn't like trick-or-treating because she isn't a huge fan of strangers and it takes her a bit to warm up and let her personality shine.  We practiced quite a bit and her grandparents even taught her to say "trick-or-treat smell my feet give me something good to eat!!" The first house she went to she cried when they went to the door.  The second house she did a bit better, but since she had her one piece of candy, she wanted to go home and she didn't want to go back out.  Ha! So she took a bite of her chocolate and then her an Zb handed out candy.

Brynlee and I stayed nice and cozy inside. :) 

xoxo,

amanda

Breakfast Burritos

Happy Monday!

I have a super busy week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences.  It will be extra exciting because it will be my first time meeting most of the parents since I was on maternity leave when the school year began!  I wanted something quick for breakfast to make our mornings run a bit smoother.  We usually make eggs in the morning which is great, but the clean up takes a lot of time.  My best friend Sam has been telling me about her breakfast burritos that she makes her hubby and I had to try them for myself!  On Sunday we usually make a bigger breakfast so I decided we would make the burritos and I would just make extra to freeze.  AMAZING!  And seriously SO easy.  This batch made enough for breakfast on Sunday, plus 15 burritos to freeze.  Win. Win.



Watching Hadley crack eggs might be one of my favorite things.  It is so funny!





Mommy's little helper! Don't mind my no make up look and our glorious bed head. ;)







My burrito wrapping skills are lacking, but we got the job done!

Okay so here is what I used this time, but the best part about this is that you can totally make it your own and change it up each time you do it for a bit of a variety.

18 eggs
1 bag of hash browns ( I used diced up hash browns)
2 bell peppers
1 pckg of sausage links (because they didn't have ground sausage)
tortilla shells

1. scramble the eggs.
2. cook the hash browns
3. cook the sausage
4. dice up the peppers and throw them in with the hash browns
5. cut up the sausage links and toss them in with the eggs
6. lay out a tortilla and put a scoop of hash browns and a scoop of eggs
7. top with a bit of cheese
8. fold and wrap in tin foil
9. put in a freezer bag and freeze!

This morning I took two out and put then in the microwave for 2 minutes, cut them in half and put them in for an additional two minutes.  DELICIOUS!  and best of all, clean up was a breeze.

Next time I make them I want to try to throw in some more veggies and I am going to try turkey bacon instead of sausage.  :)


On a completely different note - check out my BABES!  Brynlee is on the left and Hadley is on the right.  Both pictures were taken around 2 1/2 months.  I just love looking back at Hadley's pictures from when she was Brynlee's age.  Some pictures they could pass as twins and others I think they look completely different!



Melt my heart!!

Weekend Recap & Smoothie Recipe

I love weekends - especially now that I am back at work.   We had a productive weekend at the Breazeale home.  On Saturday ZB got a lot of much needed yard work done while the girls and I had a relaxing day.  On Sunday morning Zack's mom came over and watched the girls while we grabbed coffee and went to Target - KID FREE! ;)

We spend a lot of the day getting ready for the week.  Since both ZB and I work away from home, we have to be prepped for the week or it is complete chaos and super stressful.  Hadley loves to help me in the kitchen and to be completely honest, I love it too!  We have so much fun together.  Here are a few pictures..

Also check out the bottom of this post for my go to smoothie recipe!





Gahh! She is so cute! I just love this little girl. :) :)

Later that evening we painted pumpkins and ate apple crisp!




And then there's this cutie...



She is such a good baby!!

I have to share my smoothie recipe with you guys though - it is SO good!  I make one every morning and it's the best way to start the day.  I always feel better when I've had a smoothie before heading out the door and it helps me make better food choices throughout the day.



My smoothie tastes a bit different every day because I don't use specific measurements and I'll add different fruit to it depending what we have.  Here is what I (usually) use...

1 banana
3-4 cuties
about a cup of frozen fruit
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed
handful (or two) of kale or spinach
1 large spoonful of plain yogurt
1 large spoonful of peanut butter
liquid - orange juice, milk, or water

I usually fill the blender up about halfway with liquid and then I blend it together and enjoy!  This fills 2 large glasses and a small toddler cup.

I get my frozen fruit from Costco.  They have huge bags of frozen fruit for a great price.  We switch it up so sometimes I put strawberries in smoothie, or times it's blueberries or some type of mixed fruit.  Either way, it tastes great!  I try to throw in as much greens as I can get away with in the smoothie and I've learned that I can get away with about 2 handfuls of it and you literally can't taste it at all!

This use to be super easy to whip together in the morning before work.  However, trying to get a toddler and two month old ready so we can be out the door by 7 has made it a bit more difficult.  So the night before when I am getting supper together I put about half of my smoothie together.  I will put the cuties, yogurt, peanut butter, chia seed, and flaxseed in the blender the night before and put it in the fridge.  In the morning I just have to add the banana, frozen fruit, and liquid.  SO EASY.  We have no excuse not to make it.  Plus, my 2 year old LOVES this.  She drinks from my cup in the morning and then drinks her entire cup as an afternoon snack at my sister's house.  She is starting to get picky about what veggies she eats, so I feel good knowing that she is getting a little bit from the smoothie.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

amanda

No Bake Energy Bites

Happy Saturday!

I told you that I am always looking for quick and easy meals and snacks.  My go to favorite snack is No Bake Energy Bites.  They are SO good!  Seriously better than candy.  Super quick to make and my whole family loves them.  I am nursing Brynlee and I am constantly hungry.  These are great because they have oatmeal in them which is good for lactation and they are super filling.  You HAVE to try these.



No Bake Energy Bites

Oatmeal (1 cup)
Chocolate Chips (1/2 cup)
Peanut Butter (1/2 cup)
Coconut Flakes (2/3 cup)
Honey (1/3 cup)
Flaxseed (1 tbsp)
Chia Seed (1 tbsp)
Vanilla (1 tsp)

Mix together and let sit in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes before rolling them into balls.  I scoop with a tablespoon to get the roundness and put 4 into a bag to make it easy to grab and go.

 I use natural peanut butter (from Costco or Whole Foods) to avoid all of the added sugar in "regular" peanut butter.

Zb and Hads love these so much that I always triple the batch and it lasts us all week.

xoxo,

amanda