Oh, look, here we are at the end of March, still showing off snow pictures. So. Awesome. To be fair, it was 70 degrees today – completely gorgeous! But I’ve heard rumors of another possible snowstorm coming next week. So there’s that.

Tomorrow we have a big family date planned. The three of us are going to see Disney Princesses on Ice and then out to dinner. When I told Annalyn, she started shaking from the excitement. I’m a little excited myself. Then on Sunday, we’re dressing up in our matchy-matchy outfits, heading to church to celebrate the Resurrection and then eating lunch with my parents, cousins, aunt and uncle.

It should be a good weekend. What are your plans for this weekend?

March went by really fast. I was busy and overwhelmed, and I’m excited to start a brand-new month on Monday. (Monday has the potential to be a big day. It’s the start of a week, a month and a quarter! So, basically, my hopes are sky-high. Good plan, right?)

Thankfully I was still able to sneak in a few books, movies and TV shows – though not as many as usual. April better look different. I’d hate to become one of those people who’s TOO BUSY to read. Or – gasp! – watch TV.

What I’m Reading:

Ladies and gentlemen [what? I'm aware of no less than four - FOUR! - men who read this blog!], may I please direct your attention to the three grown-up books on this month’s list? Not one, not two but THREE!

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer: I’ve been a huge fan of Brad Meltzer since his very first book in 1997. He wrote political/legal thrillers with outstanding dialogue. Of course, it’s possible I wouldn’t be as impressed if I read those first books now, some 15 years later. But since I’ve got WAY too many books waiting to be read to spend time doing that, I’ll just hold onto that early impression.

Anyway, his latest book was pretty good. Not spectacular, but good. I liked the last one – which had the same characters – more because it taught me a lot about the National Archives, which I knew nothing about. Yup, I’m that big of a nerd. This is not news.

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson: Okay, look. I don’t normally review books if I don’t like them. As a writer (though not a book-writer…YET) I respect the work and heart that go into a book, and I hate to speak badly about an author. Especially one I’ve adored until now – like Dee Henderson.

So I’m going to say three things about this book and then I’m going to let it go.

1) I didn’t like this book at all. It was dreadfully boring, among other things. 2) If you’re a Dee Henderson fan like me and super excited that she’s finally published another book, I know that nothing I say will keep you from reading it. So after you do, tell me what you think. I’d love to discuss it offline. and 3) If you’ve never read Dee Henderson before but like suspenseful mysteries with a side of smart romance, for the love of books, don’t start with this one. Read her O’Malley series. You’ll thank me.

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan: The Kane Chronicles are basically the Percy Jackson books with an Egyptian twist. They’re not all that good. But if you love the Percy Jackson books and want something similar to hold you over until the next Hereos of Olympus book comes out in the fall, then give this series a try.

Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend by Andy Stanley: I read this with my co-workers, and it was excellent. Andy Stanley is really funny and extremely straight-shooting. But he also shared generously how his church intentionally reaches unchurched people. It put words to a lot of things my church does but also gave us lots of ideas to discuss and think about.

I’m a big fan of Ben Affleck. And spy-related stuff. So me seeing Argo and loving it was a given. When Mark and I managed to get a date night for the first time in a couple months, it was straight to the theater for the Oscar-winning movie without passing go.

And as expected, we both loved it. The history part was interesting (and so upsetting), the detail of the time period was amazing, and it was unexpectedly funny. Ben Affleck, while both hairy and handsome, was hard to read and came off a little cold. That was strange, but I refuse to let it stand in the way of my appreciation of either him or the movie.

Back in the world of TV, I am LOVING New Girl. It is outrageously and consistently funny, and the writers are handling the Jess-Nick relationship so very well. Watch out, Parks & Rec, New Girl is quickly becoming my favorite half hour of the week.

What I’m Listening to: I answered this one (in depth) in yesterday’s post. Check it out – and enjoy the playlist I made for you!

What I’m Eating & Cooking: Ummm…

Let’s just say that I haven’t been eating well, and I haven’t been cooking at all. This weekend, though, I’m trying out two new recipes for my family’s Easter dinner: a Snickers and apple “salad” and glazed carrots in the Crockpot. I’ll let you know how they turn out!

(And in case you’re worried about my quickly declining eating habits, rest assured. I’m going back to Weight Watchers Monday morning and then heading straight to the grocery store to stock up on real, healthy food for the menu plan I’m going to work on tomorrow. Remember? Monday is the first day of the rest of my life! I have plans!)

And now for some breakdancing. Nick Offerman (aka, Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation) explained and demonstrated his pop-and-locking skills on the Jimmy Fallon show. Enjoy. (And if you missed Justin Timberlake doing the History of Rap 4 with Jimmy Fallon a couple weeks ago, here you go. And you’re welcome.)

What were YOU into in March?

I’m linking up with HopefulLeigh’s What I’m Into. And this post has affiliate links.

What have I been into this month? Well, obviously not blogging, thanks for bringing it up again. And honestly, I’m not sure what I’ve been into or up to or WHERE DID THE MONTH GO?

I know, I know. It’s such a cliche to talk about the flying time. But this short month, with its Superbowl and Valentine’s Day and road trip and snow days (SO MANY SNOW DAYS), has felt shorter than most. I did manage to pack some reading, watching, eating and listening into February’s 28 short days, though.

For all my complaining about snow days, I actually love having lots of snow on the ground for a change. I don’t want it to be here forever, and I’m extremely thankful for a husband who shovels (and a friend who sends over her husband when mine is out of town). But when it comes to sitting inside, drinking hot chocolate and watching the flurries fly? Well, I’m a fan.

[By the way, are we Instagram friends? If so, you probably already saw the photo above from the morning of our first snowstorm. And if not, well, why not?]

What I’m Reading:
My non-fiction reading has slowed down a bit, but I’m almost through Deep & Wide by Andy Stanley. It’s confirming a lot of things I’m learning about doing church at my church, but also teaching me a lot about being a communicator in general. I pretty much love it. And a couple weeks ago (thanks to a friend who generously let me borrow his copy, even though that means I can’t underline or highlight anything), I started reading Platform by Michael Hyatt. Hopefully I’ll finish both of those books this month, as well as Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (which I just had to renew, because it was due back to the library and I’ve read about one paragraph).

I’ve also discovered the world of self-published novels on my Kindle Fire. But, so far, there’s nothing more to say about that. I’ve got plenty to say about Shades of Earth, the third book in Beth Revis’s Across the Universe trilogy, however. I loved it! It was kind of like the YA version of Jurassic Park – except not. If you like sci-fi and/or fantasy of the YA variety, I highly recommend this series.

One more book I recommend? My friend Holley Gerth’s new book, You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream. Before I met Holley I didn’t know about God-sized dreams. I just knew I had a lot of ideas and thoughts and feelings. Reading her new book is like sitting down with Holley, baring your soul to an encouraging friend, and walking away motivated and inspired to follow your new plan to pursue those dreams God has given you. It’s a good read, an enjoyable (though I wouldn’t say easy) read, and an important read. If you have dreams, read this.

What I’m Watching:
So, last month I told you about the movies I’d seen recently. And some people brought it to my attention that I’d abandoned my first love. {That would be television.} Well, fear not, dear readers. I have not stopped watching the TV. Are you kidding? I just got a DVR! I can watch more TV than ever!

I’m not actually watching more TV than ever. But I could. I am, however, watching about the same amount as usual. Here are my favorite (or at least the most notable) TV things from this past month:

1. Parks & Recreation wedding – just perfection. Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt are simply adorable. And they make me smile. I mean, just look at them up there.

2. Psych is back. Psych is back!! I’ve missed Shawn and Gus, and I’m glad to have their silly nicknames, pop culture references, slap fights and snacks back on my TV every week.

3. Do you watch Suits? I thought the first season was boring, so I never got into it. And then the second season happened. I don’t know what changed, but I am HOOKED. Although . . . I’ll admit it’s pretty cheesy at times. Or, all the time. I’m pretty sure that a drinking game that requires you to drink every time someone speaks in cliches WOULD GET YOU SMASHED. Or, running to the bathroom, should you choose to drink sweet tea instead of something stronger. Either way, cliched or not, I love Suits and the season finale was excellent.

4. How I Met Your Mother was renewed for another season. Much as I have loved this show (a LOT), I think it’s time for this one to call it quits. Not that I’ll stop watching. Because I won’t. Ever. Until the end. Which should happen soon.

5. Downton Abbey, season three, has come and gone. Yeah, I know. It happened. And it was awful. Or wonderful. I don’t know, okay? BECAUSE I HAVEN’T WATCHED IT YET. Please, no spoilers. Yes, I realize that’s ridiculous and I need to just carve out 7 hours and watch it already. I will. But until I do? Please, please, please don’t tell me what happened!

6. The kisses. OH MY WORD, the kisses! New Girl and Nashville both had monumental kissing scenes this last month. It’s possible that I rewatched said scenes with my fancy DVR. Or not. I’m not admitting anything.

7. And then there’s Arrow. You guys. It’s awful. AWFUL! And yet, I can’t stop watching it. SOMEONE, PLEASE MAKE ME STOP WATCHING IT! I don’t even know why I’m still watching it. But I am.

Source: crumbsandchaos.blogspot.com via Brittany on Pinterest

 
What I’m Eating/Cooking:
I have not cooked anything interesting. Nothing. At all. But when we took a road trip to visit our friends Josh and Brittany a couple weeks ago, Brittany tried out a few new recipes on us. [Thank you, Pinterest. And, by the way, are we Pinterest friends? WHY not??] Anyway, all the new recipes were good, but my favorite was definitely the strawberry bruschetta.

I’m going to be honest with you. When Brittany told me the breakfast plan was strawberry bruschetta, I wasn’t real excited. I like strawberries and all, but bruschetta is not my favorite. So I wasn’t sure how this could possibly top the breakfast casserole she made the last time we visited.

But I was wrong. Strawberry bruschetta? Is ah-maze-ing. And I can’t wait to make it. And eat it. A lot.

Finally, let’s talk about videos. Yeah, let’s. Because have I mentioned that my laptop is sort of, halfway broken? It is. And one of its most annoying symptoms is its lack of video-playing ability. That’s right. I can’t watch videos on my computer right now. And I haven’t been able to for several weeks.

The horror!

Do you know what that means? That means I have missed out on the goats. And the Harlem Shake. And the replaying of my favorite Superbowl commericals. Yep, missed it all. So if you thought this would be the point at which I would link you up to the trendiest, funniest videos of the day, you would be wrong.

[Insert sad trombone here.]

I do have this for you. I love this commercial. Probably because Annalyn has such an active imagination. And maybe a little bit because the song is catchy. The comments on YouTube call it creepy, though. So that’s a bummer. I still love it. Do you?

What were you into in February?

I’m linking up with HopefulLeigh’s What I’m Into. And this post has affiliate links.

It’s winter so I thought I’d use a winter photo for this post. Of course, as I’m writing this, all the windows in my house are open and 70-degree winds are blowing my curtains around. It’s supposed to get cold again in a couple days, but for now what I’m into is spring weather!

I haven’t written a What I’m Into post in two months, so this one will cover December and January. Feel free to express your sadness when you realize that I didn’t see Les Miserables in either month.

What I’m Reading
Look. I was sick for several days over the holidays with a sinus infection that acted a little bit like the flu. That’s my only defense for mainlining YA fluff like nobody’s business.

The good news is that I found an author I really like, one who writes strong girls and snappy dialogue. And did I mention she writes about teenage spies? Yeah. Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series is great, and even if I’m a tiny bit embarrassed by the fact that I read all five books in the span of less than five days, I’m still happy to recommend the books. She also writes a series about teenage con artists. So whether you like Alias or Oceans 11, she’s got a YA series for you.

I also read the Curse Workers series (intriguing YA fantasy plot with complex characters) and Notorious Nineteen, the latest Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich (same old, same old – I’m not sure why I’m still reading these except Ranger).

Then, I turned a literary corner. I started reading non-fiction.

First I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It’s a fascinating look at her experiment to discover what truly makes a person happy. I loved reading about her research methods, and in a lot of ways, I felt like I have a lot in common with her so her discoveries were actually helpful. Toward the end of the book, I started wishing she was a bit more personable or humorous, but overall I liked it a lot.

Next I read 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Apparently January was my month of experiment books. Like I knew it would, 7 rocked my world (which is why I had the book for MONTHS before I dared pick it up). Last week I found myself going on and on about how I don’t want a live a life that places value on busy and doing and chaos and I STOPPED MYSELF THERE, BECAUSE CLEARLY 7 IS MESSING WITH MY MIND.

I already gave away 75 pieces of clothing. If you hear me talking about buying chickens for my backyard, please for the love, STAGE AN INTERVENTION.

I’m actually reading three other non-fiction books right now. But you’ll have to wait until next month (when I finish them) to hear about those.

What I’m Watching
Okay, let’s just get this out of the way. I haven’t seen Les Mis. I’M THE LAST ONE ALIVE WHO HASN’T, I know. (Am I? Really? Tell me you haven’t seen it either!) But I did go see Jack Reacher on New Year’s Eve for Mark’s birthday. It was GOOD. I know, Tom Cruise is crazy cakes. Agreed, 100%. But he was SO GOOD in this movie. If you like action, see this one. Do it.

I’ve also rented several movies with Smitty. Some of them were awful (Total Recall – even Colin Farrell couldn’t save this no-dialogue bore, This Means War – just no.). I saw both 10 Years and The Vow, and they were okay. Well, what I mean is that The Vow was way better than I expected and 10 Years was not as good as I’d hoped. So if you take an average temperature, they were okay.

Mark and I also watched Trouble with the Curve, and it was interesting. And occasionally funny. If you like baseball or Justin Timberlake, I say watch this one.

As for what I’m listening to and eating and/or cooking, nothing too exciting going on here. I’ve listened to the mix tape I made for Annalyn dozens of times. Thankfully, “Annalyn’s Favorite Songs 2012″ is pretty catchy, what with its eclectic mix of One Direction, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Elton John, Lee Brice, Newboys and TobyMac. And I have grand plans for trying lots of new recipes this weekend for our Superbowl party. But until I decide for sure – and actually make them – we’ll just have to wait.

Have you seen this video? Two Dutch men experienced simulated labor pains for a TV show, and It. Is. Hilarious. You guys, I laughed so hard I was crying. So worth the few minutes.

And have you seen Target’s new commercials? Its ads for The Everyday Collection spoof super serious fashion commercials – and they crack me up.

So – What have you been up to in the last two months? This post will be linked to What I’m Into at Hopeful Leigh.

This post includes affiliate links.

I put up my Christmas tree last night. Then I let Annalyn decorate it. As I’m sitting here right now, looking at it, I can’t help but smile. The ornaments are clustered around the middle section, coincidentally the only section of my prelit tree that has working lights. The top is bare, save a strand of lights I wrapped around it. And the bottom has only a few sparkly red balls dangling from the bottom branches – the better for the cats to reach them, of course.

It’s far from perfect, and to be honest I’ll be rearranging the whole thing (and trying desperately to maneuver the sparse branches to look a little less Charlie Brown-ish). But still, the lopsided, kid-decked tree sure makes me smile.

Before I jump into the holidays (and the stack of decoration boxes sitting in my dining room), though, I realized I never wrote a “What I’m Into” post for October. And now another month has gone by, so this one post will have to cover both months!

What have YOU been into this fall?

What I’m Reading:
It’s possible I’ve gotten a little too hooked on the Percy Jackson books. I may or may not have re-read the first books of Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series this fall in anticipation of the third one being released. May have. What with all the Greek and Roman gods and the characters from two different demi-god camps, it IS a lot to keep track of. But honestly, I just really like the books.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, the third book in Heroes of Olympus, is the best one so far, too. And, I noticed when I looked it up for a link, it’s on sale for $10.10 right now (regularly $19.99). I may or may not be debating getting a copy of my own . . .

I also read Entwined by Heather Dixon, a new take on one of Grimm’s lesser known fairytales, The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes. I’d never heard of this story before, so it was all new to me – and I loved it! If you like young adult fantasy, try this one out. The magical story of a family of sisters who love to dance has suspense, romance and an enchanted castle is a great read. (And bonus for my friends who, like me, get a little frustrated that every. single. YA book seems to be part of a trilogy? This one is a standalone novel.)

Oh, and this one happens to be on sale, too – $7.20 (regularly $17.99). If you need a new book. Or gift. Or both.

Finally, I picked up a novel I got at Allume. I’d never heard of Dani Pettrey, but the endorsement on the front was from Dee Henderson – one of my very favorite Christian authors ever. Submerged by Dani Pettrey IS the beginning of a series, but I’m okay with that. The characters reminded me of the O’Malleys from Henderson’s books – real, flawed and funny. (And hey, look! I loved a book written for – and about – adults! A real grown-up book! Heh.)

And stay tuned, because as soon as I work my way up the reserve list at the library, I will be reading Dee Henderson’s first new book in years. After I saw her endorsement on Submerged, I wondered (again, for the millionth time) if she’d written anything new. I was super excited to see that she finally has and can’t wait to read Full Disclosure.

What I’m Watching:
Well, what did you expect? It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . for TV movies! I know, I know. Some – fine, most – of them are awful, sappy cheese fests. But I LOVE THEM. Not all of them, buuuuut a lot of them. I just finished watching the one about the food critic and chef, and the one about the mom/daughter wedding planners is on now. My favorite has been Love at the Christmas Table with Winnie from The Wonder Years, but I’ve been known to watch the one about the FBI agent, the one about the editor, the one about the ad executive and anything with Joey Lawrence.

I just love Christmas movies.

We also went to see Skyfall, the new James Bond movie, the weekend it came out. We even stood in line for it and everything! The opening weekend thing wasn’t intentional, but it was kind of fun – largely because Mark insisted we buy our tickets early instead of wandering around a few shops like I wanted. Had we gone with my plan, I would’ve been bummed to stand at the end of the line (or, like when we tried to see Hunger Games, not even get tickets at all if it was sold out). If you like Bond movies – or spy or action movies at all, really – go see this one. It’s fantastic!

What I’m Eating: I made cinnamon rolls again for Mark’s family at Thanksgiving, and now I’m wondering why I waited a full year after trying them out the first time. Oh yeah, because they are so good I want to eat five at once. And then wash them down with extra icing. *sigh*

A few weeks ago, I also made some chocolate chip oatmeal pumpkin cookies. Did you read that? Chocolate chips. Oatmeal. And pumpkin! They were delicious. And YES, I will share the recipe. Soon. I promise. (Okay, as soon as I make them again and take some better photos . . .)

Now it’s your turn. What are you into?

This post was inspired by Sorta Crunchy’s monthly post. And it contains affiliate links.