It has been a really good reading year for me so far. I’ve not only been able to read a lot of books, but I’ve also enjoyed so many of them!
Today I am sharing my favorite book each month and I would love to hear some of your favorite reads so far from 2023!
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Because I knew this book was a different style than Brandon Sanderson’s other books (and whimsy is not always my favorite style), I was little wary that I wouldn’t like this one as much. I’m happy to report that after reading it, this is now one my favorite novels by Brandon Sanderson!
I love Tress so much. She is such a fantastic character with such great growth. I love the crew she gets to know and the love story in it. I also really loved the ending, it blew my mind and wrapped everything up exactly right. I know some people don’t love Sanderson’s humor (I’ve seen people complain about it in Stormlight as well), but I actually love it. The humor in this book was sometimes juvenile (because of Hoid and how he was in this book), but that didn’t bother me and I did laugh a lot.
The Downstairs Girl
This is an historical fiction following 17-year-old Jo Kuan who works as a lady maid while secretly writing an advice column to a local newspaper.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish! I loved the themes, the characters, the Miss Sweetie plotline, the romance, and strong ending.
What Alice Forgot
This is a Chick Lit with a thriller feel. It’s main plot revolves around an unreliable narrator who has amnesia, and I thought it was so well done.
I was one hundred percent committed to Alice’s life and marriage. I loved seeing how losing her memory helped her reconnect with her separated husband and struggling oldest daughter. I loved the side plots of her sister’s infertility and her adopted grandma’s romance. I was very worried that I would hate the ending, but I actually loved it.
The False Prince
I had previously read some of Jennifer A Nielsen’s historical fiction and loved it all. As a fantasy book, this was very different but just as good.
The book was fun from start to finish. It felt a little like Anastasia meets the Selection, but with boys, and it was such a fun ride. The plot twist at the end was a little obvious to me, but that did not lessen my enjoyment at all.
The Unknown Beloved
This is one of my favorites by Amy Harmon so far! The time period was very well done, the mystery/thriller aspect kept me hooked, and I loved the romance. I also really loved the aunts and how well their personalities came through. My favorite part was that it felt like a cleaner thriller (while it has some violence and language and a fade-to-black scene, it has very little language and sexual content than most thrillers I try).
There is some description of how “the Butcher” cut up his victims (it is based on a real serial killer). I am a wimp and cannot handle gore usually, but this didn’t bother me at all.
I would highly recommend to anyone who loves historical thrillers, especially with some romance thrown in.
The Screaming Staircase
I watched the adaptation on Netflix, loved it, and then when I found out it was a book, I immediately put it on hold at the library. I liked the adaptation more overall, but the book was very well done and, in some places, better than the show. I am glad I read it and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I am a little wimpy, so I appreciated that it was never too scary or grotesque for me while also having a spooky atmosphere and tension. The show felt a lot scarier to me. It’s also very clean (no sex, scant swearing, not a lot of violence considering its kids fighting ghosts), which is something I appreciate.
It was fun to see the differences from the show, but it is very similar plot-wise, so if you have watched the adaptation, there won’t be a lot of surprises for you
I have loved the books I’ve read so far this year and can’t wait to read more in the remaining months!
What have been some of your favorite books so far this year? Let me know in the comments below!
I always love looking back at the year to see how my reading went! This year was my biggest reading year I’ve ever had (and probably will have for awhile at least). I read 285 books, so narrowing down 10 favorites was not easy!
Each month as I read, I pick my top three favorite books from that month. Then at the end of the year, I use ten different categories to help me narrow down which of those 36 books were my top ten favorite of the year.
Here are my top 10 favorite books I read in 2023!
Favorite New Release
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Katherine Center has recently become a favorite author of mine (who writes clean adult romcoms), so when I saw she had a new release, I had to get it! I ended up binge listening to it in one sitting while I painted my girls’ room and loved it! It might be my new favorite book by her.
The premise follows a portrait artist who has a brain surgery that leads to a face blindness. While she’s dealing with that and her family, she also ends up in a sort of love triangle. It was a delightful read and I also really loved the author’s note at the end.
Favorite Book That Surprised Me
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
This YA fantasy romance took me by surprise in a couple different ways. First, I’d read the Elements of Cadence duology by this author and liked them, but they weren’t completely my type of books. This book had a very different feel than her previous series and it was much more my style. It was a pleasant surprise! Partially because of that, I was also very surprised by how much I loved the book!
My favorite parts of this book were the “You’ve Got Mail” feel of the plot. I absolutely loved the letter sending part of the plot. I also really loved the war correspondance aspect of the story. It actually surprised me how much I liked it!
Favorite Nonfiction Book
Divine Signatures by Gerald Lund
Gerald Lund is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and has written many books in that realm, both fictional novels and doctrinal books. Some of his doctrinal books have been my favorite religious books (and some of have just been okay). This one is my favorite of his nonfiction books now.
It is a collection of stories showing the hand of God in people’s lives. It is an inspiring read that strengthened my testimony of God and left me looking for God’s hand in my own life more often.
Favorite Spontaneous Read
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarity
I read Big Little Lies by this author in 2023 and loved it. I’ve been reading more books by her since then but wasn’t planning on reading this one this year. On a whim, I decided to get the audiobook for it and devoured it.
Like Big Little Lies, this one is a thriller that bounces between a present-day event and the time period leading up to that event. One of the things I think Moriarty does very well is giving the reader just enough information to make us want to know more. I love the pacing of her books and the way I discover more and more information as I read. It was a fun read and I’m glad I decided to pick up spontaneously.
Favorite Christie Read
The Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie
I read at least one Christie book a month, which is why she has her own category. It’s honestly one of the hardest categories to narrow down because I love so many of her books.
I decided on this short story collection this year because I loved every story in the collection. It was fun to read a variety of her characters as well. I tend to love her short stories and this collection was so enjoyable.
Favorite Book by a Favorite Author
The Secret Projects by Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so I’m cheating a little and throwing four books in here, instead of one. But, I can’t help it. I wanted to pick a secret project for this one because I enjoyed them so much. When it came down to it, though, I couldn’t pick just one. They were all so fun to read, but great in their own unique ways.
In Tress of the Emerald Sea, I loved the main character, the romance, and the overall feel of the book. In the Frugal Wizard’s Handbook, I loved the mystery of the main character figuring out who he is, the world building, and the humor. In Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, I loved the Cosmere tie-ins, the romance (though in a totally different way than Tress), and the resolution at the end. In the Sunlit Man, I loved the Bridge Four tie-in, the character arc, and the side characters.
Favorite Book that Made Me Cry
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
This is the fourth and final book in Sanderson’s Skyward series, a YA science fiction. While I like the series, it’s not my favorite by Sanderson so I was not expecting to love the finale as much as I did. I also did not know that I would cry THREE different times at the end of the book. But, I did. The ending was emotionally impactful in many ways. I loved the friendships, the growth we see from the characters, and portrayal of grief and how as humans can carry grief together.
Favorite Book Recommended by Bookstagram
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Jo
I saw so many people on Bookstagram recommending this book and it did not disappoint! This historical fiction had a great romance, a strong female lead, and a thought-provoking theme of equality. The fact that the main character is a writer is a great bonus!
Favorite Book in a Series
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
I honestly read a lot of great books that are part of series this year, but this one was so great, it had to make my favorites list. I enjoyed the series but loved this finale! The pacing was just right for me, the romance had great tension, and the ending was the just right amount of wrap up and happily ever after for me.
Favorite Read Aloud Book
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
I am a huge fan of Where the Red Fern Grows and had never read Summer of the Monkeys. I decided to try it as a read aloud.
When I first started reading, I thought this one inferior to Where the Red Fern Grows, but then I absolutely loved the ending! It brought me to tears multiple times and the lead up was so well done. The kids also loved the antics of the monkeys and would beg me to keep reading each night. It was a fantastic read aloud and I will definitely revisit this classic in the future.
Bonus: Favorite Reread
Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
I never include rereads in my list of favorite books, but as a bonus, I always pick a favorite reread at the end of the year. This year, my favorite reread was probably Sammy Keyes. I first read this a few years ago and actually finished reading the series in September of 2023. In October, I read this first book in the series aloud to the girls and we all loved it! I had so much fun revisiting the first so soon after reading the last book in the series (which is a sort of tribute to Sammy and all the adventures she has throughout the series) and I also loved how much the kids loved it.
Have you read and loved (or hated) any of these books? What were your favorite books that you read last year? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan! I read my first book by him (Way of Kings) when I was 19 and devoured the 6 books he had out at the time. He is an auto-buy author for me, and I always read his new releases almost immediately.
While I don’t think he’s ever written a book I didn’t enjoy, my favorites by him tend to be the Cosmere books. Many of his fantasy books take place in the same universe, though they can be read independently of each other (similar to Marvel).
In December of 2024, the 5th book in his Stormlight series (an epic fantasy series set in the Cosmere) comes out and I am beyond excited! To prepare for it and for fun, I am doing a Cosmere rereadathon this year. If you would like to reread the Stormlight books and/or any Cosmere books, or read them for the first time, you are welcome to join along!
I am not planning on reading Allomancer Jack or White Sands (because they aren’t my favorite) and I am also not reading any of the secret projects from 2023, because I have read them so recently.
Here is a rough schedule of what I am planning to read and when. I’ll be posting onInstagram stories about my progress and talking some about them as I read through them.
January – The Final Empire
February – The Well Ascension
March – Hero of Ages, Mistborn: Secret History, and The Eleventh Metal
April – Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self
May – Bands of Mourning and The Lost Metal
June – Warbreaker
July – Elantris, Hope of Elantris, and Emperor’s Soul
August – Way of Kings
September – Words of Radiance and Edgedancer
October – Oathbringer and Dawnshard
November – Rhythm of War
December – Sixth of Dusk and Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell
January
The Final Empire
I wanted to start with Mistborn, one of Sanderson’s first series. It is still one of my favorite series of all time and I’m excited to revisit it.
February
The Well of Ascension
This is the second Mistborn book. These are long enough books that I’m trying to keep it to one book for the month. If I finish early, I can start the next book in the series early.
March
Hero of Ages
This the final book of the original Mistborn series.
Mistborn: Secret History
This is a short novella that should be read after the original series (because it has spoilers for the final book). It’s short enough that I don’t mind including it with the final Mistborn book.
The Eleventh Metal
This is a companion short story to the original series. I don’t remember a lot about it and am excited to reread it. It’s a short story, so it doesn’t matter too much where I put it in the schedule, and I liked the idea of finishing up the original Mistborn material in March.
April
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
These are the first two in the Wax and Wayne series, books that take place in the same world as the original Mistborn series but hundreds of years later. They are shorter than the Mistborn books and I needed to double up on them in order to finish the Cosmere books this year.
May
Bands of Mourning
The Lost Metal
These are the last two of the Wax and Wayne series. If I were reading the Allomancer Jack stories, this is where I would have put them.
June
Warbreaker
This is a standalone (with potential for more books) that has big tie-ins with the Stormlight series. It has been many years since I read this book and am feeling very ready for a refresh on the characters that cross over.
July
Elantris
This is another standalone novel and was Brandon Sanderson’s first published novel. I have always loved the romance in this one. It is also the one that has been longest since I’ve read it.
Hope of Elantris
This is a companion short story to Elantris that I remember very little about.
Emperor’s Soul
This is a novella that takes place in the same world as Elantris. Because of that, and because Elantris is shorter than Warbreaker, I thought it would be good to include it in July.
August
Way of Kings
This is the first book in the Stormlight Archive (the series that the new release is a part of). I have reread this many times (at least once before any new books came out and then again with each new release) but it has so much to it, that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to reread it too many times. I am especially looking forward to the ending, as it is one of my favorite endings ever.
September
Words of Radiance
This the second book in the Stormlight Archive.
Edgedancer
This is a novella that takes place between Words of Radiance and Oathbringer. It is a “novella” but is actually fairly long. If I don’t have time to read it in September, I’ll read it at the beginning of October before jumping into Oathbringer.
October
Oathbringer
This is the third book in the Stormlight Archive and the one I am most looking forward to. It’s my favorite book in the series (Dalinar is my favorite character, and I will never NOT cry at his big moment in this book).
Dawnshard
Dawnshard is another Stormlight novella and takes place between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War. I remember loving it when I read it and am especially looking forward to a refresh on some things after reading the fourth secret project.
November
Rhythm of War
This is the fourth Stormlight novel and I really, really need to reread it as I’ve only read it the one time when it first released.
December
Sixth of the Dusk
This is an earlier novella by Brandon Sanderson, and it has been a long time since I read it. Because December is a busier month and the fifth Stormlight book comes out early in the month, I wanted to pick a quicker reread (or two).
Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell
This is another novella in the Cosmere. These two reads combined will not take a lot of time to read and will be easily doable in December.
I am very much looking forward to a deeper dive into the Cosmere next year and to the release of Wind and Truth!
Are you a Cosmere fan? What is a new release you are looking forward to in 2024? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
2024 is already here! We were sick the last three weeks of December and the first week of January, so Christmas felt like it flew by and suddenly the new year is here! Despite our slow start on the year, I am really excited to start a new year and set some new goals.
A few of my goals for 2024:
Go outside every day. I won’t get outside every single day of the year because I didn’t start this goal until the 4th, but I want to get outside for at least 10 minutes every day. This will often mean a walk (we have a short loop around the neighborhood that the kids and I love) but other times it might mean going to the park, riding bikes, or even just sitting outside with the kids. In the summer, this goal will be fairly easy for me, but it will definitely stretch me in the winter. I can already tell from two days of it, though, that it will be very good for my mental health and motivation.
Do pickleball drills with my husband. My husband has gotten very into pickleball this last year and loves to play with me. We don’t have an easy way to go play together often until the kids are old enough to watch themselves, but we have a set up in the basement for drilling. We want to go down and do drills together regularly, both for fun and to get better at the game.
Paint the house. Last year when we paid off the house, I got excited about painting the rooms in it. When we first moved in, we did a single color to save on money and never got around to painting anything ourselves. At the end of last year, I painted the girls’ room and love it. I’m excited to paint the rest of the house. Our living room and kitchen are going to be a lot of work, so I don’t know if I’ll finish the whole house this year, but we’re starting with our son’s room and I want to get at least a few rooms done throughout the year.
Post to Instagram weekly. I would love to start up a business using Instagram as a way to build an audience, writing blog posts and maybe books for those followers. I’ve started writing blog posts and now I am going to focus on actually making posts for Instagram to see what people like and what works. The biggest thing with this goal is that I want to make reels. That is a goal that will stretch me as well, because making reels is very intimidating.
Go to the temple each month. I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ and temple worship is such a fortifying and beautiful experience. I don’t get to the temple enough, even though we have one just ten minutes from our house. This year, I want to go to the temple with my husband at least once each month.
Do an adventure with the kids each month. After paying off the house last year, we wanted to do something as a family to celebrate and decided to go to Disneyland. After talking with our kids, though, we realized we wanted to us the money we would have spent on Disneyland to do some other experiences closer to home. We are going to do a “year of celebration” and do different things each month. In January, we are having a party where we each pick a present for ourselves and unwrap the present at the party. Then during the year, we’ll do a different activity together each month. We got a Get Out Pass for some of those activities, a pass to Thanksgiving in Point (which is about 3 hours from where we live) and have plans to do a lot locally where we live that we don’t normally do. The kids are very excited for the things we have planned, and I think it will be fun to proactively do more together!
Those are my main goals, starting the year off. I’m sure I will make other goals throughout the year and my husband and I need to do a planning meeting still to plan out my writing and his game development plan for the year. I’m very excited to see what this next year will bring!
What are your plans for 2024? I’d love to hear some of your plans or goals for the next year in the comments below!
We are so blessed and Christmas is a time that I really feel it! Not only are we blessed to be able to do the things we want at Christmas, but we are also surrounded by friends and family who bless us with presents and their presence.
To make sure I don’t go overboard at Christmas (which is really easy for me to do!), we have some traditions around presents. We get our kids one big present each from Mom and Dad as well as a combined present for all of them. We also have stockings, which we have a budget for that I try to not go over, as well as a Christmas Eve present for each family member.
Today I wanted to share the presents I’m giving to each family member.
Ashtyn, age 9
This year, Ashtyn saved up and bought her own Nintendo Switch. She bought a used one without joy cons off of eBay and then bought a Nitrodeck to play it in. For Christmas, we are getting her anSD card for her Switch so it can hold more games and a Nintendo eShop gift card so she can buy some games.
Parker, age 7
Parker is really into tumbling and gymnastics right now and really wants a gymnastics mat to practice on at home. We are getting her a 4′ by 8′ by 2″ mat off of Amazon.
Rylee, age 5
This year, Rylee has consistently wanted a play kitchen. She loves to play with pretend food and has loved using play kitchens at friends’ houses. I got this one from Amazon during a sale.
Oliver, age 2
Because Oliver is the fourth child, I wasn’t sure what to get him. We decided to go for an open-endedclimbing toy, that I got from Amazon during a sale.
Combined Gift for Kids
We like to give the kids a combined gift that they all share. We’ve done things like Switch games, magnet blocks, and experiences. This year, we are thinking of giving them a pet leapord gecko lizard. Growing up, my brothers and I had one and loved it. My mom still has all the stuff for one and is willing to give it to us. Our kids really want a pet, but we aren’t quite ready for something like a cat or dog. I think they will love this if we decide to do it.
Benjamin
Ben can be particularly difficult to buy presents for. This year, I had the brilliant idea of getting him a nice stainless steelwater bottle that he has been wanting. It’s the perfect price for our Christmas budget and he is excited (he likes to pick out his present rather than being surprised). As an extra little gift, I have another surprise for him that’s more of a sentimental gift. During the latter half of this year, I’ve been working on writing out the birth stories of each our children in story form. I want to finish those up (I’m almost done writing our third child’s, so I think I can finish in time) and put them in a binder for Ben. He doesn’t know I’ve been writing them and I think he’ll love reading through them.
Charly
For my present this year, I picked out a small bookshelf for Oliver’s room upstairs. We haven’t had enough bookshelf for our kids’ books for a long time and have used various solutions. Right now, we stack the board books against the wall in Oliver’s room and I’m really excited to be able to arrange them on a bookshelf in there.
Christmas Eve
Ben didn’t grow up with the tradition of opening a present on Christmas Eve, but I did and I love continuing it with our kids. We like to give our kids their Christmas pajamas after Thanksgiving so they can wear them all season long, so instead of pajamas, we’ll open a new blanket. I love these blankets from Amazon! They are soft and thick and the right price for me.
Stockings
I like to both fill up our stockings and also get quality items for our stockings. To fill them up, I like to get things like underwear or socks and candy, which usually does the trick. This year, I also got some pickleballs for my husband since he’s really into pickleball.
This year, Ashtyn is asking for video games for her switch, so her main present from Santa is going to be a $25 Nintendo eShop gift card. I also am getting her some crochet things because she’s been learning to crochet this year. I plan on getting her some nice scissors, a pouch to hold her crochet hooks, and some new yarn. I also have candy, new underwear, a newwater bottle, adrawing pad, and anew dress for her stocking.
Parker is asking for acamerafrom Santa. I also found her a tintea set that I think she will love. Like Ashtyn, I have candy, new underwear, a newwater bottle, adrawing pad, and anew dress for her stocking.
Rylee is asking for acamera and a crown from Santa. I found this adorable crown that sounds like it is great quality. And like her sisters, I have candy, new underwear, a newwater bottle, adrawing pad, and anew dress for her stocking.
Oliver is asking for a toydrill from Santa and it’s probably the gift I’m most excited for (he loves when Ben gets out his drill). The other toy Oliver is getting is this cool buildingbath toy. He also has candy, new socks, adrawing pad, awater bottle, and a new outfit.
For my stocking, I wanted to get some new kitchen things. I’d had thesebowls with lids on my list for a long time and got them when they were on a big sale. I also need new measuring cups because my children have somehow lost my 1/3 cup measuring cup, so I found these teal ones (I love teal!). I’m also getting a calendar, a book, awater bottle,socks, someNorwegian chocolate caramels, and a box of cereal.
For Ben’s stocking, I’m getting him a neck and shouldermassager. I got this one when it was also one sale and it will be more of a surprise for Ben. I also got him awater bottle for his hot chocolate in the morning,socks, softpickleballs, the chocolates, cereal, and beef jerky from our local meat plant.
A tradition I love is having my kids make a gift for each other. I’m going to wait one more year before adding Oliver in, so this year I’ll have Ashtyn make a gift for Rylee, Parker make a gift for Ashtyn, and Rylee make a gift for Parker. I haven’t decided yet what they’ll do for each other, but I usually help them pick something from my Pinterest board.
The kids also love to make a gift for Dad. My idea this year was for them to draw a picture of the family or of themselves with their Dad and I’ll laminate it for them.
I love Christmas and am enjoying the anticipation of gifting these things to our children! I know they will love the presents and I feel we’ve picked gifts that they will get a lot of use out of during the upcoming new year.
I would love to hear what you are planning for your family’s Christmas! Let me know in the comments below!
I love all things Christmas and especially all the Christmas movies. Today I wanted to do a post sharing what Christmas movies we watch and where we watch them (as of 2023).
Disney+
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Narnia is one of my favorite movies to watch after Halloween but before we officially start Christmas. It has the Santa section and feels wintery but isn’t truly a Christmas movie.
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street is such a classic and for good reason. I love both the older version and the newer version (on Google Play) for different reasons, but I think this older version is my favorite because of the post office part of the plot.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a cute and short video about Christmas traditions, prominently featuring Olaf. I love that we get to see more of Anna and Elsa coming together as a family and the sweet ending.
Once Upon a Snowman
Once Upon a Snowman is Olaf’s origin story. It’s a very short and perfect for cuddling up to watch on a winter night.
Home Alone
Home Alone is one of my kids’ absolute favorite movies. It is about a boy who accidentally gets left home alone as his family goes on vacation at Christmas time. As his family is frantically trying to get home to him, he defends their home against two robbers. The kids find the end, when the boy sets traps for the robbers, hilarious. I like the movie, though there are a few things I don’t like (there’s a little humor I don’t appreciate, a couple of swear words, and the family does not act kindly toward each other at the beginning. We also usually watch Home Alone 2, though we’ve never watched any of the other Home Alone movies.
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause is a fun movie and I remember watching it each year growing up, but I am actually torn about it now as a parent. Because it has Tim Allen in it, the humor isn’t always my kind of thing, but we watch it occasionally.
A Muppets Christmas Carol
A Muppets Christmas Carol is such a classic. We love watching Muppets and this story is perfect for the Muppet format.
Nutcracker of the Four Realms
Nutcracker of the Four Realms is a newer favorite in our family. We watched it for the first time last year and my two oldest wanted to watch it again before the Christmas season was over. It is a more serious movie with some scarier elements, so it is a good one for older children.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Mickey’s Christmas Carol might be my favorite version of a Christmas Carol. I love Mickey Mouse and I think it’s the perfect introduction of the story for kids.
Belle’s Enchanted Christmas was a movie I loved as a child! As an adult, I’m less impressed, but my kids love it now so I let them watch it each year.
Winnie the Pooh, A Very Merry Pooh Year
A Very Merry Pooh Year is a cute Winnie the Pooh collection of movies about Christmas and the New Year. We love Winnie the Pooh at our house, so this is always a big hit.
Prep and Landing
Prep and Landing is a short little movie about high-tech elf team who prepares the houses for Santa on Christmas. There is more than one movie, and my kids think they are fun.
While You Were Sleeping is not a movie I watch with the kids. I usually watch it on my own each year as I’m wrapping presents. It has some jokes that aren’t the cleanest, but I have a nostalgia of watching it with my mom and I love the characters and the story.
Netflix
Klaus
I love the story and message of Klaus. We get Netflix at Christmas time basically for this movie. The song at the end is my favorite.
Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas
Spirit Riding Free is a really well done, cute movie about the characters of the Spirit Riding Free at Christmastime. My kids and I both love the show and this movie.
Angela’s Christmas and the sequel, Angela’s Christmas Wish
Angela’s Christmas is a little bit of a sadder Christmas movie (or more serious is maybe a better word), but it has a sweet message.
Llama Llama Christmas episodes
Llama Llama is a super cute show and I love the Christmas episodes!
White Christmas
White Christmas is such a cute movie, but it is pretty long. Usually, my kids start watching it with me, but get bored before the end and I end up finishing it by myself.
Dash and Lilly
Dash and Lilly is a fun and adorable series that my husband and I love to watch. It’s very Christmasy and good to watch together when the kids are in bed.
Annie is not a Christmas movie, but so much of it takes place at Christmas, it gives a Christmasy feel. It’s perfect to watch before Christmas officially starts when I’m wanting to start watching some Christmas movies.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer $
Rudolph is such a favorite with the kids that we always end up watching it multiple times each Christmas season. I’ve also found this one on YouTube before we owned it/when it was unavailable digitally.
The Little Drummer Boy $
The Little Drummer Boy is such a strange movie, but it’s a classic with a sweet message and we watch it each year. We’ve watched this one on YouTube as well, when we didn’t own it.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town $
Santa Claus is Coming to Town is another classic, centered on Santa Claus. Our kids love it, they think it’s so funny. This DVD seems to be a little harder to find than the other classics, but you can still find it at most stores. We’ve also watched this one on YouTube before.
Frosty the Snowman$
Frosty the Snowman is another movie that my kids love to watch over and over again throughout the Christmas season. It’s a cute one and it’s nice and short. My kids always want to watch the sequels (especially Winter Wonderland, where Frosty gets a wife) and we watch them occasionally, but they aren’t my favorite.
Franklin’s Magical Christmas Special $
Franklin’s Magical Christmas Special is a movie that we stumbled upon on YouTube once because of autoplay and we’ve watched it every year since. It is a cute story about family and the magic of Christmas, and my kids love it.
The Ultimate Gift is not technically a Christmas movie, but the fact that some of it takes pace over Thanksgiving/Christmas and the theme of the movie give it a Christmasy feel. This is one that I watch without the kids. It is included with Prime.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Growing up, my family watched It’s a Wonderful Life every year on Thanksgiving. We don’t have that tradition with my own kids, but I still love this classic.
Google Play
Over the years, we’ve collected quite a few videos on Google Play for Christmas. Some of them might not be available to buy digitally anymore, but most of those are still available to buy on DVD.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the first movies I bought for our family, because I love it. I managed to buy it and the Thanksgiving one before they were unavailable digitally, but had to buy the DVD of the Great Pumpkin movie. It looks like you can get the DVD at most stores and it’s available on Appe TV.
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
A Nutcracker Tale is a fun movie with extras in it. Tom and Jerry is just fun for kids and I like this Christmas version.
The Swan Princess Christmas
The Swan Princess Christmas is not the most well-done movie, I have to admit. I usually wait to turn this one on for my kids until I am busy in my room or something because it can be a little cringy to watch. My kids love the Swan Princess though, and really love having a Christmas version to watch.
The Polar Express
The Polar Express is a little bit of a creepier movie, because of the way they did the animation, but it’s a fun one with a cute message and great music. We always do a movie night party to watch it in pajamas with hot chocolate.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas cartoon is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Everything from the animations to the music is so cute!
The Grinch
I’ve never been a fan of the live action Grinch movie, but I loved the animated Grinch when we saw it and we’ve watched it every year since!
Elf
Elf is a movie that I didn’t grow up watching, but I watched it with my kids one year and they’ve loved it ever since. There are a couple of jokes in it that I don’t appreciate it, but I don’t mind the movie overall.
Christmas in Connecticut
Christmas in Connecticut is an old Christmas romcom that I absolutely love. I usually watch it with some girlfriends or my husband rather than my kids, until they’re older and can appreciate it more. It is so funny and Christmasy!
Barbie in the Nutcracker
Barbie in the Nutcracker is another movie that holds a lot of nostalgia for me and since my girls love Barbie movies, this is a must watch each year.
Barbie: A Perfect Christmas
Because my girls love the Barbie movies so much, we bought the other two Barbie Christmas movies. This one is about Barbie and her family trying to have a good Christmas despite a change in their plans for a perfect Christmas.
Barbie in a Christmas Carol
Barbie in a Christmas Carol is my least favorite of the Barbie Christmas movies, but it’s not a bad one and my girls like it. There are simply a lot of Christmas Carol movies and this one is not as good as some of the others in my opinion.
YouTube
The Christ Child
The Christ Child is my favorite thing to watch with the kids for Christmas. It is an enactment of the Christmas story and brings the Spirit every time I watch it.
The Nutcracker Prince
The Nutcracker Prince was one of my favorite Christmas movies growing up and I love being able to share it with my kids. It’s really hard to find, it’s not available to buy digitally. I ended up buying a DVD of it off of eBay, but until then we watched it on YouTube.
The Nutcracker Ballet
The Nutcracker Ballet is so fun, but since we live in a small town where it isn’t easy to attend in person, we watch it on YouTube.
I love filling our home with Christmas movies and music this time of year! What are your favorite Christmas movies to watch? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
I love doing holiday-themed activities with my kids and this year I decided to choose one Halloween-y topic to dive deeper into with my kids! I picked skeletons and we had a lot of fun with it.
Books on Skeletons
The core of our unit studies are always books. Here are the books we read together:
Understanding Muscles and the Skeleton by Robert Snedden
This book has a lot of information spanning the skeletal system. Because my kids are young, I didn’t read all of this with them, but rather picked out the parts that were the most interesting. I liked that it had so much information in it.
Amazing Body Systems – Skeletal System by Karen Latchana Kenney
We read everything in this book together and the kids learned a lot from it. I really liked the way the graphics went with the text and the “Did You Know” sections that gave interesting little tidbits.
Your Skeletal System Works by Flora Brett
This was similar to the previous book and had some overlapping information, but not all the information was the same and I think it’s good to repeat the information at times. My favorite part of this book was a graphic that showed a human skeleton and highlighted/labeled the different joints.
Bones by Steve Jenkins
This was a fascinating book to read together. It teaches about each different part of your skeleton and shows to scale how our skeleton compares to other animals. It includes the skeleton of turtles, storks, elephants, and even dinosaurs. Of the books we read about skeletons, this was my favorite.
Bone by Bone by Sara Levine
This was another book comparing our skeleton to that of other animals, but it went about it slightly differently. It starts with a human skeleton and then asks what kind of animal we might be like if we had a different skeletal makeup. The kids can guess and then you turn the page to find out. It’s a great way to learn the differences that make up all the different animals and I actually learned a lot that I didn’t know before. It was a really fun book to read together.
Dem Bones by Bob Barner
I always like to include some books that aren’t purely nonfiction. This was a great in between book. It goes through the song (and we sang through the book once as well!) but each page also gives facts about that bone.
Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson
This is a fun story about a skeleton who wants to do the “Halloween Hustle” but keeps falling apart. It’s not realistic at all (they glue him together at the end of the book, which obviously wouldn’t allow movement) but it’s a fun little story and my kids enjoy it.
I Spy a Skeleton by Jean Marzollo
We also got this book from the library because it features “Skeleton” in the title. It doesn’t have a lot to do with skeletons, but my kids had fun with it, and it does have some skeletons and bones in it.
Videos on Skeletons
We also love to supplement with YouTube videos. We only watched a couple for this topic:
SciShow Kids – Your Super Skeleton
We love SciShow Kids and this video was great. It has an overview of your skeletal system in a way that keeps the kids interest.
PeekaBoo Kidz – Bones
This video goes through the different parts of your skeleton and gives some facts about it.
Happy Learning – The Human Skeleton: Amazing Facts
This video shares five different facts about the human skeletons that aren’t facts you normally hear about.
Magic School Bus Episode
I also like to find some sort of show to watch that relates. For skeletons, we watched the Magic School Bus episode Flexes Its Muscles (in season 2). It shows the kids making a robot and delves into how a body works together to move. I thought it was the perfect way to tie up what we’d learned about the skeletal system.
Skeleton Learning Activities
Q-Tip Skeletons
After learning about skeletons, we did a couple of activities. The first one was the kids favorite. We made little skeletons out of Q-tips. While we made them, we listened to the song Dem Bones.
Paper Skeletons
Then I found these paper skeletons that the kids cut out and glued onto black paper as a Halloween decoration. As we did, we learned some of the technical names for different bones. I also printed an extra and laminated it so the kids could play with it over and over again. When they were first putting it together, they went and found a picture of a skeleton in a book to make sure they were doing it right.
Twigs and Rocks Skeleton
The final activity was making a skeleton out of rocks and sticks outside. It was a more active one because we first had to find the twigs and rocks. I love any activity we can do outside, and the kids had a lot of fun with it!
Overall, this mini unit study was a short but fun way to learn more about the skeletal system and it was perfect for Halloween time!
Movie adaptations can get a bad rap, for good reason, when compared to the original book they were adapted from.
There are some I can think of (like The Tale of Despereaux, Eragon, or Ella Enchanted) that are just hard to watch. But there are others that our family has enjoyed as much as or even more than their books.
Matilda
I grew up watching and LOVING this movie and I didn’t actually read the book until I was an adult. The nostalgia may be part of why I love it so much, but it’s also such a well-done movie. When I read about the making of it, it made me love it even more! While I enjoy the book, the movie will always keep a special place in my heart.
Howl’s Moving Castle
This is another moving I watched several times as a teenager. I didn’t read the book until I was an adult (and didn’t even realize there was a book until then!). While I loved the book, I really liked the changes they made in the movie and the movie is so beautiful that it is a work of art. While they did make plot changes, I felt that the movie did a great job staying true to the characters.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Unlike the first two, this isn’t one I grew up watching or reading. I actually read this with my kids and then we watched the movie together. The book and movie are pretty different from each other, but both have things I really like about both. The book is more episodic and has a charm to it that my girls really loved. The movie has more of a character and plot, which is really fun, and of course the artwork is beautiful.
The Help
I read this book as a teenager before they had even made the movie and absolutely loved it. I liked it so much that when I went to the movie in theaters, I remember being very nervous about not liking the movie. I was pleasantly surprised with the movie, though, and really enjoyed it. There are of course differences (especially with how the mother-daughter relationship is resolved) but again, I felt they stayed true to the characters and did a great job bringing out the same emotions. While I don’t like the movie more than the book, I still love it.
Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings, for me, goes way back. My mom started reading the books aloud to me when I was about 8 or 9. Right after that, the movies started coming out. I was pretty young when I went to see them in theaters. I remember, as a child, being very put out by some of the changes they made. The two I remember most are the first movie not including Tom Bombadil and the third movie ending without the last battle in Hobbiton. Of course, it was worse in theaters because those were not the extended editions.
I didn’t actually read the books again as a child after that, but I watched the movies more times than I can count. I have a lot of nostalgia and a deep love for the movies. As an adult, I decided to revisit the books and was a little disappointed. I still love the characters and the world and the plot that JRR Tolkien created, but his writing style is not my favorite. I love the way the movies took the characters and expanded on those and the way the plot of the movie was tightened up. I also love the actors and actresses of the movies. I will always appreciate the books and I will always like the movies just a little bit more than the books.
What movie adaptations do you love? What movie adaptations do you hate? Let me know in the comment section below!
Hot chocolate is a favorite drink at our house, especially at Christmas time or when it’s colder outside. We actually love drinking it every morning, though, even in the summer, and I came up with a recipe that has added protein and a better sweetener.
I make it each morning as part of my routine. We all love it and I honestly look forward to it every day. Today, I wanted to share that recipe.
I use a hot chocolate maker. I use this one, though they stopped making it and it’s getting harder and harder to find. Our recipe makes enough for two adults and four children. The children get less than my husband and I.
Healthier Hot Chocolate
4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
3 generous tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 cup beef gelatin
3/4 cup powdered milk
We use Himalayan salt, I usually buy it from Amazon. I use Dutch cocoa powder (I got it in bulk once and haven’t been able to go back), which I buy from Walmart. I get our maple syrup from Costco, though you can easily substitute sugar 1:1.
Beef gelatin is similar to collagen. It is very low calorie and high protein (it has 9 grams of protein in one tablespoon). It isn’t a complete protein, but because we pair it with the milk which is an animal protein and because we get other protein sources throughout the day, it’s not concerning to us. I buy it from Amazon or Vitacost.
*We’ve used unsweetened whey protein powder in place of beef gelatin before and the hot chocolate still turned out yummy. I buy my protein powder on Amazon.
I always use cold water, so that the gelatin will dissolve before the water heats up in the hot chocolate maker. Despite it being called beef gelatin, it has no taste in the hot chocolate and only serves to make the drink silkier!
I like this brand of gelatin and buy it on Vitacost. You can also buy it on Amazon, but Vitacost often has a coupon, and sometimes has sales on food items that makes it cheaper there.
I buy my powdered milk through the online LDS store here. I believe you can also get it in person at most LDS canneries, but since I don’t live near one, I always just get it online. They are great for food storage as well, because the pouches last 20 years.
It’s a really simple recipe, made even simpler with hot chocolate maker. I’ve been looking into buying an industrial one (so it’s big enough as our family grows). Making it and then doing the dishes while it mixes has become a simple part of my morning routine and I look forward to sitting down and drinking it every morning!
What is a favorite part of your morning routine? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
I had a great reading month in September! I participated in 30 Books in 30 Days and Series September and had so much fun with both readathons.
I also had a lot of five star reads, so I’ll jump right in!
Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
I read the last five books in the Sammy Keyes series and all five were 5 star reads for me! I love Sammy and her friends so much and was so sad to see the end of the series, though I loved the ending!
A Ben of All Trades by Michael J Rosen
This is a short book highlighting earlier aspects of Benjamin Franklin’s story. I loved learning a little more about Benjamin Franklin and liked the book’s focus on how Franklin’s exploration early in life helped him become the man he was. I listened to the audiobook, but I read that the illustrations are well worth reading the physical book.
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett
This middle grade book about two boys who love to prank people was funny and a wild ride. I loved the themes and I can see my kids loving it when they are just a little older.
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
I read at least one Agatha Christie book a month as I’m working my way through her many novels and they are often my favorite reads of the month. This Poirot mystery was no exception and was such a fun read.
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
The kids and I read the first Mighty Jack book last month and the Zita the Space Girl books earlier this year. This month, we finished both graphic novel series (the series have the same book as the final book in their series) and absolutely loved them both! The finale was so well done and really showed the growth of the characters from both series.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I grew up watching this movie with my friends and have always loved it, so when I found out that there was a book, I had to read. The book had its differences from the movie, of course, but I loved it. It’s great in its own way, just as the movie is.
Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge
This series follows the fictitious housekeeper of Agatha Christie as she solves mysteries that seem to occur in her presence. I loved the first two books and was happily anticipating this new release in the series. It was just as enjoyable a read as the others and I can’t wait for the next release!
Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer
Enola Holmes is another series I’ve loved for a long time. I didn’t realize until recently that there was a new book in the series out, but when I did, I devoured it. It is so fun to watch Enola solve mysteries and get herself out of tight predicaments. It was a highly enjoyable read.
Zoey and Sassafras by Asla Citro
My kids and I listened to volumes 1-6 on Audible and all loved it. It follows a little girl who loves science and can see magical creatures. It was the perfect combination for my own girls! The narration was also well done and the story cute.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
I love Liane Moriarty’s writing style, I think she is so good at giving just enough information that the reader is then dying to know more. It works particularly well with the thrillers she written, which this one is a thriller. It’s a wild ride.
Diana: Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale
This middle grade graphic novel follows Diana, the only child on the island of the Amazons, as she tries to find a friend. The illustrations are lovely, the story is fun, and the characters are all likable. I also read the sequel and rated it 5 stars, though I think I liked the first book in the series more.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
This was my only reread this month. I read it aloud with my kids and it was so fun to share a childhood favorite with them. They loved it and literally squealed at the marriage proposal at the end. It was a fun way to finish the month!
What did you read in September? I would love to hear about the books you loved in the comments below!
