Library Stack

Claire is in VBS this week, so Caleb and I spent our morning at the library. Gosh, I love that place! Here is what I walked out with:

Landscape Makeovers by HGTV: I'm lovin this book! There are lots of before and after pics as well as 50 DIY projects. I'm most excited about reading through the chapter on children's gardens and outdoor play rooms.

Apartment Therapy by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan: I visit apartment therapy online quite often so I was thrilled to see they have a book too! We live in a 1920's teeny tiny house....(it's our first...so we are "learning" to love it). This book and website....so inspirational to me. Giving the date of our home...we have NO storage, so that is always what I'm looking for. Great book/website for ideas on storage and small spaces.

Best of the Best by Food & Wine: It's no surprise to see I checked out some cookbooks! This one is the best recipes from the 25 best cookbooks of the year (I believe 2007). The cookbooks cover lots of different categories.....they range from How to Boil Water (by the Food Network) to The Food of France (by Sarah Woodward)....and how dare I not mention The Cake Book (by Tish Boyle) or The Essence of Chocolate (by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg). Stay tuned...I'm sure to make some yummy things from this gem! :)

America's Test Kitchen from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine: And last but certainly not least, America's Test Kitchen. I do love these folks. It took me about 5-6 years of cooking before I started reading and trusting these recipes. (I don't want to admit this...but I think it was because they lack colored pictures :( Anyway, why do I trust them now? Their motto is, "we make the mistakes so you don't have to." And...it's true...and they show little pics of their mistakes...like...what the inside of an apple pie looks like when you don't pre-cook the apples...or..what sliced beef brisket looks like if you cut it before resting. They also do reviews on tons of kitchen products. Anything from food processors to oven mits.

This is what my kiddos are reading:

You say Hola, I say Hello by Elizabeth Zapata: Our neighbors are Hispanic and Claire and Caleb love playing with their little girl but she doesn't speak much english, so I'm trying to incorporate some spanish into their vocabulary. (Caleb is picking up quite a bit from Dora and Diego though...ha ha)

All Aboard! by Bill Mayer: This is an alphabet book with emphasis on travel and transportation. It's got some nice pictures....to honest though...I'm not sure it's gonna hold my kiddos attention long.

Little Boy by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds: This book is sooo cute and all about letting little boys be.....little boys! Well done :)

The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson: This book is about a father and child and their trip under the moon. I like it....and I think this will be a great bedtime book for our little ones.

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis: The main character of this book is Lulu the Ladybug Girl. She is a red and black polka-dot boot wearing hero with wings and a tutu. (dress-up) And nothing is too big or daring for her! Love this book based on the authors daughter. Too cute!