Happy hump day, everyone!
I tell you what, between Lincoln’s cold and him approaching a new developmental milestone (lots of extra singing and new sentences this week!) we’ve been having more late night parties than a frat house lately. My normal 7pm-7am sleeper has been needing extra attention overnight and to be honest, I’m wiped!
That said I need a few days to recollect and regroup, but was recently tagged in a fellow blogger’s “Currently” series, which I thought was super fun and lighthearted, so I thought I’d do the same here on IGE! Pick a few topics then share the answers with me in the comments section below!
Time and place: 2:06pm sitting at the kitchen counter watching the snow fall with a Grapefruit Perrier and a bunny that just hopped by the door, if we’re being thorough.
Cooking: Chicken Shawarma. I’d been craving Chicken Shawarma after eating at a Lebanese restaurant last week so I made this recipe a few nights ago and it was a hit. Lincoln even loved it! Now I just need to find an authentic tasting white and red hot sauce to drizzle on top. I made a tahini-based one but didn’t love it. Any suggestions?
Awaiting: Decorative Clothespins. I ended up buying a couple of the clothespins I featured in my last Friday Favorites, and they’re supposed to arrive this week – so excited! I’m going to put one in a gallery wall in our living room but don’t know where to put the other one. Could be cute near our message center, or maybe in Lincoln’s room to hold up his latest piece of artwork?
Experiencing: acupuncture. I went to my first acupuncture treatment this week (going for a variety of reasons,) and it was nuts! I’ve embraced a more natural style of living in the past year (or as my Dad likes to jokingly say, crossed over to the dark side,) and it was really neat talking to someone who practices traditional Chinese medicine vs a doctor who wants to slap a prescription on a symptom and call it a day. Of course a handful of needles sticking out of my body was interesting, but even more interesting was telling the doc which ones I felt sensations from then learning what part of the body it was connected to – spoiler alert: they were all related to why I was there in the first place! Have you ever had acupuncture? I’m going back for more treatments but have to say, laying there for 40 minutes with nothing to do was slightly torturous. Raging Type A here.
Working on: 7 Day Meal Plan. I’ve been working on a downloadable 7 day gluten-free meal plan with shopping lists for about 2 months now and am alllllmost done with it. It’ll be free for all newsletter subscribers so be on the lookout for it to come ASAP!
Reading: The Nightingale. I love WW2 fiction (All The Light We Cannot See is one of my favorites,) but so far The Nightingale isn’t captivating me. I’m only 1/4 of the way in so hopefully there’s a plot twist just around the corner.
Listening: Another Mother Runner Podcast. Last week I got to chat with the ladies at Another Mother Runner on their weekly podcast. It was so fun to talk all things running, gluten-free, and presidential hopefuls. (And just to add to my record, I missed a Hilary Clinton spotting at my favorite coffee shop two days ago, so there’s that.)
Craving: Sleep! Like I said, Lincoln’s been sleeping really poorly because he’s so stuffed up and has a cough that won’t quit, but he also seems to toss and turn when he’s on the cusp of a developmental milestone like learning to crawl, walk, and talk. It’s brutal going through it (hello singing toddler at 3am!) but it’s pretty cool knowing something new is around the corner. This time around he’s been talking in longer sentences and singing lots of songs. I’m exhausted but also loving having actual conversations with my little man!
Hating: the weather. Total cliche thing to say, but I am counting down the days until Spring – or at least until we can book a long weekend somewhere warm. Now if only plane tickets to Key West weren’t a billion dollars a piece…
Loving: iOS 9 emojis. I was watching Lincoln watch me through the monitor (totally staring into my soul,) a few nights ago around 1am and decided to kill time while he decided what he was going to do next (weep, sleep, or sing,) by scrolling through the new iOS emojis. Ummm, TOO much fun! Champagne bottle, pizza slice, and eye roll emoji, where have you been all my life?
Anticipating: Smoked Sausage and Chicken Gumbo. I haven’t made a batch yet this year and an impending snow storm is as good a reason as any to have a big bubbling pot of gumbo on the stove. Can’t wait to dig in later tonight.
Watching: Veep. I mentioned on Monday that Ben and I started watching Veep last week. It’s basically NBC’s Parks & Rec with a political spin and better writing. Super quick, witty, and so, so funny. It’s a must watch!
Promoting: the Super Bowl! I’ll be on KCCI News Channel 8 on Friday, February 5th demoing some of my all time favorite Super Bowl eats, so be sure to watch at 5:40 and/or 6:25 and/or 6:40am if you can. What are you making this year for the Super Bowl?
Avoiding: Target. I have officially resorted to ordering diapers on Amazon Prime. And ancho chili peppers. And vitamins, and tea, and a knife strip, and, and, and… I’m telling you – best service on the planet and totally worth the cost. I may never need to visit Target again!
Have a great rest of your week and thanks for letting me go off the rails today!
I absolutely love your gumbo. I don’t really like shrimp and cajun food is scarce where I live, so I’ve made this gumbo quite a few times and it is a HUGE hit.
So glad to hear, Steph!
How ironic! I just went to my first acupuncture appointment last night! It was super strange, but I also felt like a total badass since I am not a fan of needles. If nothing else, it was super relaxing for me!
Yesss, way to go, Hannah!
Currently: I’m really looking forward to hearing your Another Mother Runner podcast! They are my go-to for my long runs, and the fact that you are on there is some weird (but awesome) mash up since I’ve been reading your blog for years now! Very exciting!
Oh my gosh, too funny! They were like the best friends I never met – so easy to talk to!
I just finished The Nightingale this weekend! I didn’t like it at all while I was reading it. I thought it was long and drawn out, and like you said, I was just waiting for the plot twist. Without giving anything away, I can tell you that there won’t be a plot twist, BUT that when the end came, I really loved it. I think it came together beautifully. This is one I’ll definitely reread!
I’ve tried acupuncture before, not in a while because my symptoms have gotten better since having a baby, but I loved it while I did it. I love finding out what pressure points tied to different parts of the body. it’s the same reason I like chiropractic too!
I love historical fiction, as well! Those are two I’ll have to look into. I struggle with making time to read for pleasure during school, but I still love books. And that shawarma sounds completely amazing!
I agree, don’t give up on The Nightingale. Also for another WW2 book check out Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I promise it’s a WW2 book and super good. :)
I also want to add that this was a super fun post! I don’t typically read the comments but I did this time and found some really great ideas. Thanks!
I am currently reading All the Light You Cannot See for my book club and I love it! Also, with the impending winter storm here in the DC area, I am planning on making Ben’s Beef Stew :-)
I’m intrigued to hear more about the acupuncture as I’ve started using essential oils and am making every attempt to use them versus over the counter drugs. I think I’d have a hard time laying there doing nothing.
I know what you mean about using Amazon Prime – now that I have it, I rarely venture out as I look to order anything on Prime! The other day my husband was talking about a donut maker his mom used to have and he said he wished we had one, to which I replied “look on Amazon”. :)
Thank you for putting together the meal plan for us! I get so overwhelmed by meal planning, and I subscribe to a planning service even! (Emeals and am not impressed) Everything I’ve made from you has been phenomenal, my favorite is the Brown Sugar Dijion Steak! Wishing you a full nights sleep soon!!!
I have a hard time getting into historical fiction, but I may have to look this one up with all of these reviews! I’m intrigued by this idea of getting everything through Amazon instead of Target. I’m usually so last minute and/or impulsive that I can’t wait for the shipping, but maybe that should be a goal of mine. Seems a lot better for my pocketbook and psyche.
Just finished The Nightengale. Keep reading. I could not put it down!
I am ready for spring too! We order everything on amazon even toilet paper! Our prime membership is totally worth it!
The Nightingale was my favorite read of 2015! Stick with it!
Don’t put down The Nightingale!!! The first half is slow, but I promise, it gets so good and the plot twist… Ahhh! I read it a year ago and let’s just say I am still thinking about it!
I currently have All The Light You Cannot See on my kitchen table from the library. I really need to get to reading it!
Hope Lincoln feels better soon!
When you go back for your next acupuncture session have your provider place a needle right between your eyes (eyebrows) on your forehead. Also being a type-a gal and getting all the squirms laying there, my first acupuncturist told me that is a calming point of the body, and it really helps. You can almost feel your whole body melting into the table. It makes the time speed by a little quicker. :)
He did that one, I’m just so bad at shutting off my brain and relaxing!
I think most people drop $50 bucks just breezing past the dollar section at Target! Such a $$$ wasting place ~ which is why I love it and avoid it at the same time. Diapers online is a great idea!
I hope Lincoln starts letting you sleep again soon! I would give The Nightengale a little more time . . it gets better. Have you read Code Name Verity? It’s my favorite WW2 book.
I also enjoy historical fiction but just couldn’t get into Nightengale. I couldn’t finish it. Have you read Orphan Train?
I was halfway through The Nightengale before I saw what the fuss was about. I almost put it down a few times and quit, but then all of a sudden it was really good and totally worth it. I was glued to the end.