Hellobee

Watching – I don’t watch tv or movies (not by choice) and I really miss it! But I do catch up on skits on YouTube every now and then. My favorites are James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke (Adele and Chris Martin are my favorites) and Drop the Mic, although he has many other hilarious skits. His genuine enthusiasm is infectious!

Reading – I’ve been alternating between a fiction book and then a nonfiction one. I just finished reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (fiction), and it was definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year! Told from three different perspectives, a Holocaust survivor, her granddaughter, and a Nazi officer, the story takes place in the present and during the Holocaust. It’s incredibly well written and will make you feel all the emotions. I had an insanely busy week but couldn’t resist sneaking in 10 minutes to read every chance I got because I had to know what happened in the end…. and it didn’t disappoint!

Listening – Lately, my favorite podcast is WTF with Marc Maron. I love stand-up comedy and many of the guests he features are comedians (though he’s even had President Obama on his show!). His questions are thoughtful, probing, and comedians are just great guests because they’re funny, smart, and self-deprecating. 2 Dope Queens is another great new funny podcast to check out.

Loving – Traveling. I’ve always loved adventure and change (I always want to move after 2 years in one place), and now that we’ve been traveling around Asia, I’m addicted! In fact I don’t want to move back to America after we leave El Nido… I’d love to live in Europe through the elementary school years if we can make it work. Or who knows where… I have no idea where we’ll be in 5 years!

Watching – I don’t watch much these days, but I just saw the movie adaptation of Dave Egger’s “A Hologram for a King” which I read a while back and really loved, so I was thrilled when I happened to notice it was in theaters! I was so motivated to see it that I hired a babysitter for the very first time (a friend) and Mr. Gumdrop and I went on our first post-birth date! Also, I’ve been catching up on season 6 of Portlandia here and there. Both highly recommended.

Reading – I also love alternating between fiction and nonfiction. I have one last book in the Ender’s Game series and I’m taking a break in between by reading Wherever You Go There You Are. I’m obsessed with both for very different reasons.

Listening – Chill indie music playlists that I enjoy but can also put on in the background while baby gumdrop naps. Iron and Wine, HAIM, Jenny Lewis, Elton John…

Loving – The community dance hour in the park behind my house! It’s been going on for the entire year I lived here but I just got the confidence and motivation to go join in now that I’m looking for postpartum fitness that I can do while babywearing. It’s geared towards exercise but based on the basics of traditional Thai dance so I am hopeless. But I was warmly welcomed and nobody laughed at me for shuffling along.

Watching – We don’t have cable, so we end up waiting for TV series to hit Netflix or Amazon Prime. Right now, we’re eagerly waiting for the latest season of Suits to appear on Amazon Prime later this month.

Reading – I also typically alternate between fiction and nonfiction. Currently reading The Boys in the Boat (non-fiction). Next up: Girl Through Glass (fiction).

Listening – I’ve never been that into podcasts or listening to music. This is totally nerdy, but I really like listening to Supreme Court oral arguments. I got hooked after attending a few arguments in person in cases where I had filed amicus briefs. The Oyez project has a great archive of older cases, too!

Loving – Our (mostly) decluttered/organized home! We’re working through the KonMari method and I have been amazed at how much easier cleanup has been (especially for the kids’ stuff . . . we don’t have toys scattered in every room anymore!), more space we seem to have and better I feel being in our home!

Watching – I also feel like I have zero time to watch TV these days, but those rare evenings when I am awake I usually tune into whatever random show is on. The other night I saw “To Tell the Truth” with Anthony Anderson and it was actually pretty hilarious! I also love Blackish and Fresh off the Boat but am way behind on all the episodes.

Reading – I have had Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood’s Messy Years by Catherine Newman on my Kindle for months and just haven’t had a chance to get to it. I love her truthful and insightful essays.

Listening – Honestly, I am always listening to Lila sing Let It Go in the shower or one of her other favorite pop songs. Currently, they are “One Call Away” (that Superman song by Charlie Puth) and “7 Years” by Lukas Graham. Pretty funny listening to Lila sing, “Once I was seven years old…” when she is only 5.

Loving – The middle of summer, the kids being in camp all day, and warm weather in Chicago!

Watching – We Netflix a lot, so Orange is the New Black is our main show right now. We also watch Master Chef and The Great British Baking Show. We just got done with Veep and Silicon Valley, which are both great.

Reading – I have been reading mostly fluff novels in between textbooks. I just finished When I’m Gone by Emily Bleeker. The Wonder Weeks is a frequent read for me as well.

Listening – I have been catching up on The Longest Shortest Time. I also get the pleasure of listening to the Lion Guard soundtrack almost every day.

Loving – We just bought a new house and are getting ready to move. I love the anticipation of a new space and the idea of making it our own. This is our first house, so we are super excited!

Watching – We just finished re-watching The Office and we’re in the middle of the newest season of Orange is the New Black. It’s been slow going because I hear it gets really heavy and I have to prepare myself emotionally.

Reading – I am in the midst of “No Bad Kids” by Janet Lansbury. Mr. Milk and I decided we’d choose one book about the next 2 years of raising William to help us coordinate our parenting, and so far, I’m loving it. I’ve also read several thoughtful articles about raising my white son in an anti-racist way to combat our racist society and unpack the privilege he was born into as a young white male.

Listening – I am in the swing of some great podcasts. I love the Hidden Brain, Invisibilia, and Revisionist History when I’m in the mood to learn something and the Babysitters Club Club, Ana Faris is Unqualified, and LadyGang when I’m feeling lighthearted.

Loving – We just moved and realized the other day that we love our new home. It just feels….like us. Will seems to love it too, and the added bonus that I love a new job I am in is making life feel good inside our little family. Outside, in the real world, I’m incredibly heavy-hearted and trying to consider how I can take action to ensure what I say and do are aligned.

Watching – Catching up on Royal Pains episodes with my husband, while my mom is visiting and doing bedtime with my kiddo. Otherwise, pretty much nothing unless I actually make it to the gym, it’s the only place I can watch TV these days. Hoping to finish Kimmy Schmidt, The Fosters and the new Gilmore Girls on the treadmill!

Reading – Slowly working my way through Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin. After a recent health scare, I really need to get into some better habits, and this book is pretty well lauded on habit formation.

Listening – Mostly to The Lively Show podcast, which has some amazing advice about intention and mindfulness and great speakers on taking care of oneself. I also occasionally listen to the Hamilton soundtrack before we go see it in December!

Loving – Despite a rough start to her 3’s (sleep issues, attachment issues, oh my!), I’m really loving this age with my kiddo. Being able to have a conversation with her, being able to ask how she’s feeling, watching her learn and grow, it’s really magical. And even though I would love an extra hour to myself or with my husband in the evening, I do kind of enjoy that she’s a night owl and goes to bed a little later than most, because we have extra time to play during the summer days.

Watching – I tend to watch Netflix a lot while doing housework. I should probably be listening to books on tape, but I love the mindlessness of tv. I’m currently watching Gilmore Girls for the first time (I watched it here and there when there were re-runs on tv, but never all the way through), Everybody Loves Raymond (which is even funnier now that we have kids), and the Olympics Trials! We have several shows we keep up with during the regular season, but we aren’t big fans of summer programming so we don’t watch much “new” tv.

Reading – I’m currently reading “Longbourne” at bedtime and when I wake in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep right away. It’s a fun book based on “Pride and Prejudice” that invents and focuses on the downstairs servants and their lives instead of the people upstairs. I would describe it as a blend of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey. I also just started Brene Brown’s “The Gifts of Imperfection” and am enjoying it already too!

Listening – I have re-discovered Pandora and love that it introduces me to new music. To be honest, I’m a bit of a nerd in my music choices, so I currently have a Fun., Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Claire de Lune stations, depending on if I’m in the mood for mellow, spiritual or upbeat. I just can’t seem to give up my habit of listening to NPR in the car, though.

Loving – I’ve started consistently going to yoga classes, which is such a great and gentle workout for pregnancy. I’m also having a good time experimenting more in the kitchen the past few weeks and trying some new and fun recipes, with moderate success. And swimming! We go to the pool several times a week. Historically I’m the “pool lounger,” but with 2 small kids that want to hang out in the big pool there is no longer any actual lounging going on, but that’s ok. It’s fun to play with the kids!

Watching – Mr. P and I no longer have cable, so we do a lot of streaming. We have shows we watch together and ones we watch separately. I’m currently watching Orange in the New Black. I love this show and the current season is so good. I’m also watching The Tudors for the third time. It’s one of my favorite shows. Together Mr. P and I are watching Penny Dreadful. We’re trying to fill the hole that Game of Thrones left in our lives! It’s kind of weird, but we’re giving it a couple episodes before deciding if we want to finish it.

Reading – I’m currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I’m about halfway through the book and it’s intriguing! I’ve heard the later books are not as good so I may not finish the entire series.

Listening – I either listen to audiobooks or talk radio when I’m in the car. Right now my dial is turned to the local NPR station and probably will be for the next several weeks so I can stay up to date on what’s happening at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. When I need to listen to something other than news, I listen to a podcast called Super Side Up. Mr. P’s cousin is one of the hosts and it’s about the latest TV shows and movies. They mostly feature movies and shows based on comics, but will often talk about other fandoms too.

Loving – Quality time! Mr. P and I have gotten lots of time together and with our extended families lately. It’s been amazing seeing everyone love on Baby P. It will be hard to get back to normal at the end of the summer. On a sillier note, I can’t get enough of McDonald’s mocha frappes. They are about half the price of Starbucks and better than their frappuccinos in my opinion.

Watching – I have been watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. And since there are about a million seasons and episodes and I only get to watch one episode a night, it is going to last me awhile!

Reading – I adore great fiction and summertime is the perfect time for breezy, juicy novels. A few I have loved lately: Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Sample, After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley.

Listening – The latest podcast I am totally loving is Young House Love has a Podcast. I loved their blog and the podcast is just as fun and quirky. They talk about DIY and home decor but also play silly games and have fun.

Loving – I am loving the chance to get outside as a family this summer – hiking, swimming, playing at the park. Also, I am completely in love with my latest mascara – Loreal double extend mascara. It goes on beautifully, doesn’t smudge or come off, and easily washes off with water. I am not usually a big makeup person, but I love this stuff.

Watching – Since we don’t have cable, it’s a constant battle to find something new we like on Netflix! Currently, we’re (re)watching Parks and Rec for something light and funny. I also LOVE nature documentaries (Australia’s 72 Most Dangerous Animals was pretty great).

Reading – I’m switching back and forth between Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (YA fiction) and In the Sweet Kitchen (a baking encyclopedia).

Listening – I have a 45-minute commute most mornings, so it’s a great chance for me to catch up on new music and audiobooks! Currently, I’m listening to Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. She reads it herself, and she is HILARIOUS. I think I’ll look for more audiobooks read by the author because the intonation and everything is just perfect!

Loving – The summer! My mother in law is a member of the local sailing club, and it has a private beach that is NEVER in use. So, we go down several nights a week and the kids have the whole beach to themselves. It’s amazing! I’m also loving hard cider, which goes nicely with summer AND the beach.

Watching – I’ve been loving Odd Mom Out on Bravo and American Ninja Warrior this summer. I don’t watch much TV but Odd Mom Out is great for a laugh, and I’m a total sucker for the inspiring stories of the contestants on ANW.

Reading – I just finished Great With Child: Letter to a Young Mother by Beth Ann Fennelly. What a beautiful and inspiring book that I wish I had stumbled upon when I was pregnant for my first time (though it still resonated with me now on baby #3).

Listening – I’ve been making my way through the archive of the Modern Love podcast and some older episodes of The Longest Shortest Time – both have made great background listening while I’m at my computer working.

Loving – Getting so much quality time with Asher, my second, while my oldest has been at camp five days a week. As much as we miss Colin, it’s rare for my little guy to get so much one-on-one attention from mom, and I’m trying to make the most of it before baby #3 arrives.