Friday recommendations, 11/14

This week, I also posted Amazon in October and Memes and BBQ Chicken Nachos. 

1. The Ellen Fisher Podcast. I love this podcast because I love debate style shows that are long-form. Definitely worth listening to a few episodes! 

2. Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan. 

American Predator is one of my favorite non-fiction books because she writes in a narrative way that makes the nonfiction so interesting to read. This is the same. You'll be thoroughly appalled. 

3. Let your kids be bored. Last weekend, I was like I should take the kids somewhere and then I was like No, their rooms are a mess. They don't play with the toys they have. I'm tired. So we stayed home. 

(and had our hearts broken 3 times in a row by our favorite football teams)

It sounds weird, like I'm of the Silent Generation or something, but our kids don't always need to be going somewhere and doing something. I say the Silent Generation because that was both my grandmothers (and Joe Biden) and that seems like something they would've said. Like, kids can just exist as kids. I pulled a box of baby and toddler toys out of the basement for Sutton and it kept her busy for hours.

I've tried to curate things for them--organized toy bins and boxes, crafty projects I end up finishing, themed piles of books and activities--they prefer to choose their own adventure, you know? 

My theory is that Gen X overcorrected their neglectful childhoods and helicopter-parented Gen Z to the point where they don't know how to apply for a job or make a phone call or drive a car by themselves. Whereas, Boomers told Millennials we could do anything we set our minds to and we got some crazy anxiety out of unlimited possibilities and forced independence, but we did learn how to take care of ourselves, you know? 

4. Get your kid out of bed to see the northern lights.

(Kid, singular, because Sutton would not wake up.)

5. Make your own dried tangerine decorations. It's kind of crazy that they are selling these for a lot of money as high-end decorations this year. I found a how-to in a novel study guide I had downloaded LOL. So I was already planning on trying this before I noticed it was popular.

Slice them 1/8 an inch thick, place on parchment on a sheet pan, at 175 degrees for about 4 hours. You can go longer, it doesn't really matter. You'll know when they're done. 

That's also Pizza Dough up there. 

Let sit out to cool/dry completely. 

Decorate.

These are cinnamon pine cones from Aldi. 

Make sure you take lots of curated photos too, so the other moms can't see the junk lying on your counter :)

6. Pumpkin Cookies. I made these yesterday to take to our last co-op for the semester. Everyone has a few recipes that they'll pass down forever. I know this is the one I've made every year because my mom used to make them every year and I'll teach my kids to make them. 

I don't like pie and I especially don't like pumpkin pie so this is what I make instead. 

Do you like pie? I'm usually the odd one out on this.

Linking up with Friday Favorites