The holidays are upon us, and chances are good that you will attend at least one dinner or party in which you are asked to bring a snack. Or maybe not, but if you're like me, you hate to show up empty handed. While a bottle of wine is always a nice gesture to bring your host, sometimes it's more pleasing to think outside the box and bring something homemade. Or maybe you you just need a really tasty snack in your home that you don't plan on sharing at all. Hey, I'm not judging!
Whatever the case, I've got you covered! I've made this Chex mix recipe several times now, and it's been a big hit with both my own family and the guests receiving it. I'm warning you now, it's hard to stop at just a handful.
The ingredients are simple, and this is the perfect way to infuse some pumpkin spice into your snacks without baking. Whipping up a batch takes no time at all, and I promise you this is a recipe you'll keep coming back to. Throw it in a mason jar, add a ribbon, and you have yourself the perfect hostess gift!
1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
2. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine Chex cereal and chopped pecans.
3. In a microwaveable dish, microwave the butter until melted (approx 30-40 seconds). Then add vanilla extract.
4. Pour butter mixture over the Chex cereal and pecans, then add the brown sugar and spice mixture from step 1. Stir until well coated.
5. Place Chex mix in microwave and microwave on high for one minute increments, stirring after each minute. Repeat approximately 3 - 4 times, until mixture begins to brown.
6. Stir in chopped dried apples, cranberries, and chopped oatmeal cookies. Allow mixture to cool before storing in an airtight container.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it's already November. And I know I'm going to have an even harder time of this once December rolls around. Right now, it's hard not to think of everything in terms of baby: 8 weeks (8 weeks!!) until baby comes...8 weeks to get the nursery done, 8 weeks to transition Sully from his crib to a big-boy bed, 8 weeks to get the house tidied up and organized, etc, etc. Oh my goodness, 8 weeks is so short! I know, it doesn't matter what does or doesn't get done, baby will come regardless. But in my dreams, it would be nice if everything that was on my to-do list was crossed off in the next two months!
So November. So far, we're having great weather! A lot of October was cold and gloomy, but other than that one day of snow we had, we haven't gotten anymore and it's been pretty nice out during the days. I also run really hot when I'm pregnant, so my definition of a nice day might not be yours, haha.
I feel like I just did this post, but here's what I'm currently up to!
Thinking about: Baby. I mean, how can I not be? But also thinking about baby and Sully and how life is going to look in 8 short weeks. Even though there's this tiny little being growing inside of me, it's so hard to picture her on the outside. From the constant bathroom trips, to the shortness of breath, to the little pokes and jabs, she never lets me forget she's in there, but I still can't imagine two kids yet. My days are almost solely made up for just me and Sully. He's my little sidekick, my companion, my mini-me. At least until his Dad gets home from work. On one hand, I'm so excited to expand our family and provide a sibling for Sully, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also terrified. And I'm not scared about having enough love for two children...I already know and believe that that won't be an issue. What worries me is having enough time, patience and energy for both my children. I try not to over think these things because I also know life will just happen and I will just have to take it one day at a time. I expect there to be a transition for Sully, just like there will be for me. 8 weeks, guys, 8 weeks!!
{31 weeks}
Reading: I actually, at this moment, do not have a book on the go. I just finished up The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain, and quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for yet. I would get a started on next month's book for A Slice of Brie book club, but I need to get a copy of it first. I read mostly darker, heavier books in October, and I'm thinking I want to finish off the year with a bunch of light reads. Any suggestions?
Listening to: So the lead singer of Godsmack, Sully Erna, recently released a new solo album. While Jim and I are big fans of Godsmack, I think I love Sully's solo work more...I find his work eliminates the heaviness of a lot of Godsmack songs that I'm not as tolerant to in my older years (haha!). I'm enjoying the whole album, Hometown Life, but I think this fun song is one of my favourites.
Watching: I'm still loving This is Us (although I almost wish I was a season behind so I could binge watch it - waiting a week between episodes is brutal!!), and Jim and I also started watching Kevin Can Wait on TV. We are huge Kevin James fans, and since we loved King of Queens so much, we thought we'd give it a go. It's actually pretty cute and funny if you can get past the laugh track. We also just started Black Mirror on Netflix (2 episodes in) and LOVING it. If you haven't jumped on that band wagon yet, you should! After everyone was raving about it on social media, I jumped on Netflix and was a bit confused at first since season 1 and 2 aren't available on there (except for episode 1 of season 2). But turns out, Netflix bought the show and produced season 3, and since all the episodes are independent of each other (like their own mini-films), it doesn't matter where you start or what order you watch the episodes in. (I through that all in there in case you were confused like me!).
Eating: Um, is this a trick question? Halloween candy, obviously. You guys, I totally bought WAY too much candy this year. Kids seemed to start trick-or-treating later this year, and by the time we got back to the house after we went out, I assumed we'd still get a rush of kids, but we got two! Last year I left a bowl of candy on the front porch, but we were in such a rush to get out the door, I forgot.
Other than that, I'm pretty much just snacking all day long. I don't have the room for meals anymore, so I need to eat less, more frequently.
Wearing: Same old, same old. Leggings/jeggings, tanks/t-shirts and cardigans. It's basically my signature maternity look.
Laughing about:
My sister tagged me in this one because it's so true! (Sorry Mom!)
Looking forward to: We haven't booked anything yet, but we are hoping to escape to the mountains for a few days this month for a little "baby-moon"...although I'm not really sure it's called a baby-moon when you bring your toddler along, haha. Either way, we're hoping to go to Banff since neither of us have spent much time there other than to drive through. It will just be nice to get away from the city, from to-do lists and just be together as a family.
Hello Book Clubbers! Since I'm combining November and December's book, I'm just calling the next book club December Book Club. I was actually surprised by the outcome of the votes for this book - I thought for sure everyone would vote for Elin Hilderbrand given she's a more well-known author - but I'm really excited for our next book! Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews sounds super cute and fun and the perfect easy read for this busy time of year. I don't really read holiday themed books, but after researching books to vote on for this month, I think that's all going to change! There were quite a few I came across that I added to my wish-list and also seemed to be readily available at my library.
A Christmas fling, or has Janie found the real thing?
Thirty-something hairdresser Janie Johnson's single status is a constant source of gossip for her friends and clients. So after too many nights in with her cat, a blind date disaster and news that her ex is getting married, Janie realises it's time to do something dramatic with her life. It's time for an adventure!
Leaving winter behind, Janie takes the plunge and books an exotic trip to Africa. Her friends think she's mad and Janie thinks they may very well be right . . . but then she falls head over heels for her tour guide - and fully fledged Maasai Warrior - Dominic. But can Janie now face spending a snowy Christmas back home without him?
Packed with unforgettable characters, romance and laughter, Wrapped Up In You is your very own perfect Christmas Carole!
If you're new to book club, then welcome! You can read more about book club in this post, but here's the gist of it:
Book Club for Wrapped Up in You will be on Wednesday, December 7. My post with review and thoughts, along with some discussion questions, will go live the morning of. This gives you exactly 5 weeks to read the book.
Come visit the post, share your feelings and opinions on the book and participate in the discussion! (Of course, participation isn't mandatory - you're more than welcome to just read along quietly!)
There will be a link-up for bloggers who have written their own review post, or have reviewed the book in another post. You can use this graphic to link back, or grab my button from my side bar. Writing a post is totally optional and not mandatory.
EVERYONE is welcome! You do not have to have a blog to participate. My blog is just the space where I host the book club, but I encourage everyone to join - tell your friends! :)
Most importantly, have fun! There's no pressure or obligation to "sign-up" or "RSVP". You can choose to read the book now, or closer to the date we meet to talk about it. It doesn't matter to me!
For my local friends: there are a few copies available at the Calgary Library. You can also order this book through Chapters right now, but they only have the ebook in stock, or Amazon.
It goes without saying that this will be the last book club of 2016! Thank you for everyone that has supported this little idea of mine by reading along, participating in the discussions and linking up! I've had so much fun this past year and I'm glad I was able to encourage some participation. If there's one thing I love more than reading, it's sharing my love of reading with other book worms :)
On that note, at this time, book club will not be resuming in January (so no vote for a book in December), as I am going to take a month or two (or maybe more) off from it after I have my baby. I still hope to get in reading when I can once baby joins our family, but like a lot of things in life when you have kids, you just never know what's going to happen or how crazy busy things will be! Hopefully we can start up again in the spring! In the meantime, I'm still planning to continue with my book posts where I talk about the books I've been reading, and as well, I share my most favourite reads on Instagram.
Happy reading! If you have any questions, let me know!
