Top 10 Books of 2013

I have been keeping track of the books I read each year since 2001.  For the past few years I've also picked my top 10 books that I read that year (5 fiction and 5 non-fiction).  In 2013 I also decided to keep track of how many cookbooks I read too.  In 2013 I read SO many great non-fiction books that I have some honorable mentions to include as well.  I read 88 books in 2013 and here are my top picks:

Top 10 Books of 2013

Fiction

Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Mouse Guard: the Black Axe by David Petersen

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Non-Fiction

Gun Guys: a road trip by Dan Baum

Bootstrapper: from broke to badass on a northern Michigan farm by Mardi Jo Link

The Ethical Butcher: how thoughtful eating can change your world by Berlin Reed

Lean In: women, work, and the will to lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Comet's Tale: how the dog I rescued saved my life by Steven Wolf

Honorable Mention Non-Fiction

Saved: how I quit worrying about money and became the richest guy in the world by Ben Hewitt

Homeward Bound: why women are embracing the new domesticity by Emily Matchar

Cooked: a natural history of transformation by Michael Pollan

Gaining Ground: a story of farmers' markets, local food, and saving the family farm by Forrest Pritchard

Free Spirit: growing up on the road and off the grid by Joshua Safran

Cookbooks - I read 39 cookbooks in 2013 and these were my favorites

Biscuits by Belinda Ellis (I purchased this one)

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Homemade with Love: simple scratch cooking from In Jennie's kitchen by Jennifer Perillo (I purchased this one)

At My Grandmother's Table: heartwarming stories and cherished recipes from the South by Faye Porter

Pure Vanilla:irresistible recipes and essential techniques by Shauna Sever

Southern Fried: more than 150 recipes for crab cakes, fried chicken, hush puppies, and more by James Villas

2013 Totals

2013 Coupon Savings

For the past few years I've been keeping track of how much money we save by shopping sales and using coupons.  In 2012 I saved $1855.19 and so my goal for 2013 was to break $2000.  In 2013 I saved $2271.28 - $416.09 MORE than 2012!  I can only hope that I increase my savings by that much again in 2014!

2013 Garden Totals

Since this was our first year in our new house we didn't really know what to expect with our garden.  We were also hurrying to try to get it ready in time to plant and did a few things that we wouldn't do again.  Even though we almost quadrupled our garden space (from the equivalent of 2 raised beds to 8 raised beds), we didn't get great production this year.  We tried to start seeds inside and they didn't take, so we planted again directly into the beds and all of the plants got a REALLY slow start.  So, here are our garden totals for 2013:

Cucumbers - 2 plants = 3 cucumbers

Pickling cucmbers - 2 plants = 10 pickling cucumbers (enough to make almost 3 pints of pickles)

Cherry tomatoes - 2 plants = 10 cherry tomatoes

Tomatoes - 2 plants = 2 tomatoes

(these were the biggest tomato plants I have EVER seen, they were easily 8 feet tall, but because they started so late they were covered with green tomatoes when the first frost hit and they all died.  If they had started earlier we would have had a HUGE crop I think)

Kidney beans - 4 plants = 62 pods

Lima beans - 4 plants = 97 pods

Pinto beans - 4 plants = 46 pods

Yellow squash - 4 plants = 1 squash (some bug kept eating them before they were fully grown)

Zucchini - 4 plants = 3 zucchini

Pie pumpkin - 2 plants = 1 pumpkin (a second one developed but a bug got into it before it ripened)

Okra - 2 beds of plants = 173 okra pods 

Some things we're planning to do differently next year:

• Start seeds earlier - Chad is planning to build a cold frame so we can get our seeds going earlier
• Get better fill dirt to top off our garden beds
• Create a better compost system to actually create compost from all the leaves in our yard and vegetable scraps
• Investigate organic/natural pesticides
• Set up our rain barrels to collect rain for watering the garden

New Camera!

At the beginning of December we got a new camera.  Our old camera was very nice when we bought it, but it was starting to give us more and more problems - particularly blurry pictures.  Sometimes you couldn't tell the picture was blurry until you loaded it onto the computer and then it's too late to take another one.  I really wanted to take good pictures this Christmas, so we decided to go ahead and get the new camera.  The main feature we wanted was a viewfinder, which is hard to find in digital cameras that are not digital SLRs.  I was also VERY happy that it came with a strap.  All the pictures from this Christmas were taken with this new camera and so far I've been VERY happy with it!

Christmas 2013

We had a nice, relaxing Christmas at home this year.  One thing we did this year that might become a new tradition is skype with my Mom and stepdad on Christmas Day and open our presents over skype.  Here are some pictures from our Christmas this year:




This year for Christmas Chad wanted to surprise our older niece Kathryn with a guitar. We don't normally do quite that big of a gift for them, but since Chad plays guitar he really wanted to surprise her. We also wanted to get our younger niece Karissa a bigger gift than normal, so we got her some pricey headphones she really wanted. Both girls were VERY surprised and it was so nice to see them get so excited about their gifts. Here are some pictures of our Christmas with Chad's family:

I created this side-by-side of me and my brother wearing the same Santa pajamas - we were both about 1 1/2 years old at the time.

Miscellaneous Christmas Stuff

I found out that Ree Drummond, aka "the Pioneer Woman," was going to be doing a book signing at the Books A Million near me.  I'm a fan of hers, so I decided to go.  I've been to book signings before, but never for anyone as well known as her, so I didn't know what to expect.  BAM started selling the book and tickets the week before.  Thankfully Chad was able to get my book the day they started selling them so I was ticket # 17.  The actual book signing was pretty crazy and there were a LOT of people there, but because of my ticket number I was at the beginning of the line.  I thought the BAM staff were very nice, but the line wasn't very well controlled.  Ree seemed very nice and I was able to get a picture with her too.  Since I was at the beginning of the line we were done by 6:20 or so (it started at 6:00), but a friend of mine was like number 240 and she was there until 9:30 before she got her book signed - I was SO thankful Chad got me an early ticket number!

Me with Ree Drummond "the Pioneer Woman."

My two signed books.

A pretty sunset view from our deck.

One of the best Christmas gifts I got this year was getting to see the closest thing to an Athenaeum reunion show!  Mark Kano and Mike Garrigan played at Amos' Southend with a full band - just not the original Athenaeum band.  But it was an AWESOME 2 hour show!  They are so incredibly talented and the concert was on Dec. 20, so only a few days before Christmas.  Plus, we got there a little early and were able to snag a table upstairs so we didn't have to stand the whole time.  Here are some pictures from the Athenaeum reunion show:

Christmas Traditions

My two favorite Christmas traditions are going to the Behold the Lamb of God concert that our church hosts each year and the Christmas party we have with our friends with an ornament exchange game.  This is the 8th year we've seen the Behold the Lamb of God concert and it's just as great each year as it was the first!  This year we took our neighbor's Scott and Julie and they really enjoyed it.  Every year I am just blown away at how incredibly talented all the musicians are who participate in this concert.  We had just gotten our new camera too the week of the concert so it was first time to test it out.  Here are some pictures from the 2013 Behold the Lamb of God concert:




We've probably been having this Christmas party with our friends for at least 8 years too! Originally we were all part of the same small group and then it got down to just 3 couples and ever since then we've been doing this Christmas party and an ornament exchange game. It's so much fun and even though we try to hang out throughout the year it's good to all get together at Christmas. Normally we do a group and individual family photo, but this year Katie wasn't feel good so they ended up leaving early. Here are some pictures from our friends Christmas party:

Decorating for Christmas 2013

I LOVE to decorate for Christmas!  This year we also got a new Christmas tree and I made a new Christmas tree skirt.  I had a little trouble with the tree skirt and had to re-do part of it, but after that it came out great and it looks just the way I'd pictured it in my head.  I also bought a second, smaller Christmas tree this year.  I really wanted a second tree and I hope to do a different theme each year.  This year it's a beach themed tree.  Here are the pictures of us decorating our new Christmas trees:

December Cat Pictures

This winter we have had a LOT of birds and squirrels in the yard.  The cats love to sit in the window and look outside, but they especially love it if there are birds and squirrels out there for them to watch.  Here are a few pictures of the cats watching the wildlife outside from December:

Thanksgiving 2013

This year for Thanksgiving we only got to see Chad's family.  My brother usually comes with us, but this year he didn't.  I did take him a piece of my pumpkin pie though!  I always like to get some family pictures whenever we're all together so I can use them for gifts and it's just nice to have pictures to remember things.  When we were taking the group shots we realized that my sister-in-law Amy's camera takes 3 pictures in a row when you set it up for timed pictures.  So we decided to do some crazy pictures and all move around for each of the 3 shots.  It was SO much fun and I think the pictures are hilarious!  I'm so glad we did that and it's a great Thanksgiving memory with Chad's family.  Here are the pictures from Thanksgiving with Chad's family:

Misc. November Pictures

We got the cats a really cute cube bed for Christmas two years ago.  Ever since we moved into our new house last year they haven't gotten in that cube bed one time.  Then all of a sudden they both rediscovered it!  Here are a few November cat pictures:




I tried a few new recipes this month. I usually take a chance and try things out on my book club since there will be more people than just me and Chad to eat whatever goodies I make. So, in November for book club I made homemade oatmeal pies and homemade cheese straws. The oatmeal pies were FANTASTIC and so easy to make - especially with my new Kitchenaid mixer. The cheese straws tasted great, but were harder to make. I would adjust a few things with the recipe the next time I try to make those. Then while my Mom was still here I made my first homemade apple pie with some of the apples we had left over from when we went to the mountains in October. It turned out really well too. Here are a few pictures of my new recipes and the beautiful Thanksgiving flowers Chad got for me:

House Updates

I really thought when we moved into our new house we would get so much done in the first year, but time goes by so quickly and there is still SO much I want to do.  We've only painted two rooms in our house and we still haven't hung up all the pictures and artwork either.  Here are a few pictures of some recent updates we did in our house (before pictures to come shortly):

We revamped our guest room with new paint and a new duvet cover.  We also moved my craft table into the guest room.  Here are a few pictures of the newly updated guest room:

When we bought our house the kitchen had a stove top and a separate wall oven.  The wall oven was so tiny I didn't think I even had any pans that would fit in it!  So, the very first thing we did was take out the stove top and install a new range.  I wanted to take out the old wall oven and add shelves for my cookbooks.  Chad took out the wall oven and converted the space to hold our microwave and a shelf for cookbooks.  Unfortunately we never took a good picture of the wall oven before it was removed, but here's the converted space:

Fall 2013 Pictures

I love fall in our neighborhood.  With so many trees, it is just beautiful when the leaves start to change color.  I don't love having to deal with all the fallen leaves, but it's worth it to have the shade and see the changing fall colors.  Also, my Mom usually comes to NC in October/November for my Grandmother's birthday.  Here are some pictures from fall and my Mom's visit to our house:

Fall Cat Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the cats this fall:

Roxy and Sandy relaxing on our bed.

Sandy sleeping on the very edge of the chair.

I have also been trying to get a video of Chad and Roxy dancing.  It sounds crazy, but she LOVES to dance with him and will do it for a really long time.  These two videos are pretty short, but they show off Roxy's dance skills!

Halloween 2013

Normally we carve a pumpkin every year for Halloween, but this year we just did not have time to go to the pumpkin patch and get a pumpkin.  In our new neighborhood the only child is a newborn so we don't have trick-or-treaters anyway.  I also had to work Halloween night.  Originally I wasn't going to dress up because I really didn't have time to come up with a costume, but when I was getting dressed that morning I had an idea.  So, I decided to be a Plaid Cat!

Me as a Plaid Cat!

Roxy and the Plaid Cat.

There were two other cats at work on Halloween.

October Beach Trip

My Mom lives in Hawaii now and she usually comes back to NC twice a year.  She usually tries to come in October for my Grandmother's birthday.  This year, unfortunately, my Grandmother's brother passed away not long after my Mom got to NC.  But, it was fortunate in a way because Chad & I were already planning to come to Wilmington to see my Mom and Grandmother, so we were also able to be there for my great-uncle's funeral too.  Even with the funeral we still had a great time being at the beach and seeing family.  Here are a few pictures from our October beach trip:

Gunner's 1st Birthday

Chad's cousin Jarren and his wife Brystle's son Gunner turned one in October.  Jarren used to work for Chad and so we were happy to be able to attend Gunner's 1st birthday party.  They had the party at a pumpkin patch in Monroe, NC, so there was a lot to do there.  Here are a few pictures from Gunner's 1st birthday party:

Jimmy Eat World Concert in Asheville, NC

We saw Jimmy Eat World in Charlotte in August as an early birthday present for me.  I had such a great time at that show that when I found out they would be back in NC in October I convinced Chad to go see them again.  He is such a great husband - he doesn't even really like Jimmy Eat World that much, but went to see them twice because he knew it meant a lot to me!  They were playing at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, which is where we saw them for the very first time 3 years ago.  They are such an amazing band and are so great live.  They really rock out and played for almost 2 hours!  Unfortunately my camera was kind of acting up and I didn't get very many good pictures.  But, the show was amazing and it was so great to get to see them for a second time this year!  Here are a few pictures I took at the show:

Patio Furniture Update

We wanted to get new patio furniture for our deck now that we are in our new house, but patio furniture is ridiculously expensive.  So, we decided to update the patio furniture we already had.  We painted the frames of our furniture and got new outdoor pillows that matched.  You can't tell as well in these pictures, but the pillows match so well and really make the whole set look even better.  Here are some pictures of our updated patio furniture - and I have to give Chad the credit he did all the painting!

October Mountain Trip

We decided to take a weekend mountain trip at the beginning of October.  We stayed in Crumpler, NC, which is just north of West Jefferson, NC.  We were hoping for some cooler weather and getting to see some fall color, but it was warmer than expected that weekend.  We did get to see a little fall color while we were there and overall it was a fun weekend.  We started off by visiting an apple orchard in Morganton, NC on the way to our cabin.  On Saturday we visited Blowing Rock, Boone, and West Jefferson.  Here are some pictures of our weekend mountain trip:


Here is our trip to the apple orchard:



Here is the cabin we rented:



Here are a few other pictures from our mountain trip weekend:

Coupon Savings in September

As you probably know already from this blog, I LOVE to use coupons and get the best deals I can.  Normally I post pictures of my great deals when one of the supermarkets does Super Doubles or Triple coupons.  At the end of September I got some great deals at Target and Harris Teeter by just combining sales and coupons.  Here is a picture of what I got that day, I got everything pictured for $18.59 and SAVED $27.59!