What I'm Into: January 2015

It's cold and it's awards season, so I've watched a lot of movies this month. I've watched so many movies it's ridiculous. I still have a couple of the best picture nominees left to see before the Oscars at the end of February - Birdman and American Sniper. I read a couple books too and both were amazing! Here's what I've been into in January:

Movies I've Seen

Foxcatcher - I enjoyed this movie for the most part, Steve Carrell was super creepy and completely transformed from his usual weird, funny self. The story was different from most sports related movies I was used to, which I appreciated, and kept my attention throughout the film.

Wild - Though I wasn't a fan of the book (I didn't even make it half way), this was a great movie. It offered adventure and self-discovery without being pretentious (re: Eat Pray Love).

If I Stay - This is quite possible one of the worst movies of all time. Obviously it was a teen drama romance thing but it was even more terrible than you're thinking. It's the worst. Don't see it.

St. Vincent - I really liked this movie! It wasn't anything amazing but it was a great feel-good movie with lots of interesting characters.

The Imitation Game - I saw this with the whole family one Sunday afternoon, and we all really enjoyed it. Not being a huge fan of Benedict Cumberbatch or Keira Knightley, I was pleasantly surprised by both of their performances. 

Whiplash - Most people I talk to seem to love this movie but as a past school band member (though obviously not even close to the same level of talent) this movie made me incredibly uncomfortable and brought back the few bad memories I have. I was so happy when the movie ended and I could finally breathe again.

Selma - So we all agree that this should be nominated for more Oscars right? Without a doubt, David Ovelowo deserves a best actor nomination for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. (or win if that were possible), and best director? Where is that nomination hmm? I don't want to say too much, but this is a powerful film. It's beautiful. You should go see it right now.

Books I've Read

Opposite of Loneliness - This was my first completed read of 2015! I wrote more about it in this blog post, but all you really need to know is that it's a beautiful collection of essays and short stories, written by a talented woman, and you should read it.

We Were Liars - This is one of the best teen fiction novels I've ever read. It's about a group of cousins who meet up at their family's summer home every year but then something happens, and it changes everything. It makes you curious, and is full of suspense as you move through the novel trying to piece together what this "something" is. 

More Fun Stuff

Frozen Fruit - I am a big fruit eater and that's why I don't like winter - my only options are apples and oranges! Everything else is out of season, only okay tasting or super expensive. I've had frozen fruit (mostly mango) in stock for a while and I mostly used it for smoothies but then! I had a revelation. What if I just ate the frozen fruit as is? What if I zapped it in the microwave for 30 seconds? Why didn't I think of this before! My fruit woes are over.

Audio Books - When I'm trying to be productive, it helps me if there's some sort of background noise. Usually I count on Netflix so I can listen to an entire series, for a while it was the Serial podcast, but now it's audiobooks. I'm currently listening to Amy Poehler's Yes Please on audio (even after having already read it) and it's wonderful. I'm a huge fan of this book and will probably be re-reading and listening to it forever.

Good Books: A House in the Sky

Source

At the start of last year I stumbled across the 50 book pledge. I made the pledge to read 25 books last year, not a huge goal for some people but it became difficult as I got back into the groove of school. I ended up reading 18 books in total (which personally I am very proud of). I love to read but sometimes life gets the better of me and I get so caught up in other things that I forget and have trouble making time for something I love. With all this being said, I have once again pledged to read 25 books this year - about two books a month. I think it is completely do-able but with my final semester of post grad starting up, I know I'll have some difficulty making the time. I think I can do it though - optimism!

The first book I'm including in this pledge is one that I started reading near the end of December and recently finished, called A House in the Sky. For those of you unaware I work at a bookstore, and while most of my time there is spent shelving and helping customers, some of my favourite moments are when people come up to me so passionate about a book that they end up giving me long lists of recommendations. This was one of those books, and it was right up my alley.

Source

A House in the Sky, by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett, is the memoir of Amanda Lindhout who at a young age was an avid traveller. Similar to myself, she worked hard at home and then spent her savings on exciting journeys all over the globe. After many years of travelling she decides to make her trips more profitable by becoming a freelance photographer in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and eventually, Somalia. The memoir follows her life as she is held hostage for 460 days with her friend Nigel and recounts the torment and torture they endure. The story continually stung me with the struggles of her captivity but pulls you along with her last traces of hope. As I quickly turned the pages, I had to remind myself over and over again that this was a piece of non-fiction, it read like a novel and pierced my heart with the constant longing for freedom. Despite the heartbreaking story, the book still leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to empower women and children across the globe. The book pledge is off to a good start with this one.

Thoughts on the Old and New Year

Over the past week or so I've become very thoughtful on the past year. That tends to happen every new years but this past year was a big one for me. There were a lot of surprising changes in my life and I'm feeling like I'm growing in happiness and success in following my dreams. I know, I know that sounds super cheesy, but it's true! This blog started as a personal project last year to keep me inspired and creative in the baking world. I had a few slip ups, and the past couple months I haven't kept up too much on the blog but I still think it was a success! I kept baking and tried a lot of new recipes (like donuts, oof donuts) and feel like having this blog kept me on track. It gave me something to look forward to, something to keep me inspired, and something simple that I could accomplish nearly every week. I'm giving myself five gigantic gold stars! 

With 2014 quickly approaching I've been having a few thoughts on what to do with this blog - whether to keep it up with baking, mix in a few new ideas and how often I should be posting. Basically, since this is for fun, inspiration and creative outlet, this blog is just going to be me. It might be book reviews, new recipes, favourite things, but it will pretty much be anything that makes me happy. I want the new year to be full of positivity and hope this blog can help me keep that up. If you want an official title I guess I'm moving more into the 'Lifestyle' realm of the blogosphere. I want to write about whatever I like without the restrictions of being a baking blog. With all that being said, I'm looking forward to the challenges and excitement of 2014! Happy New Years!