Anne and I have been talking lately about how we both want to write more, but we don’t make time for it in our day. I’m not very schedule-oriented, and I don’t have many routines in my day. There’s a weird push-pull between me and schedules: I know I function well on regular sleep and exercise, but I don’t want to feel like I’m stuck in a rigid routine.

I’ve been reading The No-Cry Sleep Solution (I’ve actually been reading the one for toddlers and pre-schoolers – it was the only copy they had at our local library, so I started reading it while we waited for the version for babies to ship). One of the things the author suggests is keeping a sleep log, both for naps and night-time. Like my aversion to schedules, I’m not much of a list keeper, but I think I’m going to start doing this (especially since I already keep this list in my head, anyway).
I just finished setting up an affiliate account at IndieBound.org, a website run by the American Booksellers Association. What I like about them is that on every book page, there’s a button to either buy the book online from a local independent bookstore, or find a local brick-and-mortar independent bookstore. And the web designer in me likes that the website is really easy to use, it’s visually uncluttered (unlike Amazon), and they allow anyone to add independent bookstores to the site. A surprising number of business in Yakima have no web presence at all, including our awesome children’s book store Out On A Whim. So I wasn’t surprised that it wasn’t listed at IndieBound.org. But I was quickly able to enter all the information I have about Out On A Whim, and the listing appeared immediately!

So, with my drive to created a little more routine in my day, and a new affiliate account through IndieBound.org, we’ve decided to start a monthly feature on what we’re reading. We’re going to include what we’re reading to ourselves and what we’re reading with our little ones. With this long-winded intro out of the way, here goes:

What Zach’s reading

The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers ~ As I mentioned above, I’m reading this version, despite having neither a toddler nor a preschooler at home – the general ideas are the same as the book for babies. I’ll do a full review when I’m done, so I won’t go into much detail here, but I will say this: most of the ideas presented in the book are common sense, and it’s always good to get a reminder about common sense. What I found particularly helpful is the list of general sleep requirements for different age groups. The author is good to point out that we all have varying sleep needs, but she lays out good guidelines.

Seeds of Deception ~ Having worked with genetically modified food crops myself, I’m always interested in reading arguments in favor and against genetically modified foods. The author provides very good examples of what can potentially go wrong with genetically modified foods, what has gone wrong, and why we should be exercising more caution in dealing with them. It’s a somewhat frightening book, if for no other reason than it exposes how much control the people making money from genetically modified foods are the same people determining their safety.

What Zach’s reading with Edie

When I’m Big ~ Another great book from the creators of Guess How Much I Love you. It’s especially nice right now, since the book talks about spring. The writing is so gentle and playful, I easily read this multiple times a day to Edie.

There’s a Wocket in My Pocket ~ I just about have this Dr. Suess classic memorized. It’s really fun to say all the funny words, and it holds Edie’s attention well since I have a lot of fun reading it.

Global Babies ~ Edie gets really excited when she sees the baby faces in this book. The simple text is about diversity, but I usually just read the labels that say where the baby is from like a modified five little piggies: “this little baby is from Thailand.”

That’s it for March!