November 2019

November Reading

Novembr is my birthday month as well as my introspective month--a sort-of New Year where we do a lot of reflection and goal-setting in my family. I'm hoping that pulling back and making more time for quiet in our lives will give me some time to read as well! I already have two books here from the library waiting for my birthday next week so I can get my reading on.

Gratitude Crafts

November is often a time of reflection in my home, especially after two action! packed! months of fall filled with classes, field trips and events. This year, we had a big family change right smack in the middle of this when my husband's schedule changed, and our one-car family found ourselves scrambling to get where we need to go. We're still scrambling. It's especially difficult after having committed to all of our activities.

Castle Rock Blasts Us Back To The 80s

No, the second season of Castle Rock doesn't take place in the 80s like Stranger Things. In fact, it's pretty modern, complete with cell phones prominently featured in several scenes. But the 80s vibe we got from the small town from Stephen King's imagination is definitely there, but with a twist: Somali immigrants have found a haven in the cursed town. 

Grateful Dead Countdown Calendar

Countdown calendars are my favorite. I make them for my kid for Valentine's Day, Halloween and Christmas, and I've done them for gifts and birthdays, too. I love making little items that I know a person will love and putting them in little envelopes or craft boxes with dividers with tissue paper covering them up for each day, and I think that would make such a great gift for a Grateful Dead fan.

Can Your Dog Skateboard?

My dogs are pretty awesome. They might bark at a lot of things, but I like how intimidating that can sound to strangers since they're both over 50 pounds. They can catch treats out of the air, do a few tricks, listen to commands (mostly!) and otherwise be impressive. I have to admit, though, next to this dog, they sound like slackers. They certainly don't use a skateboard.

Thanksgiving Desserts

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away! Are you in panic mode yet? In my family, everyone brings dishes to share so the load isn't all on one person (although my mom tends to take on more), and we all live within half an hour of one another so it doesn't make it too difficult. That makes it fairer, but it also gives us all more time to enjoy each other's company and play hilarious games.

Holiday Gift Card Deals

Now that Halloween is over and it's somehow declared Christmas season before a turkey can even be pardoned, everyone is sharing all of their big holiday bargains to prepare for the main event. Some of these are laughable, like 5% specials or getting $5 gift cards for spending ten times as much, but others have decent offers that you may want to check out, especially if you're buying something already. 

Those Insta Pics Are Fake

We all know how airbrushed models in ads, billboards and magazines look so much more amazing than women in real life, and how women in films have entire makeup teams dedicated to making them look incredible. That's why we need to remind ourselves that many Instagram photos that we see also happen to be fake. This is especially true if you have young, impressionable teens at home who don't see the difference, and it's certainly not enough to point it out once. It needs to be a daily habit. 

Nuclear Reactors 730 - The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India Was Attacked By A North Korean Computer Virus

     Pukhraj Singh is a former analyst at India’s National Technical Research Organization (NTRO). In a report, he connected a malware report published by VirusTotal to a cyberattack on the computers at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Singh says that a North Korean virus called Dtrack managed to achieve “domain-controller level access” at Kudankulam.

Pages