Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

For Teens: As a high school English teacher, I do read Young Adult literature frequently to be able to recommend novels to my students. I originally picked this book up after Elizabeth Acevedo committed to come to our school, but a snow day cancelled that plan unfortunately. Although we were all devastated to not see her speak, I will wildly recommend this QUICK read for my students interested in slam poetry or not. I literally read the entire book in 3 sittings; the story is made up of beautifully crafted poems that engage the reader in Xiomara story of struggle with her strict parents, first love, and understanding her own religion. Each obstacle she embraces with her eloquent words are ones our teens can connect with on so many levels. I can’t wait to get my in the hands of a student (and eventually many)!

Cozi App

For the Fam: I honestly do not think my family unitizes this app to its full potential, but the one aspect I utilize every day is the list function. I am able to make multiple lists: Costco, grocery, Walmart, Target and add to them right on my phone. Although my husband does not check the app as frequently as he should, we are able to share the lists and add so that everyone’s list is covered when we are at our shopping stop. It also has the capabilities for a shared calendar (which syncs to Google calendar), and I know we will use this as our boys get older and our schedules become so much more hectic. There is so much more for my family to explore!

Solo Trader Joes Shopping Trip

For Me: Note the word “SOLO”. I rarely get trips to any store alone, and now that we use Walmart grocery pick-up, we only have a few family trips a month to Costco on Sundays. This past weekend, it was amazing to escape the hustle of the weekend to enjoy checking out all the tasty products Trader Joes has and of course to stock up on some cheap wine and beer. Our local Trader Joe’s had an employee chili cook-off, and they were sampling the winner. It was uniquely Mexican fiesta themed with tamales chopped up; needless to say, I bought all the ingredients and made it for dinner this week. Trader Joes always has fresh new dinner ideas and great products that re-energize my excitement to cook. Although this trip was not the most helpful on my checking account, it sure did soothe the soul and motivate me to try some new recipes.