Monday Pep Talk No. 13
We now return you to your regularly scheduled dose of Monday inspiration—last week, we needed all the inspiration we could get to finish up our fall issue. (Have you read it yet? Because there's lots of inspiration in there to carry you through to the holidays.)
3 fun things to do this week
If your clan is getting super-excited about the new Star Wars movie (please don’t screw this one up, guys!), perhaps you should get started on a Death Star piñata to tide you over.
What better way to celebrate Apple Day (Oct. 21) than with a trip to your nearest pick-your-own orchard?
Make your own Hogwarts library with this tutorial for making wizard school textbooks. (Don’t you think a fancy Arithmancy cover would make your geometry book seem 20 percent cooler?)
3 ideas for this week’s dinners
Beans on toast is one of those dinners that you can throw together on particularly harried nights, and this garlicky white bean version is particularly yummy.
Celebrate Octoberfest with bratwurst with creamy apple compote. (Save the leftover compote to serve with pork chops later.)
Use your pastry blender to mix up the ingredients for these easy black bean burgers. (We like ours with sweet potato chips.)
one great readaloud
In the spirit of Halloween, pick up Eva Ibbotson’s delightful Dial-a-Ghost: A mistake at the ghost assignment agency sends the screaming evil ghosts to a nunnery and the friendly family of ghosts to a country house—which is lucky for young Oliver, whose guardian plans to scare him to death so he can seize Oliver’s inheritance. Of course, hijinks ensue.