1. I made Asian Sweet Potato Stew in the slow cooker on Wednesday. Hoo doggies! This stuff is good. It's vegan friendly, hearty and filling. It's from my Campbell's Crockpot cookbook, but since I can't find it online here it is in a handy 6x4 recipe card format :) :

2. Thanks to Lindsey, I discovered Sprik Space, which is a wonderful blog featuring lots of free downloadable subway art, cards, calendars and other goodies (click on "freebies" in the menu bar). I've downloaded a few prints for Eli's room and there are some nice holiday ones as well.

3. My friend Jayme is one of the most talented crafty gals I know. She has been making her sock monsters for a long time and recently started a blog to showcase her creations. She does custom designs and adds new designs to her shop regularly. They make fantastic gifts for kiddos of all ages. Eli has one of her owls in his nursery:
4. I need to vent about Pinterest for a minute. I find amazing things on there every day. Delicious recipes, crafty ideas, home inspirations. But the more I look at it the more inadequate I feel. I will never have a 1,000-square-foot kitchen with three wall-mounted ovens and exposed beams and marble floors. And I still can't do a fishtail braid, no matter how many tutorial videos I watch. I can't even do the sock bun correctly. So thanks, Pinterest, for making me fat and making me feel like a chump.

5. Must-see TV recos...I need them. Glee and Gossip Girl have both gone completely arse over teakettle and I feel like I missed too much Bachelor to catch up at this point (correct me if I'm wrong). What shows are worth checking out? For reference, shows I like include Friday Night Lights, Community, Big Brother, The Office, Gossip Girl before it went to shit, ditto Glee, and America's Next Top Model. I hate all music shows i.e. American Idol, X Factor, etc., all crime shows, all medical dramas... Maybe I should just stop watching TV and cancel cable.