I made a goal on Goodreads at the beginning of the year to read 52 books, one for each week. I ended up hitting that goal in July, I am currently sitting at 60 for the year! Wow! It definitely helps that I often listen to audiobooks while I work during the day, and sitting in carline waiting for Zoe. I had some great reads this month, so lets jump in!!

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

What is up with Elin and writing about ghosts and other super natural things? I usually don’t enjoy books with those elements, but I have to admit….I have enjoyed Elin’s versions. This was a delightful summer read. I love all the characters, and man are there a lot of them between the hotel staff and some of the guests we really get to know. I loved all the descriptions of the hotel, the foods, and hearing some names of other people and places we have come to love on the island through previous books. This just makes me want to pack a bag and check into The Hotel Nantucket.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Built to Last by Erin Hahn

Releases October 18, 2022

Former child stars with a history are thrown back together for a reality home renovation show. Dig in for some entertainment! I really enjoyed getting to know Cameron and Shelby, both from their past and current lives. We have some great side characters in their best friends, and Shelby’s dad. There are so many fun and sweet moments throughout this book, some personal growth in our characters, and who doesn’t love a home renovation?! I have read a previous Erin Hahn book that was YA, and quite enjoyed it even though that isn’t my favorite genre. This is her debut into romcom and I hope she continues on this path! The banter and chemistry were fantastic.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Built to Last from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

With Love from Wish & Co by Minnie Darke

This was so cute, and a delight to read! It takes place in Australia, where a professional gift buyer makes a huge mistake with one of her best clients. Then starts to fall for said client’s son! You get the perspective of every character in the book, which at times I had to think about whose head we were in, as there is no indication when it switches besides a little present box picture. I liked getting every POV though. I felt like there could definitely have been more character development, the book is rather light and predictable.

Bottom Line: Read it! Would make a great palette cleanser.

**I received a copy of With Love from Wish & Co from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

I devoured this Christina Lauren book, as I do all their books. I definitely feel like the book focused more on the treasure hunt than the relationship between Lily and Leo. That sort of makes me sad, because it made it not as good as most CL books. It was definitely still enjoyable though; good banter, chemistry, and well paced. The whole treasure hunt theme was fun, and it definitely kept me engaged. I just felt like we didn’t get to really connect with our main characters as we have in their past books.

Bottom Line: Read it!

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley

I am not sure how I feel about this one after reading it? I finished it rather quickly, it is quite readable. However, I am not sure that I really connected with either of the main characters. They are rather unlikeable. I lost all respect for Kat when she agreed to write the novel as an ultimatum from her fiancé. Like seriously?? Also, there is so much emotional cheating in this book, which I am not a fan of. We spend the first half of the book not really knowing exactly what happened between Nathan and Kat, and when we find out, I am not sure how I felt about it. I went in thinking this was going to be a romcom, but it was more a book about love than a romance. And it was all while the two authors were writing a book about divorce, but also writing about their own feelings in the book…about divorce?

Bottom Line: Based on my review, you are probably thinking pass. And I couldn’t blame you. And yet…it still had my attention and I read it rather quickly.

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this one, and it kept me guessing the entire time. This isn’t a suspenseful thriller, but you aren’t sure what to think about our main character Emma and what has happened in her past and why she lied. I spent most of the book coming up with theories, and I was wrong on all of them. I found all the side characters fascinating, and this book was easy to read quickly because I just wanted to know more.

Bottom Line: Read it

Moments with God for Women by Our Daily Bread

Each devotion gives you a passage to read from the bible, then it connects the passage with a story or message. It then gives moments for reflection, then a moment for renewal/prayer. I really liked the layout of this. It is perfect for any woman who is busy, and only has a few moments to dedicate each morning to quiet time. This devotional was very grounding. Would make a great gift!

Bottom Line: Read it

**I received a copy of Moments with God for Women from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

The Lifegiving Home by Sarah Clarkston

There were so many good nuggets that I took away from this book about being intentional and pouring life and love into your family. Thank you Tanya for recommending it to me! I enjoyed that each chapter was set for a certain month and gave you all the seasonal/cozy feels. It was written by a mother and daughter and was beautifully done. I have a few other books of Sally’s on my TBR and can’t wait to get to them. I sat with a notebook while reading to write some of the things I wanted to remember since I got this from the library.

Bottom Line: Read it.

The Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Call me the cookie monster. I can pass on cake and some other treats. But cookies? We all have room for a cookie, right? There are so many recipes in this book! There are classics like chocolate chip and oatmeal, and some that I can’t wait to try like Pecan Freezer Squares and Brownie Doughnuts. Some of the recipes require some pre-planning and are a little fancier than dump in a bowl and bake. I am sure that anyone who reads this will find their new favorite cookie in these pages. The pictures have me drooling and planning my next baking day!

**I received a copy of The Cookie Bible from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

I couldn’t get into this one, so I quit pretty early on. I may try again one day.

Linking up with Tanya to share some of our recent Amazon purchases. If I am being honest, our usage of Prime is a lot less frequent than it used to be. I am combing June and July in this post. There are a lot of school supplies for Zoe in this.

Molly Suds Laundry Detergent

I have been using fragrance free laundry detergent for years because of Chris’s sensitivities. Over the last year, I have really been cleaning up the products we use. Trying to eliminate endocrine disrupters, bad ingredients, things that alter our hormones, etc. This is one of the best laundry detergents you can get. The powder lasts for 120 loads, so it is actually more cost effective than many things you can purchase at Target/Walmart etc. Plus, if you have a fancy laundry room, you can drop the powder in a pretty container.

If you like a clean scent to your detergent, they make a peppermint one that is fab.

Protein Powder

You guys, have you ever actually read the ingredients on protein powders from Target, Walmart, Publix? They are all garbage. Not a single one of them sold in stores was without nasty ingredients that do us more harm than good. I have been trying out a few cleaner options and have really liked this one. It is much more affordable than the other two I tried and liked…so it is in my regular rotation. I mix this with various different fruits for a delicious protein packed treat to hit my macros.

Hemp Hearts

Hemp Hearts are an amazing way to get some added protein and omegas into yogurt, smoothie bowls, oatmeal, salads, etc. If you have never tried them, they have a light nutty flavor. Delicious!

Memory Making Mom

Major sale alert!!! This book is under $5 as I am writing this post up!!!

This book is full of ideas and encouragement for moms who want to make the best memories with their kids. It isn’t always about doing everything, but choosing what is special and important to your family, and building traditions on that. I sat with a notebook when I read chapters from this, taking notes on how I want my family to look, ideas for different holidays and traditions, key lines of inspiration and thoughts from the author. One of my favorite lines was: “You never know what traditions your children will treasure the rest of their lives.” I know I have certain memories from my childhood that I hold onto and try to recreate for my daughter. I hope that she has the same. This is written by a Christian author, but you do not have to be Christian to take away good points from the book.

Stove Guard

We got a new stove awhile ago, and it didn’t sit in our counters quite like the old one. Enter these! They make it look seamless and works great to block things from building up between the stove and counter.

Glass Top Wand

Grabbed these to clean said new stove.

Shower Gel

Restocked our favorite shower gel. I also like the lavender scent. This brand uses essential oils to scent their products, no nasty hormone disrupters.

Floatie

We grabbed this for Zoe before we went to the beach this summer. She outgrew her old one weight-wise and this was perfect for her. She said it was comfortable and it allowed her to move her arms more than the other style we used to have.

Unicorn Ice Packs

Zoe chose these ice packs for her lunchbox. They had some other really cute designs like pineapples, mermaids, fairies, space shapes and dinosaurs too! These are a great size and I would use them in my lunchbox as well, if I was still going to the office.

Bentgo

Zoe chose this Bentgo box. Again, there were plenty of cute designs for any taste. I am hoping to get creative with her lunches this year. Send me all your recommendations or accounts you follow on Instagram for inspiration!

Nap Mat

Zoe had the same napmat all through daycare. It lasted 5 years. The velcro no longer held, and it was getting really lumpy. It was washed once a week for 5 years, so its understandable! We decided to get a new one for Kindergarten so she can actually carry it without it falling open. Her school will nap until December and drop naps when they come back from Christmas break. She is excited about the “big girl” design of this one…compared to the fairytale one she used to have.

Ticonderoga No.2 Pencils

Zoe’s school supply list was very specific with brands. Crayola crayons, markers and colored pencils, pink pearl erasers, and these pencils. I wanted Zoe to have some fun colors, so I thought this pack was perfect! I somehow ended up with 2 packs of 20 instead of 10, I am not mad about it.

Primary Composition Notebook

Required, but make it cute. The theme of our school shopping.

We needed a few of these, so we got a pack of fun colored ones too!

Dry Erase Markers

The teachers requested this specific color and brand in a 4-pack. Of course, none of the stores had black four packs. Probably because everyone around here needed the same thing!

Hello, August! This summer is just flying by, isn’t it? It is practically over. Not the heat of it. Goodness the heat. But school will be starting next week. I cannot believe I will have a kindergartener!

It’s birthday month for me. Not that I celebrate all month. Heck, I rarely even celebrate an entire day. This week it falls on a Wednesday and I will be working. I always love doing a birthday wish list. They are so fun to put together.

Steve Madden Mules (10) – Cole Hahn Mules (10)

She Reads Truth Bible Indexed – Hair Clips – Roen Gold Lust Eye Palette

– Herringbone Necklace – Blythe Dress (L) – Sandals (10)

Marlie Sweater in Lime (M) – Colleen Rothschild Conditioner – Caslon Joggers in Green (L)

Coming at you with some more book reviews. I flew through several really good books this month, so let’s just get right to it!

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

I am trying to decide how I feel about the ending to this book? I am still undecided. So let’s start from the beginning. I was immediately drawn into the book and wanted to see where it was going to go. It took a turn I wasn’t really expecting but I didn’t hate that. This book is a beautiful story about friendship and how life doesn’t always turn out like you planned. Shocker, right? I enjoyed the premise and finished this book in less than 24 hours. So I suppose that says a lot about it.

Bottom Line: Read it.

Dream On by Angie Hockman

The premise of this one was so interesting to me. Waking up from a coma with memories of your boyfriend, only wait, they were made up?? While I didn’t love this near as much as Shipped, it still passed the time just fine. I felt like there was so much more that could have been done with the premise of the book, and it took a turn I definitely didn’t think it would. You see it a mile away, but still not where I would have gone with the book. Anyways, it was cute but the characters were not all that interesting. They felt a bit immature at times. I really only enjoyed Perry. I felt like there were many scenes with Cass and Devin that were very cringe. Also, I am confused with the ending, as it was steamy while the whole rest of the book was not. It was like the ending was written by a different author.

Bottom Line: It passed the time just fine.

**I received a copy of Dream On from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Things I Should Have Said by Jamie Lynn Spears

I don’t get too caught up in celebrity lives and drama. I don’t find many of them very relatable, and could honestly care less about their opinions on things. However, I did follow everything that unfolded with Britney Spears out of curiosity. When I saw that my library had Jamie Lynn’s audiobook I figured, why not. I am not sure how much Jamie Lynn had to do with Britney’s conservatorship, she claims none, but I do find the timing of this book a little gross. Like she is piggybacking off Britney’s recent attention the last year. I was interested to hear what she was going to say. She definitely plays victim the entire book, and takes no responsibility. I know her parents are very messed up, and it had to be growing up in the shadows of Britney, and being a child star. But every story is about how she was kind, good, didn’t do anything wrong….but her parents did her wrong, Britney did her wrong, her ex did her wrong, etc. I also didn’t like how much she jumped around in the book. You never really know how old she is in a story, 5, 8, 16, recently. Who knows? She goes back and forth so much. I felt like she only touched on stories and was kind of vague about things. If you are going to open up about something, go all in or don’t mention it.

Bottom Line: While it was an interesting read, it was exhausting trying to keep up with where Jamie Lynn was in her life for each story. The victimhood was gross, and she sounded very immature at times. I did this on audiobook, and Jamie Lynn read it herself. It went by quickly, so if you are interested to hear her side….it won’t take much of your time.

Bottom Line:

Meant to Be by Emily Giffin

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book, as I tend to not care about celebrities/fake famous people in a lot of books. From the start, we alternate between Joe and Cate’s POV and I was immediately hooked. I absolutely loved this book and had the hardest time putting it down. I didn’t know much about JFK Jr or Carolyn Bessette, so I was completely captivated by this story. I went and read up on them after I finished the book, and feel like there are enough differences for this to stand on its own. This is the perfect summer beach read!

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Meant to Be from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

I loved this book so much. I have loved all the books I read from Abby. Alexis, our leading lady, grew so much in this book. I absolutely love the little town she fell into, and of course Daniel! All the towns people sounded wonderful, and I loved how they were there for each other. I felt like there was a good balance between the serious undertones of the book (emotional and physical abuse) and the banter and wit we love to see in a romcom. I flew through this one, finishing it in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Another book that I simply could not put down. This is different than some of CoHo’s other novels. The chapter’s of Verity’s book were really hard to read at times, they were so messed up. This book was quite the ride, and I don’t want to say much else about it to give anything away. I pretty much knew from the start how the book was going to end up, but that didn’t take away the enjoyment from reading it.

Bottom Line: Read it!

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

I was expecting this to be a light romcom, but wow. It was so much deeper than that. This book dealt with some heavy topics including addiction and grief. I love a good fake relationship troupe, and this definitely hit that craving. There were some fun, steamy parts balanced with heartbreaking drama. I really loved both Grey and Ethan. While this wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked it up, I quite enjoyed it. I believe this is a debut from this author. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of How to Fake it in Hollywood from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

What Happens in Greece by Sue Roberts

I loved all the experiences in Crete and Charlie’s enthusiasm for it. The food, people and scenery were all great. I loved reading about all the different people Charlie meets in Crete. The description of the book tells you that Jamie goes back home after the move, but this doesn’t happen until 40% into the book. And it was very anti-climatic when it happens. Where is the conflict? They were supposed to be together for quite awhile, I just thought there would be more emotion. While I liked some of the dialogue and such, the first half of the book could have been a lot shorter. I would have liked to see a little more excitement, emotion, conflict, spark. I didn’t feel any spark between any of the characters that are attracted to each other. I would classify this book as women’s lit, definitely not romance.

I received an audio copy of this book, and really enjoyed the narration. I felt the narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to life and adding to the enjoyment of the story.

Bottom Line: This one passed the time just fine. Great for a beach read, or if you want to escape to somewhere fun but can’t get away.

**I received a copy of What Happens in Greece from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

An up and coming interior designer falls for the man next door while she designs his house. The premise was fun, and I enjoyed the interior design aspects of this book. I loved how strong Grace was as a character. The book passed the time just fine, but I wasn’t swooning over these two. There were no LOL moments or witty banter. There was no spice. There was a lot of repeating the same hesitant inner dialogue these two had. I felt at times they were a little immature for their supposed ages. This was supposed to be enemy to lovers, but there wasn’t much friction in the beginning, and not a lot of swooning as a reader after the little bit of friction dies down. I just wanted more from the book all around. Also, I didn’t like the third person POV when we switched between Noah and Grace chapters. It wasn’t doing it for me.

Bottom Line: It was cute and passed the time just fine, I wouldn’t rush to read it.

Memory Making Mom by Jessica Smartt

This book is full of ideas and encouragement for moms who want to make the best memories with their kids. It isn’t always about doing everything, but choosing what is special and important to your family, and building traditions on that. I sat with a notebook when I read chapters from this, taking notes on how I want my family to look, ideas for different holidays and traditions, key lines of inspiration and thoughts from the author. One of my favorite lines was: “You never know what traditions your children will treasure the rest of their lives.” I know I have certain memories from my childhood that I hold onto and try to recreate for my daughter. I hope that she has the same. This is written by a Christian author, but you do not have to be Christian to take away good points from the book.

Bottom Line: Read it!

You’re Always Enough by Emily Ley

This is such a sweet read for kids. It has a great message about being yourself and that always being enough, even when you are sad or mad or not feeling the best. This teaches kids that mistakes are ok. The art was fantastic and the book is described as being for children 4-8, which I found very appropriate for my 5 year old. This book would make a great gift for any child or baby shower.

Bottom Line: Read it! Perfect for kids.

**I received a copy of You’re Always Enough from Netgalley in exchange of my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Currently Reading

With Love From Wish & Co by Minnie Darke

It has been awhile since I have done anything but a book post. I really wanted to post about our trip to the beach over the week of the 4th too. Maybe next week I will get that up! The summer has just been flying right on by. We made a last minute game time decision the last week of June to withdraw Zoe from daycare for the month of July. We were gone on vacation, and wanted to give her a break before school started. Since work has slowed down a little, I wanted to spend some extra time with her. Who knows what next summer will look like.

We have been doing a few fun things like story time at the library! It was summer themed with shark stories, and it was really cute. Zoe even got to craft her own shark before we left.

Zoe and I have taken a walk every morning after she wakes up, before it gets unbearably hot outside. After, we take Mac out. He has been a little slower the last few weeks. Sitting down a lot outside and sleeping more. Our grumpy guy is going to be 12 in a few weeks. I can’t believe it! Zoe has taken every opportunity to get down with him. Its so sweet.

We are hoping to take Zoe shopping for school supplies later today! I can’t believe we are about to have a kindergartner!!! We have a long list of things she will need. Going back to school shopping with my mom every year was always so fun, and I have so many great memories of doing that. I am hoping to create those memories with Zoe as well. We did order her a bentgo lunch box during the Prime Days, and we just got her backpack in from Pottery Barn Kids this past week. She tore open the package while we were still outside and put it on, she was so excited. It turned out so cute!

We also got these unicorn ice packs to put in her lunch boxes. They are a pack of 4 and they are so cute!! They had a few different shapes if unicorns aren’t your thing. If I was still going to the office, I would pick the pineapple ones for myself!

Despite Zoe’s feelings on nap time, we had to order her a new nap mat. The kids have a “rest” the first half of the year, and they drop them after Christmas. Her nap mat was purchased back in 2017 and the Velcro just doesn’t hold anymore and it is getting really lumpy. She picked this one out, because she said it was more “big girl” than her current one with castles and princesses.

Have you gone back to school shopping yet?

Favorite Product: I got this Armani Satin Lipstick in shade 104 Selfless about a month or so ago, and I am really loving it. It is the first lipstick I have used that doesn’t require a liner to keep it in place. It just goes on effortlessly and has a satin finish, so it isn’t matte and drying…and it isn’t super glossy or sticky either. It feels so comfortable on and I really love this shade. It doesn’t hurt that the packaging is gorgeous as well. They all have the bright red lid, no matter which shade you chose.

Favorite Recipe: I made this Peruvian Chicken recipe the other night and it was so good!!! So much flavor! Chris and I both agreed that you almost don’t even need to make the green sauce to go with it, because it is good on its own. But the sauce was so dang good too it is hard to not have it. I served it up with brussels but this would be great over rice as well.

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up for Friday Favorites. I hope you all have a great weekend!