Nadine

Happy Friday! This week…oof. I had so many plans this week that I thought out in my head of things I wanted to do with Zoe since it is her last week before school starts. While we managed to squeeze a few quick things in, like grabbing some new shoes and a trip to the library….we didn’t do anything else I wanted to do. That is always how it goes, isn’t it?

Zoe finished out both summer dance and gymnastics this week. I feel like she has grown so much with both. At dance we were in a class with none of her regular dance friends she had been with for the last two years, so she branched out. And in gymnastics I watched her go from being nervous about the height of the bars and beams to hanging upside down from her knees and jumping across the highest beam. Her coaches pushed the girls so hard all summer, and it definitely shows in their skill level. I am so glad that we took a small summer class to get her introduced to everything before we join a larger class for a full session that starts in two weeks.

This afternoon we go to open house to meet the teachers and get a lay of the land for the upcoming school year. I was really hoping for a regular year, but alas, it seems there is going to be a lot of unknown again. I am thankful we still have this year in 4K before kindergarten.

Favorite Purchases: I haven’t done a Friday post in a few weeks, so I have a few new favorites to share. First off, Walmart is back with new colors of my most favorite sweatshirt!! I basically lived in them all last year, and plan to do the same this fall/winter. I grabbed the leopard and want to get the coral and black as well. I have several colors from last year, and they were all wonderful.

They also came out with this henley style that I really like.

I found this faux leather skirt on clearance for $12!!! You seriously cannot beat the price for something so fun and edgy, yet still classic. It runs very true to size and is fully stocked when this post went live. This is a piece I was a little nervous to add to my wardrobe, because it is slightly out of my comfort zone, but I have already found several ways I want to style it and it is definitely worth it for the price.

This concealer is $10-12 in stores, but I found it for under $6. I had just finished my shiseido concealer and wanted to try something new to me. I like the shiseido one, but it didn’t blow me away. It is solid and the best one I had tried in awhile. This Loreal one actually provides better coverage for a fraction of the cost!!! I am still new to using it, a little goes a long way!! But with setting powder I got it to last all day with minimal creasing into my fine lines…which is always my main struggle with any concealer. This one definitely holds up to the higher end ones.

Target has kids shoes BOGO 50% off right now. Zoe picked out the cutest sneakers and some glittery ballet flats. Both are very neutral gold tones that will go with all her outfits. The sneakers are so cool because not only do they have glitter and rhinestones on them, but they also light up on the sides!! They are the perfect sneakers to wear with pants and dresses. It is hard to find kids sneakers that look cute with dressier things, and I like her to wear better shoes at school when they are on the playground.

The sneakers are gold on the sides, the pink is really on the tongue and bow with a little pink light up on the side when you walk.

Favorite Recipe: This really is the best balsamic dressing I have made. I have been craving salads everyday because of this recipe.

Favorite Workout: This one has a lot of full body moves, and after four rounds, you will feel it!!

Favorite Thought:

Favorite Funnies:

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

It was a light month for Amazon in our house. Probably because I spent all the monies at Nordstrom and back to school shopping. I am also proud of myself, because I have a chunk of Christmas shopping knocked out already too! Linking up with Tanya for my Amazon purchases.

Salad Spinner – I don’t know why I didn’t have one of these before? I normally buy bagged organic spinach for most of my salads, and then from time to time I will grab a premade bagged kit. I wanted to make one night a week salad night, and switch up the greens base. I am terrible at washing lettuce and stuff which is why I use the bagged kits, but I 100% believe that salad tastes better when you get real romaine lettuce or whatever and cut it up and rinse it yourself. This salad spinner makes that a breeze. The size is perfect if you are making dinner portioned salads for your family, and still works for a salad just for you. Right now there is a $5 off coupon in Amazon for it as well, making this under $20!

Pistachio Latte Syrup – Just a full on barista over here recreating all my favorite Starbuck’s drinks at home. I really like syrup because it is sugar free and perfection for that afternoon slump/sweet craving I get. I just whip up a latte and power through the rest of my day.

Strawberry Coconut Shampoo – This is my favorite shampoo/body wash for Zoe. It smells amazing, has all natural ingredients, and doesn’t break out her sensitive skin. I love that it has a pump on it as well, makes it so convenient!!! This is a repurchase, and will continue to be for quite awhile I am sure.

SlimySand – Combining two of kids favorite things: sand and slime!

Mike’s Hot Honey – Seriously, this stuff is so amazing over some homemade chicken nuggets. A repurchase, forever and ever.

Hello, August! I am not quite sure where the last month went to be honest. One minute we were starting gymnastics and celebrating the 4th, and now I realize that this is Zoe’s last week at home before returning to school. It is bittersweet for me.

I have so much enjoyed all the extra time I have had with her over the last year and a half at home. But I also feel like I will be able to manage my time better when she starts back. Work when she is at school, and then she can have my undivided attention when I pick her up. We haven’t been apart for more than a few hours this entire time, so it is going to be quite the adjustment for her. I am sure I will cry like a baby in the parking lot (or more likely the hallway) after dropping her off that first day.

She has one more gymnastics and dance class for the summer sessions this week. I want to take her to get new sneakers. We want to go to the library and get a new stack of books. We have open house Friday to meet her teacher, and my Godmother is coming down from Pennsylvania at the end of the week, so we will get to see her. Full steam ahead!

On Friday afternoon, my sister left work early and came over for a sleepover! Zoe has been talking about a sleepover with my sister forever, and she was SO excited about it. Tracy brought over a cookie decorating kit from American Cookie Company, fun things for us to each make a necklace and bracelet with, patches for tshirts, and a whole 80’s themed photo booth. Chris ordered pizzas from Ironstone and we watched Frozen 2 and had a dance party before bed. It was SO much fun!!! I enjoyed myself just as much as Zoe.

Saturday we played a few rounds of Cootie and colored. A massive thunderstorm rolled in just as I was going to let Zoe play in the sprinkler, so she played in our garden tub for an hour instead. We curled up after and watched some movies together, and I made manicotti that I picked up from Aldi for dinner.

Sunday morning we colored, took a walk, played just dance and grabbed a few things from Publix. In the afternoon I blew the pool up and we played for a little less than a hour before another thunderstorm rolled through. It has been rare this summer to have a day without some form of rain here!

We played a game of giant tic tac toe while we waited for the rain to go away.

Zoe got back in the pool, and I finished The Dating Dare in a chair next to her. It felt so much nicer outside after the storm rolled through, it was brutal earlier in the day.

And just like that the weekend was over. I am excited to soak in every last moment this week before the school year starts. Hopefully I can come up with a few fun things for Zoe to make it extra special. She is both excited and nervous to go back. I know she is ready to see her friends, but she keeps talking about how she is going to miss me so much during the day. Sweet girl.

Linking up with Tanya. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

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Before I get started, I want to mention that Lindsay and I are working on the sale dupes post together, and she will be sharing different dupes along with her wish list on her blog, so be sure to stop by and check them out! We both spent a lot of time finding the best deals.

There is a lot of hate about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale over the last few years. I totally get it. It is so frustrating how the tiers work and that they allow big influencers to buy everything up the first few days before normal card holders and the public get to shop. And you know those influencers are just going to return half the stuff after they shoot their looks for their content. You never see them in those pieces again.

The thing is, the N Sale is a good sale if there are things that you want/need for the upcoming fall season. Despite it being frustrating, I still get excited for the sale and love getting to preview everything a week before shopping opens. It reminds me of when I was younger, going back to school shopping with my mom. I have shopped this sale for years before it became “the sale.”

This is how I go into it to remain mostly happy and unbothered by the shit storm. I always preview it before I see any posts go out about it. I want to see what I am naturally gravitating towards. Items that I see and immediately add to my wish list are the ones that I actually wear later on. A lot of times, I will see the same sweaters and jackets getting pushed everywhere and it makes me think I want them, when I really don’t. I look through my closet and see what I have a lot of, and see where the holes are and use that as my guide.

Looks For Less

Nsale Frame Jeans / Nordstrom Rack Frame Jeans

Frame jeans are a really good quality, but they are $$$. Even on sale at Nordstrom they will run you $145.97. I found the exact same cut in a slightly different wash with less distressing for less than half the sales price! Rack also has them in a trouser cut, which look really cute as well as a straight leg. Such a great price to try out the different types without making a huge commitment.

If Kut from the Kloth is more the price range you are looking for, they have several styles at Rack for around the $35 mark. They have the boyfriend cut, the toothpick, the skinny, and a bootcut.

Nsale Barefoot Dreams / Nordstrom Rack Barefoot Dreams

The Barefoot Dreams cardigans always sell out. They are so soft and definitely worth the splurge if you spend a lot of time at home or like to be cozy. So basically all of us, right? They are already out of many of them before the cardholders can even shop. Nordstrom Rack has some in stock, and for less than the Nsale price! SCORE!

Nsale Barefoot Dreams Blanket / Nordstrom Rack Barefoot Dreams Blanket

Nordstrom Rack almost always has some Barefoot Dreams blankets in stock. I know they don’t usually have the same prints and stuff as Nordstrom, but they are still a nice quality and a fraction of the cost.

Nsale Free People / Saks Free People

Free People items tend to go really fast too! I know these two sweaters aren’t exactly the same, but you can find Free People on clearance at other retailers right now for even less that gives you a similar look without sacrificing the quality.

Nsale Graphic Band Tee / Abercrombie & Fitch Graphic Band Tee

There are a lot of graphic band tshirts in the Nsale. Abercrombie has some amazing feeling ones for less than $20 right now! I have the Aerosmith one, and it is one of the softest t-shirts I have ever had. I really love Queen and wish I would have grabbed this one too. I sized up one in Abercrombie to give me the oversized fit. I would say it is probably true to size if you want a regular fitted tee, more like how the Target ones fit. Abercrombie will give you the higher quality of the Nsale ones over Target.

Nsale Champion Sweatshirt / Walmart Champion Sweatshirt

Walmart carries a lot of Champion brand items for less than anywhere else. Definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something.

My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Wish List

I purged some of my old sweaters that have lost their shape or are looking as old as they actually are. There are a few in the sale that will fill my holes with those. I really want to get a good quality black blazer. They are perfect for work, weekend and date nights…so versatile! The raw edge cami has been on my wish list and I am so happy to see it as part of the sale. I want the black and the white. The 1 State cami is a good one too. These are staples that need replacing. I love the shape of the Madewell dress, a great color for fall and love that it is short sleeve since it is still hot here until like November.

Spanx has their panties on sale, and I have heard nothing but good things about this style and want to try them. There are two necklaces in the sale that I am really loving and would like to get my hands on. And beauty items are always something that I truly feel is a great value if there is anything you need or want to try.

Blazer / Bobble Sleeve Sweater / Mock Neck Sweater

Raw Edge Cami / Henley / Dress

Cami / Sports Bra / Panties

Crescent Necklace / Body Wash/Lotion / Chain Necklace

Just a few tips to leave you with. Add items to your wish list and check back often to see if they have restocked. Yesterday morning, I had 5 items on my list that were out of stock and they have all come back but one.

I don’t share the Z by Zella brand from Nordstrom Rack as a Zella leggings dupe, because they are no where near the same quality and fit. (Which isn’t amazing to start with.) I hate everything I have purchased in the Z by Zella brand, but I love my Zella leggings I have gotten from Nordstrom sales in the past.

Also, I do not know if this will be true for this year, but in 2020 Spanx price matched the Nordstrom sale prices at some point during the sale. So if they go out of stock, you may want to check there. I don’t see it happening yet, but they may start tomorrow or when the sale opens to the public.

If you miss out on something during the sale, it may come on sale again later in the season. Or like a lot of stuff from last year, you will see it at Nordstrom Rack. This is our first taste of fall, there will be plenty of opportunities to find cute fall pieces as we get closer to the season and the retail stores change over their inventory.

Happy shopping friends!!!

Last month was a really slow reading month for me. I just couldn’t get in to anything. Did things pick up this month? Yes!!! I had a lot of really good books, and one you can skip. Linking up with Steph and Jana.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

This was our book club pick for June, and I was hooked instantly. It is a great mystery of figuring out what has happened with Owen. But I also loved the backstory of Owen and Hannah, as well as watching Hannah’s relationship with Bailey. This one was hard to put down, and totally lives up to all the hype it has gotten over the last month or so since it’s release. This book pulled me out of my book funk real fast and I am so happy!

Bottom Line: Read it! So good!

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

I can usually count on Mary Kay Andrews to deliver a decent read. I did this one on audio, and it was done well. It was quite a long read, over 500 pages which equals over 16 hours of listening. The narrator was great though, and kept my attention. I really enjoyed all the aspects of this book. You get a mystery, family drama, a little romance, and characters with lots of personality. I loved everything about it.

Bottom Line: Would make a great beach read! Definitely check it out.

Imposter Syndrome by Kathy Wang

I don’t really know how to review this book. The premise was awesome, so I was really excited to dive in. The first chapter or two I was so excited. Unfortunately, it took me forever to get through the rest. The books transitions from one character POV to another. You get lots of backstory, over 100 pages of it. And you know eventually there is going to be a showdown, but it falls so flat. And then the end???? UGH! Talk to me if you read it, I wont spoil it for anyone. I couldn’t even tell you what genre this falls under after reading it? Perhaps just a waste of time and something I should have quit weeks ago.

Bottom Line: Honestly, I cant really say that I recommend this book. There were some super interesting parts in it, but overall I was bored and the ending pissed me off.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Oh my, this book! YA isn’t a genre I visit often, but I make exceptions for certain authors. Nicola Yoon is one of those authors. I am trying to decide what I want to say about this book without giving much away, because I really think you should read it. It was cute, and sweet….but it also broke my heart and I found myself crying. I loved Evie and her group of friends, and X!! This book was hard to put down, it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. There is a bit of magic realism, but it totally worked in this case….which is hard to pull off. I am so glad I chose it for my BOTM.

Bottom Line: This book was so sweet, I definitely suggest checking it out.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

I thought this book was really cute. It reminded me of One Day In December in some ways. Each of our main characters has a lot of stuff they need to work through to grow, and it seemed very realistic. I loved all the side characters that worked at No Hard Feelings, and Minnie’s best friend. I also appreciated all the video game references from Ian.

Bottom Line: Cute, read it!

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

I do love a good enemies to lovers trope. And I often enjoy a fake relationship trope. What happens when you put them together? Perfection. That is what this book is for me. Perfection. I could hardly put this one down. I loved that this was a rom-com, but it dealt with other issues like loss, moving on, careers, dealing with a crap boss, and both of the main characters had growth. The podcast was a fun thing to read about, and there were some short chapters of the actual podcast and tweets about the podcast from listeners that made it fun.

Bottom Line: Read it!!!

Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl

Another great romcom that I flew through in about a day! This one had me instantly hooked with the whole concept of Heartbreak for Hire and watching our main character Brinkley struggle with her past and where she wants her future to go. I loved her and Mark, it was a lot of fun seeing everything play out. I also felt like the relationship with Brinkley and her mom was realistic and it was an interesting theme to read about throughout the entire book. I laughed a few times, and there were definitely some good steamy scenes. Overall I just really enjoyed it.

Bottom Line: Love this one, add it to your list if you love romcom. This one comes out July 27th!

** I received a copy of Heartbreak for Hire from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

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The Therapist by B.A. Paris