Nadine

Linking up with Steph and Jana. All of the authors this month are some of my favorites!!! Though, when you start reading my reviews….these aren’t all necessarily my favorite books by them. The stand out for me this month was People We Meet on Vacation. I just loved it so much. I did read the new TJR this month as well. Let’s dive in, shall we?

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Happy release day!!! This book comes out today, I had my copy from Book of the Month. I absolutely adored this book. I love a good friends-to-lovers story when it is done right, and this one sure was. I have a feeling this will end up on my favorites for the year. Alex and Poppy’s chemistry was palpable. The book goes back and forth between present summer and past summers, so you really get to see how the two meet and become friends…and watch their dynamics unfold and grow. Plus, reading this book after being home for a year with no trips gave me all the wanderlust!

Bottom Line: Read it!! You are going to see this one all over the place, and for good reason.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkin Reid

I love TJR. I know I am in the minority when I say this, but I enjoy her older stuff so much more than her most recent books. Give me One True Loves, Maybe Another Life, After I Do. Those are when I fell in love with TJR. I have enjoyed Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and the Six and Malibu Rising…but not as much as the older stuff. I don’t get star struck, I am not obsessed with Hollywood and the rich and famous. I don’t resonate with them and I don’t care a lot about them. And the last three books have been mostly about that famous life style. I feel like she has been writing to turn them into movies.

With all that said, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t found the books interesting. I definitely got sucked into the Mick and June story line in this one. I loved how we went back and forth between past and present. (Present being 1983.) I think I enjoyed the Mick and June story, and watching the relationship of the siblings bonding and how they grew up, more than I did the last half of the book. But TJR is such a phenomenal writer, that she keeps me coming back. I will read anything she writes, even if it isn’t something I think appeals to me as much.

Bottom Line: Read it!!! I know I said what I said, but I still gave this a 5 star. The writing is fantastic.

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

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

I thought Ruthie and Teddy were so cute! This was such a fun read. I enjoyed the whole setting at the retirement community, it was something different. I loved the vulnerability and quirkiness of the characters. I will say, I was expecting just a little more, as The Hating Game is one of my all time favorites. This one had started out a little slow for me. But when I did get in to it, I got in to it. So there is that. All in, I thought it was a super cute read.

Bottom Line: So cute, read it!

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

This is an older one from CL, and it had mixed reviews so I was never in a hurry to read it. It isn’t as much romance, as it is more chick lit in my opinion. There is a lot of back story, a good 1/3 of the book was spent in the past. But I really got sucked into the story, and ended up quite enjoying it! Was it my favorite CL book? Well, no. But the writing was great, and I enjoyed the ride. I liked it better than Second First Impression.

Bottom Line: Read it.

Currently Reading

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

Happy Friday! I had to check twice to make sure it was actually Friday. Work was absolutely insane this week and my days are gone before I know it. I remember when I was going to the office full time, how slow it seemed work days went compared to the weekend. Now, all my days fly by in a blink of an eye. I have been waking up 30 minutes earlier every day this week to ensure I am getting in a good, full workout before I sit on my ass in front of my computer for hours.

We had some interesting weather this week. It was so dark on Tuesday when a storm was rolling in, that our streetlights came on outside at noon! There was major flooding in downtown Birmingham and other areas that we don’t usually see an issue. Luckily at our house, it wasn’t so bad. It cooled the temperatures down some, and it was so beautiful most of yesterday! We got to see my sister for awhile, and Zoe and I took a walk outside before lunch.

Zoe said “Take a picture of me and Mac!!” These two. So cute. When they aren’t driving me insane.

Favorite Purchases: I really wanted a white blazer, but I didn’t want to pay over $100 for it. Enter the Scoop line! I grabbed this up for under $50 and it is about the same quality as something I would have grabbed at Express or a department store. I love the scrunched arms, as I feel it looks better on me that a full sleeve. So many ways to dress this up or down. I also have my eyes on this one.

I grabbed this hand soap because the scent sounded right up my alley, and I loved the way the bottle looked. I am so in love with it!!! I am definitely getting this one from now on. It smells so so good and is cleaner than some other ones out there!

Wearing masks has made my face break out again after having really clear skin. Pisses me off. I used Kate Somerville AntiBac lotion daily for years, but then stopped using it in 2020 because I didn’t need it. My face had completely cleared up. Now that I go back into the world again, the mask is causing major breakouts for me. I immediately ordered myself a bottle and am already seeing them calm down.

Favorite Recipe: I made this chicken picatta recipe earlier this week, and it was soooo good! It came together pretty fast, and I served it up with some asparagus from the air fryer.

Favorite Workout: Heather Robertson has been kicking my ass this week. This full body one was great. Sometimes I like a good no repeat workout. I know reps are what build muscles, but this one is great for when I want to the workout to move quickly.

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up for Friday Favorites! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Happy Mother’s Day!

I have bought some really cool stuff this month! I have been working on decorating some areas of the house. I like to shop in stores for most of this….but sometimes I turn to Amazon for some filler stuff. I am loving the way everything is coming together. I also have some pet and kid things on here too. We know who gets spoiled in this house. As always, I am linking up with Tanya. Let me know if you have found anything cool.

Wind Chimes

This is seriously the coolest thing ever. Zoe and I are obsessed and stare at it every night. They are solar powered, so you just hang it and don’t have to worry about anything! They change colors and are completely mesmerizing.

Chanel Book

I grabbed this Chanel book for such a steal. It is absolutely beautiful, and I have been so fascinated by flipping through and readings bits from it.

Elements of Style

Another coffee table pretty. I have this one stacked with the Chanel one and The Curated Closet in my office. I just love using beautiful books to decorate with, and lift items to give an interesting visual interest to a space. Plus, the content is so pretty and inspiring! This one was on sale and a great deal!

Pampas Grass

This stuff is awesome for the price! I have seen it go up to $100 at different places. This one comes packed tight and super flat. A few hours in the sun, and magic! It looks so great and high end.

Command Outdoor Light Strips

I grabbed these string lights a few weeks ago, and needed a way to hang them on our deck. These had decent reviews and say they hold up to humidity. I will be the judge of that come summer.

Solar Candle

I bought this lantern for our front porch and wanted a solar candle that I didn’t have to mess with. I ordered the 4 x 8 and it is the perfect size for my oversized lantern. This thing worked the first night after only being outside a few hours in the sun and looks so pretty flickering in the dark.

Pitcher

I make iced coffee every day to enjoy myself, and for Chris to take to work with him. We love this one from DD. We needed a larger pitcher, and would you believe I walked Target about 3 times and realized there wasn’t a single one to be found???

Zesty Paws Mobility Bites

Mac is going to be 11 this summer, can you believe it??? Around Christmas, he started to limp around some and quit jumping up on the couch. I was starting to worry about him, and hoping he had just pulled something. Around the same time, Zesty Paws had sent me a bottle of these Mobility Bites to try in exchange for writing a review on their website. Within about 2 weeks of him taking these, he was walking around just fine and even started running outside with Zoe. After a month and a half of taking these, he started jumping back up on the couch without our assistance. It is incredible. I am sold and have purchased our own bottle, as we currently only have one left in the one I was sent. I give him one every night before bed, he thinks its a treat and eats it right up. There are 90 in the bottle, Mac is under 10 pounds, so he only has to take one each day so they last a really long time. Read the bottle for how many your dog may have to take. But I highly highly recommend these. The results for Mac has been incredible. He zips around the house like a damn fool and I love to see it, since he is a grumpy old man.

Nail Brush

Toddlers are gross little things, right??? These are very inexpensive and I got a 4 pack to keep them at different sinks in the house. This is the only way I can get the dirt out of Zoe’s nails. Why is there always dirt??

Dance Outfit

How cute is this?? Zoe loved the colors and sparkles. Her old dance teacher was up at the front desk when we came in that evening and I heard her and several other teachers talking about how cute her outfit was.

Petite Princess Aladdin Set

Zoe is obsessed with these petite princess dolls. She watched some show on YouTube with them and they are constantly played with in our house. I feel bad because a few of the characters are impossible to find. When I saw this whole set with more than just the princess, I jumped on it! We still need Aurora and Cinderella, The search continues.

Hey there, May! She kind of snuck in on us there this weekend, right? First off, shout out to Lindsay!!! Her birthday was yesterday, and I hope she had an amazing day! This weekend I had a few things I had to take care of, and the rest of the time it was very relaxed.

We kicked off the whole weekend with picking up Casa Fiesta for lunch on Friday. I had to work a lot of the day, but Chris decided to work from home and his dad even came over for a few hours. They put together our new pinball machine! I actually haven’t had a chance to play it yet, hopefully next weekend!

We also had an amazing sunrise and sunset Friday.

Saturday morning I knocked out a job before 8am. We made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and got a few things done around the house, including weeding the front flower beds. It is raining the next two days, so I am sure it will look like a jungle again next weekend.

We had some plans Saturday afternoon, and afterwards Zoe and I stopped off at Belk. She had to potty, and I was thinking of a few things I would like to look for. It was my first time setting foot in any of The Summit stores in over a year. I didn’t find anything we were looking for, but I did grab a dress to try. Spoiler alert, I got it home and wasn’t a fan…so I guess it is going back. I also have to return a dress to H&M this week too. I am tired of all these cheaply made dresses that are ill fitting, wrinkly, see through and not flattering.

Sunday morning I got 75% of another job done before everyone woke up, and we decided to get Jack’s for breakfast. We puttered around the house for a little bit, and Chris declared it “Italian Sunday.” We ordered some Italian for lunch….just look at the appetizers…

It was supposed to rain on Sunday, but I noticed in my weather app that it was going to come in later than we thought. I asked Zoe if she wanted to dig out the water table and clean it up and she was SO EXCITED! Her and I spent hours out back, her playing with her slide and water table…and me finishing up reading Second First Impressions.

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. Linking up with Tanya. I will have Amazon Favorites up tomorrow.

Happy Friday! This week sure did fly by! It has been warmer here all week, so we have spent a lot of time outside. It felt so good to get a walk in every day before lunch with Zoe. My daily steps have been up in general, closer to where they were last year at this time.

Zoe and I had to grab a few things from Target this week. We walked past some of the toys and she saw the Pound Puppies and asked if she could get one. Who from the 80s can say no to a Pound Puppy??? And of course, her real puppy too 🙂

Favorite Purchases: I saw these bowls about a month ago and fell in love and put them in my cart and got distracted. By the time I remembered I needed to check out, they were gone. I hate when that happens! Anyways, they came back last week and I jumped on them so fast! They have a really cute mug set with this pattern and stripes for under $20, and you can purchase an entire table setting in this and a few other prints as well.

Favorite Lusts: I have had my eye on a few blazers lately, and am really wanting this one from Express. I love the sleeve length, and I think the cut would be flattering.

I am also obsessed with this dress from Vineyard Vines. I love the colors and the style. I have never bought anything from them. Do they typically run true to size?

Favorite Aldi Finds: I found some good stuff at Aldi this week! The chocolates had so many fun flavors, the seasoning jar includes 4 different ones: maple bacon, habanero salt, lime chili and parmesan garlic. Zoe and I both really enjoyed that Elote Style corn! And of course, always the cheeses.

Favorite Workout: I did this one again this week and always am really glad when I chose it. I paired it with a 10 minute walk after and it was perfect.

Favorite Funnies:

That is it from me today. I am running low on energy and creativity. I am hoping to clean out my closet this weekend. I have been very uninspired in there lately. If I had to return to the office next week, I literally don’t know what I would wear?! That tells me it is time to let some things go. I also have some weeding to do outside. It is insane how fast the weeds grow in our front flower beds. Do you have anything fun planned? Linking up for Friday Favorites.