Nadine

It is a rainy and dreary here. Sometimes I crave a rainy day. It is relaxing, and you don’t feel like you have to get out and do anything. When I worked all day yesterday, I didn’t feel bad that we were missing some great outside play. But also, I am needing a good walk in the fresh air something fierce! They have become a crucial part of my every day over the last year. Even just a short half mile one invigorates me.

It has been a busy week at work, but I did take some time on Wednesday for my mom to come over for awhile! It was a GORGEOUS day outside, 67 degrees. We sat out on my back deck and just chatted for a few hours, watching Zoe play. She had brought her over a load of goodies that kept Zoe entertained. She also brought her this chiffon Dr Seuss dress which is absolutely gorgeous!!!! It is on sale at Target for 20% off right now, would make the perfect Dr Seuss day outfit! (March 2 is Dr Seuss day!!)

My mom is officially retired as of the first of this month. I am so happy for her. She worked a very physical, labor intensive job that has taken a toll on her body the last few years. Her retirement is much deserved. It also makes me happy, because that leaves a huge window of extra time that we have to see her!

Last night we had virtual dance, and the last two weeks Zoe’s teachers actually called her name out during roll call because they know that we are doing the virtual option. Last night the whole class turned around and said “Hi Zoe! Happy Valentine’s Day!!!” And it was the sweetest thing ever. Zoe’s face just lit up and she said “Mommy they know I am dancing with them!” Of course, cue all the tears for me. I just really appreciate that they are acknowledging her, it makes her feel so special.

Favorite Purchases: The Osmo is on sale this week at many retailers. Since most days I just do worksheets with Zoe, and we haven’t been doing as many activities…I thought this would be a great addition to our routine. Plus it gives her more technology practice. We LOVE it!!! It is so amazing to see her create the letters and pictures. I got her the Little Preschool Genius Starter Kit that I gave her this week. I also picked up the Disney Princess kit that I am saving for her Easter basket. And the Pizza Co. one that I will give at some point in the future. Since it deals with math, she is a little too young for it right now but it will be great to start on when we have mastered the Genius kit.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I always get Zoe a few little things. I gave her Love is a Tutu last night after dance, and I am saving Angelina Ballerina Dancing Day and Dresses Up to go in a little basket on Sunday with a few other items.

Favorite Recipe: I don’t know why I have never done this before….but I made a skillet Philly Cheesesteak this week that was so simple, but so good! All three of us enjoyed it. I kept it low carb by omitting the bread, and serving it with some citrus slaw instead. I just took a flank steak, sliced it thin and sprinkled onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder over it. I cooked it in the skillet until it was near done, then took it out and cooked up some onions and green bell peppers for a few minutes, added the steak back in, covered with provolone and cooked until the cheese was melted. So easy, so delicious!

Favorite Workout: Unless I am outside walking, cardio day is NOT my favorite day. Heather released a new cardio workout this week and since it was raining, I figured why not. It had me drenched by the end. She really knows how to kick my butt!

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up with Friday Favorites. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up with Steph and Jana. I can already tell you that one, probably two, of these books is making my list of top picks for 2021. I recommend all of them, so go ahead and get your add to TBR list ready!

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is one of my favorites, and this book delivered. I absolutely loved it! It reminds me of their older stuff that made me fall in love with them. I loved Jess and River, the build up is completely believable. I am never one to turn down an enemies to lovers story, that is for sure. And Fizzy, Jess’s best friend?? I absolutely adored her and their relationship. Even the kid and grandfather won my heart over. Since Chris and I met on a dating site many years ago, before it was completely accepted, I love reading other stories about it. This one goes a step further with all the science and genetics, made my nerd heart skip a beat. Both characters were quirky enough to keep it interesting. The only thing I wish, is that we got a little more of River’s background. Just because I loved him so much too.

Bottom Line: Read it! This is going to make my top list for 2021.

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

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

This was our book club book for January. I was excited to read it because it took place around Birmingham! Mountain Brook and Center Point are just a quick drive down the road for me. I have been to English Village, La Paz, and know of all the areas mentioned in the book.

What do I want to say about this book? It definitely had me hooked, I blew through it so fast. I didn’t really like any of the characters, but that is the way you are supposed to feel…I think? I found Eddie the most fascinating character. It was rather predictable, but I liked the way it all turned out in the end.

Bottom Line: Definitely held my interest and I enjoyed reading it. The consensus around book club was that no one really liked it….but I did. So take with that what you will.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

I thought the audio version of this was done wonderfully. I like how it switched back and forth from Leena to Eileen, and that they used two narrators. I just loved Eileen, I think her story was my favorite!!! The idea of switching places for two months was fun, reminded me a bit of The Holiday. I loved all the friends that both Leena and Eileen met along the way. While some of the book was completely predictable, it was just a joy to read. (Or rather listen to.)

Bottom Line: Read it!

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

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

I wasn’t sure if I was totally into this book starting out. We got to hating each other without seeing the relationship progress, or understand how we got here. But then the shenanigans started between Naomi and Nicholas and I LOL’d SO MUCH!!!! Naomi had my brand of crazy I think, and it was so relatable. You get to see these two rediscover each other, and that was really special and different than most love stories I have read. I think we can all relate to the misunderstanding and communication issues that this couple struggled with. I couldn’t put this down, and can’t wait to read the next book Hogle writes!

Bottom Line: Read it! You will definitely laugh out loud, and don’t we all need that right now?

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

This is supposed to be one of the most anticipated books to come out for 2021, and I can see why! Wow! So you know right in the beginning of the book that most of the Pine family dies while on vacation in Mexico. The book alternates from present and before, and you get some documentary snippets at the end of a lot of chapters. I was immediately caught up in the story, and loved reading it from the alternating characters in the book. I really loved how smart Maggie Pine was. And Agent Keller was pretty bad ass! I really enjoyed the side characters that Matt introduces us to, especially his friends Ganesh and Kala. There is a lot going on, and there were several twists to the story. I was surprised at how it all played out, didn’t see it coming.

I think I read that this was a debut from the author. Ummm sign me up for auto request on future books! This would make a fantastic book club read.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Every Last Fear from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.**

Currently Reading

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Hey there! Did you all watch the Super Bowl last night? I caught chunks of it. There is never really any sitting down for a few hours to watch something with a 4 year old running around. I didn’t care about either team, but we decided to pull for the Buccaneers since it had been forever since they made it this far in the season. I saw a lot of hate going around about Tom Brady being too old, but it looks like he schooled the other team, so more power to him! I am NOT a fan of the Patriots…so my Patriot hate was directed to him for a long time. Apparently, I like him when he plays on another team.

We made a football pizza from Aldi, and had some jalapeno jack and cheddar stuffed pretzels. I didn’t get to see all the commercials, but I did love seeing Beavis and Butthead! The half time show was alright. I like The Weekend and I think he did a great job given the year. I kept waiting for a surprise or something, and it never game. It was no Lady Gaga.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out around the house. Saturday morning, Zoe and I made Apple Fritter Bites. I thought they were delicious…I don’t think Zoe like the pieces of apple in them. Go figure. Either way, they didn’t take long to make or too many ingredients. I may share the recipe later this week.

I took a little time cleaning and organizing some stuff after breakfast. Things can get crazy after a busy week. I snapped a few pictures of the Valentine’s Day decor I put up a few weeks ago. I don’t do anything crazy, but I love to do something fun for each holiday for Zoe. This is our buffet in the dining room and our fireplace in the living room. I took Zoe’s crafts she made and put them in a little mug. I wasn’t sure what else to do with them. She likes that they are part of the decor.

Saturday afternoon, we headed out to Best Buy to do a curbside pick up on Chris’s newest addition to our gaming collecting….BIG BUCK HUNT! We have actually added a few new arcades to the collection recently. We put the turtles game and Big Buck Hunt out in the main area of the basement, and Golden Tee in the theater room where the others are located. Chris has his eye on a pinball machine that he wants to add to the main area…and then I think we are done for awhile.

Sunday morning we had breakfast, and then Zoe and I played with her playdough kits for a long time. It is so fun making different scenes out of the stuff she has collected from the 3 different kits she got in December. The dough has held up, but I can tell a few of them are starting to dry out. They are supposed to last 3 months, so it is that time. I think I am going to get her another kit to put in her Easter basket. I had a few questions about them on Instagram yesterday…I ordered 2 from Kit Kids USA on Etsy, and Lindsay gifted Zoe the other one. (For which I am forever grateful for, as it made Zoe feel so special!!!)

For lunch, Chris ordered us Case Fiesta to be delivered. I got my usual flautas, and they were extra delicious! It is so nice to not have to worry about a meal, you know? It just shows up at your door and all you have to do is unpack and serve!

Zoe and I spent a few hours in her playroom cleaning after lunch. She used to be OCD about her toys and where they belong…but this last year she has turned into a messy little kid. HELP! I had to stay strong and get rid of a few of her “baby” toys. She is so sentimental, she had an absolute fit when I put them in a box for my great nephew…but there is just too much in there! Speaking of nephews, my oldest nephew got a car this weekend. A CAR! I can’t believe he is going to be 16 this week. I remember driving out to Birmingham from Atlanta so I could be at the hospital when he was born. Time is going too fast.

Did you watch the Super Bowl this weekend? Are you ready for book day tomorrow?! I have a few good ones I am linking up with! Have a great week!

Well, we are about through the first week of February! Are you going to watch the super bowl this weekend? I don’t really care about either team, I am going to be there for the commercials and half time show…and a good reason to eat the delicious things. I grabbed a football shaped pizza and two different kind of cheese stuffed pretzels from Aldi, along with two heart shaped cheeses.

We can call that my favorite Aldi find for the week! The raspberry white chocolate cheese is amazing. I may have accidently opened and ate some of that last night. Oops. I am also going to make homemade salsa and guac, because duh! You have to have dips! Aldi also had football plates for $1.99 for a 20 count, so I grabbed some of those as well. Not doing dishes for one meal sounds like a dream come true.

Favorite Purchases: I had mentioned some issues with Zoe and clothing lately. Some of her favorite dresses from last year were from H&M. It is one of the only things in her closet that she will put on without a fight. I know that their prints can sell out really fast, so I hopped on their site and ordered 7 of these cotton sundresses in various prints/colors. It makes my life a hell of a lot easier. Also, they are under $5, holla!!!!! They have some really cute heart prints for v-day, star prints for Memorial Day/4th of July, and a really really cute bunny print for Easter right now. Along with their usual fruits, unicorns, florals and other cute ones! H&M and Target are my favorite places to get clothes for Zoe. Here is Zoe in her bunny dress…she doesn’t need Easter to wear her peep headband, obviously. My favorite part, is that I can usually get 2 years out of their clothes with the sizing they do. And if that isn’t a major win, I don’t know what is?!

I am enjoying this Sky High mascara I grabbed last week. I always do a full face of makeup on Mondays for my weekly zoom meeting with my team, and other days I try to at least but on a little mascara and some lip gloss. Give myself the illusion that I am put together. I love how thin the brush on this one is, zero clumping issues. Also, the packaging is gorgeous!

Favorite Recipe: I made everything chicken last night. It is really a no fuss meal. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, melt some butter and spread over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with everything but bagel seasoning and cook for 30 minutes. Mix together a half a block of cream cheese, a tbsp of butter, some green onion and 1/4 cup of half and half in a bowl and spread over the chicken when it comes out of the oven. Sprinkle with a little more everything seasoning BOOM! DONE!

Favorite Workout: I really enjoyed this super set workout I did yesterday. I burned a lot of calories and was sweating by the end. I killed every workout this week and am feeling super pumped about it today. Having a loose plan really helps me stay on track.

Favorite Funnies:

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

Today I wanted to share some body care products that I have finished and loved! Well, mostly loved. I feel like one of these is over hyped. Have you used any of these products? Loving anything new lately?

Flamingo Shaving Cream – This is my favorite shaving cream. You can grab it from Target or Amazon. It does the shop, smells nice, and I tend to not have any irritation or cuts when I use it.

Harry’s Body Wash in Fig – This is my favorite body wash. I know it is “mens” but I love the smell of both the fig and stone body washes. Chris and I both have sensitive skin, Chris more than me. There aren’t a lot of scented products he can use without irritating his skin. This works for both of us and can be found on Amazon and at Target. LOVE. We have been using this for about two years now. The best.

Cremo Shave Cream in French Lavender – There was so much hype to this stuff, and I have to say…I was a little disappointed. This shaving cream is alright. It worked find, smelled decent…but there is nothing special about it. I would use it again, but I actually prefer the Flamingo one.

Its a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product – This stuff was just ok. I honestly didn’t really notice much difference in my hair while using it, other than helping to detangle a little. I won’t be purchasing it again. There is much better stuff out there for the price! I highly suggest Shu Uemura’s Shiki Worker Multi-Benefit Hair Primer. After switching to this stuff, I noticed a difference the first day! It is for all hair types and is supposed to be a hair primer that detangles, tames frizz, and leaves hair with a smooth, silky texture. And it does all of those things while smelling delightful.

Vivian Gray Lotus & Rose Cream Soap – This stuff smells incredible and is my absolute favorite hand soap to have in my bathroom. I grabbed my bottle at HomeGoods quite awhile ago, but good luck finding it there regularly. you know? I am so glad Amazon has it.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water – I have gone through several bottles of this stuff. I use it at night to remove makeup before cleansing my face. It works fine and does a good job at taking off my eye makeup as well. I use these reusable cotton rounds with it, and these are wonderful. I have had them for 2 years and washed a million times and they have held up nicely.