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I didn’t realize until today that Mother’s Day is next weekend!!! It comes early this year it seems. I always love throwing together a little wish list. Right now I am in desperate need of some summer shoes. I purged so many last year that were very worn.

Raw-Edge Hem Tank // Half Baked Harvest Cookbook

Bauble Bar Custom Bracelet Zoe’s name// Stack Bracelet to go with Custom Bracelet // Pink Slides

Gold Slides //Tan Slides

What do you have your eye on for your wish list this year? What are you getting your mom?

I have so much I want to update on. I hope to come back Monday and talk about our vacation, and have a life update sometime soon as well! Not to mention it will also be time to hit you all with a book post, I have read a few good ones this month. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday!

We got Zoe’s dance pictures back this week, oh my goodness!!! Speaking of dance, I have several friends out there who have girls that just started. Heads up on the Target tap shoes…they suck!!! If you look super closely in the red outfit photo, you can see her tap has come loose on the foot in the back. She has only worn these shoes maybe 5 or 6 times. Once that tap comes loose, they’re done. Even though they look brand new everywhere else. I had grabbed them in a rush one week, as it seems we grew out of our old shoes overnight and I didn’t want to wait for shipping from somewhere else. Never again.

This weekend we have a little trip planned, an egg hunt and of course Easter on Sunday. I cannot believe it is Easter already! Luckily, I had been collecting things here in there over the last few months so I didn’t have any last minutes scrambling for Easter basket items. I did drop the ball slightly on egg hunt stuffers. I don’t like to do tons of candy, and Zoe has already done two egg hunts that were mostly candy. I went by Dollar Tree yesterday to grab some temporary tattoos or stickers or something, and the place was RIDICULOUS. There was a line of at least 20 people to check out at one register. No thanks! I think I am going to just stick dollar bills in some of the eggs.

Favorite Finds: These shoes have memory foam and are the most comfortable heels I have tried in awhile. I have plantar facetious and a very high arch, shoes are quite the struggle for me. They aren’t too heavy, even though they look chunky. I’m not saying I will walk around all day in them, but I can definitely wear them for awhile and be ok.

I also really like these camis. They are under $20, look great under blazers or even alone. They have an adjustable strap and have a silky/satin finish front and back. I find that a lot of tanks from Loft and other places are cotton in the back. I like this better. There is a little slit on the sides that makes the fit super flattering. They run true to size as far as camis go. I tend to order a size up for length, and I like a looser fit. The “purple” is more of a pink color to me, just like in the photo. The other colors I have seen in person and are true to their representation online.

Favorite Recipe: These hot honey chicken bowls look good, right? I think I might try them for lunch or dinner soon.

Favorite Funnies:

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

Hey there! It has been awhile since I have been able to get my life together for a Friday post. What’s new around here?

We got Zoe’s spring school pictures back last week, along with her cap and gown pictures. Cap and gown, shut up!!! I am so not ready for this. Then she had her dance recital pictures last week as well. See those girls line up for their first group photo made me teary. Her first two years of dance were robbed of group photos because of covid policies, but there are still five of the original girls she started with in her current class. They have grown so much over the last three years. Most of the girls in the class will receive three year trophies this year as well. I can’t wait to see Zoe accept hers!

I had an appointment with a functional medicine doctor. After years of struggling with problems and not getting real answers or solutions from my regular ob/gyn and being told to just go back on birth control…I switched to another ob/gyn. Guess what her solution was? An IUD. No thanks. Last week I received a new diagnosis, a whole new diet to follow, a few supplements to try, lots of bloodwork taken, suggestions on things to do when certain problems arise, and not one pharmaceutical band aid. She spent so much time listening to me, and talking to me about different things. It was just on a whole different level than any care I have had before. I say all of this to say, you have to be your own advocate when it comes to healthcare. Do your own research and if you don’t feel like you are getting the best care, go somewhere else!!!

I am happy to report that after only one week of these supplements and lifestyle changes, I am down 5 pounds, the pain in my side is gone, and I have noticed a few other changes as well. Amazing. Truly amazing.

Favorite Finds: I signed up for Nordstrom’s Trunk Club. I have a whole post coming on my thoughts and experience with it, as well as sharing my entire trunk and the whole process. The whole thing was life changing, and I can’t believe I waited so long to try it. I wanted to share what I ended up keeping.

These Mother jeans are absolute perfection. I am not sure if I would have picked them out on my own? But that is exactly why I chose to do Trunk Club. To have someone tell me what would look good on me. They fit so good, and they go with SO MANY OUTFITS! I have tried them with sneakers, sandals and heels. Casual clothes, blazers, fun tops. Everything. The length is so flattering and they have just enough distressing to look edgy and stylish without being crazy. I am so happy with these. I can’t find the exact pair I have, but these are similar cut and style in dark wash, light wash and white.

I have never owned a Rails shirt before, and now that I have this blue one…..I am not sure I can go back to any other brand for button downs. This is so good and worth every penny. I have already worn it, and have plans to style it a few ways. It is light enough to wear in the spring down here in the south and I had it on the other day all day working from home. It was so soft, I forgot I was wearing a real shirt and not one of my usual sweatshirts.

This black and white blouse isn’t something I would have picked for myself, but wow. I tried it on and Chris has walked in and was like….you’re keeping that! The vneck, sleeve length and the front cut of the shirt is super flattering on. Can be dressed up or down.

And this Caslon tshirt is such a wardrobe basic staple. So soft and so many uses.

Favorite Recipe: I made these cajun chicken bites last week and paired them with a salad. Dinner was ready in under 15 minutes and was delicious and healthy. Boom! (They were quite spicy, definitely cut down on a few of the spices if that isn’t your jam.)

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up for Friday Favorites, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I have some really fun Amazon finds this month. Linking up with Tanya.

Hello Gorgeous Sign

I saw this sign and had to have it. I didn’t order it right away, but I showed Chris later that evening and he clicked the order button for me. I love it so much and it brings so much joy to my daily life since I have it in my office. It would also be cute in a closet or bathroom.

Swimsuit

I have never ordered a swimsuit on Amazon before. Someone I follow on Instagram did a reel with this swimsuit looking amazing with a really powerful message, and then Biana DM’d me and said she had this suit too…so I was sold. I ordered my usual swimsuit size, and this fit is amazing!!!! I feel so good in this, which is a task for me to feel good in anything right now. I would never have grabbed something with an open cutout like this, but it is at the smallest part of me and makes it even more flattering. Highly recommend!!!!

Salt Flakes

I know this isn’t a super fun one, but none of our grocery stores carry the fancy flakey salt. I love having this in my tiny marble bowl next to the stove as a finishing touch for dishes.

Multivitamin

This is a repurchase of my daily multivitamin I take. I saw a new doctor last week who told me that this brand was one that she approves of. She is very picky when it comes to supplements and I am glad that she was ok with this one, as it is one of the only ones I have found that doesn’t hurt my stomach.

Embraced Devotional

I have had it on my heart so spend some quiet time with God each morning. No better way to get back into that routine than a devotional. This one is beautiful, and the messages are really hitting it for me.

Satisfied

I also grabbed Satisfied this month. This is a larger coffee table size book. It is gorgeous and so inspiring. I am enjoying it slowly, just a few pages at a time to really soak it in. I will have it displayed in my office when I am done, because it is that pretty! It covers topics like fighting for faith, the comparison trap, our bodies, your own identity, thankfulness and it even has some good looking recipes at the end.

Alarm Clock

Zoe is afraid of the dark and likes to sleep with the hall light on and her door open. Growing up in a house with a firefighter, I know that is not a good thing to do. You are supposed to sleep with the bedroom door shut. I am trying to transition back to that and my friend recommended this clock that her daughter has. It lights up, and you can change the color of the light so its not quite as bright. It has a clock on it, and you can set the alarm for weekdays or every day. It also shows the date. I am starting to use the alarm for Zoe to get her in the habit of waking up on her own. I obviously still come upstairs and help her get ready…but if I am not up there right at 7am, she knows that she needs to get up, go potty and start picking out her clothes. The alarm has several options for noise, or you can just have the light come on. We chose a noise that sounds like an ice cream truck. It isn’t as obnoxious as a beeping sound. For those that have toddlers, you can also set an “ok to wake” light to come on.

Bun Maker

Zoe has to have her hair in a high bun for both numbers at her dance recital this year. Girlfriend unfortunately has super fine hair like me and doesn’t even have enough to put in a high bun. This is going to help her out and give her that perfect ballerina bun they are all striving for!

When I Pray For You

I love Matthew Paul Turner’s children’s books. We have three others and when I saw this one, I knew I had to grab it for Zoe. I think I am going to save it for her Easter basket. This would make an excellent Easter basket addition or even for a baby shower present.

Bubble Bath

I am always grabbing cleaner products for Zoe and was excited to grab this Hello Bello Bubble Bath to try out. It is lavender scented and smells so amazing and comforting for those after school/before bed baths. Zoe has super sensitive skin, so I am always happy when I can find products like this for her to use.

Honest Lotion

This is a repurchase. We use this every night when Zoe get’s out of the bath. Such a good habit to moisturize after a bath/shower.

Garment Bag

I ordered this for Zoe’s dance costumes. Backstage at recital can get really crazy. Zoe has 16 girls in her dance class, plus a mom for each and two backstage assistants and wooooo. Let’s just say there is glitter, and feathers and hairspray everywhere. Not to mention that 16 girls are all around the same size and wearing the exact same thing! I love that this particular garment bag has zip pockets in the front to hold the tights, hair bows, feathers, and shoe bows that go along with each costume. There is a clear window so you can see without opening what costume is inside. I am going to try to find somewhere to embroider this for me, or make a vinyl sticker with Zoe’s name on it to make it even easier, and cuter. Love that this was a 3-pack, making the price great!

Mobility Bites

This is a repurchase of Mac’s mobility bites that he takes nightly. Mac is going to be 12 this year, and I feel like these keep him moving easier. For awhile he was having problems jumping up on the couch and climbing stairs, but ever since we started him on these over a year ago…he hasn’t struggled.

I had some really good reads this month. Out of all of these, I feel like The Night Shift, Beach Reads and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry will end up on my list of favorites for the year. These are three books that have stuck with me. Let’s just jump right in, shall we?

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

I suggested this one for book club because I enjoyed Every Last Fear enough to know that this was going to be messed up in a good way. You know what I mean?

This book reads so fast, I literally read the last 60% of it in one sitting. I think that is due to the short chapters and multiple POV. I really enjoyed the throw back to Y2K and Blockbuster. If you are into true crime podcasts, Finlay’s cases in his books remind me of ones I would hear on podcasts. While I figured out a few things early on in this book, there were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming. The way he weaved certain things into both cases, and ties to different people. It was complex. I also enjoyed the bits of the characters we got to know. I feel like you got to see who Keller, Atticus, Chris, Ella and Jesse were as people. I felt like the ending happened so quickly, maybe a little too abruptly? I was just like what??? But I really appreciated there was an epilogue to tie a few things up.

Bottom Line: Read it!

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

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Two of my favorite reads for the last two years were from McFarlane….so I knew I had to go back and read anything she has written previously. This one started out really slow, but it picks up a lot in the second half. I felt like I could really relate to Georgina, and I just loved Lucas. There are a lot of heavy topics discussed in this book. It was much more serious than I thought it would be. Honestly, it isn’t so much about Lucas and Georgina, as it is overcoming your past. I definitely wish we could have gotten more of them, because I really loved them so much.

Bottom Line: Read it.

A Tasty Dish by Kelly Cain

I received an audio copy of a Tasty Dish. The narrator was great and I enjoyed listening to her. She really brought Kasi to life for me, because I have a feeling if I would have actually read it myself, she would have fallen flat. And maybe that is where I will start with my review of the actual story.

This is supposed to be a series about the Everheart brothers, but I feel like they are hardly in the book at all, other than when Kasi and Declan mention them. I like that Kasi is a strong female lead, trying to not be shadowed by her famous father. But to me, she comes off selfish and reacts over the top about everything. One minute her and Declan cant keep their hands off each other and she is “catching feelings”, and the next she is writing him off and out of her life. So their relationship doesn’t feel that strong for me. I would have liked to have gotten some chapters from Declan’s perspective. I don’t really feel like we got to know him. Again, is this a series about the brothers if the entire book is in a females prospective? I don’t really think it is. The middle of the book also dragged a bit. I find that I am more patient with audiobooks than I am ones I am actually reading. This one passed the time just fine, but isn’t all that memorable.

Bottom Line: I really enjoyed the narration of this one, and it was entertaining to listen to. I feel like it wouldn’t have been as strong for me if I would have read it on my own. It’s one that passed the time just fine, but I am not sure I will remember much about it in a few months if someone asked.

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

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

I love that this is a book about the mother/daughter relationship. I was closer to my mom growing up than my dad, and I really hope that my daughter and I keep a close relationship as well. This book definitely pulls at the heart strings, and I can’t imagine how lost Katy must have felt right after the death of her mother. The setting in Italy is amazing, and it makes me want to hop on a plane and visit!

There was a lot of wisdom in these pages, but I found myself having a hard time connecting with Katy. While I am close to my mom, and I hope that Zoe is always close with me…I am not narcistic enough to think that I am the love of either of their lives. I also think that Katy treated her very supportive husband like complete garbage, and those parts were really hard to read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but I am also left wondering exactly what we were supposed to think of Katy seeing her mom in Italy. If you read it, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Bottom Line: Read it.

**I received a copy of One Italian Summer from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions of of my own.**

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

This book was so cute. So darn cute! I am just a puddle of goo after finishing it. I absolutely loved it. It is a little cheesy, super sweet, and just really enjoyable. I loved You Deserve Each Other as well by the same author.

Bottom Line: Read it!

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Orthberg

Audrey recommended this book. I am trying to read a few more nonfiction books each year, hopefully adding at least one each month. This one really hit me right in the gut. There were so many good takeaways from this book. Comer definitely hit the head on the nail with some of the points he made in this book about the distractions of life and needing to slow down. It has definitely made me want to change the way I go about some things. There was lots of good advice, but a few things that were a bit impractical. I could have done without the virtue signaling and the few political comments as well.

Bottom Line: Read it! Such a great read, one that will stick with you and want to reflect back on often.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I am pretty sure I am the last person to read this one. I loved People We Meet on Vacation, and this one was just as good! I blew through it, just wanting to see how it all unfolded. I loved January and Gus. I feel like Emily Henry’s characters are always so dynamic and relatable. The banter and chemistry between these two could be felt. January’s sense of humor is amazing. While this book is considered romance, there is much deeper and heavier things going on. I just all around enjoyed this one, will most likely make my favorites list for the year.

Bottom Line: Read it! Definitely lives up to the hype.

Currently Reading

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella