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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.**
Short work weeks are always the best work weeks. Three day weekends definitely need to be a thing every week. Where can we sign up for that? This week has flown right on by. Today my mom is supposed to come over and we are going to hit up some of the local stores in my area and maybe do some lunch. Zoe is super excited to spend some time with Grandma.
Speaking of Zoe, she had a big day yesterday, it was her first day of gymnastics! I am so proud of her. She walked right into that class, introduced herself to the coaches and took a seat next to two girls she never met. When we signed up for the class, Zoe said she was afraid of the bars and wasn’t sure she was going to be able to do them. Girlfriend was hanging from them by her legs and said it was her favorite part. I think she will be fine!
We had gone to the library to take back her first set of books and get new ones. This time she picked out 12! I just quickly walked down two of the adult fiction aisles and happened to see Big Summer sitting there, so I scooped it up and hope to fit it in before it is due back. I have a zillion ebooks right now and some BOTM books sitting here. Yet here I am, grabbing even more.
Favorite Purchase: I found a Bogg Bag at a local store yesterday. I figured there was no way they would have them, since everyone is sold out and we just had one of the biggest beach/pool/lake weekends of the year. But there they were!!!! We hope to squeeze in a beach trip later this summer and I want to be prepared. I got the large pineapple one. They do ship, so if you are needing one…check them out! I know the small bags are online, and I think if you call them or message them, they will ship the large bags too.
This dress is on clearance for under $20 and has super cute details. I am always a big fan of puff sleeves.
Favorite Aldi Finds: I had some boring trips the last few weeks, but we did grab some new stuff this week! The purple shoes for Zoe were $3.99, the large ice cube trays were $2.99 each, and the giant tic tac toe was $5 or $6? I can’t remember. I was really excited to share dunkaroos with Zoe! They were just like I remember.
I also found this cheese! I am not sure what I am doing with it yet, but it sounded fun! Any suggestions, throw them my way! They also had a garlic and a bacon flavored version.
I also had a small Thrive haul. I needed more hemp seeds and Zoe and I crave those Plantain Chips. I like this particular brand because they don’t have any garbage oils in them. Canola, vegetable, soy bean….all that stuff is actually really bad for your health. You are better with olive, avocado or coconut oil. Of course when you eat out, you can’t control what oils they cook with. But at home, I try to stick to most products that don’t contain that crap. Zoe was a really big fan of the Mavericks pizza crackers, and the Simple Mills brand is a staple in our house. I like their farmhouse ceddar crackers better than the cheez its and such when you need a crunchy snack.
Favorite Workout: Heather always kills me in a good way, and this one was excellent. The perfect combo of strength and cardio supersets.
It is time to share some more Amazon finds! I have some great finds this month, and one major fail. Linking up with Tanya, let’s do this!
Caldrea Rosewater Driftwood – This is the BEST smelling cleaning spray I have ever used. I like to use cleaner ingredient products, and this fits the bill. It smells so amazing, and the scent lingers for awhile after you cleaned the counters….it makes me clean them more often just for the smell. It reminds me of a luxury hotel. I know that sounds weird, but just go with it. The packaging is pretty, and the spray is perfection….a really nice mist. A must try!
Sprinkler – We love Melissa & Doug products. They just tend to be made better than some other toy brands. This sprinkler is so cute, and a lot of fun when you have it hooked up to the hose! I see us getting a lot of use out of it this summer, and more!
The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal for Mothers – I am not a journal keeper, nor am I good with things like baby books, memory books, etc. If they require some creativity and upkeep….it is hard for me. This however, has space to record a sentence a day for 5 years. I can do that! Especially when I leave it on my desk with a pen. I am in my home office every single day and see this sitting out and have done very well with writing something little I want to remember about each day with Zoe. Whether it was a smores party, a fun board game we played, something funny that she said, an activity we got to do. I LOVE this!!!! Everything is set up for me, all I have to do is open and write a few words. I highly recommend this to every mom out there. I hope Zoe goes back and reads it one day and has fond memories of the little every day things.
Slip Shorts – I wanted to wear something under dresses that wasn’t restrictive, helped with rubbing thighs and was seamless. You get a three pack, and they are long enough to be comfortable without sticking out under my above the knee dresses. I liked that they came up pretty high and smoothed without sucking you in too tight and making you miserable in the heat. I do want some that are more girdle like as well, but these are great for loose fitting dresses.
Ice Cream Machine – We have been wanting to make some homemade ice cream for awhile. I looked into several different machines, and I decided I didn’t want anything you had to buy ice and salt for. I wanted it to be simple. This one was reasonably priced, it is actually really cute!!! (it comes in several colors), and you don’t need a ton of set up to make the ice cream. You just freeze the bowl a day in advance and it takes about 15-20 minutes for the machine to do its thing when you are ready to make ice cream! It wasn’t too loud, and it was super easy to clean.
Ice Cream Storage – I didn’t think about storing our leftovers, and immediately ordered these for the future! I love that you can write and erase what kinds are in it.
Beckham Hotel Collection Pillows – I have had some terrible luck with pillows lately. They are too big and firm, not full enough, causing neck problems, can’t sleep, etc. These pillows were on a few different home related accounts recommendations and they have great reviews so I figured I would try them out. I have had them about a month or so….and they are the best that I have tried so far. They have a coupon you can add right now.
Comfy Princesses – I am still collecting the comfy princesses for Zoe to put aside for her birthday/Christmas. She has 2 of them currently, and I think I have gotten all of them but one now for her collection? They seem to be phased out at stores, you rarely see them. Target only carries 2 in stores, and Walmart only has them online now. On Amazon, several say only “x” amount left. We made the mistake of not getting all the petite dolls for her last year when she was getting into them, and now she is obsessed for looking for the last two that we weren’t able to find before they quit making them. Her doll collection brings her HOURS and HOURS of entertainment…so I don’t mind her obsession with them and tend to enable her obsessiveness haha.
Massager – So many people have raved about this massager, and Chris had some back pain recently…so I thought it would be a fun little Father’s Day surprise. Since we share an Amazon account, Lindsay was sweet enough to offer to get it for me with her account. It is great to keep in our blanket basket in the living room for when the need arises.
And I have one major fail for you…..
Lume Lavender Sage Deodorant – I have tried so many natural deodorants. Some of them had me fooled into working for a little bit, until they didn’t. And when they quit? THEY QUIT! I was going to order BeautyCounter, but was skeptical when I noticed that the for the most part, the only people who actually talk about it our BC consultants. Laura asked me if I had tried Lume before and I said I hadn’t, and so she ordered it. I had a little bit more to go on my Dove deodorant and decided to let her test first. She said it held up through her workout, so I figured why not. She ordered a different scent than me. And that was my mistake. I thought lavender would be safe? It was not. This smelt so sour and rotten. Like it was spoiled? I don’t know. I wore it two days and I couldn’t stand it anymore. It actually did work…but the smell is so awful I would just rather not.
