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It is a holiday, is it not? Our production team is shut down today, so I am calling it a holiday for me! That and I have been sick, so I don’t want to be the asshole that spreads my germs around the office when I don’t have to be there. Gotta love cold season, am I right? In all fairness, we went from 71 degrees to 27 in the same day. My body didn’t know what to do.

This was the first weekend in a long time where we didn’t have anywhere to be. It was much needed, as I was feeling under the weather and we have been going 100 miles an hour since we moved in back in November. On Saturday, we did go out for breakfast at Metro Diner and hit a up a few discount stores before calling it a day and heading home. I spent the rest of the evening in Zoe’s playroom playing “barbies” with her. Her imagination is so funny.

Valentine’s Day was good. Chris surprised me with presents this year! Other than our first year together, we normally just exchange cards and I made homemade lasagna. This year, he got me a beautiful basket full of locally made bath and body products that smell incredible. (Forgot to take a picture before I ripped it all apart, bad blogger.) He also got me the Canon Selphy printer so I could send photos from my phone to be printed. I am awful about prints, and hardly have any from the last 10 years! It was easier when we were using disposable cameras, right??? I am quite impressed with the ease and quality of the photos. If you are in the market for something, I would definitely check it out!

Zoe had a Valentine party at dance and school, plus we always like to get her a few things to make her feel special. She basically lived in her Elsa dress all weekend. I took her for a donut before school on Friday too, and she asked if we could take some to all of her teachers. So sweet.

Last weekend, Chris took Zoe to a Princess Ball. Zoe dressed up like Belle, got her first corsage from Chris….and got to meet Elsa and Anna!!! She had a BLAST and has talked about how much fun it was pretty much every day since. It was soooooo cute seeing her leave with Chris.

Chris has been working hard on the theater room downstairs. We have a collection of arcade games now, and he got some lights to go around them all. Here is one wall of them, it looks so cool!!!

I have gotten a lot of compliments on my nails lately, something I am so not used to. Still loving Colorstreet! My girl through in some petite ones that I want to try with Zoe.

Finding fun low-carb recipes has been an obsession of mine over the last several weeks. I can’t really say that we are sacrificing a ton when it comes to dinners, anyways.

I want to do a post soon on my thoughts on Keto and Intermittent Fasting, my plans long term, and share some delicious recipes that anyone can appreciate, low-carb or not. I am writing you today 17 pounds less than I was last month. So obviously, it works.

I hope that you all have a fabulous week! I am about to go get Zoe up and take her to school….and figure out what I want to do with my free day?!?!

Linking up with Steph and Jana for SUYB! I am actually starting the year out pretty strong, and am ahead nine books according to Goodreads. Lets see how long that lasts. Last year I made a goal to read 60 books, but I fell short by a few. This year my goal is to finish one per week.

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn

I think this is my first Avery Flynn book. I am in love! This was so cute! I love the characters, I love the story line, and who doesn’t love a dog in a book? Anchovy is such a cute name for a dog. I was just slightly annoyed with Zara towards the end of the book, I wont say why to ruin anything. But outside of that, there were the right amounts of fun, build up and steam. Definitely can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.

Bottom Line: Read it!

I’ll Have What She’s Having by Rebecca Harrington

This was about a woman who is obsessed with fad diets and what celebrities are eating. I cant imagine following any of these diets that she talks about. I believe she writes columns on this topic, and that might be more how this book reads. I will say, this book could be a trigger for people with eating disorders. And I hope that people don’t actually take it seriously.

Bottom Line: This book is really short, so I wouldn’t suggest purchasing it. I borrowed the audio version from my library to entertain me in the car. I sort of got a little bored after the first few diets, because really it is all the same. I would probably pass.

Love Handles by Gretchen Galloway

Where do I start with this one?? I love the premise. Bev inherits an athletic wear company from a grandfather that she barely knew around the time that she loses her job as a preschool teacher. She has to then run it with a guy that thought he would be getting the company and was close to her grandfather and a load of employees who she cant trust.

But then there were parts of the book that got on my nerves. Like the fact that Bev wasn’t exactly athletic and it was constantly pointed out throughout the entire book. Liam even tells her she needs to work out. WTF? He seemed a little too controlling and I didn’t really click with him. I liked Bev, but didn’t like how she was a bit of a doormat at times.

Bottom Line: I am not sure what I want to say about this one, it passed the time fine and I gave it three stars (probably should be 2.5), but I got annoyed about parts. I picked this one up for free on Amazon and its about what I expect for a book that is free.

You Complicate Me by Isabel Jordan

I really liked this one! I loved watching Nick and Grace fall for each other, but also, I really loved the bat shit crazy family antics as well! We spend a week at Grace’s brothers wedding festivities with an uptight mom, a crazy grandma, an ex husband, and a sarcastic cousin. What could go wrong? This one had me laughing and swooning. I do love some family drama…when its not my own.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Head by Darynda Jones

Continuing on with this series and still loving it! I think that the third book might be my favorite so far. It was packed full of action and snark and I cant wait to get the forth one.

Bottom Line: If you are into cozy mysteries and like the Stephanie Plum books, give this a try. I actually think I like this better than Plum!

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

This book was a short one, but man was it packed with beautiful writing, emotion, class, race, family hardships, discovery, love and loss. The characters were so well fleshed out in such a short book. This is one that will stay with you a little while.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I read the 20th Anniversary edition of this book, and it could have been written today. I think we all went to school with the very characters in this book. I loved the message behind the book about using your voice. I think this is a book that should be required reading in high school.

Bottom Line: Read it!

Doctor Dearest by RS Grey

You all know my love for RS Grey by now! This is a great workplace romance. I loved the relationship between Natalie and her brother, and watching the relationship change with Natalie and Connor.

I felt like there wasn’t some huge thing to overcome in this one. I mean, there was, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. It didn’t take away from the book, perhaps it made it feel more real? I also liked more of the inner monologue of Connor. This one was definitely cute and hilarious.

Bottom Line: Read it if romantic comedy is your thing.

Did Not Finish

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

So I am not going to say to not read this book. The reason why I quit, was that I had two other books come in at the same time from the library, plus a ARC that I promised an author I would finish by release day. But the main reason I quit was because I wasn’t really resonating with the author. She has her own business and the privilege to travel a lot and visit her lake house and can take all summer to take a break from life. I am an average mom who works a full time job for an international company. And while I am grateful for the flexibility that my job offers….it isn’t anywhere near to the extent of her life. This read more like a memoir and didn’t really offer any practical or inspirational advice for me.

I 100% appreciate the title of the book and the concept behind it. I just wanted something different from it. Maybe if I stuck with it I could have gotten there, but I don’t think so.

Currently Reading

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

Linking up with my girl Kristen for a little check in action. I am tired AF right now. We had some severe storms roll through here last night. Nothing like getting woken up by tornado sirens at 2:30am and being told to take cover in your safe space. Luckily, after looking at the map I realized it was heading right for our old house…and that we were just on the line of it where we are now. The thunder and lightening were insane and it was raining so hard so fast, I know there has to be some flooding in our yard right now. I will know more when the sun comes up. It is hard to go back to sleep after something like that, you know?

Zoe’s daycare is on a 2 hour delay this morning since they follow the school schedule, so I decided it was a great day to work from home! No sense in driving in that crap all the way down to my office when I can do everything right here. In my pajamas. With no shower or makeup. Can I get an amen?!

Reading – I just finished Doctor Dearest from RS Grey last night, it is available to purchase today!!! Such fun banter and a cute story if romantic comedy is your thing. I should also be wrapping up Third Grave Dead Ahead today and starting on Center of Gravity.

Watching – We are catching up with some of our shows since they have started back after the holiday break. We are also still binging New Amsterdam. Do you watch it??? It is so good!!!

Listening – I have been listening to so much good stuff while I work. I have started listening to Women n Wellness podcast, as well as Jillian Michaels podcast.

Did you know that chamomile is part of the ragweed family?????? I had no clue but it explains so much!!! That stuff is in everything from tea to lotions and potions to face products and everything in between. Thanking Jillian for that discovery. I used to use this all natural bath stuff on Zoe that had it in, and I could never figure out what was causing her skin flare ups. Now I know why that product wasn’t working for us.

Eating/Health – Today marks the one month mark of doing Intermittent Fasting and Keto. I have lost 14 pounds and gained perspective on how many carbs I was actually consuming before. Is Keto a sustainable lifestyle? No. It comes with some cons for sure, and I don’t plan to stay low carb forever. I don’t think carbs are the devil. I do think that they can trigger lots of cravings though. Let me tell you, before doing Keto, I had massive cravings. For sweet, snacks, savory things, salty things, all the things. I felt hungry all the time. Now that I have been doing IF and Keto, I realize I can go 16 hours without eating and I am totally fine. That I don’t in fact need a snack or something to eat every couple hours. And that I can survive without candy or crackers and be content.

We have been having a lot of black coffee, taco bowls, chicken, meat and cheese trays, asparagus, zucchini, celery, brussel sprouts, etc. When we go out to eat, we mostly order steak with salad and a steamed veggie. It is nice to still be able to enjoy a meal out on this plan. It is totally doable with some modifications.

The things I don’t like on IF and Keto include it messing up my period, still feeling bloated from time to time, and being limited on what I can eat. I feel like I am not getting a balanced diet, and that if I kept it up long term (which was never my intention) my vitamin deficiencies will come back. Also, my skin is dry AF. I have been taking collagen, but it is still really bad.

Researching – I am looking into carb cycling, counting macros, and focusing on whole foods for the long haul. Not sure which way I am going to swing at the moment. It is one of the reasons I have been listening to a lot of health and wellness podcasts lately. I want to live and enjoy my life, and not be obsessed about food all the time. Pretty much my entire adult life, I have been on one diet or another and always fall off the train and then go to extremes to come back. It is a cycle I want to stop for good. I wanted to drop some weight in the beginning to get my motivated, and then find my long term lifestyle to stick with. At the end of the day, eating less and moving more is the answer. No matter how you want to wrap it up. And I know that. And you know that. We all know that.

Working – Chris and I have been doing a lot of work around the house lately. We have been setting up the theater room, and Chris has added some arcade games to it over the last week!!! Cant wait to play those! I have been working on getting my office together, and organizing little areas. I still need to paint my office, and I would like to paint the dining room. I absolutely hate red walls. It doesn’t flow with the rest of our house either. We have nice calming, soothing colors everywhere but there. It has really started coming together and we have even got to enjoy the outdoors last weekend!

Excited – Zoe has a father/daughter Princess Ball this weekend!!! She doesn’t know about it yet, but I know when she finds out…she is going to be so excited!!! They get to dress up like princesses and have dinner and dancing and come home with a goodie bag. I will be curious to see which princess she chooses to be.

I hope that you all are having a great start to February!

It has been awhile since I have shared some Amazon finds! I just love seeing what other people are scooping up on there.

Dry Brush

I ordered this to help exfoliate my dry skin and reduce cellulite. Now, I am not sure how long it will take to see the effects of cellulite, but I can already tell that my skin is in better shape after a short use. I really like that this one came with a carrying case and a hook to hang it.

Elderberry

I took Zarabee Elderberry Gummies the last two years and I LOVE them! They taste amazing and they have worked pretty well at keeping away the nasties if I used them consistently. Now that I have started Keto though, the carb/sugar content was not ideal for me. I have switched over to these. You suck on them, instead of eating them as a gummy. There is still sugar/carbs but not near as many! They taste good and I use it as an afternoon “sweet” treat.

Bonus: They are half the price of Zarabee! 

I still buy Zoe the Zarabee kids gummies. She loves the tastes and thinks she is getting a piece of candy, so we never have an issue with her taking them.

Purse Organizer

I am so sick of my tote being a black hole where my items go to die and be lost forever. I purchased this inexpensive purse organizer (in size medium for my Kate Spade tote) and I am going to call it life changing. Do yourself a favor and get one!

Back Seat Car Organizer

Speaking of life changing, this back seat car organizer is incredible!!!! I have this in the middle seat in the back next to Zoe’s car seat. It holds so much and has enough sections and pouches to be completely organized. I have crayons in the front little mesh pouches, her snack cup and some toys in the front half, books and coloring books and bigger things in the back half. Some extra hair ties and barrettes in the middle mesh things. PLUS it has a hook on the back to buckle it in so it doesn’t go flying when you slam on your breaks. You guys, this thing is incredible and great quality for the price.

Hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Bed

This thing was a life saver on vacation last month! Zoe loved it, slept through the night every night and it was so easy to blow up and deflate.

Light Up Gloves

We purchased these for our a few of our nieces and nephews for Christmas. and they are pretty damn cool. 

Be Yummi Princess Pretend Jewelry

I did the Glam Bar at Zoe’s princess themed birthday party with these. Everyone loved them, there was plenty to go around and they have lasted many days of dress up. I even had a few moms from the party ask where I got them from so they could get more. 

What have you ordered and loved lately?

Weekend shenanigans on a Thursday, why not? This past weekend we had a lot of fun! Laura and her crew came over Saturday morning. We hadn’t seen each other in a few months, so they got to see our new house for the first time, we celebrated Christmas, and Laura’s birthday and Valentine’s Day all in one day. I made a charcuterie board that was quite delightful, and we ordered some food in from Southland.

I got super fancy, and roasted my own pecans. Why have I never done this before??? They tasted so much better than store bought ones, and didn’t have all the cheap oils added to them.

You just take a bag of raw pecan halves, 2 tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of salt. Mix it around and spread them out on a pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for around 7 minutes. Perfection!!!

We also did a Valentine’s Day craft, finger painting with the kiddos. Zoe may or may not looked like a smurf when we were done.

Someone got a little static in the bounce house…

Sunday morning, Zoe and I met up with my sister for some breakfast at Waffle House. They ate breakfast, I had a drink. I am still doing IF. It is going alright. After that, we knocked out our grocery shopping and came back home to get Chris to go to Bargain Hunt. I scored an awesome deal on some Express shoes for $5, found Zoe some tap shoes in the next size up for $5 as well!

I also did my fingernails for the first time this weekend in forever. Probably like three years! One of my sweet daycare/dance mom friends gave me some Colorstreet Nails to try. These were so easy to put on, and there is zero dry time. They are supposed to last up to 10 days, which is way longer than the hour a normal polished hand lasts on me before chipping. They look so so so pretty and I cant stop staring at them! I already ordered some more! If you are interested, here is her site. She is the sweetest!

(Also, I only used one of the two strips to do all my fingers, so you can make one set last two times.)

Laura gifted me this Tula Eye Balm, and it feels incredible on my tired eyes! I have been rubbing this on in the morning…and then using it in the afternoon over my makeup. It helps that the packaging is beautiful!

Speaking of things I love, I got this top on mega sale at Loft, and it is so pretty in person!!! It fits true to size. I am trying to get a few pieces with some color in my wardrobe of blacks and navy!

I also ordered this dress, and this striped shirt on sale! Both were cute in person as well. I would say on the dress, you could probably size down one. I plan on wearing my jean jacket over it, so it doesn’t really matter for me.

I hope you are having a great week!