I thought I would do something a bit different today and give a bit of a life update. Life has been busy and getting things done around our home has been taking precedence over blogging so I figured I should fill you all in!
I try to work out 2-3 days a week and because I am not running, that means gym time for me. I like to go on the elliptical and I will read during my hour there. So I’ve been reading a bit more than I typically have time for which is fabulous! I have always loved reading and it seems like my daughter is growing up just like me. She will spend hours each week just looking at books. We try to go to the library once a week for her. I often get my books through the library kindle loans. It’s so convenient! Here’s what I have checked out in the last month or 2 and my thoughts:
Where’d You Go Bernadette – This is about a mother who left her architect position and became a stay at home mother for reasons revealed in the book. Right before the family is to go on vacation, she disappears. The whole book is a compilation of correspondences between people in her life as her daughter attempts to determine where her mother is. It’s not the type of book I would typically pick up, but I liked the nontraditional story telling through the correspondences. It kept me wondering till the end!
A Week in Winter – This is about a woman who, after living in the states for many years, returns to Ireland’s coastline to open a bed and breakfast. Each part of the book is told from a different perspective from the people working at the home and staying there for its first week of opening. I really enjoyed seeing so many different perspectives and learning about all the characters’ back stories before coming to the bed and breakfast.
The Nightingale – I am currently in the middle of this one, but really enjoying it. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, but I often read books farther back in history. This book is set in France and revolves around the stories of 2 sisters during World War II. So far I like the development of the 2 main characters and why they react so differently to situations. I’m really looking forward to finishing this one!
I recently got the Darling VoxBox from Influenster and have been trying some of the things inside.
Eva NYC Hair Mask-I haven’t tried this yet, but I am looking forward to it! My hair tends to be dry and so I love trying out deep conditioners and hair masks to see what helps. I am pretty loyal to Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, but if I end up liking this more, I will let you know!
Duncan Hines Perfect for 1 Chocolate Lover’s Cake- It’s a mug cake that is incredibly easy to make and tastes delicious. I let my daughter make this and have it for dessert one night, but she let me have a bite and it was really good. I have made a mug cake mix with angel food cake and cake mix which is very similar though.
Live Clean Baby Gentle Moisture Shampoo & Wash and Lotion- I put these away for November when our baby is due! The lotion has a baby powder scent that I love. I can’t wait to use them!
Country Crock Buttery Spread- I used to coupon for a light version of the spread and it taste great on some scones I recently made with Claire. She loves it on cinnamon toast in the morning.
Nature’s Bounty Energy Gummies- I passed these along to my husband because I didn’t feel comfortable trying them. He said he feels the do give him a bit of an energy boost, about equivalent to a cup of coffee. He likes the watermelon flavor, but says there is a little bit of an aftertaste he doesn’t care for as much.
Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Face Moisturizer- I love hyaluronic acid because I think it really does its job to moisturize skin and help plump it up. This product can be used as the first step in your skin care routine or alone as your moisturizer which I like. That way it works whether you have a multi-step routine or something more simple.
I feel like I’ve been falling behind a bit with blogging because we have been spending all our weekends outside doing yard work. We (and I mean my husband) recently stained our concrete patio and then we got a rug and table for the space. We’ve had a fire pit and chairs in another part of our yard, but not a patio table. It makes such a difference! It’s nice to be able to enjoy meals out here before it gets too hot. We’ve also done so much mulching for a total of 26 cubic yards. We have an acre and lots of landscaping so it’s all done now and hopefully the rest of the summer will be relatively smooth sailing for us! Typically we divide the mulching and do half every other year, but we skipped it last year so had to do it all this year. I will say though, our yard never looked better!
I’ve also been on the hunt for maternity clothes. I’m hoping to do a post later with my thoughts on different store styles and fits.
What have you all been up to lately?
