I hope you all have had a lovely June and good start to your summer! We’ve been trying to make the most of it with pool days and playing outside as much as possible. Here is what else we have been up to!
Books I’ve Read
- Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish by Tori Whitaker– At 91, Millicent Glenn is looking back on her life. Her daughter Janie, with whom she has had a rocky relationship, arrives home suddenly and announces she is retired and moving back to the area. Millicent is determined to put their relationship right, even though she has a long held secret she needs to share that could be unforgivable. I thought this generational book set in Cincinnati was really interesting. It showed the changing roles of women throughout the decades and the difficulties they have faced. 3/5 stars
- The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms– Celeste is a SAHM of 3 with an adoring husband. Her neighbor Wendy is a busy working mom of 2. The two women seem to have nothing in common until they somehow switch bodies for a week and begin to understand each other better. If ever there was a beach read, this would be it! It was very lighthearted and a quick read. I loved its commentary on mom competition and how we all need to be more understanding of each other, no matter if we are SAHM or working, or somewhere in between. And there is always more than meets the eye. 4/5 stars
- After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore– After being widowed in the Civil War, Marion Abbott returns to her family home with her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. But she is also grieving the death of her sister who reportedly committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the asylum where she was living. She firmly believes her sister would never do that and goes about trying to find the murderer. While I appreciated the historical mystery, I thought the characters’ actions in the book to be confusing at times. It just didn’t fit well with the storyline and it could have been developed more smoothly. 2/5 stars
- Sourdough by Robin Sloan– Lois is a software engineer in San Francisco. She works on proprioception of robot arms at General Dexterity. But it is a soul-sucking job and she finds a release through baking sourdough bread. Soon she is offered a place at a new Bay area market that fuses food and technology. This was another good beach read. The plot was cute and caught my attention. I really enjoyed the humor in the book, too. 3.5/5 stars
Products I’ve Tried
- ManiMe- Both my nail wraps review post and tips on application and removal posts are 2 of the most popular posts on my blog. So I’ve been slowing trying new brands and taking photos and notes. I hope to write a new post soon on other brands like Lily & Fox, Nails Mailed, Lovely Hello, and Bella Wraps. I recently received a few sets of ManiMe wraps to review and try out. Although they are the most expensive I’ve tried, this is a time where you get what you pay for. They fit so beautifully and look amazing. And they wear really well. After a week there were almost no signs of wear.
- Virgil’s Zero Sugar Soda- I was sent this to review, but really loved it, and so did Matt! We tried the Root Beer and Grapefruit flavors. The root beer was good, but the grapefruit was by far my favorite. So refreshing!
- Surely Non-Alcoholic Wine- This isn’t sparkling grape juice people! I was sent this to try and was impressed by the delicious wine flavor! It’s also much lower calorie. So if you are wanting that second (or third) glass, or not drinking for whatever reason, this is a wonderful option! I shared an easy Strawberry Lemonade Sangria recipe you can make with it on my reels.
Recipes I’ve Made
- Stuffed Jalapeno Burgers– Matt actually made these and they were so good!
- Tuna Melt Zucchini Boats– These were pretty good, but I think I’ll amp up the spice next time I make them.
- Breakfast Casserole– This is a really flexible recipe that you can switch up based on what veggies you have in the fridge or herbs and spices you like. It was easy and tasty!
- Red, White, & Blue Trifle– Claire made this for Memorial Day. Matt and I absolutely loved it! This was my favorite dessert this month!
- Chimichurri Shrimp- We normally make shrimp with garlic and butter, so this was a nice change. And so good, too! The recipe says to bake the graham cracker crust layer, but I didn’t and it was fine. Nice to skip a step!
- Rhubarb Pudding Bars– I was happy to try a new recipe with all the rhubarb we have. Our plants are going crazy this year. This was two thumbs up from Matt.
- Better Than Sex Trifle– This was delicious, but honestly almost too sweet.
Currently
- Eating- I feel like I’ve been eating all of the things during vacation! It’s all so good!
- Feeling- I’m feeling all the love today. It’s our 15 year wedding anniversary!
- Going- Does anyone else feel as if you are going ALL THE PLACES? We are trying to fit 2 summers into one since we were all restricted last year!
- Ordering- I was panicking before our vacation because I didn’t have a strapless bra and needed one for a couple of dresses. So I went out on a limb and got this one from amazon. It’s actually really good! It stays up well. I like the wider band and non slip strips on top and bottom.
- Realizing- I’ve always felt very blessed for our life, but lately I’ve been realizing how truly blessed we are. We were very fortunate to be safe with no damage after a tornado began just over 2 miles north of us last Sunday. Then between my parents taking care of the girls this week and our neighbors caring for our animals, I feel so fortunate!
- Family Update-
- Avie- Little Miss Aveline has gotten the running bug. And by that I mean she loves to be pushed in the jogging stroller while I run. What a work out! I only do that once a week. After Claire got her haircut, Aveline insisted on it, too. So I had to take her for her first haircut (sniffle, sniffle). She looks so grown up!
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- Claire- Claire has been quite the reader already this summer! She is reviewing books and continuing her origami habit. She has quite a few friends in the area and loves to bike over to their homes. Claire and Avie absolutely LOVED vacation bible school this year. It was fun to see them in the same group. Claire was an amazing helper for her sister (as she always is).
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- Me- I finished my first half marathon in 10 years! It wasn’t the best, but considering the 80 degree heat, I was satisfied with my time. I also polished up an antique dresser we received from Matt’s parents for craft storage and went strawberry picking with the girls. Fun month!
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- Matt– It’s been more of a stressful month for Matt at work with last minute trips. He is thoroughly relaxing right now.
JUNE GOALS Recap
- Organize craft cabinet- Matt’s parents gave us an antique dresser that I polished up and am using for craft organization. It works perfectly!
- Paint candlesticks- Done! I forgot to take a photo though.
- Try local custard stand- Done! And it was so delicious! See Avie and Claire enjoying it above!
- Sign up Avie for a summer activity- Done! I have her signed up for a Music in Motion class.
- Donate to Goodwill- Done!
July Goals
- Visit a farmer’s market- I have never been to a farmer’s market around here and really want to visit one.
- Post clothes on poshmark- I have a growing pile of clothing I need to take photos of for poshmark.
- Have a family movie night- There aren’t any movies my daughters would be interested in theaters right now, but I’d love to watch Luca in our basement as a family. It would be so fun!
- Make Disney tees- I’d like to make a few matching family and sister tees to wear when we go to Disney and Universal Studios. Time to get going on it.
LINKING UP WITH ANNE & WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
