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Linking up with Steph and Jana. I knocked a couple more off my Netgalley shelf. Yay!!! I had four solid reads, and one very meh cant recommend it one this month. What about you?

Royal Player by Katie McCoy

This was a cute read! It reminded me a lot of The Royal We, but also not. The male character in this book is a prince, but also the underdog in Wimbledon . I have never really read a book that involved tennis before, nor am I much a fan of the sport in general (boring!) but I actually quite enjoyed that plot line for the book. I liked both Charlie and Emmy.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a light romance read, this is a cute one.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

This books covers one of my worst fears, missing children. It hooked me from the very beginning, and alternates between the two female characters. Both are rather unlike-bale, if I am being honest. It didn’t take anything away from the book for me though. I love a book like this, there are twists and turns. It is dark and emotional, and you know something is off but you cant put your finger on it. This was definitely a solid read for me.

Bottom Line: Read it!!!

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

The Trouble with Tabbies by A. Ge. Henley

I picked this one up for free on Amazon. These types of books can go either way for me. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but that is about to change. This book was totally adorable! I loved Bea and Seb, and even though the book was rather short, I didn’t feel like it was rushed at all. You definitely see them grow and develop. I loved the troubled family drama throughout the book. It was a really cute read, and I hope to continue on with the series and read more from the author.

Bottom Line: Adorable, read it! For those of you who don’t like the steamy scenes, this one is for you. There really aren’t any.

One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase

So this book goes back and forth between Leah (7 years ago) and June (current day.) We know something happened to Leah 7 years ago at the lake, and now June is engaged to the same guy Leah was back then. The thing is, we don’t find out what actually happens until about 80-85% into the book. And to me, it was sort of a huge lead up to a bunch of nothing. There was a twist, but it wasn’t a shocking twist. And I was starting to get bored with the story. To me there is an ick factor of the weird little love triangle. I did like Leah and June as characters, but it wasn’t enough for me to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Bottom Line: Meh, I would skip this one.

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

Love the One You Hate by R.S. Grey

A new RS Grey book? Sign me up! There was something different about this one versus some of her others, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Not in a bad way, just different. I really enjoyed Maren as a character, and loved Cornelia! I felt like I wanted to get to know Nicholas a little more.

There were a lot of side characters and side plots in this one as well. We really get to see Maren grow as a character, and I think maybe that is what is different about this book? It is more about Maren and her growth, and the romance is more of one of the subplots. It focuses not only on the relationship between Maren and Nicholas, but also Maren and Cornelia. Honestly though, it worked in this book. I couldn’t put it down.

Bottom Line: Read it. RS Grey fans will enjoy.

**I received an ARC of Love the One You Hate from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Currently Reading

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

I need a palette cleanser after the disappointment of One Night at the Lake.

Entering week nine of quarantine. It is hard to believe how fast the time is going, honestly. We just came off a weekend with the most beautiful weather! Low humidity, temperature around 70 and sunny. Can’t ask for more! I know it is going to be too hot too soon, so I am soaking in as much as I possibly can.

We have been pretty productive the last few days! We got Zoe’s big girl bed set up (waiting on the box springs to come in this week), I rearranged her room and started reorganizing her playroom, moved her rocker into my office, cleaned the floors on the main level, cleaned our back deck, put together our outdoor furniture and started setting up the deck, and I just ordered a large basket from Amazon to organize the toys that are scattered around our hearth room. The basket down there just isn’t big enough, nor does it really match the room.

I am not sure what is going on, but Zoe has randomly been running a fever on and off this week. After seeming fine all day Saturday, she passed out on the couch in the evening and had a low grade fever. Seeing as how she refuses to nap over the last two months, it made me feel a little uneasy. She woke up and ate dinner, and seemed to be fine most of Sunday too. It is just so weird, since we have literally been exposed to nothing the last nine weeks. She looked so cute and peaceful napping!

We tried a new snack recipe out this weekend, super easy and delicious. Keto/low carb friendly too! You just take a tablespoon of Italian shredded cheese (or mozzarella) and flatten it on a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle some grated Parmesan over it, and top with a pepperoni slice and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Cook at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn on high broil for 1-2 minutes. Perfection.

I actually did my makeup this weekend, Chris was snapping some pictures of me for a project I am working on. Can you believe I have hardly any pictures of myself from the last several years? I am really bad about being in front of the camera, I am usually behind it. These aren’t the ones he took, but me documenting my efforts to get dressed, and a fun one of Zoe and I in our yard.

I also snapped a few of Zoe while I was waiting for Chris to set up the camera. She was so excited about her pineapple dress, and she hasn’t been able to wear it anywhere. I have a dress I bought her for spring pictures at school that we haven’t gotten to use yet either. I guess we will be taking our own spring pictures this year.

Mother’s Day was nice and low key. I don’t think we have spent one at home yet, we are usually with Chris’s family. I made us some tacos for lunch, and my favorite baked pork chops for dinner. We hung around the house, and spent some time out on the deck in the afternoon. Zoe and I took a walk last night. Chris showed me the things he ordered that haven’t arrived yet, so I have some fun packages to look forward to this week! He definitely saw my Mother’s Day gift post I did earlier this month 😉 He also paid attention to things I have said and surprised me with something else not from my post! He always does so good.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

As we finish up week….8??? (I think???) of quarantine, I can’t help but start to feel anxious about returning to normal life. We have been home for almost two months now, and I have gotten quite used to our daily routines. It is really nice to fit in a full work out in the mornings and enjoy a cup of coffee while I casually check emails and get myself organized for the day. No rushing to shower, do my dress, hate myself in the closet and rush Zoe out the door in the morning….hoping I remembered a snack for her and myself to eat in the car. My move goal on my watch has increased drastically on our time at home, and I know I will never hit them sitting in an office all day. Those mid-day walks to clear my mind have felt so amazing!

Anyways, I am linking up with Kristen to share what’s up lately.

Reading: I am currently reading One Night at the Lake from my Netgalley shelf. I am not as into it as my last read, which is out today!!!! Love the One You Hate by R.S. Grey.You all know my love for this author, and this was such a fun read. It is a slow burn enemies to lover romance, but honestly, the story focuses more on the main character and her growth as a person than that actual romance, which I felt was more of a subplot. I couldn’t put it down.

Watching: We have been catching up on Grey’s. We hadn’t watched since they took a break over Christmas. OMG!!! I am not going to say anything, because if you aren’t caught up I am not going to ruin your life like someone tried to do to me on Facebook. Give some fucking warning like SPOILER ALERT before you say something potentially huge about a show the night it airs, you know????

Listening: I have really been enjoying Prime music on our TV or Alexa lately. They have a Frozen, Disney and Disney Princess playlist that Zoe is obsessed with. And for me, well just listening to current hits or throwing it back old school puts some pep in my step while I clean the floors or take the hour to unload and sanitize our grocery deliveries.

Planning: The time has come for Zoe to get a big girl bed. Part of me is so excited for her, part of me is broken. She looked at Pinterest with me to get some ideas of what she wanted, and she picked out some really nice stuff! Everything is coming or has come in this week, so we will be busy this weekend setting it up!

She picked out this bed in light gray, and I ordered this mattress to go with it. She picked out this pretty Frank and Lulu bedding in pink. (I absolutely love this style, and the cute little girly ruffle!!!!) We grabbed this waterproof mattress pad from JCPenney too, it had great reviews and was a good price. And then we picked out two sets of sheets for a steal from Macy’s, the ballerina and unicorn ones!!!

Working: A few friends and I have been working on something over the last few months that I am really excited about. This week has been a big push to get decisions made and things done for sure! I also have a few other projects that I have been doing research and planning for. This extra time at home as really triggered my need to have my hands on many pots.

Enjoying: I am not all into the “self care” movement, I believe that caring for yourself is just part of life and surviving. I do what I can to take care of the body I have, both inside and out. Sometimes that includes doing a quick face mask or hair treatment when I have a few minutes to fit it in. Because honestly, you can make time for anything if it is important to you. I have been using my Babyfacial mask from Drunk Elephant when I remember, and seeing a difference in my skin.

And I really love the Wonder Water from L’Oreal to use in the shower. It literally takes 8 seconds and is under $!0. You cannot beat it! My hair is soooooo soft on days I use this.

Cooking: We are all tired of cooking at this point, aren’t we??? I was always one to make dinner at home most days during the week and pack my lunches 3-4 days…but this is a whole new level. One of our favorite recipes lately is Chicken Alfredo from Carb Manager. I hate mushrooms, so I leave those out. And I use green onion instead of leeks. Also, I only put in 1 cup of heavy cream instead the called for 1.5 cups. Turns out wonderful every time.

Laughing:

We have been hitting Amazon and Target hard the last two months. Hasn’t everyone? Here are some of our most recent purchases on Amazon!

Monopoly Deal – This game looked super fun and it only takes 15 minutes to play. Much less time than real Monopoly.

Amazon Basics AA Batteries – We go through batteries like crazy with all of the toys Zoe has laying around. These are a great deal and last a long time.

Headphone Stand – Chris has two of these headphone stands in his office area, one for gaming and one for computer headphones. It keeps everything looking nice and neat. I am going to get one for my office as well.

Clippers – Quarantine means salons are closed. Chris is used to getting his haircut regularly, so we had to do something! He has done a good job doing the front, and I hit the places he cant reach. Looks just as good as the professional cut.

ThinkBaby Sunscreen – With all our outside play, I had to stock up on sunscreen. I have used this on Zoe since she was 6 months old. And if you remember, she had really fussy skin back then. This has never caused any problems for her, and I slather this on myself as well. Sinks into skin and doesn’t have a bad smell. We go through at least 3-4 bottles of this in the spring/summer. I have to apply it to her daily before school, and the school keeps one on hand to reapply in the afternoons.

Hotspot Treatment – I am not sure what happened, but Mac got a really nasty looking hotspot near his rear/tail area. It was all sorts of red and inflamed and it came about a week into quarantine. Of course. I decided to try this out before scheduling a vet visit, and I am glad I did. It cleared it up in about 2 days. Definitely recommend!!! Plus it was a spray, so I didn’t have to touch it like the ointment the vet usually gives. Even better.

Gas Can – Real adult stuff over here. We left our gas cans at the old house when we moved and needed a new one for the lawnmower. This fits the bill. I like that it lasts most of the summer, I should only have to fill it up maybe one or two more times.

Ballet Shoes – We bought Zoe pink shoes for ballet at the beginning of the year, and she needs tan shoes for her recital. I love these ones so much more than the original pair we bought. There are no ties on them, which I highly recommend for kids this age. Her other shoes constantly came undone and drove me insane. These are also holding up better. Her others had looked worn really fast. Hopefully her recital will still happen! It was rescheduled for August.

AudioTechnica Headphones – I needed a good pair of headphones, and these are great. I like how comfortable they are too. They have great reviews, and are inexpensive considering most others of this level.

Dove Baby Wash – Repurchase for Zoe. We have been using this for about 2 years now, we love it!

Tinkle Razor – These are wonderful for the price. I have been stepping up my beauty game over the last year, and decided to see if these really make a difference with the “peach fuzz.” Spoiler alert: they do!!!! My skin looks so much smoother and my foundation goes on a lot better!!! I didn’t think I really had that much on the sides, but again, huge difference. They are easy to use, and for the price, you get a ton! You only have to do this every two months or so. I feel like my serums and stuff are getting absorbed more too.

What have you gotten lately??

The weather was absolutely incredible this weekend!!! It was in the low 80s each day with plenty of sun and a slight breeze. I decided to get Zoe’s pool out. It went really well, until we discovered there must be a hole or leak in it. Zoe made the best of it though and played for hours, even as the water slowly drained out.

She also spent a lot of time playing with her bath baby doll and bathtub. This was a birthday present from last year that has gotten hours and hours of play! We got her a swim barbie for Easter, and she puts them both in the tub and pool. The swim barbie often ends up in the bath/shower with us too.

Sunday, we hung around the house in the morning, and decided to take my car for a drive. We drove all around our town. I was really surprised to see how crowded some stores were, especially Publix and Home Depot. We haven’t been inside anywhere since March 13, getting groceries delivered weekly from Shipt or Instacart. It was actually kind of sad how excited Zoe was about the car ride. She squealed in delight, packed snacks and barbies to take to play with. She fell asleep on the way back to our house, apparently the excitement got to her! She hasn’t napped since the quarantine began either.

I cant say much, because Chris took a shower and I put on a cotton dress, foundation and mascara for the car ride, knowing we weren’t getting out anywhere. We even drove around our neighborhood when we got back, because we weren’t quite ready to go back to the house.

Other than that, we have just been working, fitting in lessons, and enjoying all the outside time before it gets too hot. I really appreciate that Zoe’s school has supplied us with some worksheets while we are all home to incorporate in. We learned all about the life cycle of a butterfly last week. She even did her own graph and understood how it all worked. So cool to watch how her brain learns!

I hope you all are hanging in there. Has your state opened back up yet? Ours has retail at 50%, but most daycares and salon type services are still closed. Restaurants are carry out or curbside pick up only.

This is me watching all the people who go out with the first phase opening and see what happens…