Hey there, Friday!!! I am surviving my first week at my new job. Crazy to think about, really. I have been settling in and getting a hang of the new to me systems and software. The actual position is one I have held before for six years, so it has all been coming back to me pretty quickly. I am back to the world of looking at excel sheets all day. 

The rest of my Nordstrom order finally showed up at my house this week. I LOVE the jeans I ordered, the cardigan and my pink Nikes!!! The studded loafer shoes were even cuter in person, and that is why I am devastated to say…they run incredibly small. I tried them on and they KILLED the back of my heels immediately. And I ordered the larger of the two sizes I wear. So they need to go back. I already had my necklace and twist front sweater, and loved both of those as well. What did you get?

Favorite Moments: It is so refreshing to be treated like an adult again in the work place. I set my own hours, come and go for lunch whenever I want to, I was able to wear a jean jacket to the office again!!! Oh how I have missed my jean jacket!!!! I got to pick my seat when I got there, instead of being told this is where you sit. Its the little things, you know???

I am also super excited that I can leave and go places for lunch, and am not just stuck walking a few block radius around my building. It will be nice to run some errands during the week again.

We got a letter yesterday that Zoe is moving up again at daycare. She just moved up back in May…and now we are moving up for the new school year. We have open house next week, so I am excited to meet her new teachers and see which friends are going to be in her class. She is moving across the hallway!!!! We have hit up every room on one side…and now we are crossing over to the “big girl’ side. It is bittersweet, because time is moving too damn fast!

Favorite Beauty Items: Speaking of things I am loving, I tried out a new to me NYX eye liner over a month ago and am obsessed! I have definitely put it through the summer heat/humidity and a funeral and it stood all the tests flawlessly.

I also snagged a killer deal on the Tarte Maneater Palette from Ulta this week! You guys, it’s half off!!!! Go get  you one! The colors are gorgeous and perfect for now and the fall. I can really see myself getting a lot of use out of it in the fall with the warm shades. Plus, who doesn’t love a little animal print packaging??

And I am struggling with deodorant again. A few months ago I went and bought freaking Old Spice because none of the Secrets, Degrees, etc were holding up 100% of the time. And forget natural deodorant, I have tried so many and NONE of them hold up for me. Old Spice was alright, but it wasn’t perfect. And it was turning the skin under my arms tough and discolored. So I finally bit the bullet and bought Donna Karen Cashmere Mist. I have heard a lot of people that have this issue have gone to this and never looked back. I have only been using it a week, but I have to say….it is seriously living up to the hype. It kills me to have to pay this much for deodorant, but I am willing to if it is the only thing that will work. Bonus, I love the smell and packaging and feel all fancy using it each morning.

Headphones: I wanted to get some headphones for work. I checked out a few at Best Buy and asked Chris’s opinion, since he is the king of headphones. I wanted something cheap, as I am mainly wanting to listen to audiobooks, and maybe a little music. I didn’t need noise cancelling or anything, because I need to be able to hear my phone ring or a coworker call my name. I ended up getting the JLAB JBUDS Air and I am loving them! They come in a cute little carrying case that charges them up, lasts for 14 hours and are comfortable and sound great.

Favorite Recipe: I whipped out an oldie, but goodie this week with the Stuffed Pepper Soup from Skinnytaste. Sooooo good! Reheats just perfect too! 

Favorite Funnies:

Favorite Moments: Grabbed lunch with a sweet friend on Wednesday to celebrate some good news. Poke bowls forever and ever and ever.

What good news you ask? Today is my last day at my current job. I have accepted a job with another company and start Monday!!!! I have been trying to train my replacement this past week and finish up any outstanding projects I have been working on. It is bittersweet as I say goodbye. I really love what I do, but there are some things about my job that leave a lot to be desired and I am excited for my new journey and opportunities. I will miss some of the people I work with now.

Favorite Nordstrom Purchases: Of course, I shopped the Nsale last Friday and narrowed my cart down to a few items that I am really excited about! There has been so much talk about the sale, and people who are hating on those talking about the sale. My school of thought is, if you don’t like the posts….don’t read them. I cant be mad at people for trying to make a living. (I use affiliate links. It took me like five years to cash out $100 with ShopStyle Collective because I don’t use them that often and only make a few cents on said links.) You do you, boo! I have early access because I have a debit card with them, so all of my purchases are basically paid with cash. How people pay for their stuff they share is none of my concern. I am just really excited about the few things I scooped up, and like seeing what my blogger friends got as well. So here we go!

Kut from the Kloth High Waste Skinny – I love this brand, their jeans are so comfy and stretchy and cute. I needed another pair of jeans that fit well, as some of the ones I have are too big and some are too small and I am in that weird phase.

Steve Madden Father Studded Loafer – I actually saw the snake print shoes in the photo above when I added my jeans and I was like, ohhhh those are cute!!!! But they were already sold out in my size, and I figured the gray ones would be more practical anyways. I dont have any gray shoes.

Nike Blazer Low Sneaker – How freaking cute are these????? When I am dressed casual, I will whip out my rose gold adidas shell toed shoes. But when I am wearing leggings, I dont love them with that. Enter these! Also, I just really love the pink!!! I had been contemplating the pink gazelles forever, but I think I like these more.

Leith Longline – Got this in the pink color and can’t wait to see it! (unfortunately, half my order still hasn’t even shipped yet….RUDE!!!!) I know from shopping at Nordstrom, that I like Leith cardigans in general though and this silhouette is gorgeous.

Gorjana Shimmer Coin Pendant Necklace – Gorjana is one of my favorite jewelry lines from Nordstrom. Just really gorgeous, timeless pieces that hold up really well. I scooped up this coin pendant before it sold out…and it looks like it has been restocked today!

Gibson Cozy Twist Pullover- I couldn’t decide between this and the cardigan in the same print. I decided on the pullover because I always wear cardigans and wanted something different. This has already come in, and it is super soft!!! I will say, I ordered my regular size and I probably could have sized down one. It does run a little large….but I plan to keep the one I ordered because I prefer things a little bigger.

Favorite Funnies:

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!!!!

Another weekend came and gone in a blink of an eye! I have been on the struggle bus lately. I have had a horrible cough for the last three and a half weeks. It turned into bronchitis, and apparently doesn’t want to go away anytime soon. Probably the worst thing ever being in an open work space. Sorry co-workers!

This past weekend, we had so much fun! Saturday morning we headed out to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate S’s birthday! This was Zoe’s first time there, and let’s just say she is a huge fan of the establishment and the creepy mouse.

Shout out to Laura for the candid family shot! She has already asked to go back, so I have a feeling that it will be happening again soon. I don’t think Chris minds either….he sure did rack up on tickets!

We also checked out Twisted Root Burgers while we were in the area. It was a fun little place that serves delicious burgers and had some fun areas outside for family fun. I did notice that they had alcohol, so holla! And they are supposed to be known for their ridiculously fun milkshakes. Unfortunately when we were there, the milkshake machine was down. Probably for the best, as I did not need it. But a good excuse to go back! Zoe thoroughly enjoyed her burger.I absolutely loved their house fountain sodas! Black cherry, root beer, cream soda. I had to taste them all!

Sunday we went grocery shopping in the morning, and hung around the house the rest of the day. Zoe took a very long mid-day nap, and Chris and I caught up on about three hours worth of Billions. Priorities. Screw cleaning the house! We have really been enjoying that show.

Sunday morning, while we were getting ready to leave….Zoe wanted an OOTD picture. She hadn’t requested one for awhile so I was excited. Full on cheesin’.

After I snapped a few of her, she said come on mommy….me and you!!! I snapped one of the two of us looking at the camera, and I was continuing to snap as she said looked at me and said…we are best friends mommy! Melt my heart. I am so glad I captured that! I hope she always feels that way!

Today, Nine Perfect Strangers is due back to the library and I still have like four hours worth of reading to do. Ugh! Anyone want to give me a cliff notes on what happens. I think I will probably skip ahead to the end, but I was just getting into the good stuff. The first part of the book was really slow and now I am like WTF is happening?!?!?!

I hope you all are having a wonderful week! I am going to try to come back for some Friday Favorites, because I have some good ones!

Reading

I am trying to get through Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. For whatever reason, it is taking me a little bit to get into it. But I can tell it is going to be better than Truly, Madly, Guilty. Or at least, I hope so!

Listening

Still loving the Influenced podcast from Lindsay! I tune in every week to listen, except for last weeks book one because I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy of the book yet.

Watching

Billions – Have you seen the show? It airs on Showtime. We have really gotten into it over the last few weeks while all of our normal shows are on break for summer. I really enjoy so many of the characters.

Melting

Seriously. It is HOT down here!!!! The heat index has been between 105-110 for days and my northern blood just can’t handle all the heat, no matter how long I have been down here for.

Playing

We have been outside a lot, despite said heat. I try to wait until the sun isn’t shining on the front of our house….around 530-600 pm. We have bought a lot of outside toys and games over the past few months. Ring toss, lawn darts, corn hole, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a small pool, water table, bike for Zoe, etc. Plus we take a lot of family walks. It is so much fun watching her explore and play out there. She has really enjoyed swim days at home, as well as the ones she has at school. My little mermaid!

Reflecting

It has been a long few weeks. Chris’s grandmother passed away on Friday and her funeral was Monday. It is always hard to see the family hurting after the loss. It also makes you think about things in a different perspective. At her funeral, her BIL had made a comment about how she never had anything bad to say about anyone. And no matter when you saw her, she always presented her best self. It made me think about would people say about me if I were gone today.

Planning

Due to the death in the family, we did not go on our annual beach trip around the 4th as planned. We did enjoy the day at Chris’s sisters house with all his siblings and their kids. They grilled out, and the kids went swimming. It was odd not being at the beach to watch the fireworks. We really needed a trip away for awhile. We still do. I am hoping we can get away for a weekend soon. Or at least plan some fun things to do for Zoe. I would like to take her to see her first movie in a theater. Maybe check out the science center, they have a really cool kids area there. Zoe will have her first trip to Chuck E Cheese this weekend for a special friend’s birthday party!

Goals

Our beach trip was my line in the sand for getting back on track. I planned to get back to healthier/leaner lunches and dinners during the week. More strict meal planning, adding time to my morning workouts etc. Since we didn’t go, it sort of feels like I was cheated a week of fun. And that last hurrah, but no excuses or line in the sand now. Gotta get back on it! I feel like I need to branch out and not go back to the usual recipes I always get in a rut with when trying to eat healthier. I had let rice and other carbs creep back into our dinners. Instead of preparing lunches on my own the last few weeks, I have been grabbing adult “lunchables” and eating out more often. I have got to stop all that! But I also don’t want to go back to eating cauliflower rice for four months straight at lunch like I was doing before I went rogue. What are some of your favorite recipes right now for lunch or dinner??? Heck even breakfast, as I tend to get in major breakfast ruts since I hate eggs and don’t have a lot of time in the mornings.

Deals

I scored everything you see above at the Dollar Tree!!! The Body Book was on my TBR forever, $1 for Cameron Diaz????? OK!!!! Zoe loves coloring and painting, and I was really surprised to see the selection that they had there. The shimmer shine paints came with a paint brush and each painting sheet has its own colors, all you need is water! She LOVES it and it has really occupied a lot of her time .More than the usual 5 minutes, anyways.

It’s time again for Show Us Your Books! I read two Netgalley books this month!! Who am I??? I am lucky if I can get through one a month, and the rest are usually audiobooks. I am slowly dwindling down on my Netgalley bookshelf. Don’t worry, there are still like 15 others. I have banned myself from requesting more until I can get that under control. Until the next email comes along alerting me to something awesome….

Linking up with Steph and Jana.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

I love fire based shows (Chicago Fire, Station 19) and my dad has been a volunteer fire fighter for over 30 years, so you can say I am a fan of firefighters and their lives. I was really excited to read this book. I really liked how strong of a character Cassie was, and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. I work in an industry that is male dominated, having been the only female in the office more than once, and know how boys club works. Though, not quite to the extent that I am sure other industries are. After reading this and How to Walk Away, this author has quickly risen to my must read list.

Bottom Line: Read it!

** I received a copy of Things You Save in a Fire from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.**

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand

This is pretty much everything you want from an Elin Hilderbrand book! You have a messy family, a sad event, delicious food, and of course…Nantucket. You really get to know the characters in this book, and there are some deeper issues with quite a few of the characters, not your average care free beach read with only fluff.

Bottom Line: If you enjoy Hildebrand, you will like this one.

The Last Post by Renee Carlino

Renee Carlino quickly became a must read for me after Swear On the Life and Before We Were Strangers. I also read Wish You Were Here and loved it too. I was denied for her last book on Netgalley, I cant even remember what it was called, so like a child, I refused to read it. According to one of my book besties, it was total shit, so I am glad I didn’t read it! And here we are with her latest.

I don’t even know what to say about this book. The story line was good, and there was a lot of character growth and development. But it was a little odd too? It is about a woman who loses her husband after a year of marriage and she is grieving. She can’t let him go and still posts on his Facebook page and calls and leaves messages on his cell phone. And a guy who works at the woman’s fathers architectural firm, who basically stalks Laya and reads the Facebook posts and shows up at random places, etc. It was hard to like Micah at first, because of his stalker tendencies, and Laya is such a mess. And a lot of the middle of the book was a little meh for me. It was really heavy and dark, but then also, I felt like there was something missing too?

But then, the end of the book came back around for me and I am glad I read it. So I cant really tell you 100% how I feel about the book. It is no Swear on This Life, I can tell you that. But I guess in the end, I end it up liking it?

Bottom Line: Normally I say something like, if you are a fan of Carlino, read it! But in this case, it isn’t really anything like her other books. I am glad I did read it, because I thought about the book a lot. If you don’t mind a book that goes a little rogue in the middle, and some heavier things…it was a decent plot line and the characters did come together for me.

**I received a copy of The Last Post from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

This book threw me off just a little, because I didn’t realize it was going to be a cozy mystery type book. Once I got in the right mindset, I enjoyed it more. Drue’s character was a little over the top sometimes with the “down on her luck” issues, but it added to the charm of the book. There are basically two mysteries that you follow throughout the book, and that was kind of interesting. Neither was really cut and dry either, like your typical cozy mystery. There was some depth to it. It was a fun beach read type book.

Bottom Line: If you enjoy a good mystery or beach read, check it out!

Currently Reading

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty