Tag: one Italian summer

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #43

Happy Friday Friends and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!! This month flew by, I feel like we were just celebrating Motherā€™s Day and here we are at Memorial Day weekend!

This past month has been up and down weather-wise. Some days, we hit 70ā€™s and others were in the 50ā€™s. Last weekend, I had a family wedding and it was so nice to celebrate love and see family!Ā 

Zoo trips are back this season!

Besides Memorial Day Weekend, itā€™s also my birthday weekend. Iā€™m looking forward to celebrating on the actual day and a bit before.

Now, that Iā€™ve got you all caught up on all things in life, hereā€™s what Iā€™ve been loving this week as I link up with ErikaĀ andĀ Andrea!

Lemon Bundt Cake-I have been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables as we get closer to summer and that includes desert too. I made a lemon bundt cake last week and it was the perfect taste for spring. It was sweet and moist and had so much flavor. You can eat it solo or with some vanilla ice cream or fresh fruit. A lemon cake and fresh strawberries would be divine for a summer night dessert. If a cake isnā€™t your cup of tea, you can make these into cupcakes or muffins. The possibilites are endless!

The sweetest cake for spring!

The Dinner List– I have been a big fan of Rebecca Serleā€™s books. Iā€™ve enjoyed In Five Years and One Italian Summer and I was excited to read The Dinner List. The book follows a young woman as she enjoys a dinner with five important people in her life. The purpose behind the dinner is explained through the book and different relationships are explained through the story. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters, but the end had me grasping for more. I wasnā€™t ready for it to end!

Such a good read!

Brain Dumps– This month has been so busy with all the activities, events and to-doā€™s and the only way I have been keeping it all straight (besides my Simplified planner) is by writing everything down and doing periodic brain dumps. A brain dump is when you literally put everything that needs done or whatā€™s on your mind on a giant list and break it down about what needs done. I always write to-doā€™s for the day in my planner, but sometimes, for long term lists or detailed to-doā€™s, having it in one spot is a game changer. I love these large pads from Simplified, not only are they super cute but have a ton of space for lists.

The best notepad for brain dumps!

Selling Sunset Season 6– One of my favorite reality shows is back! Selling Sunset is my guilty pleasure and there has been so much drama and excitement this season. From new characters to familiar faces, incredible homes and all the dramaā€¦this season has been so good. Iā€™m currently watching it as I type this post. The only downside is that once I finish it, I have to wait for a new season. If you are watching this season, what are your thoughts so far?!

Substack– Have you heard of Substack and started using it? Itā€™s a platform to read blogs and newsletters. A lot of writers I follow have joined substack. Some you have to pay to read their newsletters, but others offer free subscriptions. A few of my favorite writers on Substack right now include Emily Ley and Elizabeth Holmes (are we surprised?) I have been loving following Holmesā€™ coverage of the Coronation. Sheā€™s been providing both newsletters and podcast about it. Substack has been a fun place to get lots of content in one place.Ā 

Some of my Substack reads

Thatā€™s a roundup of some of my favorite things this week. From books, to food, and shows, I hope you found a new favorite here. Tell me, as we gear up for Memorial Day weekend, what are your plans? I hope you can enjoy some fun time outside and with family! Happy Friday!

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Recommendation Roundup

Recommendation Roundup #1

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday!

I’m kicking off a new series today called Recommendation Roundup where I gather and share a variety of things I’m reading and watching. You may see me talk about a series I watched or a book I read in a Friday Favorites post or a Currently post, but this series will be one spot where I share my recent top recommendations for the series. Don’t worry, I’ll still be sharing what things I’m loving week by week, but this series that will come out every few months will be a one stop shop for recent favorite things.Ā 

Hereā€™s the first recommendation roundup. 

For the book lover:

Taylor Jenkins Reid books. Like so many other readers, I have fallen in love with Taylor Jenkins Reid and her writing. I love that several of her books are in the same universe, meaning you could be reading one book and then thereā€™s a reference to a character from another book. Such a creative way to tell a story and to find little Easter eggs in the books. 

So far Iā€™ve read

Daisy Jones and the Six

Malibu Rising

Carrie Soto is Back

One True Loves

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

(I canā€™t choose a favorite since they were all so good and have their unique storylines. But, I do have to say, I have loved seeing Daisy Jones and the Six come alive on the big screen. I canā€™t wait for One True Loves to come out soon.)

Rebecca Serle books. Iā€™ve read a few of Serle books and I love how she ties family, love friendship and finding oneself all in one. I also love how she usually has a twist in her books too. She has a way of writing that once you start, you canā€™t put it down. 

So far Iā€™ve read:

In Five Years

One Italian Summer

Colleen Hoover books. I just started reading some of Hooverā€™s books but I have found myself hooked with her thriller themes and intriguing way of writing. There have been so many times when Iā€™ve wanted to stop reading since a storyline was getting intense, but couldnā€™t put it down. Even after reading the books, I still think of the endings.

So far Iā€™ve read

November 9

Verity

It Ends with Us

For the binge watcher:

Downton Abbey (PBS) – A classic period piece with two movies that follows. This series follows a family whoā€™s male heir dies and itā€™s up to the family to find a husband for one of the three daughters within the family. The series follows the wealthy family in England through ups and downs, war, love, marriage, loss, friendship and new decades. I was hooked on this series and equally loved the movies.

Greyā€™s Anatomy (ABC) – A series that I have watched for years. It starts with five interns on the first day working in the hospital and follows them through residency and eventually becoming attendings. Thereā€™s love, loss, death, drama, lots of crazy, unexpected plot twists, natural disasters, characters coming and going, but after over 20 seasons, itā€™s still going strong.

This season is off to a great start!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)– This follows a woman who takes a chance on becoming a stand up comedian in the 1950ā€™s. The costumes are fantastic, the one-liners are too funny and the scripting keeps you on your toes. After watching this series, you will wish you were back in New York City in the 1950ā€™s.

Emily in Paris (Netflix)– This tells the story of a young girl who moves to Paris for a job and ends up falling in love with the city. I drool over the fashion, Emily pulls off outfits that I couldnā€™t pull off. Thereā€™s some love triangles, cute one liners, gorgeous Paris scenes and of course lots of finding oneself.Ā 

Outer Banks (Netflix)- It may seem like a teen drama and it is, but once you start, itā€™s hard to stop until you see if a group of high school friends discover buried treasure. Just when you think, things canā€™t get crazier, thereā€™s another twist. Definitely a fun show to have on in the background.

For the podcaster

The Simplified podcast -Emily Ley and her team put out episodes once a week where they offer ways to simplify and automate your life. They cover topics like friendship, family, cleaning, organizing, schooling, relationships, holiday prep, summer fun and more. Itā€™s such a fun way to find ways to make my life simpler.

Thatā€™s my recent roundup of recommendations. Some of my all time favorite things. The next time you are searching for something new to read or watch, I hope this provides some suggestions. Happy hobbying!

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Currently

Currently #32

Hey guys!

Happy Wednesday! As we wind down with another month, Iā€™m sharing what Iā€™ve been up to this past month. August was a busy month, from days trips to family vacations and last minute cramming in all the summer fun!

What Iā€™ve been up to-This month was filled with soaking up summer! From bonfires, a trip to an amusement park at home, a family vacation, packing up my brother for college and a weekend wedding, plus add in wrapping up a big work project, August was a busy month, but so fun! It was so good to soak up the sunshine and squeeze in some summer fun!

Summer s’mores and bonfires!
Family trip to the beach!
Fun times being a kid at a local amusement park.

What Iā€™m Wearing– As summer winds down, Iā€™m making sure I wear all my summer clothes, from sundresses, shorts and t shirts and bathing suits! We took our family trip to the beach and it was so good to just wear a bathing suit and shorts most of the trip, it reminded me the days of being a kid. Old Navy had a few great sales that I fully took advantage of. Be sure to stay tuned on a clothing haul post soon!

My uniform for the beach (and most of the summer)…shorts and t shirts!

What Iā€™m Reading-August was such a good reading month! I read three great books back to back! I started the month with Finding Freedom. This books follows the story of Harry and Meghan from when they met to their decision to step back as Senior Working Royals. Iā€™ve always been interested in the Royal Family and found this book to be so enlightening. If you are interested in Harry and Meghan, I definitely recommend this book.

After such a good book, I didnā€™t know how to top it, well I found it with One Italian Summer. This is one of the hottest books this summer! Iā€™ve been on a waiting list to read it since May. It was definitely worth the wait. It follows the story of a young woman who loses her mother and takes a trip to Italy and learns more about who her mother was as a young woman. I loved the description and how vivid the author makes the setting in the book. I loved the plot twist at the end! 5 STARS for me!

After hearing about this next book for years, I finally got my hands on Daisy Jones and the Six. I loved the way this book was told (itā€™s told through a series of interviews). The story follows the story of a fictional band and what led to their formation to what led to their demise. I fell in love with the characters and the plot. I canā€™t wait to watch the series on Amazon Prime.

What Iā€™m Watching: Iā€™ve been spending so much time outdoors, I havenā€™t been watching a lot of movies or shows this summer. I did recently finish Maid on Netflix which follows the true storyĀ  of a young woman and mom who after getting out of a bad relationship must start from the ground up. I shared a bit about it on my last currently. It was definitely a heavier mini series but itā€™s one that really sticks with you. After hearing a lot about it, Iā€™m glad I got to watch it for myself.Ā 

What Iā€™m Loving: All the times outdoors! From walks to zoo trips, amusement parks, beach days, even just sitting by the pool. Iā€™m doing my best to get outdoors as much as I can before the seasons change.

Time spent reading and outdoors is a favorite of mine in the summer!
Grilling has been another summer favorite!

What Inspires Me: After spending a few days at the beach, I really loved having a few days to slow down. Iā€™ve found that day to day, you donā€™t realize how busy life gets and how itā€™s always go, go, go, until you stop to catch your breath. Iā€™m glad I had a few days to recharge and slow down.

It felt so good to relax for a few days at the beach!
Enjoying outdoor dining was another summer favorite!

What I Accomplished: I checked off almost all my summer bucket list options as shown from my post last week, plus I got a few extra activities thrown in tooĀ 

Ending the summer months by relaxing at a lake for the weekend.

Goals from Last Month: From a family vacation to entertaining guests, afternoons reading and nights swimming. I got so much in and the good news is just because kids may be back to school doesnā€™t mean the weather gets cold, Iā€™m looking forward to spending more time outdoors as long as the weather permits it!

Beach days!
And ice cream nights!

Goals for this Month: As much as I hate to say this while still in August, next month, Iā€™m looking forward the transition of one season to another. Iā€™m excited to start thinking about my fall bucket list and still enjoying the time outdoors. I love walks in the fall and seeing the leaves change. Thankfully we still have time before it gets too cold, so right now Iā€™m going to enjoy all the sunshine I can and I hope you will too!

Fun times entertaining this summer!

Enjoy the last few days of August!