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Fabulous living

Summer Reads

Happy Wednesday! 

As we make our way through June, I always try to use these months as a time to slow down by keeping my schedule a bit more open. 

I like to try to have the flexibility to take a walk after work or enjoy a spontaneous ice cream date without having a packed schedule. I also like to use the summer to catch up on some of my favorite books. Since the start of 2021, I’ve made it a point to read every day, whether it’s a chapter of one book, of 150 pages of another. If you enjoy reading on the beach or having a few good books on hand for vacation, I have a few suggestions for you. This is a round up of my favorite summer reads. This list is a mix of different genres and authors. If you want to keep up with what I’m reading, you can check out my Instagram stories where I keep track of all my books.

Beach Read

If you are on vacation and on the beach, this is the book for you. Beach Read follows the story of a young writer who spends a few months at a little beach house that is left to her.  Her goal is to work on a new book and learn more about the cottage and how it came into her possession, but her next door neighbor proves to be a bit of a distraction. Will our protagonist find the answers she’s looking for  and what will from there cut boy next door? You have to read this fun book to find out. 

Paris is Always a Good Idea

If you are looking to escape, not just to Paris but Ireland and Italy too, this is such a fun read. After working nonstop for nearly a decade, a young professional decides to go to the places she traveled right after college in order to find herself again. She meets some old flames which brings up memories of the past in each of the cities she visits. While abroad, she makes peace with the past, but will it allow her to move on fully once she returns home? Pick up this book and find out. P.S. after reading this book, you will want to book a one way ticket to Europe-the description of the places is incredible!

Not a Happy Family

If you like suspense and mystery and a bit of who done it, here’s a summer read you won’t want to put down. After a large, Easter dinner, the parents of a well-known family are found dead in their home. But, who killed them and why? Was it one of their children? The maid who found them or a random home invasion? This book has so many twists and turns that your guesses will change all throughout the book. This story has a lot of suspense but it’s not too scary that you won’t be able to sleep at night. I do have to warn you, once you start, it will be hard to put it down. 

The Silent Patient

Sticking with thrillers and mysteries. This book tells the story of a doctor who works in a Psych ward and he tries to uncover the mystery behind his patient who is accused of murder but won’t speak. This may seem dark, but it’s much more suspenseful and mysterious than scary. When you start reading, you won’t want to finish until you have all the answers you are looking for. There’s so many twists and turns and the ending will catch you off guard. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!

Grace Not Perfection

If you know me, then I have probably talked to you about my love for Simplified and Emily Ley. Grace Not Perfection is the first book she wrote and it is the perfect summer read. If you are looking for that push to have you slow down and be more present in the moment, this is the book for you. Emily has written other books, but her first book always holds a special place in my heart. This is the perfect book to read as the sun rises or sets or by the pool. Once you read this one, I guarantee you that you will want to read her other books.

Going There

If you are a fan of memoirs, then Katie Couric’s book would be a great option for you. Whether you followed her career for years or just wanted to get to know more about her, I found this book to be so insightful. From her childhood, big stories she’s covered, her personal life and where she is today, she covers a lot of ground. I enjoyed Couric before her book but I respect and admire her even more now. You will learn so much from this book. A must read for anyone who enjoys news, journalism or women being awesome!

If you are a big reader or looking to try some new books for the first time, I hope this list gives you some suggestions for summer reads. What books are you loving this summer? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

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Fabulous living

Three Favorite Things

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday. I found this fun quiz/ survey from Mix and Match Mama’s Blog. I love learning things about other people, especially fun or unique facts and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do one for myself. I borrowed some from Shay’s blog and made up a few on my own. Let’s get to my three favorite things!

MOVIES (This one is soooo hard-but current favorites)

A Star is Born

Such a good movie

Life Itself

Again, another life changing movie

Love Actually

One of my favorite movies of all time especially around Christmas time.

           BOOKS

                                     Year of Yes 

Another life changing book

                                     Grace not Perfection

Grace Not Perfection- an inspiring book for all

                                     Pride and Prejudice 

A romance that never gets old

                                     TV SHOWS (OF ALL TIME)

                                     Bones

One of my favorite shows of all time

                                      Grey’s Anatomy 

Old photo but I can’t get enough of this show

                                     This is Us

Another fantastic show

                                     RESTAURANTS (FAST FOOD-ISH)

                                     Chipotle

                                     Panera

                                     Chick-Fil -A

                                     PLACES I’VE VISITED

                                     Rome, Italy

                                     Hershey, PA

Getting away for a bit at my favorite place-Hershey, PA

                                     New York City, NY

One of my last visits from NYC, can’t wait to go back soon

                                     PLACES I WANT TO VISIT

                                     Paris, France

                                     London, England

                                     Dublin, Ireland

                                     FAVORITE HOLIDAYS

                                     Christmas

Christmas morning spent well, the tree all lit, a warm cup of hot chocolate and time spent with family

                                     Thanksgiving

Forever thankful for family on Thanksgiving

                                     Fourth of July

Rocking my Red, White, and Blue for the 4th

                                     THREE THINGS I ALWAYS HAVE IN MY PURSE

A closer look at what’s in my purse

                                     Earbuds

                                     Phone Charger

                                     Wallet

                                     FAVORITE DESSERTS

My favorite fall dessert made by my mom

                                     Warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies

                                     Chocolate cake

                                     Apple Crisp

                                     FAVORITE WAYS TO MAKE TIME FOR MYSELF

                                     Read

I always like to read after a long day

                                     Do my Nails

Nothing makes me feel better than a fresh coat of polish

                                     Watch a movie/latest tv show I’m binge watching

Such a good mini series that I just finished watching

Well there you have it, some of my three favorite things. If you guys liked it, let me know and I will do it again, this was so much fun and it really made me think about my favorite things. Pick a few things and add your responses to the comments below! Have a great start to your week!

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Fabulous living

Things To Do on a Quiet Weekend

Hey Everyone!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is off to a great start. I just got back from a very restful and much needed break at home. It was so good to get home for a while and rejuvenate for a bit. This is a big week, not only is it the last week before midterms but I am also leaving on Friday to head off to Rome, Italy for Spring Break!!!

So, why am I going to Rome?! I have been a part of a leadership program since I’ve been in college and one of the last components of the program is to learn and apply everything we have learned these past three years for a week in Rome. I travelled to Italy when I was in high school and I can’t wait to go back and get a new experience for this second time. I’ll be sure to post updates of my time abroad as well as several blog posts in the upcoming future. 

Now, moving on to today’s topic: we are talking all about things to do during a quiet weekend. Whether you are a college student like myself, a young working professional, or a parent with free little time to yourself, I hope this post gives you ideas on ways to relax or activities to do when you don’t have a lot to do on the weekends.  

As a college student, I often find myself busy through the week with classes, meetings, and commitments. However, during the weekends, everything tends to slow down, people head home for the weekend, there is not as many things going on, and the weekends are generally quiet. During my time in college, I’ve found many ways to occupy myself when things are quiet, there is only so much homework you can do and you can only get so far ahead in classes. Here are my favorite things to do on the weekend.

  • Binge watch the latest show on Netflix– I’m currently watching American Crime Story “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”, I’m obsessed with it. I loved watching “The People vs. OJ Simpson” a few years ago and was so excited when they came out with a second season. 
Such a good mini series
  • Pick up a book and escape to a new world for a few hours– Although it is hard to come across time to read in college, free time on the weekend gives me time to get ahead on reading and relaxing. I just finished Jessie James Decker’s book, “Just Jessie” and I loved it. It was so easy to read and a good escape from my college books. I’ll be posting my review of her book in the next few weeks. 
Such a fun book
  • Call up that friend you haven’t talked to in forever and catch up.-This is something I have been trying to do more this semester, I have been doing my best to reconnect with old friends, whether they are high school friends or childhood friends. There is nothing better than facetiming with a friend, swapping stories and sharing memories.
  • Self Care Night– After a busy week, take some time for yourself, whether it’s running a bubble bath and reading, doing a facemask, or painting your nails, pamper yourself with something special and make sure you are putting your best self forward for a new week ahead. 
Nothing makes me feel better than a fresh coat of polish. I wore this color for Valentine’s Day!
  • Take a walk or work out.-Not as relaxing but you will feel better after. Sometimes a walk outside is all we need to clear our heads and recharge our batteries. If a walk is not your thing then hit the gym and sweat the stress away. Get your blood pumping and heart racing and you will feel great after!
  • Do something productive– If you have checked all these things off your list of things to do, then tackle a project that has been needing your attention for a while, whether it is a junk drawer that needs cleaned out, a binder that needs organized, clothes than need laid out, or meal prepping for the week ahead, set time aside to get ahead for the week so you aren’t scrambling on Monday morning. 

I hope this list gives you some examples of things to do on a quiet weekend, although sometimes we crave the quiet and just need silence, it can also get boring and mundane. What activities to do you like to do on those few quiet weekends?

See you on Thursday for a new look of the day!

Categories
Fabulous living

Winter Break Book Review

Happy Tuesday. How is your week looking? Hectic? Calm? Too early to tell? The past few weeks have flown by for me, I think between getting into a new schedule for the semester and working the past few weekends the weeks have gone by much faster. 

Today, I am finally getting around to sharing my Winter Break Book Review, I know it’s way overdue, but better late than never right? During my month home I read two books. I wish I read more but time got away from me. I read “My Oxford Year”by Julie Whelan and “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity”by Matthew Kelly. Both were very good books but very diverse in the subject matter and genre. Let’s dive into these tales.

My Oxford Year

“My Oxford Year” tells the story of a young American student, Ella Duran who is studying in Oxford. She meets Jamie Davenport, a handsome date who turns out to be her lecturer. She has high dreams and aspirations and doesn’t want to be derailed by a romance abroad. There are many unexpected twists and turns, especially the ending. There were so many times when the book changed directions that I never would have expected. Overall, this book tells the story of hard work, pursing your dreams, making friends with people who never expected and putting your goals on hold for those you love. I had seen this book on many book reviews over the summer and I was so excited I could finally read it, I was not disappointed at all.

One thing that was different about my experience with this book is that I tried the audiobook of it instead of reading it. I’ve heard many people make the transition from reading books to listening to them, and at this point, I hate to say I am not one of them. It was nice to listen to the book while I did other things such as clean, wash, or computer work, but I still like the feeling of reading for leisure. Now, I know people listen to the books while they drive and I haven’t tried that yet, so I plan on giving it another try soon but for now I think I’m going to stick to the reading of books. 

The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity

The next book I read was “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly. Last summer I read “Perfectly Yourself”by Matthew Kelly and I loved it so I couldn’t wait to read this on and it didn’t disappoint. Here’s my book review with Perfectly Yourself.“The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” is all about living life to the fullest and doing things and making choices that truly make us happy. It also shows us what things we can do to make our lives happier and be more content and not be overwhelmed by so much noise. I found this book to be therapeutic and relaxing. I read a chapter or two a day and I loved the positive message that it spread. I loved it so much I went on to gift it to two other people. I read this book as opposed to listening to it and I preferred it much better, especially when I was reading it with a candle burning and a warm cup of hot coco, can you think of anything better?!

One of my favorite quotes from Matthew Kelly’s book

That’s a bit of a recap of two great books I read over break. Although, I am back to school and in classes, I’m trying to carve some time every day to read, even if it is just a chapter. 

What are you guys currently reading? I love new suggestions? Also, do you guys prefer to listen to books or read them?

See you on Thursday for warm and toasty outfit for the winter months!

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Uncategorized

The Importance of Slowing Down

Enjoying some quiet time in the morning before my crazy and long day gets underway.

Hello! Hello!

Happy Tuesday! I just got back from a restful weekend following a crazy week which reminded me that I need to slow down more. Today is all about the importance of stepping back and slowing down. Life is crazy, it’s full of wonderful, exciting, crazy, stressful moments.

The transition from living at home to living at college is tough but it’s also tough to move back home. Now, I love school and college but I also love being home. One thing that I noticed coming back home was the chaos and busy schedules. I loved being at school and setting my own schedule from classes to meals and hanging out with friends. When I got home, I was thrown into other people’s schedules which was hard. It made me realize that although my life may be busy I need to carve time out to slow down. Whether you come from a family of six or a family of two, there is bound to be times when you are always on the go.

Life can be stressful and crazy so we need to take care of ourselves before we lose control of everything. For me, I take time when I come home from work before going to another activity for myself. Instead of coming in and starting on wash or picking up, I will go outside and read for fifteen or twenty minutes. The wash will always be there and will need to be done. But, it’s important that I take a few minutes for myself.

There are so many ways we can slow down and take time for ourselves. For example, go for a walk after dinner, find things to add to your boards on Pinterest, read between activities, watch your latest show on Netflix while folding wash (yes, multitasking—my favorite word), even just sitting and doing nothing (even staring at wall) works too! We are constantly pressured to take care of your bodies by working out, and our families but entertaining, we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. The next time you are late to a soccer game or your boss kept piling more and more things on your desk, take a breath, give yourself a break and make sure you are taken care of too.

Our lives maybe filled with schedules and agendas but, it’s important to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.