Currently #65

Currently

Jun 4

Hello everyone!

Happy Wednesday and Happy June!

Whether school is out for summer or this is just another month, I hope you are making the best of the first week of a new month. I’m coming off of a busy weekend with my brother’s graduation and family time and celebrations. It was our last big event on the calendar and it was a great time.

I’m playing a bit of catch-up with today’s post. Typically, I have my Currently posts at the end of the month, but due to my birthday post, I decided to push Currently back a week, which means you get more content to enjoy.

Let’s get into today’s post and catch you up on all this month’s happenings.

What I’m Up to:

May was all about soaking up the sunshine. From trees, to flowers, everything was in bloom and I tried to get out as much as possible.

May brought outdoor walks and runs. Participating in #Walkeverydayinmay really forced me to get outside and get my steps in for daily walks (whether they were long walks or short ones)

It brought eating lunches and dinners outside.

It also brought ice cream dates. All things I was checking off my spring bucket list!

I also got to enjoy lots of time outside which included walks, a visit to the farmer’s market and reading in the park.

I attended a local event which featured lots of Broadway music and hits. What a treat!

I got to celebrate more graduations and family dinners out over the past month. This tuna salad was to die for!

Plus, more ice cream dates. M&M’s are my favorite toppings.

Memorial Day kicked off with an sunrise run.

What I’m Reading:

After a bit of slump, I read some great books this month.

Remarkably Bright Creatures- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is about three characters, an older woman who works as a cleaner at night, a young man looking for his father, and an octopus in an aquarium. This heartwarming book is all about moving on, getting closure and answers and being free. I never thought I would get attached to an octopus. Such a good book and I can see why it’s so popular!

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus- Emma Knight’s The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus was a book that I heard a lot of great things about. It’s all about a college student who goes digging into her father’s past and his college friends. She uncovers truths about her family’s past while she’s discovering herself. There were definitely a lot of mature topics covered, but it had a lot of relatable themes. It was good, but not my favorite book.

The Sixth Wedding- The Sixth Wedding by Elin Hilderbrand is a sequel to her hit, 28 Summers. It’s all about the characters from the original book and where they are in life following 28 Summers. I really loved the “Where are they Now” feel to the book. I listened to it as an audiobook coming back from a trip and it made the time pass by in a breeze.

This is a Love Story-Jessica Stoffer’s This is a Love Story is a beautiful love note to New York City and Central Park. It’s all about a man who is recounting the love story about his wife, to his wife, who is dying. Through the story, the reader learns about the highs and lows of the couple's relationship and the role that Central Park plays in their life. This book was filled with so much joy, love, and the raw moments of life. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who asks me about it!

This Summer Will Be Different- I know This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune came out last summer, but I just got around to reading it ahead of this summer. It’s all about a girl who escapes to her best friend’s family home in Prince Edward Island, Canada to clear her mind, gain some perspective and help her friend through some major life changes. She spends time with her best friend’s brother, who are leading gal has a bit of a past with. The themes of friendship, love, putting yourself first, and new beginnings are all woven through the novel. A great read to kick off summer.

The Next Mrs. Parrish- The Next Mrs. Parrish was a sequel to the Last Mrs. Parrish. It picks up several months after the first book. The characters of Daphne, Amber, and Jackson are all back. But there are some new characters introduced. There’s lying, deception, mystery and intrigue. All the workings of a good read. I don’t think there needed to be a sequel but I did enjoy it.

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook- I read the book, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook on my phone through the month of May. It’s all about a girl who believes her twin sister died, but learns she was sent away to a state facility. When she goes to investigate, she learns her sister has gone missing and staff mistake her as her sister. While she’s locked up, she learns a lot of hidden truths at this facility, especially when more girls go missing. This was a thrilling book, but was rushed to finish it before it was due back. I wish I took more time to read it.

What I’m Watching:

YOU- I spent the last month watching the final season of YOU. It was interesting to see how everything wrapped up for Joe Goldberg. I liked how they tied things up with characters and plot lines and answered some questions too. If you watched the series, what did you think?

The Four Seasons- I watched the mini-series, The Four Seasons this past month too. It’s a comedy about three groups of friends from college, who over the course meet up and it’s all about updates on where they are at in life. It’s all about the ups and downs of life, from relationships to health issues, and every day happenings. Although there were some heavier moments, I loved the light-hearted nature of the series.

I also have been making my way through Gilmore Girls as I get ready in the mornings or unwind at the end of the day.

Now time for the movies, I watched a handful of good ones this month including:

Another Simple Favor- Another Simple Favor on Amazon Prime was a rollercoaster of a movie. It’s the sequel to A Simple Favor starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick and it picks up a few years after the first film and once again, Emily has another simple favor to ask, but this time, she’s taking it international. This film had some good one-liners, some unrealistic plot items, but I’m glad I watched it, especially after seeing the first movie.

You Are Cordially Invited- You are Cordially Invited is also on Amazon Prime and it’s a cute rom-com about two different groups who are double booked at the same place for weddings. It’s all about how they try to share the space and how the weekend goes with all their guests. There were some great one-liners and I liked the character development. Definitely a fun movie to watch with a bowl of popcorn.

What I’m Cooking: This was a great month in terms of trying new recipes and flavors.

Banana Bread- This was a new banana bread recipe I tried and I was really pleased with how it turned out and how moist it was.

Sunday Morning Casserole- I got this recipe from Emily Ley’s cookbook. Who says you can’t have breakfast for dinner? This was a hearty meal that we enjoyed with the banana bread. It was super simple to make and everyone enjoyed it, plus it made for great leftovers the next day.

Greek Pasta Salad- We enjoyed a Greek night with a Greek pasta salad and Greek chicken and naan bread. I kept seeing Greek salads in lots of cookbooks and wanted to try it for myself. It was so flavorful and light for spring and summer.

A slow cooker apple crisp for dessert one night

Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Sandwiches- This is typically served in the fall using leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, but this was such a filling meal. I loved all the flavors, a perfect meal for lunch or dinner.

Grilled Shrimp Stir Fry- I found this recipe on Mix and Match Mams’s website. It was fast to make, very flavorful, filling and healthy. All things that check that boxes for a good meal for me. Plus, there was no leftovers which means everyone enjoyed it!

Grilled Balsamic Chicken with a Strawberry and Walnut Salad- This was my birthday dinner and it was light, flavorful, and full of fruits, veggies, and proteins. All good things in my book.

Can of Cola Chocolate Cake with Homemade Lemon Buttercream frosting- I love chocolate, but was craving something sweet too, This was the perfect combo, but I may try the lemon frosting with a vanilla cake next time.