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Currently #51

Hello all! 

Happy Wednesday! I hope you’ve had an enjoyable week so far. We are halfway to the weekend and a few days away from a new month. This weekend is Easter Sunday, and my family will all be together for a few days. Although it will be a short weekend, I’m looking forward to it.

This month flew by, between spring-like days, a few snowy mornings and activities across the month, it was a busy March.

Here’s a look at what I’m currently up to:

What I’ve Been Up To: I have been making my way through my Spring Bucket List. I have already accomplished a few things, but will have to wait for more consistent warm weather to accomplish others.

I have been doing my best to get outdoors and that has included walks with friends, trips to the zoo and running.

First trip to the zoo of the year!

We had a stretch of warm weather and my friend and I went for walks three times in one week, it was great to catch up, get outside and do a free activity.

A day that included all the outside time!

I also got to meet up with one of my college friends for lunch. We met halfway on a day off and it was so good to catch up and share a meal together.

One of the goals I already accomplished was running 6 miles. Although, I was sore for a while after, it felt great to hit another mile.

One of my latest runs and recent records

What I’m Wearing: My wardrobe hasn’t been too exciting as of late, but I have been browsing T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s for some Spring finds. I do see a trip to Old Navy in my future soon to see what things they have on their racks for the new season.

I have been getting some wear out of my new bright, pink jacket from T.J. Maxx. It’s bright for the spring season, but also warm enough for the chilly, early spring days.

I also broke out my green for St. Patrick’s Day!

What I’m Reading:

A majority of March was spent reading the American Royals series. There are four books by Katharine McGee, American Royals, Rivals, Majesty, and Reign.

I have talked about the books in Friday Favorites posts, but in case you missed them. Each book follows the fictionalized Royal family of America. Imagine if the United States had a king and queen. Every book picks up right after the other in this four-part series. Themes of romance, coming of age, service, duty, and love are found in each of the books. They are a young adult genre, so the topics are more PG-13 compared to R. Every book ended with a cliffhanger which made you want to immediately pick up the next one. I really loved how the author wrapped up everything in the final book. Definitely a fun series to read in the spring and summer.

The Last Love Note– I finished The Last Love Note by Emma Grey in four days. I kept looking for pockets of time to keep reading. Without giving too much away, it’s all about a woman who looks to move on and grieve after losing her husband to Alzheimers. The book goes back and forth between his diagnosis and her life after he dies. It’s a story of second loves, grief, moving on and hope. 

Longbourn– I also finished Longbourn. It’s a spinoff Pride and Prejudice based all about the maids and servants who work in the Bennett household. I love Jane Austen and this was such a fun read to take me back to Jane Austen times. Kendra Adachi, the Lazy Genius read and recommened the book and I’m so glad I decided to pick it up. I only wish I read the physical copy of it and not the digital copy of it.

Mother Daughter Murder Night– I saw this book on a few blogs and I couldn’t wait to dive in. Mother Daughter Murder Night tells the story about a mother who moves in with her daughter and granddaughter temporarily, while she’s there, a murder happens in the small town. The grandmother looks to solve it on her own and quickly enlists the help of her daughter and granddaughter. It’s a fun “Who Done It?”, but with the family drama. I really enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down at the end.

What I’m Watching: 

Some of my favorite shows have made their return after a long hiatus. The Masked Singer came back at the start of the month and it’s been fun to see who gets revealed every week. 

Grey’s Anatomy also came back in the middle of the month. These shows have been keeping me entertained during the week.

What Inspires Me: I have been staying busy in the kitchen over the past few weeks. Here’s some of the recipes I have made.

Air Fryer Salmon Bowls

Lemon Olive Oil Muffins

Homemade Coffee Cake

Crab Cakes 

Homemade Fish Fry

Turkey Pot Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Roasted Chicken

What I Accomplished: 

I enjoyed making my way through my Spring Bucket list as well as seeing family and friends and getting outside.

Donuts for the spring season!
Sunday spread

Goals from Last Month

I enjoyed the early days of spring. I also got to enjoy some St. Patrick’s Day fun!

I made some St. Patrick’s Day cookies for the holiday!
I also got to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day parade

My brother and I also got to see one of our favorite comedians on tour.

Goals for this Month 

Next month, I am looking forward to trying more spring recipes, spending more time outdoors and having more spring-inspired dates.

This quote left me feeling inspired

That’s a look into what I have been up to this month. I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend if you celebrate! See you back here on Friday!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #48

Hello All! 

It’s the final day of June, but no fear, we still have plenty of summer to enjoy! I just got back from some time with my family at the beach.

The beauty of the beach!

It was great to see some extended family, catch up, and enjoy some time in the water and in the sand. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to make time for family. 

Ending June with ice cream.

This next week will busy between getting back into the swing of things and heading back to work.

Plus, we have the Fourth of July next week, in the middle of the week, no less and then I have plans to see some friends from college. It will be a busy but good week coming up.

Now, that I have caught you up on everything in my world this final Friday in June, it’s time for a new edition of Friday Favorites as I link up with Erika and Andrea!

Super Goop Sunscreen– I know I am so late to the party on this one, but I am on the team Super Goop sunscreen train! I have heard about it for years and got a face sunscreen for my birthday and have worn it a lot. It goes on so easy and has a bit of a glow which I really love. The sunscreen protects you from the sun and acts as a primer for makeup which I found to be super helpful too. On days when I know I am going to be outside all day, I always apply it to my face, do my makeup and then I am good to go. This is easily becoming one of my summer favorites. 

And Just Like That Premiere– The girls are back! I loved watching the premiere of And Just Like That last week. I like how episodes are once a week, they are the perfect mid-week pick me up. I have read a little bit about some cameo appearances and I’m looking forward to see how the storylines make their way into the show. From the setting, the fashion, the nostalgia and the friendship, plus some fun relationships, I know this will be a good season. If you are watching, what are your thoughts so far?

Lululemon Purse– I got my Lululemon cross body purse for Christmas and have been loving it this summer. I brought it on day trips, running errands and out on walks. It’s the perfect size to hold a wallet, keys, a sunglasses, head phones, even a charger. It has come in so handy this summer. I’ll be sharing more about my love for it in next week’s post!

The best summer purse!

New Scent– It’s time for a new scent for summer. I am currently wearing Gingham Gorgeous! I love the fresh, floral scent it brings whenever I put it on. I got it from Bath and Body Works and it will last me months. The perfect, fresh summer scent as we enter July!

New month, new scent!

A Man Called Otto– Have you seen A Man Called Otto? It came out a few months ago, but just recently came onto Netflix. I really love Tom Hanks so I was excited to see this film, plus some of it was filmed in Pittsburgh, how cool!? We started the movie as a family and I finished it on my own. It was definitely a heavier movie dealing with deep topics including suicide, just as a warning. It’s all about a grumpy man who befriends new neighbors and how they get him to come out of his shell and start to enjoy life again. There were a lot of happy and joyous moments, but it was mixed with some adult topics too. I thought it was a good movie, but not the best Tom Hanks movie. If you have seen it, what did you think of it?

That’s a roundup of life this week. It’s always so busy coming back to reality after time away, but I’m ready to hit the ground running and get back into a good routine. As we say hello to July, how are you spending the weekend? Let me know in the comments below! Enjoy the last day of June!