June 2021 // A List

June was filled with adventure.

June made me feel at peace.

June was equal parts wonder, joy, and stillness.

June was happiness for my family.

June was me, John, and the boys making memories together.

June was the month of romance.

June taught me to slow down, enjoy the little moments, remember the days.

June got me excited for summer.

June was me discovering new things about myself.

June was mother nature in all her glory.

June, thank you for being kind to me.

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Saturday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Me time

2. Libraries

3. My family

4. Hilarious Tik Tok videos

5. Nightcall by London Grammar

6. Preserve & Protect Mini Kit by Paper Person

7. Making layouts in my vacation traveler's notebook

8. Art by @paper_jollies

9. Words by Morgan Harper Nichols

10. Being creative

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Buzzfeed Books 2021 Spring Reading Challenge

I love book challenges. I've been participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge for the past few years. It's a simple reading challenge. You select a number of books that you would like to read for the year. This year, my goal was to read 100 books. I have surpassed this goal, and as of today, I have read 212 books. Some of these books are novellas, but I still count those. 

Another challenge that I decided to participate in is Buzzfeed Books' 2021 Spring Reading Challenge. I love the idea of having a seasonal reading challenge. I'm also a Buzzfeed and Buzzfeed Books fan, so I definitely needed to try this challenge. And I'm so glad that I did. 

A book set in a place on your bucket list

I read Merciless Hunter by Faith Summers. This is the fourth book in the Dark Syndicate series and is an enemies-to-lovers romance. The story takes place in California (specifically in San Francisco and L.A.) and Brazil.

The book is about a man named Aiden whose wife and son were killed. However, he finds out that his son was not actually killed, and his only goal in life now is to find his son and get revenge for the death of his wife. 

Olivia is a woman who is being held captive along with her mother by an evil man named Jude. Olivia is desperate to find out who she thought was dead for the last few years. Instead, she finds out that Jude is responsible for her brother's disappearance. Jude is holding her captive so that he can marry and get control of her father's company. Olivia decides to come up with a plan to get help from Aiden.

There were so many twists and turns in this book. I really enjoyed the story, and at times my heart broke for both of the main characters and some of the secondary characters. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

*If you decide to read this book and/or the entire series, please beware of some triggers.*

A genre you don't normally read

This was a tough prompt. I wasn't sure whether this book would count for this category since it falls under several genres. However, I'm going to count it towards this prompt.

I read Horizontal Parenting: How to Entertain Your Kid While Lying Down by Michelle Woo. Horizontal Parenting obviously falls under the genre of parenting and families, but it could also fall under comics/graphic novels as well as humor. I haven't read any parenting books in a long time, and I can't remember the last time I read a parenting book that falls under those three genres.

Horizontal Parenting was a cute book with some great ideas on games to play with your kids while lying down. The illustrations were great. Some of the games are silly, and there were a few that I actually may have to try. This book is perfect for all parents and would make a great gift for first-time parents.

*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A book published this year

I read Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo. I was so excited to read this book because it was compared to Elizabeth Acevedo's books. Let me tell you, this book did not disappoint. It was fantastic. It was so good.

Home Is Not a Country is a verse novel and a quick read. I could relate to a few things in this novel. The themes and details were interesting. 

The book is broken down into three parts. The first part is about Nima's life in the United States. She deals with hardships like bullying and trying to fit in. In the second part of the book, Nima enters a dream-like state or world. She deals with Yasmeen, the person she imagines she would be if her mother had given her that name and if her father hadn't died. There were times that my heart broke for Nima. In the third and final part of the book, Nima is back in her world. 

*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A book with a plant on the cover

I read Goldenrod by Maggie Smith. Goldenrod is a poetry collection about life. There were poems about divorce, parenting, love, and being alone. The poems were amazing and so powerful. I loved the metaphors and details.

*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A book that gives off "cottagecore" vibes

I felt so old when I read this prompt. I had no idea what in the world "cottagecore" even meant. But that's another story for another day.

I read Theron by Kali Hart. It's a very short "insta-love" romance. The story is about a woman named Isla who dreams of visiting Alaska in honor of her mother. They both wanted to visit Alaska, but unfortunately, Isla's mother passed away before they could go on the trip. Isla decides to sell almost all of her possessions and buys an SUV to make the trip. While she is just outside of town, her car breaks down, and she calls an old friend, Theron, for help. When they finally meet up, they are both immediately attracted to one another. As I said before, it's a short story, so I don't want to give too much away. 

A collection of poetry or short stories

I read Eating Salad Drunk by Gabe Henry. Eating Salad Drunk is a collection of haikus by various contributors. I loved that the haikus were supposed to be funny. There were a few that made me laugh out loud. The haikus focus on different topics like friends and family, food, modern romance, and entertainment. This was a quick read and took me about an hour to read. It's a great pick-me-up, and it's perfect for reading on a rainy day.

*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Did you participate in Buzzfeed Books' 2021 Spring Reading Challenge? What other book challenges have you signed up for? What are you currently reading?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Summer 2021 Bucket List

Happy Monday! It's officially summer, so I thought it would be fun to share my Summer bucket list. Making a bucket list for every season is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the things on my list are the same as previous years, while a few are some new things that I want to try.

• Have a picnic

• Make s'mores

• Go on a vacation

• Read 10 books

• Watch Schitt's Creek

• Donate clothes

• Go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail

• Drink more water

• Have a BBQ

• Watch Loki

• Visit the library at least once a month

• Make art at least 3 times a week

• Finish two crafty projects

• Blog more

• Share at least 1 personal piece for the blog 

• Go to the pool

• Watch In the Heights

• Try 3 new recipes

• Go to the Farmer's Market

• Have a water balloon fight

What's on your Summer bucket list?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Nathan Hurst on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Being fully vaccinated

2. Working on my Project Life album

3. Funny Instagram filters

4. A/C

5. Juneteenth is finally a federal holiday

6. Sleeping in

7. Working in my vacation traveler's notebook

8. Street tacos

9. Lucifer (the finale was awesome!)

10. Reading (this will probably always be on my list)

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another edition of Target Finds! Over the past few weeks, I've found some really great things at Target. A couple of my favorite finds could even be Father's Day gifts! 

Let's check out what I found and bought at Target.

Stuffed Puffs Classic Milk Chocolate Filled Marshmallows

I'm not sure if I've mentioned these before, but Stuffed Puffs milk chocolate-filled marshmallows are the best! We have been using them to make s'mores, and they are so good. We even bought a pack to take on our trip to Helen because you can't stay in a cabin and not make s'mores. 

I Can Fix It Mug

I bought this as a part of a Father's Day gift for my father-in-law. I really love Target's mugs. This mug would pair well with some coffee and/or a gift card. There was also a "Papa Bear" mug that I may end up buying for John. I might even buy the matching "Mama Bear" mug for myself. I'm a sucker for mugs. I can't stop collecting them.

Men's Dragon Ball Z Pajama Pants

I bought John some new pajama pants. He really likes Dragon Ball Z. According to John, they fit well and are comfortable. 

I swear all the cool pajama pants are always in the men's section. I really wish Target would offer some of the men's graphic t-shirts and pajama pants in women's sizes. However, I saw a few other pajama pants that I would totally wear, so I may just have to get the smallest size and hope it fits.

Mini Frozen Cheeseburgers

So there's not much to say about these mini cheeseburgers. These weren't the best, but they were not the worst. They are perfect for a quick snack. A quick tip: I recommend that you toast the bread or heat it up in an oven. 

Overall, I found some great things at Target. As usual, I saved on all of my Target Finds by using the Cartwheel app and buying items on sale.

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet up at a local coffee shop and stay indoors. It's scorching and humid outside. So, we're going to stay indoors where it's nice and cool and smells like delicious baked goods. We'll probably order some iced coffees or lattes and order some pastries.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that this month is turning out to be so much better than last month. Last month wasn't all that bad, but there were some really terrible moments. Hopefully, the rest of the month goes well. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that we really enjoyed our little vacation to Helen, GA. It was such a wonderful trip. We explored and had so much fun. One of my favorite moments was when we went to the Anna Ruby Falls. The waterfalls were breathtaking. The boys loved going to Unicoi Beach and loved seeing tadpoles. That trip was everything. We can't wait to go back. It made me want to visit every state and national park in the United States. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I have been creating a lot. I'm currently working on my vacation traveler's notebook, Here: Touchstones by Liz Lamoreux, and Project Life layouts. I've also been working in my sketchbook/journal, and it's been so therapeutic. I've also been working on collages which I love.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I have so many shows to catch up on. John and I have been enjoying Lucifer and Castelvania. We need to start watching Loki and I really want to watch Schitt's Creek.  I've heard such great things about Schitt's Creek. If you have any recommendations on any shows to watch, please let me know. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so glad that we met up today. I always look forward to our coffee chats every month. It's always nice to catch up. I can't wait for our next coffee chat.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Memory keeping and journaling

2. Vow by Tender

3. Lucifer

4. Journaling prompts by Chelsea

5. Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey

6. Happy mail and shipping notifications

7. Mini ice cream sandwiches

8. All the Summer fruits especially strawberries and mangoes

9. Rizos Curls Curl Defining Cream and Rizos Curls Refresh & Detangle Spray

10. Going to the pool

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Vacation with my family

2. Spending time in nature

3. Finally getting to see the Anna Ruby Falls

4. This photo in Helen, GA

5. Cleaning up my craft space

6. Preparing to work on my vacation traveler's notebook

7. Making s'mores at the cabin

8. Iced coffee

9. Catching up on TV shows

10. Trying new things

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

June Goals

Happy Tuesday! It's finally June, and I am so glad that May is over. Usually, May is one of my favorite months, but boy, was last month just a complete dumpster fire. I reread last month's post, and I realized how quickly things can just change in a blink of an eye. 

Sure, it wasn't all bad. I enjoyed celebrating Michael's birthday and celebrating Mother's Day. The school year is finally over (I'm still so excited about this), and my oldest son is now heading to middle school (he's getting so big). We celebrated the end of the school year with a parade for the 5th graders. I was so excited that I even bought some treats to celebrate some more at home with my family. My mami made a brunch as well. It was a perfect day.

The middle of May was absolutely terrible. I won't go into so many details, but let's just say that there was so much crying and rage. I really felt like I was just falling apart and didn't know what the hell I needed to do. My anxiety was just through the roof. I don't think I ever felt as helpless as I did during May, and I hope to never feel that way again. I definitely took the time to take care of myself and work on some things. Journaling and reading helped a lot. Spending time with my family also helped a lot. 

As far as goals go, I'm honestly surprised that I could accomplish some of them this month. Several of those goals definitely took a back seat. I either forgot about a few of them, or I just decided not to worry too much about them, considering everything that was going on. So it's a new month, and I have some new goals. Let's check out my new goals for June, as well as check out which goals I accomplished in May.

Recap of May Goals

• Finish reading 3 books that I didn't finish last month: I read so much last month. Reading has definitely been a big part of comforting me and self-care. The books that I read that helped me accomplish this goal are: Plan a Happy Life by Stephanie Fleming, Second Chance Valentine by Annie J. Rose, The Archer by Paulo Coelho, and You Always Change the Love of Your Life by Amalia Andrade. 

• Read one of the books that I have to review soon: I reviewed Plan a Happy Life by Stephanie Fleming. You can check out the review on Goodreads, but I may just post the review on my blog as well. 

• Complete One Little Word prompts for April: I'm unsure whether to consider this a pass or a fail. I don't think I want to follow all of the prompts for April. Instead, I think I may alter the ones that I didn't complete. Technically, I could call it done, but I still feel like something is missing in my work for April. 

• Complete Here: Touchstones class: I didn't accomplish this goal, but I did work on the class. I've enjoyed it, and I actually like that I'm taking my time with the prompts. I highly recommend this class. 

• Try 1 new recipe: So, um, I didn't try a new recipe. Or at least I can't remember. 

• Publish 1 personal piece for the blog: This was a fail. I already know what I want to write; I just didn't take the time to actually write the piece. 

• Complete 1 Skillshare class: I completed a class by Yasmine Cheyenne. It was a short class, but I loved the information. 

June Goals

• Read 5 books

• Read 3 books that I have to review soon

• Try 1 new recipe

• Go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail

• Complete One Little Word prompts for May and June

• Publish 1 personal piece for the blog

• Complete 1 Skillshare class

What are your goals for June? How did you do in May?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash