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. My book mail/package from Anna Fury arrived

2. My Paper Person package arrived! I absolutely love this month's kit and the My Body stamp set.

3. Reading We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBride

4. Getting new arcs of books that I've been wanting to read

5. Halloween decorations being sold at Target 

6. This video of strangers helping a little girl get her Peppa Pig balloon back

7. Writing a poem (It's been a while since I've written poems)

8. Conversations with my little sister (We talked for an hour and a half over the phone!)

9. Words by Morgan Harper Nichols

10. Sneak-a-Peek at the boys' school and meeting their teachers

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

July 2022 // A List

July was a month of celebrations.

A month full of laughter, love, good food, and experiences. 

We celebrated Mami's birthday, and I saw my big brother.

It's been a long time since I've seen my brother, and it was so nice to catch up.

July was the month of celebrating love and my marriage.

John and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary.

I found myself reflecting on the years that we've been together. 14 years together, 9 years married.

We celebrated our anniversary at Maggianos. It was where we got married.  My mind is blown.

John and I had a day date earlier in the month, and it was nice to spend time with one another. Just us two.

We decided to try a new-to-us restaurant, Cousins Maine Lobster, and then explored Marietta Square. 

July was a month full of adventures and going to new places.

We went on a hike at Kennesaw Mountain.

I thought about the Civil War during our hike, mainly since a battle was fought there.

It was strange to think that we were literally walking where a battle took place.

July was a month full of creative projects.

I was incredibly grateful for the ALP's 30 Days of Showing Up challenge. 

I may have skipped a few days and worked on several prompts simultaneously, but it was a great creative challenge.

July was a month of preparing for the upcoming school year.

Summer is going by so fast, and I have mixed feelings about it.

July was a month of never-ending house hunting.

It's been frustrating, and I'm feeling overwhelmed about it.

I'm also hopeful that we'll find the house of our dreams. 

This month had me wishing for fall. The heat is unbearable.

I'm reading for cooler weather, scary movies and TV shows, and pumpkin everything.

The hints of fall are already arriving.

The stores are putting up fall clothing, and I even saw a few fall seasonal treats at the grocery store.

With school fast approaching, my excitement for fall is growing.

I consider the first day of school to signal the start of fall, even though it's still summer.

I'm ready for the next season.

I'm ready for the next month.

Goodbye, July. We had so much fun.

Hello, August.

I'm as ready as can be for a more balanced routine.

Season of Change

There are only a few days left before summer break ends, and I'm feeling all the feels. I'm excited for the new school year but dread returning to a routine. I loved the freedom that came with summer break...the randomness of our days. Not having to stick to a more structured schedule for the past couple of months was nice. It's always difficult trying to get back to our regular schedule that we have once school starts. 

Have you ever had a feeling that there are going to be a lot of changes in your life? Well, I have that feeling...and it's making me anxious. I often feel this way during the transition from summer to fall, and I"m not sure why. Maybe it's because it's the start of a new school year, and I keep thinking about how much my boys are growing. Maybe it's because we're still house hunting, and the entire process is stressing me out. Maybe it's because I have so many creative projects that I want to start but don't know which one to choose. Maybe it's just a combination of all of that and much more.

Wow, so that sounds kind of negative, but I promise I'm also feeling excited. House hunting is taking longer than I'd like, but I'm still hopeful. It's fun thinking about everything I can't wait to do once we find our dream home. I've been dreaming about gardens, libraries, and little home projects. I've been dreaming of cozy nooks and seasonal decorations, especially fall decorations.

I'm planning to write more, and I'm hoping that I'm able to share some more personal stories, lists, etc., on the blog. Now that my boys will be in school soon, I should have more time to work on my writing and other creative projects. I definitely let a few projects go during the summer, and it's time to work on them. 

It may still be summer, but the season of change is upon us. And although I may be a bit nervous, I'm also looking forward to what changes lie ahead.

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. John and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary

2. Dinner at Maggianos (Their dessert sampler was so good!)

3. Chronos by Brand X Music (I absolutely love their song, Into the Light)

4. Back to School shopping

5. My Persnickety Prints order finally arrived! 

6. Flowy maxi skirts

7. Decluttering the boys' closet (We had at least 5 bags of stuff to throw out plus a bunch of stuff to donate!)

8. Chocolate stroopwafels

9. Reading Everything is Ok by Debbie Tung 

10. Coming up with ideas for the blog and a new project

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. Going for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail on cloudy days

2. 1-2-3 Scream! by R.U. Ginns

3. Bella Grace Magazine: Book of Lists

4. This message by Brad Montague

5. Awesome sales at Target! I saved so much!

6. This reel 

7. The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope

8. Reading Meera Lee Patel's latest newsletter 

9. Red Velvet and Carrot Cake Bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes 

10. Paper Person Shop's latest kits and add-ons (I'm excited to get this stamp set!)

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet at one of our favorite coffee shops and order iced coffees or seasonal drinks. We'd order a couple of sandwiches and a pastry or two. We'll stay inside the coffee shop because of the unbearable heat and humidity. It's been a while, and we have much to catch up on.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that house hunting is frustrating me. The market is out of control. We recently found a house that we love, but we are still unsure about whether to put an offer on it. It's really crazy how many variables go into buying a house. We'd love to stay in the area we currently live in, but we are open to looking at other locations. We've visited new-to-us cities and have liked quite a few. Most of the areas we loved reminded us of where we live, which was awesome. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I've read some really great books recently. I just finished Alex Elle's How We Heal, which came at the perfect time. I enjoyed reading about stories of healing and loved that journaling prompts and meditation techniques were sprinkled throughout the book. I also enjoyed reading Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. However, a part of the book bothered me, and I even had to look up if other readers noticed the issue with the story. I plan on sharing a review on the blog soon because I think the situation should be addressed. 

Also, I have got to stop reading new books before I finish the ones I'm already reading. I'm currently reading about 10 books. My Goodreads has my current reads set at 19, but I've stopped reading a few. I don't plan to "DNF" those books, but it's just taking me longer than usual to actually want to finish those books. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so excited to see the school supply displays in stores, but I'm not too excited that it means summer break is almost over. I'm a sucker for office supplies, so I can't wait to buy a few things.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd say that I'm so glad that we were able to meet up. I've been so busy the past few months, and with everything going on in this country (and the rest of the world), things can feel overwhelming. So I'm always grateful for these coffee dates and chatting with a friend. I hope you have a great day and continue to enjoy your summer. Here's to better days ahead.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Akemy Mory on Unsplash

Target Finds

Happy Monday! It's time for another Target Finds! I've found some really good stuff over the past few months and realized it's been a while since I shared my last Target finds. So I better share these now before I forget.

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy Mocha

I'm not much of a fan of energy drinks and would prefer coffee or soda over an energy drink. John has been drinking Starbucks Doubleshot Energy drinks and enjoys it. He says that it tastes like a mocha coffee and doesn't really taste like an energy drink. 

Getting the four-pack is a better deal than buying individual drinks. The only downside is that the cans in the four packs are smaller than buying a single can. 

2pc Cotton Leaf Oven Mitt and Pot Holder

After burning my hand while using my old oven mitt, I quickly realized I needed to replace them. There was a small hole in the oven mitt, and I didn't even know it. Don't worry, I'm fine. I found a two-piece oven mitt and pot holder at Target and loved it. It definitely gave me summer vibes. This set is really sturdy, is inexpensive, and does its job. The only downside is that it does feel a bit stiff.

Scrunchable Round Laundry Basket (Green Stitch Grid)

We recently needed to replace one of our laundry baskets. I can't believe we have multiple baskets, but that proves how much laundry we do in our household. 

I found this cute laundry basket. It's made out of fabric rather than plastic, and it holds up well. I love that you can scrunch the basket down when it's not in use.

Good and Gather Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings

I was looking for the Good & Gather frozen chicken wings to make mami's wing recipe, but unfortunately, Target was out of stock. Instead, I found their buffalo-style chicken wings, so I decided to try them out. I was amazed at how good they tasted. They weren't too spicy and are perfect for those nights when you don't feel like cooking.

What are some of your favorite Target finds?

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. Going hiking at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

2. Summer TuesYays at Starbucks (Hooray for half off cold beverages!)

3. Chili cheese hot dogs

4. Planning for date night

5. Reading so many novellas and short stories

6. Working on my blog and writing more

7. Conversations with my little sister

8. Watching scary movies

9. Lindt chocolate bars

10. Summer-themed scrapbook supplies

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

July Goals

Happy Wednesday! Can you believe it's already July? June felt like the longest month, and it was a rough month, so I'm excited that it's finally July. There was so much stuff going on in June that I felt mentally drained by the end of the month. Women's rights are being violated, the housing market is insane, and the cost of living is rising, and those are just a few of the problems that are going on. 

With all the problems going on, we are still trying to enjoy summer and make the most of our time. We've spent time at the pool, explored, and went on mini adventures while house hunting, and have plans to go to new-to-us places. 

I'm so excited to celebrate a few birthdays and events this month. I'm also excited to work on my new goals for this month. I hope I remember my goals for this month because last month, my goals were not a significant priority.

So since I mentioned goals, I think it's time to share a recap of my goals for June and my goals for July.

Recap of June Goals

• Read 5 books: I read so many good books in June. It seemed like every author was releasing some fantastic books in June. I even received a couple of ARCs which was awesome. Some of my favorite books I read in June were Alpha Ranger by Anna Fury, I Love(ish) New York by Ali Solomon, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, and Love and Tea by Samantha M. Thomas.

• Read and review 3 books from Netgalley: I read and reviewed three books I received from Netgalley. I read Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White, The Prisoner and the Writer by Heather Camlot, and I Love(ish) New York: Tales of Life in the City by Ali Solomon. I loved I Love(ish) New York and plan on buying a physical copy. Wretched Waterpark was such a fun book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

• Try 1 new recipe: Again, I can't remember if I even tried a new recipe, so I'm going to assume that I didn't try a new one.

• Publish 1 personal essay: I didn't publish a personal essay unless you count my monthly reflections list as a personal essay. In fact, I didn't even post my monthly "If You and I Had Coffee" post, and I'm really disappointed about that. I'm not even sure how I forgot about that.

• Complete 1 half-finished memory-keeping project: I didn't complete one of my many half-finished memory-keeping projects, but I worked on a few. I'm not sure why it's taking me so long to finish these projects. Maybe it's because I keep alternating between several of these projects. I think I will select one half-finished project every month to work on rather than several at a time.

• Work on Little Summer Joy mini-album: I didn't get as much stuff done with my mini-album as I'd like, but I did work on a few things related to the album. I have a few photos that I need to order that will make it much easier for me to work on this project.

• Work on 1 ALP prompt: I completely forgot to work on one of the ALP prompts, but that's already changed for this month. I signed up for the 30 Days of Showing Up course and have started working on the prompts.

July Goals

• Read 4 books

• Read and review 4 books from Netgalley

• Try 2 new recipes

• Complete 2 half-finished memory-keeping projects

• Continue to work on my Little Summer Joy mini-album

• Participate in the ALP's 30 Days of Showing Up: Scrap Daily Pages

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

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Marissa Grootes 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 happy and grateful list link-up.

1. M&M ice cream sandwiches

2. Going through this month's photos

3. Iced coffee

4. Unexpected thunderstorms

5. Hidden Citizens' cover of (I Just) Died in Your Arms

6. Receiving a book arc J. Dylan's upcoming book, Shadow of St. Nick

7. New book releases (July is going to be a good reading month)

8. The ALP's 30 Days of Showing Up: Scrap Daily Pages begins today!

9. Talking about motherhood and separation anxiety with my little sister

10. Seeing back-to-school supply displays (I'm looking forward to buying a few supplies for myself)

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...