What I Read in May

I didn't accomplish my reading goal for April and I was not sure if I'd reach my goal for May, but I am so happy to say that I did. I finished one book this month, read a couple of magazines, and I read a bunch of blog posts. There were so many amazing blog posts that I read and a few of them really made me think about a lot of things.

Must Read

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

I was so excited when I found out that Elizabeth Acevedo released her new book. This is a verse novel and the poems in the book are really good. The Poet X is about a girl named Xiomara Batista from Harlem. She is the daughter of two old school and strict parents. Xiomara keeps a journal and is invited to join her school's slam poetry club. The story was great and I loved following Xiomara's journey of finding her voice. One of my favorite things about the book is how Elizabeth Acevedo mixed languages (Spanish and English) and culture (Dominican and American culture) in the story.

Light Reading

Cosmopolitan - June 2018 issue

I loved reading Cosmo's interview of Kesha. I also loved the book recommendations.

Hello Giggles

Hello Giggles released their first magazine and I finally found it at Barnes and Noble. It was a really quick read and there were not that many pages, but there was a lot of interesting articles. The essay that stood out to me was "The Day I Found Out I Wasn't White". This was a great essay on race and identity.

Blog Posts I Loved

Learning for learning's sake by Austin Kleon.

My Day Arted by Julia Cusworth

The Best Moms Are Selfish by Ashley (Atlanta Area Moms Blog)

Hey Moms, Let's Stop the Shaming by Genevieve Padalecki

The London Notes: Big Magic by Brittany (Letters to Rayelle)

What did you read in May?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds

Happy Monday! It's time for another edition of Target Finds! Last month, I went to Target a lot and found a lot of great stuff. However, I'm going to share the top four items that I loved.

Let's see what I found at Target in August.

Organic Ocho Candy

I absolutely love Organic Ocho candy bars. They taste so good. They are a bit pricey, but I used an offer on the Cartwheel app, so I didn't feel too bad splurging on these treats. My favorite out of the three bars that I tried was the Caramel & Peanut bar. I also tried the Peanut Butter bar and the Dark Chocolate PB bar. Both of these were also good.

ZIPIT Lenny 3 string pencil case

I bought this pencil case during Back to School season, and I love it. There's a lot of space, and it fits a lot of pens, highlighters, and markers. Apparently, it holds up to 55 pens and pencils. I love how it folds up. The lining of the pencil case is adorable and colorful. It fits in a three-ring binder, so it's perfect for students who like to put their supplies inside their binders.

With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I haven't read this book yet, but I was so excited to pick it up. I read Elizabeth Acevedo's first book, The Poet X, and loved it. With the Fire on High is a novel in prose. The book is about an Afro-Latinx young mother named Emoni. The story takes place during her senior year, and her school opens up registration for a culinary class. Her dream is to be a chef, but she has a lot of tough decisions to make.

Considering that I loved her first book and the description of Acevedo's new novel, I'm sure this is going to be a great read.

Hello Autumn Mug

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a link to this mug, but I found it in the Dollar Spot section. The Dollar Spot section is full of Fall and Halloween items, so of course, I had to pick something from there.  I love the color and the size of the mug. I've already used it a few times, and it's perfect.

Overall, I'm pleased with the items that I found. I think everything I found was a perfect balance. I can't wait to see what I find this month.

As usual, I was able to save on all of my Target Finds by using the Cartwheel app, buying items that were on sale, or buying things that were at the Dollar Spot section.

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Currently List

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List!

Watching: I finally caught up on the last week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. I'm still upset that April and Arizona are no longer going to be on the show. I also caught up on a couple of episodes of Here and Now. Today, John and I watched the finale of The Good Doctor. When I saw the preview of the episode, I thought about skipping it because it definitely looked like it was going to make me cry...and I almost did!

Reading: I'm still reading The Poet X and am hoping to finish it before the end of the month.

Listening: I just heard a cover of Rhiannon by The Langley School Music Project. I heard the cover on an episode of Here and Now and I really liked the song. You can check out the song here.

Making: I've been making a couple of layouts and I've been journaling more.

Feeling: Oh my goodness! I have been feeling so uncomfortable and exhausted. It is so uncomfortable to sit, stand, walk, and lay down. I swear I have to change positions like almost every five minutes. I feel bad for complaining, but it's the truth.

Planning: It's almost April and I still have a few last minute things to take care of before the baby comes. Luckily, it looks like we will be done with everything before the end of April.

Loving: I am so excited for May. The countdown has begun! I'm so ready to have my little one in my arms.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

June Goals

Happy June! It's time to reflect on the previous month, look at my goals from the previous month, and set some new goals. May was such a busy and exciting month. We celebrated Michael's 8th birthday! I still can't believe that I have an 8 year old. We also celebrated Mother's Day. We went to several end of the school year events and celebrations. Now we are excited for summer vacation.

Recap of May Goals

• Read 1 book: I finally finished reading The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. This was such a great book and I highly recommend it.

• Work on meal plan: This was both a fail and a success. I didn't really make a meal plan, but I'm glad that we haven't had a lot of take out. 

• Work on my 100 Day Project: I'm so behind on my 100 Day Project. I'm debating whether to start the challenge over or continue from where I left off. 

• Share more personal stories and/or essays on the blog: Unfortunately, I did not share any personal stories or essays. I decided to keep this goal for June. I recently joined H & L Writes, a monthly membership that promotes writers and writing. I'm hoping that the monthly themes and prompts will inspire me to write some essays and stories.

• Make at least 1 scrapbook/craft project: I made two scrapbook layouts this month. 

June Goals

• Read 1 book

• Share more personal stories and/or essays on the blog

• Start a new workout plan

• Make at least 2 scrapbook or craft projects

• Continue to work on my meal plan

What are your goals for June?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Lauren Mancke on Unsplash

April Goals

Another month has gone by, but I am so excited that it's finally April! My due date is getting closer and soon my little boy will be here! This month is going to be very busy and I have a lot things that I have to get done before the baby arrives.

Since it's going to be a busy month, I decided to make some goals and I have already made a to do list in order to stay organized. Check out my recap of my goals for March as well as my new goals for April below.

Recap of March Goals

• Read 1 book: I read The Crossroads of Should and Must again and really loved it. I'm still reading The Poet X.

• Start meal planning: This was kind of a pass and a fail. For most of the month, I didn't meal plan. I started meal planning during the end of the month...so I guess it's kind of a pass?

• Publish 10 blog posts: I posted 11 blog posts this month. 

• Make at least 3 scrapbook/craft projects: I made a mini album and a scrapbook layout. I also journaled in my Moleskine sketchbook.

• Declutter one room or closet: This was a fail. I didn't declutter an entire room or closet, but I did get started. 

April Goals

• Read 1 book

• Declutter every room and closet

• Work on meal plan

• Make at least 2 scrapbook/craft projects

• Finish shopping for the baby

What are your goals for April?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash 

Currently List

Happy Tuesday! It's time for another Currently List.

Watching: I've been watching Grey's Anatomy, Lucifer, Atlanta, The Good Doctor, The Walking Dead, and 9-1-1. For those of you who watch Grey's Anatomy, how do you feel about Arizona and April leaving the show? I'm actually kind of annoyed that they are leaving...I wish some of the interns would leave.

Reading: I found out that Elizabeth Acevedo has a new book that was just released. I had to go buy it and I'm so glad that I did. I'm loving The Poet X. I can't wait to share a review of this book.

Listening: Top Off by DJ Khaled featuring Jay Z, Future, and Beyonce has been stuck in my head.

Making: I've been working on this month's chapter for the Awesome Ladies Project. I'm making a mini album for this chapter, but I also plan to make a couple more projects for ALP.

Feeling: I'm so exhausted. Being pregnant, recovering from my wisdom tooth removal, and Daylight Saving Time has really made so tired. Luckily, I'm not having any pain from the wisdom tooth removal so I'm really grateful for that. I've just been trying to rest as much as I can.

Planning: I planning to work on some more blog posts especially for this month. My goal is to have at least 10 posts for this month so I'm hoping that I can work on some blog posts soon.

Loving: I've been craving and eating so much vanilla ice cream which is so weird since my favorite ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough.

What are you currently up to?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...