I am here today with a quick update on current kindle book deals because there are are some great options today that are all $4.99 and under! Some are super recent releases that have had a lot of hype like A Good Marriage, Valentine, and My Dark Vanessa. A few of these are on my own reading lists like Home Fire and Florida.
Summer Weather Reading…
Are you looking for some summer reading? We are heading into a few days of weather in the high 80s and low 90s which is amazing considering it was snowing two weeks ago here in Vermont! We are definitely breaking out the sprinkler this week…Anyway, On the Island is one of my favorite “beach reads” ever and Nothing to See Here was one of my surprise 5-star reads and would make the perfect “summer vacation in your backyard” reading picks.
Stocking Up:
{my blog post with information about all things Libby can be found HERE}
Do you also like to stock up on kindle book deals? I love reading ebooks through Libby and Hoopla (thank you Charlotte Library for making these an option with just our library cards) but there is something about having books permanently on your kindle. (I have the Kindle Paperwhite if you are curious…)
So when I see kindle books deals that are on my own TBR list, I grab them! I don’t always have an immediate plan to read them, but I like knowing there are there waiting for me. 😉
Are any of these on your reading list? I would love to hear!!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
Welcome to another edition of my reading list and book recommendations guest post series. Today I have my first guest poster that is a librarian! While I consider myself a big reader, librarians are on a whole other level of reading awesomeness.
Hello! These posts always are one of my last priorities here, not because I don’t like sharing them, but because they are so random. I do still love that old journal type blog sharing of 10 years ago..but I wonder, does anyone like reading these but me?
Now that I share a lot of book content, I wonder how much I should step outside of that…I love getting to know the person and interest of the Bookstagrammers I follow myself, and because this is my space, I suppose I can post whatever I like…but I do think about that…and if you know me you know I love to overthink things like this! Alright…moving on!
Early Bird…
I am my best self first thing in the morning. Over the years I naturally have fallen into waking up early. Now that the kids are older they stay up later and so the early mornings are my sacred quiet time. It’s when I do most of my book blogging, emailing, etc. I work over a big mug (or two) of coffee and my current audiobook, it’s lovely!
Lucas leaves for work early so we have a daily rhythm that works well for this (getting in bed at 8pm for instance, ha). I can hang for a bit if we aren’t home at night but if we are here, I can barely keep my eyes open past 9pm.
A Night Out With Friends!
Speaking of being out past 9pm (I think we got home around 10!) we had a much needed night out the other weekend with some of our favorite friends. This gettogether was a long time coming. With the coordination of everyone’s schedules (and babysitters) finding a date that works for everyone isn’t easy. We finally made it happen and headed down to Middlebury. We had a drink at Two Brothers and then had an amazing dinner at The Arcadian. I hope it isn’t another 4 years until we make it happen again…ha!
November Blues
I actually really love November, but it can be a hard time with the lack of daylight. I can easily get a little down this time of year with the time change and just the amount of darkness. I know this about myself so I try to be proactive and implement the things I know that help. Getting outside every day, even if it is just to walk to meet the kids at the bus with Buzz is something I really try to prioritize.
Speaking of Buzz, there is nothing he likes more than when he hears the school bus coming up the hill. He likes me a lot, but he LOVES the kids.
October Festivities
There is also some relief with the slowness of November. October is always a hectic month with the kid’s schedules, my work schedule, and all the festivities that month includes. It’s all great stuff but it can get a little exhausting. I am a creature of habit and enjoy the slower pace of “everyday” life. By the end of the month, I am ready for a little break before the pace of the holidays picks up again at Thanksgiving.
A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 35th birthday. I have mixed feelings about my own birthday as it has always brought out a bit of sadness for me. I don’t like to have a big celebration about it, but it is fun to use it as an excuse to get your kids to take a selfie with you at school drop off, drink a maple latte, take extra fun photos at Pure Barre and have lunch with your BFF. Lucas picked up a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cake which really ended it all perfectly…
Another Birthday!
We also have another birthday in our family this time of year…our younger son turned 7! He celebrated the day before by having a low key birthday party with three of his friends. It was really more of a playdate with cake but he was thrilled! On his actual birthday, he had his favorite afterschool art class at Owl Feet (Sonja is THE BEST!) and then we went to dinner as a family at his location of choice, Asiana Noodle House…followed by ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.
It has been nice to realize that doing lowkey things can be just as special. The longer we parent, the more we have realized how simplifying things can make life feel a lot more manageable and enjoyable.
Funfetti For All
Speaking of keeping it simple, is there anything better than Funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting?? NO! And even better, my wonderful friend Kari (of the Lucky Clover Bakery!) helped me frost this boxed and not vegan cake…she tried watching me do it but just couldn’t’ handle it…I am no perfectionist, but she is, ha! She’s a good friend…
Sharing Good Books With Friends…
One of my favorite things about reading is sharing books with friends. Sometimes this means doing a book giveaway with a partnering publisher, and other times it means leaving a book on someone’s doorstep on my way to work. Although I love my Kindle so much, I will never stop getting hard copy books for this very reason.
Library Love & Book Club Planning
Our second Better Together Book Club meeting is this week and I am super excited to be discussing Small Animals by Kim Brooks. I met with Librarian Susannah last week for some book club extended planning (we can’t wait to discuss Fair Play by Eve Rodsky in early 2020!) and I also took home these books with me…
Quiet was available right away on the Libby App (you can learn more about borrowing ebooks from the library through Libby HERE) and so far it is just fascinating! I love the detailed look at introversion as I often think it can be quite understood. I am quite social in many ways but have always fallen into the introvert category and this book really makes me feel understood!
I am especially loving her discussion on how if we can better understand personality types we can work better together in both work and personal relationships. The topic of how introverts can be much more prone to overstimulation makes so much sense and I am finding myself nodding along with so much of it. I am excited to share my full review soon!
November Nesting
I know some people get into decorating for the holidays right now but we always wait until after Thanksgiving. I have been very into organizing and decluttering though! Now that my work season is slowing down a bit at Kristy’s I am working more from home and I have a hard time concentrating if things are a mess. So I have been trying to be proactive and cleaning things out, donating what we don’t need and going shopping in my own house. Do you do that?
I love finding things I have stashed away or was using in another space and finding a new way to use them. I also decided 10 years was a good time to start using the silverware we registered for at our wedding…I had initially thought I would just save them for special occasions, but WHY? We host something like once a year and use our silverware every day…So I decided to take these out of the top cupboard in our kitchen and put them to everyday use, and it feels so good!
Spin Mopping!
I am also way too excited about my new spin mop. I had seen way too many Facebook videos sharing this type of mop and am easily influenced by those things…When I saw it in person I knew it was a sign. So far it’s amazingly satisfying and works so well! I like that the shapes can really get into all the nooks and crannies and it is super easy to use.
I have been using this cleaner for months after seeing it at Kristy’s house way too many times and it is awesome! It cleans so well, doesn’t streak and smells amazing!! It is a concentrate and a little goes a long way so it lasts forever.
Organization Station
We recently put together an organization station on the back of our pantry door in our kitchen. I picked up the whiteboard at Home Goods but found everything else in my home office and repurposed them. The boys are at an age where they are becoming more independent in a lot of ways but we often have the last-minute drama of “where is that folder you need today for school?!?” right as we are leaving. Having this right in the kitchen, but also where it is hidden when you shut the door, is working so well for us so far!
Reading Memories
I also have been doing a little decluttering which feels great, but it also means that when I go to drop things off to donate, I come back with some more books. One of my favorite weekend hobbies is roaming around used book sections and finding old books I loved to add to my collection. It is the ultimate treasure hunt and brings back so many reading memories for me.
Photography Workshop Season!
Now that photography season is winded down a bit here in Vermont, our photography workshop season has begun again! We taught our last workshop of 2019 this past weekend and are excited to get back into things full swing come January! We taught our first Your Life, Your Camera workshop back in January of 2014 and we have come a long way since then! You can read more about what that class looks like HERE, or see what else we offer HERE on Kristy’s website.
After our class, we had a much-needed dinner out together and it was fun to reflect this past work season and also talk about what is coming up! And we were home by 6:30pm which is pretty much my ideal night out…ha!
Deer Camp Life
While we were teaching the boys went to “deer camp” with Buzz, Lucas, his dad, and his brother. Their camp is up near Jay Peak so it is always a lot chillier and they get a lot more snow! The boys had a sneak peek of all the snow we will be getting (tonight!) and had fun playing outside, shooting the BB gun(at a target!) and eating lots of deer camp food. They always have the best time and I love that they get to make these memories like Lucas did when he was their age.
Cozy Sweaters & Woodstove Season
While the daylight is short this time of year, it is such a cozy time of year in so many ways. I love that the pace of life slows down a bit in the winter and we have more time to just “be’. We have our woodstove going all the time now and I am embracing all my favorite sweaters and pullovers.
I also like that I will have a bit more time to share on my blog and I have been working hard on getting my editorial calendar in place! I am planning on bringing back the Nightstand Series and I also have some interviews lined up with some really amazing people in my life so stay tuned!
Thanks for stopping by. <3
Genevieve
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, it helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
One of the most wonderful parts of the online reading community is the connections I have made through it. I have met book lovers from all over the world as well as in our very small state of Vermont. While I love the reach online connections can allow you, there is something so special about connecting in person.
Last spring I had the idea of starting a local book club centering around issues that are not only a big part of my life but so many of the women around me. Through the help and support of our local library, this dream has become a reality. The Better Together Book Club is a book group focusing on motherhood and will be starting this fall!
The Better Together Book Club
My friend, reader, fellow mom and elementary school Literacy Coach/Specialist Kelly and I are delighted to be co-facilitating this group together! We have been working hard behind the scenes and couldn’t be more excited to finally be making this public! Information went out in the Charlotte Library Newsletter yesterday so we thought it was the perfect time to share online as well.
Book selections will change monthly and will be a mix of fiction and nonfiction, including topics pertaining to parenting, marriage, mental health, self-care and the work/life “balance”. We will meet and discuss the book and topics relating to it as well as enjoying some tea and light snacks. We are also so honored that we already have some of the authors scheduled to come when we discuss their book!
Our First Book Club Selection
Our first book club selection will be To Have and To Hold.While I am lucky to have had many conversations with the people in my personal life, never have I read something that explains the complexities of motherhood and marriage in such a profound manner until I read this book. The highs and lows of parenthood, the immense love and also the intense quest to reclaim ourselves as women and partners when our lives will never be the same are so real and valid.
Author Molly Millwood will join the discussion on Thursday, October 10 @ 7:00pm. Books are available for loan at the circulation desk. Registration is required by contacting Susanna or Margaret at the Charlotte Library at info@charlottepubliclibrary.org Once the spots are full a waitlist will be started. While this event is open to anyone in the area, priority will be given to Charlotte residents if a waitlist occurs.
Hardcopy & Ebook Copies
Charlotte librarians Susanna and Margaret have been so amazing at helping get this group up and running with us. Our October book, To Have and To Hold, is now available as a “Charlotte Only” book on Libby (which decreases the wait time significantly!). They also ordered 10 copies of To Have and To Hold which will be available at the library for pick up after Labor Day!
Book Club Ongoing Schedule & Communication
After our first event, The Better Together Book Club will continue to meet monthly at The Charlotte Library the second Wednesday of every month from 7:00-8:30pm. Subsequent books will be available a month before each book club so everyone has time to read them. All announcements will be shared and in our private facebook group which you can be added to once you are registered.
If you live in the area, we would love to have you join us! If you don’t, we would love it if you would like to follow along. We plan on sharing updates about each book club on my blog which will include our discussion questions and highlights of our discussion. I will also announce the next book we will be discussing at that time.
I just talked with Susanna and we only have a few spots left so if you are interested, shoot them an email at info@charlottepubliclibrary.org to register! And please feel free to email or comment below with any questions. **Update, as of 8/30/19 there is a waitlist for this group**
Hello and happy Thursday. How is your week going? As many wonderful things that have happened during the last few weeks, it has also had its fair share of challenges and sadness. I often struggle with how to balance sharing a lot of my life on a public platform while also bearing in mind that we all have harder realities of everyday life that are more private.
It is a hectic time in general with work and family life and I am thankful to have so many great support systems in place that really make such a big difference with the harder parts of life. Alright, I think that was important to say, as I tend to share some of our “highlight reel” in photos on these Currently Loving posts.
So here is a little of what we have been up to…
Swimming Life
Our family wrapped up the swim meet season last week and our practices will be winding down soon too. It has been such a wonderful part of our summer. Having something that is daily works really well for us because it gets us out of the house by a certain time each day and gives us some structure that can be really hard to find this time of year.
Our boys made so much progress this summer. The swim team has been a great reminder and conversation starter about doing our best and being kind and supportive to both our teammates, competitors and ourselves. I will miss our swimming community so much but there is always next year!
Daily swimming means we are at the pool all the time. It isn’t a bad place to be and with great wifi, it makes it a great place to catch up on work. The boys practice at the same time now which if you have ever had kids on different team schedules you know what is a gift this is!
Berries galore
We are lucky to live near so many wonderful family farms and that means this time of year we are picking all the berries. We were excited to drive down the road to opening day at Adam’s Berry Farm and the berries were incredible! We didn’t last too long because it was during our brief summer heatwave so we will be back!
Library Book Sale
After berry picking, we headed to the annual town library book sale! I love supporting the library(and it’s upcoming renovation!) stocking up on past favorites and also grabbing some to share with friends! 💓
Between the kids and me we brought three totes bags and it wasn’t enough! Next year we need a duffle bag. 🤣
We arrived early and waited in line for about 10 minutes and it was worth sweating through our clothes. We picked up so many picture books including a bunch of golden books. Flynn also added some super informative books to our collection…first words in Italian and a guide to venomous animals, ha!
Lake Life on a Hot Summer Day…
We headed out on the boat and it was the best way to cool down. Although with the intense heat it also means there can be fast approaching summer storms. This one snuck in and surprised us and while it was very interesting to see from the boat, we were eager to get back to dry land.
Shellac Nails Home Removal
You know I love to discuss the random and obscure and I thought it was a great time to share about my shellac nails experience. I almost never paint my nails but I do always have shellac on my toenails. I get a shellac pedicure every 4-5 weeks and it is a great and long-lasting way to keep them looking nice when I am quite rough on regular nail polish.
For the wedding a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to get my nails done and so I ended up getting a shellac manicure two days before the wedding. It lasted a good 10 days or so before they started to look a little rough and I needed to get it off ASAP. They were also starting to get longer which I don’t like the feeling of…I do a lot of computer work and it was driving me crazy! Anyway, I knew I could go in and have it removed but it really wasn’t something I could easily fit into our schedule.
So off I went to the pharmacy… I grabbed a container of full-on acetone and some cotton balls. At first, I tried the wrapping method with soaked cotton balls and tin foil, similar to the way they remove it at the nail salon. Then I changed tactics and did the soaking method on my other hand…as suggested by the Pioneer Woman of all people…
I found that the soaking method worked better and because I don’t have a lot of nail tools, I used the end of a measuring spoon to have push off the remaining polish which was quite effective…I am nothing if not resourceful, ha!
So I am not saying this is the most non-toxic method, but I think if you are going the shellac route you know that isn’t either…I was very pleased with how easy it was and I am super happy to have short and naked nails once again! I didn’t find that it damaged them in any way and I would definitely do shellac again for a special event, I just don’t have the patience to keep up with something like that in my everyday life.
Creemees & AC
It’s totally normal to take a photo to send to your kids when you have a creemee without them right?! Don’t worry, they were off having a special dinner and having ice cream after but we couldn’t resist. Buzz spent a lot of time indoors during the heatwave because it is just so hard to keep dogs cool. We are thankful to have AC and lots of ceiling fans.
Turning Nine!
Someone in our family turned NINE! For some reason, this number is hitting me hard. Maybe it is because it is halfway to 18 or maybe it is just because I can remember when I was nine so vividly…I know he is still so young but he really is growing up so quickly.
The past nine years have been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Parenting is such a gift and it is also the hardest thing I have ever done. I am so grateful to have a child that is kind, understanding and helps us learn and grow every day.
And when you turn nine you have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and sushi and hibachi for dinner…seems pretty perfect to me!
Alright, that is all for now. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. <3
Good morning! Can you believe it is July?! The next month is filled with lots of family events, including a wedding and our older son’s 9th birthday. We have a lot of family members coming into town for the wedding that we are so excited to see. With work, swim team and regular life stuff going on at the same time, it is going to feel a little hectic but it will be so fun too.
June in a Nutshell:
We finished baseball season and school and moved right into summer mode. There isn’t a big adjustment period with summer here because everyone knows it is short so everything is jam-packed. Swim team started the very first day of school break and we have (mostly) adjusted to our new work schedules during the last two weeks as well. I always find July a little easier because we are in our groove and then August is a transition time as well with summer activities wrapping up, and school starting again.
Currently Eating…All The Summer Fruit!
There is nothing better than berries you just picked. The first weekend of summer we headed to Full Belly Farm which is a nearby “pick your own” farm. We went on opening day and the strawberries were everywhere. We went with Kristy and her girls so we had some super awesome berry pickers with us and filled our flats in no time.
I always have the best plans to freeze some of what we pick but we never have any left to do so! Between eating them plain and a couple nights of strawberry shortcake for dessert, we didn’t have any left…oops!
Currently Spending Our Days…at the Pool!
Our older son started swim team when he was 5 and this is the 2nd year that both of our boys are participating. Having them in an activity on the same team is AMAZING! Because of their age difference in school (3 years), they are always on different practice and game schedules with other sports so this feels like such a luxury.
Anyway, swim team is the best summer activity. It gives us somewhere to be each weekday morning (structure!! routines!!) keeps the kids active outside and it is just the best community of kids and instructors.
We aren’t particularly competitive about it but the boys really get into the team spirit and it has been an awesome way for them to learn how to swim and meet new friends. I hope they want to continue until they are too old for it because I don’t know what we would do all summer long without it.
Currently Enjoying…Our Happy Neighbors
During the winter months, our animals are kept in the pastures closer to the barns so it is easier for hay and water to be delivered to them. This time of the year they are out and about and enjoying all the grass our town has to offer. In addition to being in the pastures next to our house, they graze in a few different neighboring fields. They are the perfect lawn mowers and are quite nice company too. We love to go talk to them after dinner and they are especially fascinated with Buzz…which maybe they think belongs with them because of his black and white coloring.
Speaking of Buzz…
Buzz loves summer! He is ecstatic that the boys are around more and especially enjoys the hundreds of squirrels and chipmunks that roam around our home and eat all our bird seed. he likes to perch himself on the chair in my office while I am working and keep an eye on things…we clearly have no boundaries with him and furniture!!
Currently Participating in…The Kids Summer Reading Challenge!
The kids are signed up for the summer reading challenge through our local library and it is great motivation to keep up with their daily reading.
During the school year, we visit our town library once a week and we are trying to keep up with this schedule during the next couple of months. The summer reading challenge is a great motivation for us to get there because it allows them to add to their charts when we visit.
They have the option to either do a sticker chart or an actual list, which is great for kids of different ages and reading and writing abilities. Our younger son chose the sticker chart and our older son is keeping an actual list of the books he reads.
I talked more about this HERE if you are interested in learning more.
Currently Loving…ALL The Turtles!
It is time for many turtles to lay their eggs so we have spotted many nearby lately. We saw this painted turtle trying to cross the road last weekend so we got out and helped her cross…our turtle lover was in heaven!!!
We also saw this snapping turtle at Luke’s office, but we gave her a little more space. 😉
Currently…Loving Evenings on The Lake!
After a chilly spring, Lucas and the kids got the boat in the water last week and we were excited to get out on the lake! Going on the boat is our very favorite summer activity and there is something so special about an evening boat ride. We lucked out with the calmest waters and a gorgeous sunset on our first night out.
We weren’t certain about the weather forecast at first but were able to get out for a second time on Saturday. We took the boat down to the Basin Harbor Club for dinner and an evening swim and then did some kayaking in the bay when we returned. Although there are many challenging parts of the parenting stage we are at, we are finally about to embrace later evenings as a family and we are loving it!
Currently Watching…Toy Story 4!
I think we have gone to the movie as a family maybe one other time. For a long time, the kids didn’t have the patience to sit through all the trailers and then a entire movie. Then there was the period of time when they were nervous about a lot of movies (we had to leave Moana for example!) so we just didn’t go.
They have always loved Toy Story though so when it rained on Sunday we thought it was the perfect opportunity to try it out again. We all loved it and the scariness factor is low (besides the creepy ventriloquist dolls in the antique store which I thought were less scary than the old neighbor Sid).
Movie Snacks…
Do you have a favorite movie snack? Lucas gets popcorn, the kids usually want Sour Patch Kids and I am a Goober’s fan all the way. Goobers have been my go-to movie snack since I was a little kid and I don’t think I have ever seen a movie without them. I will be devastated if they stop having at the movies so I really hope there are other Goobers fans out there too. 😉
Hello! How is your week going? The last few weeks have been doozies…
Trading in backpacks & cleats for swimsuits & long summer days:
I am excited for a change of pace and tomorrow is the last day of the school year for our boys! While summer is always hectic in its own way, there are less scheduling demands and a lot more “carefree” days.
It does mean that I will be making way more lunches (I will miss you school hot lunch!) and less work time alone, but as the kids have gotten older it has become easier in some ways. After many years the pool is finally fun and there are so many things we can all do together now. I am looking forward to lots of ice cream from Cookie Love and making lots of summer memories.
Summer Reading Challenge:
Do you remember being a part of a summer reading program as a kid? I have vivid memories of it myself and visiting the library during the summer was one of my very favorite activities. We would walk or ride our bikes there and there was always something so special of having a stack of new books to dive into.
Now that we have a family of readers, I am super excited about the kids participating in the summer reading challenge at our own local library. I stopped by yesterday to talk with one of the librarians and was excited to check out the summer book log and sticker chart. Doesn’t it look fabulous? You can learn more about the Vermont summer reading program HERE. And if you are not a Vermonter, most libraries have a similar option so definitely check it out! <3
Currently remembering our night out…
After many weeknights and weekends of spring baseball for the boys, we belatedly celebrated Lucas’ birthday last Saturday and had an evening out, just the two of us. We headed down to Middlebury and had an amazing dinner at the Arcadian. I am a huge fan of Aperol Spritz and it was so nice to catch up over a couple of cocktails and some amazing pasta. I mean how good do these sound…
I had the crab pasta and Lucas had the squid ink pasta and I don’t know which one was better because they both were amazing and really complemented each other nicely.
Currently loving…
I don’t talk about our farm life a lot on here but I had to share a photo of some of our neighbors, whom we also affectionately refer to as our other lawn mowers. They roam the farm and always look over to say hi when we drive by. Sometimes they are even in our driveway!
Currently admiring…
June is shaping up to be the best book release month! I read Mrs. Everything a few months ago via NetGalley and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a hard copy!! I was at Target before they were even putting the new books out on the shelves, and it was so exciting to see them getting unboxed. This is one of my favorite books of 2019 and I highly recommend checking it out! You can read my full review HERE.
Currently using:
I am going to have to do another skincare update on here because I have a few newer additions that I have just been loving…including Pixi Glow Tonic Glycolic Toner. I have always exfoliated with a physical exfoliator a couple of times a week, but I never had used a “chemical” unless I was at a facial.
During the last couple of months, I have incorporated this into my daily routine and it is amazing how much my skin has smoothed out. While I have the hormonal acne (mostly) under control, I have always had little bumps that popped up, especially on my forehead. I think they were tiny clogged pores and this stuff is magic!! I learned about it on the 10 Things To Tell You Podcast episode about skincare and it is life changing!
I apply it with these reusable bamboo makeup removing pads and then just throw them in the washing machine. Highly recommend!!! I talked more about this routine HERE if you are interested.
Currently reading:
Are you a Book of the Month member? I have been a member of BOTM for a while now and seeing the bright blue box in my mailbox each month never gets old! I was especially excited about the June selections! I picked Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand and then added in Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson which was a past BOTM reader favorite. I a reading Summer of ’69 now and I can’t wait to read Beyond The Point soon, I have heard amazing things!
If you want to join Book of the Month and get your first book FREE you can use my referral link. You can skip any month or add any additional hardcover books for only $9.99 which is a great deal! I have seen some sneak peeks of the July book selections and I don’t know how I am going to choose!
Alright, that is all for now. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week! <3
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, it helps supports this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
I am going to try and do “day in the life” post every couple of months because I always find it so fascinating how so many things change and how some things are exactly the same(like folding and putting away ALL the laundry!) I last did a “Day in the Life” post back in March and you can see that blog post HERE.
I have always been so interested in seeing “regular life” much more than special events or photoshoots when I follow along with a blog. There is something so fascinating about seeing the day to day minutiae and how people complete their daily work, life, and family tasks.
So if you like that too, you are in luck! The following is a look at a regular weekday at our house….like most everything else on here it really is about what I am up to but a lot of that involves the kids too.
Early Riser:
I have always been an early riser. When I was a kid I would wake up early and watch Flipper…does anyone else remember that show? It was the best!
I have never needed an alarm to wake up because my internal alarm is pretty strong! I usually wake up around 5am so that I have an hour before everyone else is up too. I use this time to savor my multiple mugs of coffee, catch up on work and emails and also create some the content for my bookstagram and this blog.
I am a very routine oriented person so this really doesn’t vary much…I usually run the Roomba in the evenings and I put the chairs up on the counters so that it can clean up all the crumbs that are never ending around here with the kids.
We set the coffee maker alarm fo to make 10 cups of coffee and Lucas and I split it in the mornings. I drink my coffee unsweetened but I always use half & half…milk just doesn’t cut it for me.
Buzz comes down to go outside at this time and then comes back in and goes back to sleep with Parker. He is not an early bird!
Morning Routines:
I also use this time to catch up with my other early riser friends…Kristy is one of them! Lucas leaves before 6 so this is also the time we check in quickly before we both start our days.
At 6 I go upstairs to shower and I find Parker reading in his bed. We recently made a deal (which included pokemon cards bribery)that they need to stay in their rooms until 6:30am. We were having way too much early morning sibling drama and me trying to referee from the shower and so this is a win for all of us!
While I get ready I listen to my audiobook and then have my breakfast of a perfect bar, green tea and my Care Of Vitamins. Both boys come down at 6:30am and they have their breakfasts and get ready for the day.
Buzz and those dang squirrels:
Buzz comes downstairs and places himself on his couch perch which is the perfect place to oversee the morning chaos. He is also a very routined guy.
While I pack the kids snacks (they have lunch from school) the squirrels have their morning meal at the bird feeders…they are quite the acrobats.
Also, does anyone else recognize this blue ice pack? It came with my Medela breast pump that I got when Parker was a newborn, and it is probably one of my most used baby items ever, ha! We leave for school around 7:20 if everything is running smoothly and this particular morning was super sunny and beautiful! We have had a very un-spring-like May this year so any sunshine is much appreciated around here.
School drop off, Pure Barre & more:
After school drop off I head to Pure Barre. Although my schedule ebbs and flows depending on the time of year, I try to go to barre 4-5 times a week…for both my physical AND mental health. It is one hour that sets the rest of my day off to the best start.
I started going to Pure Barre in 2015 and I haven’t looked back since! I probably talk about it too much but it really was life-changing. I had a bad back and head injury in high school and my almost life long back pain is almost non-existent since I upped my core strength through barre…and let’s be honest, 50% of why I go is to see my barre friends! They are THE best.
After barre, I get an iced latte. It is a bad addiction that also brings me so much happiness…it really is the little things. Between coffee and tea, I drink a fair amount of caffeine that my body is so used to it now…which I am not sure is a good thing or not!
After this, I head to Kristy’s. I am not working with her on this particular day but I had to pick up some books and I always love to see her! I also consider her house my South Burlington home, and I even have my own drawer in her bathroom. I get panicky about not washing my face right after I work out so I appreciate this very much! She is a very accommodating friend and co-worker. 😉
Books reviews & newspaper column:
I chat with Kristy a bit and admire her beautiful gardens and blooming trees…we have lived at our house for 4 years and we still haven’t done any landscaping so potted plants are the extent of my gardening. When I get home Buzz wakes up from his morning snooze to greet me. I get to work on finished a book review and then start working on my Charlotte News column. Next week I will be sharing my summer reading recommendations.
Multi-tasking & distractions:
While I appreciate having the flexibility to do some of both my photography and blog work at home, I have a very hard time not getting distracted. I am a terrible multitasker and so I appreciate that I do most of my work at our office at Kristy’s because I don’t get sidetracked by other things like I do at home! While I am working I have a bowl of Chex with a little maple syrup and milk for lunch and then I take Buzz for a midday bike ride/walk to check the mail.
Dog play date, wedding editing and visiting the library:
When we arrived home we were happy to see that our neighbor Mason Jar brought himself over for a dog playdate…the benefits of small town country life! I did a little wedding editing work for my amazingly talented friend Jenna and then it was time to go get the kids from school. My work is often pretty chopped up and means I do a lot of it during more “untraditional” work hours but I do appreciate the flexibility it gives me with the kid’s schedule.
After school, the kids played on the playground for a bit while I caught up with my friend Elisa. After we headed to the library so I could check with Susanna the librarian about our upcoming Libby on the Porch event next week!
Flynn was also excited to model our library bag which we use every week with our library book hauls. We were getting ready to go home and get ready for baseball when we got the email that Parker’s baseball practice was canceled due to the impending weather. While we usually play in all kinds of undesirable weather here in Vermont, it was about to really pour so we were all a bit relieved.
Rainy evening means canceled plans & ice cream:
The kids were excited to have some unexpected evening downtime and I had to switch around our dinner plans because we were planning on eating at the snack shack during Parker’s baseball…you can’t go wrong with a $3 cheeseburger! 😉 Lucas made dinner which was a mix of some random things (thanks Costco!) and then we decided to stop by Cookie Love which now has their summer evening hours. I had a coffee creemee with cookie crumble and it was amazing!
Laundry & Pokemon cards:
And it wouldn’t be a “day in the life” post without talking about laundry. We do at least one load of laundry a day which means the folding and putting away of clothing adds up quickly if we don’t do a little each night. We usually go upstairs around 7:15 and the boys shower and get ready for bed before having a little wind-down time, either reading, drawing or playing a game…recently it has been Pokemon of course.
So we took advantage of this and did a bunch of laundry folding and then both ended up reading on our Kindles. While the boys turn their lights off around 8(on an ideal night), Parker reads with his book light until 8:45ish and Flynn usually takes a while to fall asleep and likes having lots of extra kisses and check-ins before it happens. They also have been staying up a lot later because of baseball games so our bedtime routine is a little off and probably won’t improve much until fall when things slow down a bit again. I can’t believe that in a few years they will be staying up way later than us, but it really isn’t that far away!
So that was a day in my life! I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of randomness. Do you like reading “day in a life” posts? I would love to hear! <3
Today it’s another edition of Coffee Talk Wednesday! How is your week going? It has been a busy one work wise and I can’t believe we only have one week left of school before April break. After that, the rest of the school year flies right by…it snowed last night so it doesn’t feel like spring here in Vermont but I know warmer weather will be here eventually…
Currently Loving…
Our local library!! I had a great meeting this morning with Susanna at the Charlotte Library and I am excited about the project we are working on together to teach more people about the Libby App. I am talking about the Libby app in my next column for the Charlotte News and we are also planning a Libby Q&A in May.
I am so grateful to our town library for making reading so accessible for our family. We may live in a small town but the library love is strong here and so many people use it and appreciate it which makes me so happy.
It is also pretty amazing how much libraries have grown with the times to accommodate the ever-changing ways we consume content and media. Hard copy books aren’t going anywhere but the Libby app is such a wonderful way to read ebooks and listen to audiobooks, for FREE! One of the things I love about reading is that is really is accessible for almost anyone, and there are so many amazing people and resources that make this possible.
Currently eating…
There is nothing that makes me feel like more of a parent than when I prepare an afterschool snack for a group of hungry kids. I wouldn’t call myself super domestic, but I can make a mean bowl of popcorn. 😉
I love our Nordicware popcorn popper and it makes it so easy! I pop this thing in our microwave and 3 minutes later we have perfect popcorn that just needs a little salt! I like making it with oil and it reminds me of the popcorn maker we had in our high school lobby…so many memories!
Currently listening to…
I am still working my way through To Have and To Hold by Molly Millwood on Audible and I am just loving it. It is so relatable and she has the perfect balance of her professional experience mixed with her own life as a parent. I am excited to share my full review soon!
Currently trying…
No this isn’t a late April fools joke…I have been trying and loving Lipstick Queen Lipstick in Frog Prince. Now before you think I have gone way out of my comfort zone, this isn’t actually a green lipstick…but it adapts according to your PH and skin tone to create the perfect rosebud pink shade!
I love tinted lip balm and lipsticks that are moisturizing and this is another one I am adding to my lipstick arsenal. Its the perfect color and I love that it feels like a balm with the perfect amount of color.
I hope you have a great rest of your Wednesday! xo
I am my best self first thing in the morning. Over the years I naturally have fallen into waking up early. Now that the kids are older they stay up later and so the early mornings are my sacred quiet time. It’s when I do most of my book blogging, emailing, etc. I work over a big mug (or two) of coffee and my current audiobook, it’s lovely!
