I have always been a reader.  There were a few years where I didn’t get to read much for pleasure – during college, during grad school, and during the crazy days of having twin babies.  But, other than that, I tend to have a book going at all times.

This year I read around 50 books.  I say “around” because I try to type them all in my phone but I know I missed a few and there were some I abandoned because life is too short to read a bad book!

When do I have time to read now?  I definitely read more on my school breaks but I usually make time for reading every weekend.  Sometimes I will just sit and read while my husband watches sports or something I’m not into.  I also take a book when waiting for a son to get out of an activity.  I find this more satisfying than looking at my phone and I think it’s better for my mental health!

I am also in a book club where we meet about 9 months of the year and read one book a month.  It’s a lot of fun and you can start one, too, if this is your type of thing!

I only bought one book in 2018!  I get all of my books at the local public library.  When I see a book rec, I immediately request it from my library and pick it up when it’s ready for me.  I do this for two reasons:  1)  the money – when you read 50ish books a year it could cost $500-1000 dollars that could be spent on clothes and shoes!  and 2)  the space – I just don’t have room for the books and I don’t plan to read them again.

I think I will only list the books that I would recommend to you.  So, you will not see all 50ish of the books I read, but I will go in order starting with January of 2018. Also, I like mostly fiction, chick lit, and historical fiction.  I also like to read seasonally – Christmas books in December, beach reads in the summer, etc.  

Authors I liked this year:  Colleen Hoover, Kristen Hannah, Ann Hood, Elizabeth Berg, Kristan Higgins, Elin Hildebrand

Fitness Junkie by Jo Piazza and Lucy Sykes (cute, fun January read about the lengths people will go to to stay fit and young)

The Book that Matters Most by Ann Hood (this book totally surprised me and is worth your time!)

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman (kind of like a female Sheldon from Big Bang – very cute)

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (my first book club book for new book club in 2018 – everyone read it and everyone had lots to discuss about it, but an easy, quick read)

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins (just a cute, fun read – her books are like Hallmark movies)

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (kind of like a male version of Eleanor O. – don’t read these too close together in my opinion)

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine (i loved this – another book club book)

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah (WWII but really good!)

Still Me by Jojo Moyes (part of a series so you should read all 3 I think!)

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (I liked The Last Mrs. Parrish better and they had a lot of similarities)

Other Books that I enjoyed:  

The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

Match Made in Manhattan by Amanda Stauffer

Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hildebrand

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know! 

Happy Reading!

Amy 

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

So, some of my readers know that something VERY exciting happened to me a month ago…

I was the lucky winner of a $500 gift card to the retailer of my choice from the blogs Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer Told Me To.  I have been reading their blogs for 6 or so years but I never thought I would win anything, let alone such a generous gift.  

I was shocked!  It took me a couple of days to decide on my store and I finally picked Nordstrom because of their great sales, fast and free shipping and returns, and the high quality items available.  

I wanted to use some of it for Christmas gifts and some for me.   I didn’t know if I should go with a big ticket item for myself or lots of little things.  Well, I can’t stop my bargain hunting ways, so I think I got a lot for my money!

I bought 3 of these BP Tunic v neck black sweaters that are super soft.  One was for me and the other two were for my nieces.  I have already worn and washed mine several times.  Each sweater was $15 down from $39.  I really like the Nordstrom exclusive BP brand and have been happy with my items.  

Even though I had never used the Clinique chubette lip crayons, I bought this set for myself for $40.  I like the consistency and color that comes from these.  It is a nice every day lip color.  

I think I have found the holy grail of foundation that I have been searching for.  It is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation.  Nordstrom sent me a sample with my Clinique chubettes (they send you beauty samples with any beauty purchase) and the sample had me at first use!  It was only $42 and a little goes a long way.  It is light but full coverage.  Does anyone else use any Charlotte Tilbury products?  It was new to me!  

I love the look of Free People but I don’t love the regualar prices.  This top was really unique and on sale for $44.  Andrea of Momfessionals has it, too.

Next is the Bobeau butter tee that was $42.  Putting Me Together Audrey raves about these tees.  I don’t know why my photo is so bad.  It really is a great tee.  

Here I am wearing it.  

This sweater is super soft.  It is by Winter Wish and was $40.

This Caslon top is also super soft and was $30.  

This Caslon striped top is really unique with the stitching.  It was just under $20.  I have been wanting a black and white striped top.  

Not pictured:  two Madewell necklaces for my nieces that were about $20 each.  

And, finally, new short yellow Hunter rain boots that were on sale for $75.  I have had tall black ones for 6 years and had thought about adding a bright color.  This was the only color on super sale so I went for it.  I like the shorter length.  

Now, I still have some left on my card but I didn’t want to just buy anything and I even thought about saving some for spring.  

I felt like my closet was lacking just some basic tops.  Also, I love grey in the winter and needed some more of that color.  How do you think I did?  It was funny because I felt kind of guilty spending my gift card.  I was so careful and hesitant with it.  I am so appreciative to Sheaffer and Shay and didn’t feel deserving of it.  

Cheers!

Amy 

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

I wore my sparkle leggings!

We arrived in my hometown around 1, had some appetizers for lunch, played What do you Meme? and one sister and I slipped away to a winery for just a bit.

When we got back we opened a few presents and ate dinner.

It was a nice day and we came home around 8:30. I didn’t make it until midnight and it didn’t even seem like New Year’s Eve to me! Oh well!

Hope you had a good one!

Amy

Monday, December 31, 2018

Happy last day of 2018!  Here is a quick recap from the weekend!  

Friday I got to wear my new short yellow Hunters (part of the $500 Nordstrom gift card I won – post coming soon now that almost all of it is accounted for).  I ran a few errands and even got to sit on my patio for a bit because it was so mild out.  

Then, hub and I went to a 12:45 showing of this.  I fell asleep a couple of times but I did have a few laughs.  Verdict:  Save your money.

After the movie our boys friend came over and stayed til after dinner and my husband got me new tires for my car so that was good to check that off of our list.  

Saturday our boys went to a friend’s house and we watched the UK vs. U of L game at our friends house with Ale 8 bourbon slushies, KFC, and Domino’s pizza.  After the game we did Costco and picked up our boys and one boy went bowling.  

Game outfit

Our friends’ adorable golden retriever during the game

My Fab Fit Fun box came – will report on the winter box contents soon and if I think it’s worth it.

Sunday was travel to in laws for Christmas celebration – outfit below

I made a red velvet bundt cake and let’s just say that there was an incident involving the dog destroying part of it.  

I also made potato casserole and let’s just say the dog also stepped on part of it.  

Cute college niece

We had a busy but fun weekend seeing lots of great people!  

Happy New Year’s Eve tonight!  I will be back tomorrow to tell you what I did!

Amy 

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Do you have exciting plans? My favorite way to spend New Year’s Eve is at home with my little family or with close friends at their house or mine.  I have done the big parties, I have done the hotel packages, and I have gone out to eat over the years.  I worry about being out on the roads and I prefer a quieter atmosphere now.  

Last year was really fun.  We got together with my two college besties and their families and went to one house for appetizers then went to a restaurant, and finally finished at another house for dessert.  

 Some Ideas:

-Have a family friendly gathering and do your countdown at 9 pm.

-Go to the Dollar Tree as soon as you can and check out their supply of party stuff.  Also, the Target Dollar Spot and your local grocery will have some stuff.  

-Use a color theme like white and silver or gold

-Order some food and make some food or ask everyone to bring something.  Themes can be fun like Mexican food or Italian food.  Check out my post here if you need inspiration for entertaining at home.  

This year, we are going back to celebrate with my mom.  She requested this in lieu of doing a Christmas celebration this year.  She spent a few days at my sister’s house for Eve and Day and now we are all going back after leaving her house on the 23rd.  

Domino’s thin crust

She wants to order Domino’s thin crust pizza – I got another person hooked on it!  And, we are all bringing appetizers.  I am making little smokies – just get the tiny little links and mix equal parts grape jelly and chili sauce and put in a little crockpot or on the stovetop and serve with toothpicks.  My husband loves these and I make them just once a year.  I’m also bringing a dip that my aunt makes and the raspberry meringues that I talked about awhile ago.

Chipped Beef Dip:

Mix up 3 tbs. milk, 3 tbs. miracle whip (light works fine), 8 oz. cream cheese (neufchatel or light works fine), a tsp. of Worchesthire and a package of the cheap thin beef slices cut up.  I think the brand I use is called Budding’s and it’s like 70 cents a package.  Serve with Ritz crackers.  

Pink Meringue Cookies

These are super easy but you have to follow directions perfectly.  They take about an hour but the hands on time is only about 10 minutes.  

3 egg whites, 1 tsp. white vinegar, and 1/8 tsp. salt – Beat these until you have stiff peaks.

Add 3/4 cup sugar and 3.5 tablespoons of raspberry jello and gradually beat in

Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips

put them on parchment paper lined cookie sheets (you will need 2) and bake at 250 for 25 minutes

then turn off heat and leave in oven for 20 more minutes

do not open oven door or meringue will fall.

Enjoy!

I love this look below with the sparkly leggings contrasted with the plaid flannel. You could also do a pajama theme and that would be fun for kids.

I’m also bringing champagne, cotton candy, this new game for the adults, and Shirley Temples for the kids.

What about you?

Happy New Year! See you back here for Hello Monday!

Amy

Friday, December 28, 2018

Happy Friday – not that anyone cares what day of the week it is right now!  Is anyone out there?  Boy, blog land is quite quiet this week.  Since I’m a teacher I have more time right now (and I’m also procrastinating about grading the final exams I picked up at school yesterday) and in the summer to blog, but it seems like I am opposite of everyone else who has gone radio silent this week.  I don’t even think there is a Friday Favorites link up today, but I still have some favorites. Oh well, here goes me beating to my own drum.  

I talked about my Christmas here and I talked about my favorite brands here if you are just joining me this week.  

I use WordPress for my blog and my stats show that I have 4 readers from Sweden (Hi Tin-Tin!), 2 from the Ukraine, 1 from Canada and 1 from the UK – Hi Joanne!  How cool, right?  I’m going to do a post about hygge and fika soon.  I was taught about fika by my Swedish readers but I was really into hygge last winter.  You’ll have to wait on the post if you don’t know what I’m talking about!  Lol!  

I gave my husband this cozy University of Kentucky blanket but I have taken it over!  I am savoring my morning coffees and slow mornings.  Heck, I make time for this during the school weeks, too, but I just am enjoying moving even slower right now.  

So, I abandoned my Christmas themed books and this book here has surprised me in a good way.  It is a bit cheesy and would make a good Hallmark movie, but I’m enjoying it.  Pick it up if you can.  

I read about this next one on a blog and I haven’t gotten into it yet but I’m excited about the premise of the book.  I’m all about books that help you find joy and contentment.  

I took a picture of my husband and one son stretching in front of the fire.  My husband will be off until January 2 after working just Wednesday and Thursday.  

I posted about some very thoughtful friends and this was another one.  This couple that we have been friends with for 20 plus years sent us this “snack box”.  We have enjoyed it and it was something different than flowers. 

This photo popped up on Facebook from Christmas at my parents three years ago.  These two are a couple of strong and amazing women.  They are 40 and 43 and I love them so much.  We cried together but we also laughed together and we have talked every day since the funeral.  So, this photo is bittersweet because we had the whole family together and healthy, but it is also a happy photo to me because of the love I feel for them.  

By Wednesday night our bellies were full of ham and holiday leftovers so we headed out to a new restaurant.  

Onion petals with sauce

My Short yellow Hunters arrived.  I’m working on a post with my $500 Nordstrom gift card items.  I ordered several things when I first got it but then took a break and ordered a few more after Christmas during their big sale.  These boots were $75 and I have worn my full length black ones to death for the last 6 years.  I like the idea of having a bright sunny color for a rainy day.  

Where were these earrings when I was looking for black tassel earrings at the beginning of December?  These were 6.99 at Chico’s.  

I asked Santa to bring me new readers but he didn’t so I found these at Whole Foods while looking for my husband’s protein shake.  See, there are shopping opportunities everywhere!  The sides are tortoise shell.  If my contacts are in I need readers.  If my contacts are out I don’t.  Oh, the joys of aging!  

If you’ve stuck through this whole post, thank you!  This was very “stream of consciousness” today I think.  

Happy a very happy Friday, weekend, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!  I am posting soon about New Year’s Eve suggestions – I think I’m doing a Saturday post!  So, come back tomorrow if you still need some ideas.

Amy 

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

I’m mixing up my blog routine this week but that’s okay because I hardly know what day it is!  Are you like that, too, when on vacation?  Hub heads back to work for the next two days but then is off until January 2. 

So, let me get you up to speed.  My Dad passed on December 18.  We had the visitation on December 20 and the funeral on December 21.  I helped my mom with some things on December 22.  On December 23, hub and I finished our shopping for our immediate family and then it was Christmas Eve.  I had done plenty of online shopping so I was not in bad shape.  

Christmas Eve morning I got up and out early to wait in line for almost an hour for a ham!  Yes, I am embarrassed to admit this.  After that, I headed to Trader Joe’s in the same shopping center. The rest of the day I wrapped and wrapped.  But, I had two special deliveries come to my door that I will tell you about in a minute.  At 4:30, we went to church and then came home and ate dinner and opened Christmas pjs and played our new Christmas Eve game “What do you meme?”  I thought it was really fun.  One son was a good sport and the other thought it was “cringe-worthy” in his words. 

Christmas morning came and we started opening presents around 8.  Both days were just the four of us and you know what, I think it was just what we all needed.  We hadn’t been home much and we hadn’t been just the four of us much.  Yes, I was sad and had many “moments”, but I also felt the love and was thankful for my many blessings.  

Here is one special delivery.  Frozen soup plus a bottle of bourbon cream for my coffee. These friends came to the funeral but also wanted to bring me these comforting things.  I was so touched.  

The next delivery made me speechless and I’m rarely without words.  My friend had taken a picture of this photo of my dad from the funeral display, printed it out, and made it into an ornament.  She also brought me the Anthropologie Capri Blue Fir and Firewood votive candle set.  How special is this?  This was my favorite photo and my Dad always told us he looked like Tom Cruise, which he didn’t, but he thought it was funny.

This is what I wore to the Eve service.  This was the exact outfit I wore to the visitation except with my burgundy velvet top.  My little nieces told me my pants and shoes looked like they were from the 1800s!  Ha!

We sat in the balcony again this year.  I teared up several times because my Dad loved church and Christmas music.  

I decided to save my pasta plans and do this simple meal after church.

See that crust?  That’s what I stood in line for.

We got this for our family and played it.  Hub and I really liked it and the boys made fun of it.  It is a mature game.  There is a separate extra mature pack of cards.  It will make your eyeballs bleed.  They are DIRTY.  Hub and I read them after the boys left the room.

Annual p.j. pants.  One got moose pants and he called them “meese fleece” and the other got camping pants and he called them “trailer park pants”.  

Tolerating the game.

Christmas morning egg casserole and mimosa

One son made me muffins for Christmas and the other made me blog graphics and the promise to help me with my blog!  I was touched by both gifts because they were just sweet simple things.  Here is a blog graphic he made. Isn’t that cute?

Hub gave me these clogs that are like my beloved MIA Sofias but a little bit higher – these are the Abbas.  I will test them out some more to see if they are too high.  He also gave me a massage gift certificate.  So, I called my gift “Swedish clogs and a Swedish massage”.  It was very thoughtful.  We are not regular massage people around here.

One of hub’s gifts from me was this charcuterie board.  He loves saying that word and eating it.  I made him this for Christmas Day lunch.

I had a spiked hot chocolate.  It was so decadent!

The whole fam watched Die Hard and we had a fire.  It was so nice.  

We just snacked around during the movie and for dinner.  Hub had to go to bed early for work but it was a really nice and simple Christmas and just what we needed.  We will see hub’s side of the family on December 30 due to their travel schedule and my family on New Year’s Eve day because my mom wanted us to gather again then and not do our normal traditions.  

How about yours?  

Thanks for reading!

Amy 

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  May you have a lovely day surrounded by family and friends.  If you are missing a loved one, my thoughts are with you, as I will be, too.  

I also want to say a heartfelt thank you for reading my blog this year, whether you have been with me for awhile or whether you are a brand new reader, I really appreciate you coming here and I consider you a friend now.  

I started this little blog in April and really didn’t know if I could sustain it.  I had been a blog reader for years but was daunted (and still am) by the technology, photography, content creation, time commitment and so much more. I want to say thank you for your comments that have all been positive and supportive.  I especially want to thank you for the messages of comfort last week when I talked about losing my dear Dad.  

I hope you will stick around, because I’m not done for the year yet!  Here’s what I have planned for this week and into 2019: 

What to Wear, Do, and Eat on New Year’s Eve, Do you care about Clothing brands?, How Having the Right Stuff in Your Closet Makes your Life Easier, How to Make Friends as an Adult, January Fresh Starts, How to Deal with Grief, and Books I Read in 2018. 

What else would you like to see?  I’m all ears!  

Merry Everything, friends!

Amy 

Monday, December 24, 2018

Is it Monday? Haha! Happy Christmas Eve to all!

I am going to be a wrapping maniac today because nothing is wrapped yet.

I also may get in a ham line this morning. Honey baked ham is a once or twice a year treat for us – Christmas and Easter. There’s no other ham that compares. My husband uses it for 16 bean soup when we have had our fill of it as the main course and sandwiches so it gets used for several meals. For dinner tonight I’m making pesto pasta with artichokes and sundried tomatoes and shrimp and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken along with goat cheese garlic toast. We have a 5:00 church service.

Now I am just with my little family of four but the last few days we honored my dad and it was beautiful, fitting, and perfect.

Here are the nine grandchildren. I did all of the girls’ hair. My mom went to one sister’s house and then we will gather back at my mom’s house in a few days.

Merry Christmas Eve to all!

Amy