staying in, week 11

Keeping track of the days during quarantime is hard enough, and then throw in a 3-day weekend, and I'm amazed that I managed to write this post on time. But here we are: end of week 11, and still staying in. My state is opening up a little, but still in general under shelter in place orders until mid-June, which is good with my family. Definitely planning on waiting a solid 2 weeks after some of the loosening restrictions to see where things go before we change any of our activity level, for our safety and others' as well. (And acknowledging how lucky I am to have a work from home job, have outdoor space, and be a homebody anyway!)

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Good things

Here are some of the little things that made me appreciate life this week, even if the to do list did feel a little out of control at times after a long weekend:

Best book: Happy and You Know It was a fun and quick read - one of those moms with juicy secrets stories that takes kind of a farcical turn but is an enjoyable ride. Also (totally different) loved The Wild Robot Escapes, one of my May TBR books that I finished in a couple of sittings as well.

Tastiest recipe: just revisited this no-bake peanut butter bars recipe and it is SO GOOD.

Most fun delivery: a beautiful embroidery kit that I purchased from the shop of a reader - so glad she commented when I mentioned thinking about trying out embroidery, because her wildflower patterns are so pretty, and they look manageable for a beginner too!

Extremely appreciated taste of summer: around here, Memorial Day weekend came with summer-like weather - never know when that's going to happen in Michigan - and it was a treat to have this taste of summer along with a 3-day break from juggling work + homeschooling. Lots of reading and walking time while the boys went golfing (which is open here now), plus some time on the shores of my favorite Great Lake too. YAY.

Best pre-summer kid wardrobe upgrade: the arrival of summer-like weather also comes with the realization that Hendrik has outgrown swimsuits, sandals, summer pjs, you name it. Have had to place a few online orders accordingly, and I can't get enough of how cute these pjs are (especially compared to the not-cute action hero selections from Old Navy and Gap, which are totally failing me on boy style right now).

Best pre-summer me wardrobe upgrade: I went ahead and ordered the Everlane midi dress from my recent wishlist, and I definitely intend for this to be my new summer uniform. Fit and fabric are great, and I feel like I've got some pretty cool-girl vibes going on here.

Most satisfying to-do done: dropping off a whole lot of cans and bottles outside a youth ministry building - they will return them for the 10 cent deposit when it becomes safe to do so, using the proceeds to support their youth programs, and I get to be done having so many cans rolling around my house (after the, admittedly, pretty much daily beer drinking going on for the last 11 weeks...)

Bummers

Of course, still feeling plenty of feels about life as it is in corona time, even if I do feel a sense of peace from having made a decision for our family that we're still staying in for the time being, even if some restrictions are looser - that one decision helps with the decision fatigue of the current state of the world, because it just does away with having to consider whether certain things are safe, if we just skip most things for the time being (but this article about the risks of various summer activities was super helpful for thinking through some practical approaches in the months to come!)

Bummerest cancellation: school has been cancelled for ages, but I'm just feeling it right now, the idea of Hendrik not getting to finish out his first official year of school with his class. After all the hemming and hawing and discussion about whether to put him in first grade for this year (which we're so glad we did), what a different year it turned out to be... He's doing totally fine, but I'm still mourning a little his loss of the full first grade experience.

What I miss the most: going for hours at a time during the day without anyone talking to me. Ha!

Overall feeling: kinda burnt out. I've actually had opportunity for some breaks, thanks to various things like Peter having occasional half days, the long weekend, and also Hendrik generally being pretty good at entertaining himself, but the combination of trying to work and take care of a house and also have a kid around all the time during it is just leading to some burnout. Especially when I consider how even if we get rid of the homeschooling portion of it all next week, I've still got this kid around all the time with no camps or babysitters, and I still have to work! I'll have time to get it all done, but still, it's the having to do it all at the same time thing that's just getting to me right now.

Hope you're continuing to hang in there!

to read: June TBR

I'd say May was a pretty good reading month around here - I read 10 books, including all 5 on my planned May TBR, finished the month 11 books ahead of schedule on my Goodreads reading challenge, also had 2 Zoom book club chats, with great discussions of Normal People and Such a Fun Age. Fresh off this success, I was excited to come up with a list for June, with a similar approach: cross off a backlist book, read down my BOTM stack before getting a new box, and pick up my next book club selection. Here's the list:

For reading down my BOTM pile, I've got This Tender Land (which also happens to be on the MMD Summer Reading Guide), and I've got the legal page-turner A Good Marriage as well, which is great because summer makes me want to read this type of book. For blogger book club with Dana, I've got The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which looks to be a fun mashup of some southern women's fiction and vampire thriller, probably also great for summer reading!

From the section of unread older books on my shelves, I'm going with Crampton Hodnet, as Barbara Pym is always delightful for some 1930s British charm with a bit of satire - good period piece type of stuff. And speaking of, To Have and to Hoax, which I finally got from my library e-book waiting list, is a rom-com set in regency England, another kind of period piece that sounds like a delightful escape right now.

And as for May's list, while the success rate of reading the books was 100%, the success of loving them wasn't quite so high. Dana and I had picked The Jetsetters for our June 7 blogger book club, so I slogged through - but it was a slog. Was hoping for a dysfunctional family vacation story like The Vacationers (which I loved), but this was lacking any charm or any feeling of big-hearted humor underneath the family squabbles and tensions. So we actually switched to The Southern Book Club book as mentioned above - hoping we like that one more, and you'll see our reviews on June 7! 

Luckily I did really enjoy The Wild Robot Escapes (the first book in this pair of low/middle grade novels, The Wild Robot, is one of my few 5-star reads of the year - so sweet and wonderful), and I thought Well Met was a delightful romance. Prep wasn't my favorite boarding school book ever, but was a pretty enjoyable read all the same, and There Are No Grownups was a humorous and self-deprecating memoir/social commentary about getting into middle age that I appreciated but probably would even more so 5 years from now.

What was your best book of May, or what are you most looking forward to for June?

blogger style: one item, two ways

At the end of last summer I happened upon some fun platform espadrilles on super clearance at Target and brought them home with me, envisioning how fun they would be for spring break travels or for summer date nights out. Fast forward to corona era, with canceled trips and no restaurant dining in sight... but then I realized I totally have an occasion to dress for: it's blogger style day with Dana!

This month we decided to showcase the humble yet versatile navy crewneck t-shirt. Perfect for right now as it's very much jeans and tee weather here, and of course it's casual weather all the time right now. This tee can go dressed up when tucked in to a skirt, nautical/preppy when worn with white jeans, and here thanks to the platform sandals, stovepipe style jeans, and knot I tied at the hem, it's going the boho route today. Not my usual style, but I think I'm digging it for something a little different!

Speaking of different, let's see if Dana was any more creative than jeans + a tee. Ha! Check out her navy t-shirt post here.

Sharing on The Style Six, Style on the Daily.

staying in, week 10

Still staying home over here... When I started, who would have thought that we'd eventually be on week 10 of this series of recording the ups and downs of social distancing life? Sometimes I think pre-shelter in place Anne was so cute, thinking we'd possibly be sending kids back to school after a few weeks. I was disabused of those notions quickly, but it still does seem amazing that we're at the end of week 10 now. I do kind of wish I could go back to that previous Anne and tell her to bring home Hendrik's "indoor shoes" from his school locker. Now that he's nearly worn through his one other pair, we could really use those ones. Plus they're such GOOD SHOES.

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Good things

Anyway, onto a very quick recap of the things that brought some smiles this week -  not much new going on, so I'm not super inspired to write this post, but I didn't want to break my streak of week-end recaps!

Best reading material: the Lego catalog that arrived to our house around Christmastime. Hendrik had already studied it in-depth then, but he recently rediscovered it, and I'm not kidding, he has spent at least 5 hours pouring over it this week. How's that for getting our money's worth in quiet time out of a FREE catalog. You got me, Lego - I will totally spend money with your company to thank you for that.

Best library substitute, round 2: did another book swap with friends this week, with porch drop-offs. I was borrowing Normal People (which I enjoyed quite a bit, even more than I expected to) from a book club friend, and she asked for me to pick anything from my shelf for her... couldn't decide so I went with options: The Dry (mystery), On the Come Up (YA), and Young Jane Young (contemporary fiction). Good stuff to keep her busy a while. And neighbors gave us a whole bag of Magic Tree House Merlin Missions books for Hendrik to borrow, so he should be busy for the long weekend!

Favorite podcast episode: I recapped several of them here, but I also really enjoyed the 2nd new episode of "Against the Rules," which I just listened to when I had a free hour to myself. I find Michael Lewis' storytelling style to be quite engaging.

Most time-consuming internet browsing: since we were able to safely resume work on our bathroom renovation project, there is now an eventual end in sight...which means that (even though it's still weeks away) I can't help but get all excited about the accessorizing. I've been looking everywhere for great bath mats (love the colors of this one), towel racks, towels, and so on.

Most rejuvenating hour: cleaning out/organizing our linen closet. I was feeling kinda blah on a rainy afternoon, but ooh did I ever feel good after that. So satisfying.

Bummers

Going in to a holiday weekend, even as I look forward to at least enjoying good weather and not having to fuss with homeschooling for an extra day, it's easy to feel some bummers as we won't be doing the usual family get-togethers, and things like that.

What I miss the most: decisions feeling straightforward and/or simple. Every decision about any going anywhere - whether going out for a hike at a certain park is okay, or whether going out to (now open) golf courses is fine, or whether to possibly get together with close family members - just feels so complicated now. It's impossible to know for sure what's safe or smart both in terms of keeping ourselves safe and keeping others safe. And it feels even harder now that the state has okayed gatherings of 10 people or fewer - because at least when there were restrictions, it felt like these decisions were made for me. Now there's much personal deciding on parameters and calculated risks for our own family. Blergh.

Saddest cancellation: the outdoor summer concert series that we love going to. Not surprised, as they didn't even open up ticket sales, but the official cancellation email came this week and it made it feel like a bummer again. That really has been a fun summer tradition for us. Also continues to remind me how long it's been since we had a date night, and how long it will be till we ever hire a babysitter again...

But overall, actually feeling pretty good this week. Having my moments of being so sick of my kid that I can't imagine surviving the summer, but but for the most part just living this life as our new normal, enjoying getting outside, loving our continuing Harry Potter time together, and finding joys along the way. Not bad for 10 weeks of a way of life we NEVER expected to be living.

making lately: dinner go-tos

We're not people who go out for dinner all that often, but somehow these weeks of staying at home have felt like there is just SO MUCH making of dinner that needs to happen. Maybe because I'm not going to the store to get my own groceries, so it feels somehow more effortful to think about dinner when I have to make grocery orders?

Doing Blue Apron some weeks has helped with not having to think of quite so many menu ideas (and of course assists with the procurement of ingredients), but tasty as those are, they often are a bit more work. So I have been thinking about my easy go-tos that I can fall back on when I'm feeling the dinner rut. Like I am right now, despite the fact that we actually got takeout this week for once...

In case you need any ideas too, here are 4 simple and quick recipes that we love, pictured above:
Asian chicken lettuce wraps (serve on top of rice for the hungrier crowd)

Grilled chicken and veggies with feta yogurt sauce (make it even easier by just grilling chicken breasts and putting chopped veggies in a grill basket

Baked hummus chicken (serve on top of salad or inside of pitas)

Bacon and spinach fritatta (add roasted potato to make it heartier, skip bacon to make it vegetarian but then perhaps add blue cheese to up the flavor punch)

listening lately

I'm pretty behind on podcast listening, now that I rarely walk the dog solo, or drive anywhere in the car - but that does make it even more exciting when I get a chance to listen to an episode that I really enjoy.

While I haven't been trying out many new podcasts lately, I have encountered a few particularly enjoyable and/or informative episodes from my regular lineup that deserve a mention:

2020 Summer Reading Guide Special on Sarah's Bookshelves Live: always love a summer reading guide. Also really loved the recent episode with an interview of a literary agent - such a fascinating behind the scenes.

Samantha Irby on The Sporkful: interviews on this podcast are always fun because they've got a different lens than you'd normally get with other podcasts, looking at the person's relationship with food or thoughts on cooking or things like that. It's always entertaining but can also go deep. Writer Samantha Irby is a funny lady, and hearing her infectious laugh on this episode made it even better.

Help in a Crisis from Michael Lewis' Against the Rules: I'm pleased that season 2 of this podcast is launching and have liked the 2 episodes released so far (if you like Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, you'll probably like this one too). But I especially want to recommend this bonus episode, which gives some insight into the food crisis that poor people are/will face in the COVID-19 crisis.

Ask a Scientist - Bird Bonanza from Brains On: Hendrik is way into this podcast right now, lots of great science topics for kids. He of course especially loved this bird-related episode, in which they talked with a couple of official ornithologists - and even I found it pretty interesting myself.

Jill Lepore on How a Pandemic Ends from The New Yorker Radio Hour: though it made me tear up a bit, I found this historical perspective so worth listening to, talking about a "stay home" campaign during the polio outbreak. And the second part of the episode, interviews with 3 mayors across the U.S. about their current concerns and the challenges of reopening their cities, was very good food for thought too.

A Book A Day + Keeping a Log + Birthday Traditions on The RAD Podcast: Rachel's recap of her month of reading a book a day had me a little jealous that I have homeschooling to deal with and can't spend those hours just reading my own books, ha. But she has some fun recommendations out of it. And also loved hearing her family's birthday stocking tradition - kinda want to start it in mine!


Oh, and I can't post about what I've been listening to lately without mentioning Here for You, the new podcast from the duo behind Forever 35. They're doing a daily podcast, filling each other in on what's going on in their socially distant lives and then sharing suggestions and comments from listeners about how we're all making it through this time. The episodes are just the right (short) length, and it brings me comfort and joy, usually while I cook dinner.

Hope you enjoy these too - that is, if you have more time for podcast listening than I do...

wearing lately: on repeat

Well, not really anything new to report on the style front lately... I've taken to wearing the same outfits two days in a row, partly because I spend at least half the days in my leggings, thus only half the day (or less) in my "real" outfit (and also, of course, partly because I don't go anywhere!). So instead of photos of the same stuff, here's just a recap of my current go-to items:

Getting my money's worth out of these ones! And hoping I might be able to pull out more short sleeves soon...

staying in, week 9

Still holding strong over here on staying home, but it's still been a pretty up and down week. Mr. Sassy Pants got sent to his room multiple times, my sleep is still not great, and the moments of wishing I could just have my normal schedule of control over my own time popped up a lot - which makes me extra glad I have this space to vent a little about the lows... but also as a ritual to reflect on the little moments that made for highs. Once I got them all grouped together here, I realized how many there were, even if there were also plenty of times that I was just trying to get through.

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Good things

Favorite book: Writers & Lovers, which is one of those sneakily propulsive character-driven novels that makes me love it even though I don't love character-driven novels. Finished it in just a couple of days and thought it was really well written.

Best Netflix escape: I just started Never Have I Ever, and what a delightful, quirky escape into the life of an Indian American teenager (despite the fact that she's recovering from the trauma of her father's death) and her quest to finally become cool. The fact that it's narrated by tennis legend John McEnroe illustrates the enjoyable level of quirk of this whole thing, but then there's some great touching family and friendship moments.

Most anticipated blog post: Modern Mrs. Darcy's summer reading guide for 2020 was posted this week, and I've been waiting for it! I always love looking through her suggestions, and while I'm not intending to get to them all, it's nice to see encouragement to read a couple of the books already on my list (including This Tender Land, The Vanishing Half) and also to get some new ideas in two categories I really want more of right now, YA and mystery (excited to try out Strike Me Down, for one).

Most exciting house update: we have just been able to (safely, following guidelines) resume the bathroom remodel, and the tile guy has made some good progress this week. Very exciting in itself, but extra so because I LOVE the floor tile already. A relief, because after choosing it soooo long ago, it was hard to even remember what it was going to look like, and easy to start second-guessing my selections.

Best payoff recipe: I rediscovered an old favorite, the simplest of peanut butter cookies - which don't even require flour, in case you're experiencing a shortage like I previously was! After baking and letting them cool on the tray for a couple of minutes, I press a square of chocolate bar onto the center of each for a bonus. So easy, but so tasty.

Randomest amusing Hendrik quote: out of the blue, he says, "did you know that sharks don't get cancer?" Huh, I say, that's good. "Yep, good for them. But they get other diseases. And other creatures get diseases. Whho, dogs really carry the rabies."

Best delivery: the Lego Whomping Willow set finally arrived, thank goodness, after days and days of Hendrik talking about it non-stop (slowly driving me crazy), and after a delivery delay on the originally scheduled date (not surprising in these times, but hard on an excited 6 year old). And its arrival meant multiple hours of alone time for me. And it also led to...

Sweetest Hendrik quote: "I'm just going to finish one more Lego step and then I'll take a mommy hug break."

Best views: the flowering tree outside my office window. More sunshine + blue sky + blooming tulips on a bonus, unexpected chance for a long run when Peter ended up with a half day on Tuesday.

Bummers

Missing the most: just being able to do my thing. Period.

Bummerest cancellation: kinda just feels like summer is already cancelled in general, with Lake Michigan eating the beaches and a bunch of houses along it, and all the camps being canceled.

General feelings: roller coaster, regarding my own feelings and also regarding the news. Frustration when people appear to be just disregarding the stay at home orders. Despair when I think of the possibility of school not opening up as normal in the fall. Anxiety when I hear how many more people could get sick and die. Guilt when I'm feeling sorry for myself not being able to have my old routine, when I really have it so good compared to so many right now. Occasional ambivalence when it comes to doing anything with yet another day at home. Lots of feelings - perhaps this isn't so much "roller coaster" as "pinball machine"?

Hope you have an even-keeled weekend. Or at least a tolerable one...

making lately: lists upon lists

There's not much in this world that I find more satisfying than crossing things off a list - but I love lists so much that I even love the process of creating them. Depending on the list, making one can make me feel invigorated, calmed, productive, proud.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

So of course I was very excited when I saw Rachel's mention on Instagram that she was joining a list-making challenge - right up my alley! Basically you just make a list of the lists you want to make, and then sit down once a day to write out one of those lists. It was initially attached to a month-long challenge, but I think you could just do this any time as a nice chance to reflect on your life (particularly as relates to this current time of corona) or your dreams or your strengths or just your frivolous favorite things.

A great form of relaxation and self-care, and such a perfect use for your bullet journal or even one of those as-yet-unwritten-in pretty notebooks you have lying around (come on, we all do!), and of course some favorite colorful pens or highlighters. It's like this lists book that I've always wanted but never purchased, but you don't need to purchase anything...

Above are some lists that inspired me on Instagram, and here is my lists of lists as well as Hendrik's - because of course, as my constant companion these days, he had to do it by my side in his own notebook.

Hendrik's includes favorite Hogwarts pieces (i.e. the shape/color of his favorite Lego pieces from his Hogwarts set, ha!), wanted sets (i.e. Lego sets on his wishlist), Harry Potter characters, mythical creatures, animals in Magic Treehouse books, Formula One drivers, favorite birds, coupons I wans momy to have, things I want to bake, favorite candys, favorite TV shows, things wanted for birthday, birthday themes (i.e. ideas for his birthday party...in October).

Definitely gives a taste of what he's into lately - I love it. And speaking of taste, a list of favorite desserts was my favorite to write so far, but I have lots of fun list-making to come!

reading lately: home-grown royals

For all of our historical "independence" mindset, I feel like Americans are quite fascinated by royalty, and particularly the British royal family - plus deep down, don't we all harbor a princess fantasy? I'll admit to being a middle schooler who was obsessed with England and wanted to marry someone British so that I could be too - and maybe had a thought that the person who just might make it happen would be Prince William. Ha! But while we're on the subject of princess fantasies, it does make for some amazing escapist fiction - and today I've got a round-up of 5 great books about home-grown royals, whether they are actual royalty or marry into it, that are all excellent reads to get lost in.

American Royals
What if George Washington had actually accepted when offered the chance to be crowned king of America after the Revolutionary War? This YA novel imagines what it would look like if his modern-day descendants were rulers of the country... and this intriguing premise is pulled off beautifully. Eldest daughter Beatrice, who is in line to be the first woman to be crowned the ruler of the country, is working hard to do what is expected of her as she is groomed for her future - until her feelings for her bodyguard start to make her destiny and duty feel stifling. Her younger twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, as the "spares", get to have a bit more freedom to make mistakes, but their love lives are just as complicated thanks to their royal positions - especially when Samantha falls for the son of a noble family that Beatrice is expected to marry. So much behind-the-scenes palace drama, so much swoony romance, so much "it-can-never-be" potential heartbreak. SO GOOD. Just be warned, the end most definitely sets you up for the sequel, which isn't out until this fall. Also, I found it so fascinating to explore what details of history  might have changed - in this version, Native Americans had been treated far better and now have various duke-doms, same with African Americans. This alternate world is quite lovely to exist in - makes you think a little about the state of our democracy, when this monarchy has a much more progressive looking society... just a little interesting side bit to the book.
4.5/5 stars, such a good escape!


The Royal We
Bex Porter from small-town Iowa is no royal watcher, or a girl who ever had any fairy princess dreams - but when she goes abroad to study at Oxford and meets the dreamy boy across the hall... who turns out to be none other than heir to the British throne... she's suddenly thrown into royal life as their romance develops. Lots of drama along the way, including break ups and a royal family who does not at all approve of this American commoner, and finally a huge tabloid scandal right before their big day. And it is juicy good fun, the novel equivalent of an enjoyable browse through a People magazine, I say. If you have any love for the William & Kate story, this is an especially fun book, with their story loosely based on the real-life royal couple (though obviously there are some big departures, not least of which is that the "Kate" figure is an American from Iowa, of course). And not too much of a spoiler to mention a wedding, because as you'll see next, there is a sequel that's about to be published - but you really need to read this one before you can read the new book, which is the main reason that I am mentioning it again here (since I reviewed it already here).  Bonus that it would probably be easy to get as a library e-book given that it's a few years old now, and also it was recently super cheap on Kindle.
4/5 stars, read several years ago and still hand out my copy to friends who are looking for something fun to read


The Heir Affair
This sequel to The Royal We picks up right where it left off: after Nick and Bex's wedding, which was not at all the magical TV event everyone expected, after a tabloid story insinuating a romantic relationship between Bex and Nick's younger brother, Freddie. They're not in the good graces of the press, the public, or the queen. Tough they've repaired their relationship and escaped anonymously to Scotland, real life calls them back as the queen falls ill. And juggling the public appearances and royal duties, the pressure of the press, and the family secrets that begin to surface all strain that repaired relationship again. I wasn't quite sure how this sequel would be pulled off, as often what drives books like The Royal We is the will-they-won't-they drama of how a relationship is going to work out; once it's after the wedding, is there enough to make a story interesting? Well, yes, there most definitely is, when it comes to this book, because "heir affair" has quite a few different angles: there's the rumors of a literal affair that kicked off the whole wedding day drama and the publicity and family relationship fallout from that, there's the heirs in line to the throne and the pressure on them especially as the queen's health declines, there's of course the immediate bump-watch frenzy regarding the next heir as soon as the wedding is over - and there's even a historical family lineage angle as Bex discovers journals left by the queen's sister in their new living quarters. It's pretty chock-full of all kinds of stuff, maybe a little soap-opera at times, but in a totally fun way. I loved being back with these characters, and I loved the behind-the-scenes look at royal life, the types of things like public tours abroad that you saw Harry & Meghan doing after their wedding, or hospital visits and state dinners and such that you see pictures of Will & Kate doing. It's not the romance you might expect, especially as regards the fertility journey Bex struggles with, but it's very fun royal watching all the same.
4/5 stars, received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (publishes July 7)


Becoming
I listened to this one last year, but it bears mentioning again here because (a) Michelle Obama should be queen and certainly embodies one to me, and (b) a Netflix documentary about her book and book tour were just released, which I'm excited about but haven't had a chance to watch yet. This is a 5-star audiobook experience, because it's like you're spending one-on-one time with Michelle, who is talking directly to you - and then you will be talking about "Michelle" by end, confusing your family as to who you were talking about, when you don't have a real-life friend named Michelle? Oh, but she will feel like your friend. I was already fascinated by her life story, but what I loved even more in getting to listen to it was contemplating the ways in which she's "like us", a working mom trying to do the best for her kids and community - but then she also was thrust into this position of influence but no actual power, and what a tightrope walk that must be. The book is extremely well-written, and her reflections on her life and her passions and philosophies just drives home how thoughtful, smart, caring, and inspiring Michelle is. Also loved re-living some of the details of the campaigns/presidency from her perspective, rather than from the presidential perspective. Such a great behind-the-scenes look, and also I got SO into the tension of the campaign parts, even though I of course knew how it would turn out! Also, fitting this book round-up's theme, there's a scene where she meets the queen of England that is just a lovely story that made me smile.
5/5 stars, definitely do the audiobook


Red, White & Royal Blue
Alex Claremont-Diaz is the American version of royalty, as the People's Most Handsome-worthy, single, early 20s and incredibly charismatic son of the US president. Henry is actual royalty, as the equally cute, but much more reserved, grandson of the British monarch. Alex assumes Henry to be quite stuffy and stuck-up, but when an altercation between them makes the tabloids and their respective PR teams force them to pretend a friendship in order to get good press, their opinions about each other start to change as they spend more time together... and perhaps start to turn romantic too. But of course there's the major complication of whether they can truly be themselves in public, and how their love lives might be dictated by their positions in families in power. This is an enemies-to-lovers type of romance, which aren't always my very favorite (sometimes it takes a little while for me to get on board with understanding the veracity of the characters' relationship after they spent so long actively disliking each other), but these are characters to root for (plus the prince is soooo swoony and perfectly vulnerable under his polished veneer), and there's the kind of great banter and best friend side characters you'd hope for in a romance. Note that this is the steamiest book of this bunch, for sure - I saw someone mention this in the YA category at some point, which I must say it is decidedly not, on steam factor, even if the characters are in their early 20s. Also, I already loved the political landscape of this book when I read it last year, but even more in current times I appreciate the alternate reality it provides, with the first woman president in charge...
3.5/5 stars


Are you a royal watcher or reader? Do love the historical mini series versions of these types of things - The Crown, Victoria, etc. - but when it comes to books I prefer the contemporary settings. Which is why I'm super excited for the release of Majesty, sequel to American Royals, this fall.

Any other suggestions for me in the meantime that I might have missed in the past few years, whether book or mini-series?!


Sharing on Show Us Your Books.

wearing lately: on the bright side

Typically I'm a pretty neutrals-wear kind of girl these days, but when I spotted this sweatshirt on sale on Target's website, I couldn't help but turn to the bright side. A lightweight sweatshirt is so perfect for my fully at-home life right now, and of course cheeriness is something we can all use, and I'm taking it in the form of a bright lemon hue right now.

And that level of cheer didn't even factor in how soft it is, which I learned once it arrived on my doorstep. Sooo soft. I have worn it 3 days in a row, and besides helping me feel cozy it's giving me lots of inspiration to look on the bright side:

• We've had a few days this last week that were so cold I had to get back out the parka that I had washed and put away until next winter... but on the bright side, that means the many tulips in bloom around here are going to keep lasting, prolonging the enjoyment of my favorite flower!
• Hendrik has about made me lose my mind with non-stop talking about the Lego Harry Potter Whomping Willow set that he is obsessed with (frequently heard from him: "Is there anything else you are curious to know about the set??"), but on the bright side, we ordered it with his hard-earned allowance and weed picking money, and it's going to arrive today and buy me so much beautiful silence while he builds it.
• All the dinner cooking of this at-home time has me feeling a little burnt out and un-creative in the kitchen, but on the bright side I've got a Blue Apron box arriving today, so there's no thinking required. Miso-honey salmon, coming right up!
• I miss going to the gym, but on the bright side, I'm glad it (and my mom) gave me the opportunity to discover the Peloton app, because I am really loving my yoga and cardio dance and foam rolling classes these days.
• And, of course, I really miss wandering Target, but on the bright side, I satisfied a little of of the I want fun Target goodies itch by adding this sweatshirt and this dress to my online order of necessary household items :)

Hope you find some cheery spots in your Tuesday too!


Sharing on The Style Six.

staying in, week 8

Well, it's been a week. Seeing news reports about further sickness/death projections and weird side-effect illnesses that some kids are getting, seeing people in my town apparently having given up on social distancing (even though we're still on shelter-in-place orders here), not sleeping well, having a kid that has talked for literally hours about the Lego Harry Potter Whomping Willow set that he has saved up for... I've been losing my mind a little bit. But flowers are blooming and the sun is out and I have many blessings to count. So I'm going to stay home and do that!

image

Good things

Best book: The Heir Affair, which I was lucky to get an advance e-copy of from Netgalley. Escaping into the life and gossip of (fictional) royals is perfect for right now, and I'm loving it. Good news for you is that it's actually a sequel, and the first book is just as much escapist fun. If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely pick up The Royal We while you wait for this one to officially be published! (Saw it was $2.99 on Kindle recently.)

Most enjoyable podcast episode: I'm sooo behind on all my favorite podcasts with so little solo time, but I got to listen on a walk to "Holly Root (Literary Agent) on the Rise of Rom-Coms & Publishing in the Coronavirua Era" on Sarah's Bookshelves Live and found it such a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at representing authors and getting their books published, along with a view of publishing in the corona era. Also she name-dropped several of my current favorite fun-reading authors as her clients (including the author of Beach Read, which I breezed through recently and loved).

Favorite game: is actually one that I don't even have to play! Even better. I got this Cat Stax spacial logic puzzle type thing for Hendrik a while back and set it aside for a rainy day... which appeared last week not in terms of rain but in terms of cabin fever. And he has loved working through the different challenge cards. It actually was his thankful thing in his prayer requests for several days in a row, ha!

Most well deserved (and delicious) treat: Hendrik and I did a curbside pickup at Target this week (it was a first - very fast and easy and efficient!), and after we had done such a good job with our work and our hike that morning (not to mention that we've done a pretty darn good job of sheltering in place all these weeks), I decided we could have a corona-time first: a trip through the Starbucks drive-thru. I tried the almondmilk honey flat white and I most definitely have a new favorite drink. Gotta figure out how I can recreate this, pronto.

Best therapy: sunshine + running + tulip viewing. Very excellent combination, and I had a couple chances for some really good relaxing run time up and down the lanes of blooming tulips near my house. Definitely clears the brain and restores the spirits. Just as good has been my sunshine + reading outdoors therapy time too.

Bummers

Saddest cancellation: in a week where I was already sad about two big ones that got cancelled ages ago but would have happened this week (our town's tulip festival and also a full-family long-weekend trip to Louisville), we also got official notification that the science camps Hendrik was signed up for this summer have been cancelled. Not a surprise, but it just had me feeling really blue - he's bummed because he was really excited about the themes, and I'm bummed because it was my one glimmer of having some sort of regular schedule/house to myself between now and September....

Parenting lows: totally checking out when supposedly playing some "pretend" stuff with Hendrik. But I just couldn't with the elaborate, entirely non-reality based scenario. My mom described it best: being subjected to this and expected to participate made me feel itchy all over. And then a little bit of mom guilt set in. You all made me feel better about it on Instagram though - I'm clearly not the only one who doesn't enjoy this part of hanging out with my kid... gah, I wish he could play with some other kids right now!

Bittersweet family time: my sister and her husband and baby spent some time (alone) at my parents' cottage, and we were able to see them and one of my brothers by standing 6 feet apart, wearing masks, in my parents' driveway. Which was so nice (the baby is the sweetest and gave us some delightful coos), but also just so hard to not be able to hug anyone or hold the baby or really spend any significant amount of time together. I've said it before: I can do the homebody thing really well - but this social distancing from family part is really hard.


Hope you are all hanging in there and staying home and healthy. And finding good things, even just little glimpses of bright spots, to power on through the really hard and bummer parts of life right now.

making lately: a little wishlist

About two months in to this staying home business, and the retail therapy bug might be biting a little... until now I really was avoiding this, aside from necessary items and also a few items to keep Hendrik entertained, partly because in a world that felt so uncertain - not to mention in a world where I'm not going anywhere and nobody's coming to visit me - it seemed pointless to spend money on things for my own or my home's appearance.

Buuuut as this new world feels a little less surreal and more just like a new normal of daily life, and as I get a little tired of homeschooling, and as Mother's Day is coming up and I feel like I totally deserve a little treat for being a trooper here, I might have started doing a little online window shopping. These are mostly things that feel really legit for a life of staying home anyway - some little comforts and fun things.

Plus, exciting news that our master bathroom work is going to start up again - with the tile guy in a mask - so I'm feeling at least justified in browsing for room finishing touches for that!

currently

making: a weekly batch of muffins, since Hendrik has been very into them lately, and it's a good activity to do together when we need to kill some time. His current favorite is this whole wheat chocolate muffin recipe.

missing: visiting my favorite fro-yo place downtown... just typing that has brought on an intense craving for some creamy goodness topped with peanut butter cups that makes me even more sad. Just might be the first place I visit when it is safe to go places again, but that could still be a while, so I'm trying to be patient in general!

learning: some self-massage and trigger point therapy techniques, since I have needed a massage for weeks for IT band issues in my hip/leg, and it's still going to be weeks before that's a possibility. This type of self-massager is coming in handy, at least. Also finding the foam rolling classes on the Peloton app very useful.

loving: my new Athleta leggings in the Powervita fabric. I'm wearing leggings on many days, and these are always the ones I reach for first - might as well just get rid of all of the others at this point, these buttery soft and light-as-air leggings are so good.

reading: selections from my May TBR. Actually have already finished There Are No Grown-Ups (fun memoir for people in their 40s, or on their way there...) and am enjoying the rom-com Well Met as a nice escape.


How are you all doing these days? I hope you're hanging in there, and I hope you'll join in with linking a post below, because it's so nice to have this online community to visit any day, but especially at a time when we can't physically visit anyone.

And mark your calendars for the next round, on June 3: I'm planning on writing about what I'm feeling, wearing, buying, craving, and discussing.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

wearing lately: bare ankles

Every year when my beautiful backyard tree begins to bloom and re-appear in my outfit photos, you can expect another thing to appear after a winter hibernation: my ankles! Though it's still spotty on whether a day can actually remain jacket-free, it feels safe to pull out the cropped jeans and the no-show socks again...

This time the cropped jeans are actually a new style I'm trying. The other thing (aside from my adorable spring jacket and still-never-been-needed purse) that I purchased in a February Madewell sale, in preparation for the spring break that got cancelled, was this stovepipe style jean. I spotted them when scrolling through the denim options (couldn't help myself, I love their jeans so much!) and thought they looked so cute on the model. Figured this straighter silhouette would be worth a try, especially in their nice comfy lighter weight, to pair with summer tees, and the cropped length is great for cute little sneakers and sandals.

Still not entirely positive what I think of them on me, but we're giving it a go now that the weather is actually here for it. None of the spring outings and events I thought I'd be dressing for, but it's nice to get dressed sometimes anyway. How's spring style going for you these days?


Sharing on Style Six, Style on the Daily.

staying in, week 7

I think I've said it before, but this corona era has a very twilight zone feel, where time seems slow and fast all at once. In a way I can hardly believe it's May already, but on the other hand it kind of feels like we've been living this way for years, it's dragged on so long. We've got official orders now to extend sheltering in place through May 15, so we're hanging in here for the good of everyone. Even if we're not sure how much longer we can hang on to actually getting any homeschool work done...

Good things

Some of the little things that brought smiles or serenity around here this week. (Oh, and one other good thing for one of you: there's still time to enter my giveaway for a set of customized shampoo + conditioner from Formulate, so check it out and enter here!)

Best book: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (using the beautiful illustrated edition again!), which we've now started in on as a family read-aloud. Hendrik is loving it as much as book 1, and I had forgotten many of the details, so it's fun to revisit.

Best podcast: Brains On, a science podcast for kids. Hendrik is very into it, and I put on an episode every day while he's eating lunch. Nice quiet time for me, and something that's both entertaining and educational for him. A quarantine win-win.

Best show: I'm not particularly into basketball and know only the very basics about Michael Jordan, but no matter the sport, I find it hard not to get drawn into a well-told story of a sports team/player's journey. So this new documentary The Last Dance (currently airing on ESPN, but coming to Netflix) got me totally hooked this week. It's the perfect thing for right now, when watching live sports is a thing of the past, but I don't really know the history of the Bulls, so I don't actually know who's going to win the playoff year they're discussing... bonus that it's actually something Peter was watching, so finally something for us to watch together!

Best recipe: falafel! it was already one of my goals to learn some more go-to vegetarian recipes this year, and now that some of our grocery stores are seeing meat shortages, it's feeling like an even better idea. One thing I did stock up on was chickpeas, so I finally got around to attempting falafel again after not finding success with it in the past. And I have made this recipe twice already. SO good. We served it in pitas with a diced cucumber/tomato salad + tatziki sauce (made with plain yogurt, shredded cucumber, and a bit of lemon juice).

Best dinner relief: we finally did takeout for the first time this week, from local favorite New Holland Brewing and it was a treat to have a break from cooking dinner, to have a random special Monday night event with a pizza picnic in the living room (Hendrik LOVES this), and best of all to have a couple of 6-packs of beer brought right out to the car with our dinner order. We were all out, and you can't get that via Shipt like the rest of our groceries...

Best self-care: foam rolling with fave instructor Hannah Marie on the Peloton app. Just takes 5-10 minutes and feels so good!

Bummers

We had a good week overall, especially thanks to some absolutely amazing weather on a couple of days, but it's hard not to notice some of the bummers that still exist (in addition to feeling the absence missing our usual people and places - a lot):

What I'm missing the most: motivation. Partly on behalf of Hendrik, who it is a big-time struggle to get to work on school stuff now, and partly on behalf of myself, who is feeling a bit blah about doing any kind of projects or even blog posts when I have free time in the evenings. I just don't feel like quite myself when it comes to motivation for usual tasks and projects, and I think it's partly because sometimes it feels like there's just not much point to things when you're not leaving your house or when nobody's going to see your nicely cleaned up living room or whatever.

Most melancholy feels: when Peter reported how at bedtime Hendrik said that he just wished we could go to a store. He just wants something to make our days different. Ah, you and me both, buddy. Also it just makes a parent feel melancholy to have to ask a kid to be this resilient in such a weird/difficult time in the world.

Most stir-crazy feels: I really haven't had too much problem with this, as a homebody from way back, but one day this week it rained from before we got out of bed in the morning through about 4:30pm and I realized just how crucial getting outside for a walk is. Luckily we still fit one in just before dinner when the rain stopped, but Hendrik woke up the next day saying, "we need to go for an extra long scoot today after not getting enough activity yesterday!"


It's going to be kind of a weird week ahead, one in which our town would usually be filled with tourists and festivities for Tulip Time, and one in which we also had planned a long weekend away with my whole family. Both of those things are canceled, of course, but though it's all bittersweet, we're still going to make the most of enjoying all of the tulips around town (those are definitely not canceled!) on our walks, doing our "virtual run" for the canceled Tulip Time 5k and kids' fun run, and FaceTime happy hour-ing with the fam.

Hope you are hanging in there, staying home, and finding some bright spots too.