wearing lately: sweater + shorts

After a brief hot spell, our Michigan June has taken a turn for the unseasonably cool. Not so bad for a pregnant lady, but kind of a bummer for anyone who happened to be vacationing on our lake's shores, including some extended family of mine in town... or for really anyone who might like to step foot outdoors in the last week. So. Much. Rain.

But on the bright side - because our gray skies need one: it's the right weather for a summer sweater, and even better, that elusive sweater + shorts combo that is always cute but rarely temperature-appropriate. I love a light cotton sweater (particularly a stripey one, of course!) for cool summer evenings, especially paired with white jeans, but for daytime the shorts combo is kind of refreshing for a different way to wear your wardrobe. 

I realized, when I started to pop out of all of them, that my sweaters are pretty much all cropped ones these days, so I thought this one was a great find for my situation - something a bit longer to cover the expanding belly, not to mention very cute, great price, and wears well for summer and fall depending on the rest of the color palette you go with. Here it's with a favorite summer neutral, navy, styled in a way that's perfect for a walk to the library or farmer's market, with the help of a coordinating canvas backpack... when there's a break in the rain, anyway.

Here are a variety of cute summer-weight sweaters, if you've got the weather (or overbearing a/c) for 'em too:

Sharing on Style Six.

five things Friday: favorites of the week edition

Whew, it was a week. Pretty sure I would think this at any time, but especially after the pandemic year when I was used to nothing on the calendar, I accidentally double-booked myself for two different time slots this week. With all the extended family visits on my side and Peter's, OB/ultrasound/PT appointments, swimming lessons, camps, and meetings I guess it's not surprising.

In the midst of all the busy, a random assortment of my favorites of the week that just made me happy, on top of the finally getting to see some far-flung family members - yay, vaccines!

1. Birthday cake: my dad honors my standing request of chocolate cake with Oreo mousse filling every year, and always comes up with a fun design of something I'm currently into (this year he made the topper look like a Peloton badge, a bonus shout out on my recent 250 rides milestone), and this year I even received an early delivery of the "junk cake" made with the leftovers from the real thing. So good. And pretty sure haven't gone a day without eating cake in over a week.

2. Hydration station: I've loved my S'well water bottles, but my sister gifted me a hibiscus pink Hydroflask this week and I can't get over it... it's just so satisfyingly huge, and so satisfying in my cravings for chilled and juicy things. (Grapes are the other thing that I can't get enough of lately, and my mom came through with a Costco-sized order of those too.)

3. In-person science camp: Hendrik was SO excited to be back on the local college campus for in-person (albeit masked) science camp this year, and even better that this week's was Harry Potter themed! Loved seeing him so excited and cute about it, especially when he made sure to wear his Team Hogwarts polo shirt on the day that they were going to discuss flight and play quidditch. Will note that I was also pretty happy with his one disappointment... that he didn't get to bring home the remnants of the owl pellet they dissected on Care of Magical Creatures day.

4. Leaning into old lady-hood: I finally got myself a year-long subscription to the NYT puzzle app, and the timing, combined with receiving an iPad mini from Peter for my birthday, couldn't be more perfect for cementing my old-lady status - my evenings are now spent doing the day's crossword puzzle on my new iPad mini. In dark mode to protect my sleep prospects (insofar as I have any), of course.

5. A bit of nesting: my 2nd favorite self-care this week - after my prenatal massage, that is! - was taking a bit of time to myself to finish building the new bookshelf for baby brother's room (pretty pleased with how solid this one is, and how smooth the assembly process went - worth paying a little more than the Target one, I guess...), and then getting to pull out all of the board books and picture books from the closet and load it up! Can't wait to revisit some of these with a new little one. And his room is really starting to come together, which gets me even more excited to meet him too.

Anyone else feeling this emerging-from-pandemic busy feels? It probably is just normal summer busy - that classic combination of lots of fun opportunities + limited time window of nice weather/school break - but it's a readjustment for sure. Lucky for me I'm off to enjoy my very favorite summer thing, a weekend at the lake, and this I can always easily get re-accustomed to. Happy weekend!

reading lately: fake it 'til you make it

The fake persona or fake dating trope seems especially well-suited to the type of drama-with-resolution that is typically involved in a rom-come or a young adult book, as evidenced in a few that I have read lately:

The Ex Talk

The classic mismatched couple fake dating turns into actually falling for each other rom-com plot gets a fun nerdy NPR twist in this book: Shay has worked at Seattle's public radio station as a producer since college, always dreaming of achieving her childhood aspiration of hosting a show herself (but held back by her hang-up of not having the "right" voice for radio), so she can't stand it when the cocky new reporter, Dominic, ends up on air, sounding like a natural. Then her opportunity to host a show finally arrives - but it requires not just collaborating with her work-nemesis, but also having to pretend to have dated him, because the new show they're being asked to launch, "The Ex Talk," is a relationship show in which exes offer advice based on their experience of having dated in the past. Neither of them feels great about the lie to their colleagues or the public, but it's that or be out of a job entirely. The show takes off, along with the worsening potential ramifications of this fake dating deception - and along with their increasing personal chemistry, of course... It's a rom-com that has some of the serious background stuff of some family issues/personal growth, along the lines of Boyfriend Material; a bit of steam but not overmuch for me. The public radio setting made it fun, but I might be a teeny burnt out on rom-coms lately, so might not have loved it as much as I would have with some space between reading some others and this one...

3.5/5 stars, for NPR nerds and fans of fake dating rom-coms like The Unhoneymooners or Boyfriend Material

This Will Be Funny Someday

In this YA coming-of-age novel, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school," as the publisher tagline says. When 16-year-old quiet and unassuming Izzy stumbles into a comedy club and ends up performing on stage, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to wanting to do it again. And she also finds herself drawn deeper into faking a new persona after telling her new stand-up comedy friends that she's in college like they are - not to mention that she is hiding this whole new side of herself from her family and school friends, now sneaking out at all hours to perform or meet up with her new friends to rehearse, despite her usual role as model student and dutiful daughter. While she's loving this new scene, her fake college life and real high school life are bound to collide at some point... and Izzy has to figure out how to be who she really wants to be, and to stand up for herself. Her process of learning about stand-up and gaining confidence and catharsis through telling her story on stage is fun to read (hence the Mrs. Maisel comparisons), and there's depth in it to, of exploring how she has made herself small given how she feels like she doesn't quite fit in her boisterous family, or how she acquiesces constantly to her controlling boyfriend because of how she's made to feel like she doesn't have any self-worth beyond him. 

4/5 stars, YA with humor and good exploration of psychological/mental health aspects of growing up like in books by John Green or Becky Albertalli

Super Fake Love Song

I gave a brief review of this one in my May TBR recap, but I thought I'd mention it again because it fits this sub-genre so well, with the fake band member persona that self-proclaimed nerd Sunny takes on in order to impress the new girl. This trope isn't always my fave because you just know that his false self-representation is going to come back to bite him after she falls for him... but I liked how this story explored beyond that standard character arc to think more about how we choose and form our personas, which is such a part of moving through young adulthood, including how different "uniforms" of high school and beyond, like sports jerseys or cos-play costumes, are different ways we assume an identity and make connections with others. Though of course pretending to be someone else can lead to hurt in relationships, what about when faking it can actually build self-confidence and lead to personal growth? So it's a snarky rom-com following the faking-it trope, but it goes deeper too.

3.5/5 stars, also for fans of coming-of-age YA with snark like The Field Guide to the North American Teenager or Permanent Record

All fun summer reading options, if you're in the mood for something along these lines!

And back on the subject of fake dating, if you enjoy that type of story: another great example is The Duke and I, the first in the Bridgerton series, giving you a regency-era romance twist (with lots of steam!) on the trope; in lighter YA of course To All the Boys I've Loved Before is fun, as is Frankly in Love.

When I'm ready for some romance books in my reading life again, I've also got Take a Hint, Dani Brown on my list, and also Christina Lauren's new release, The Soulmate Equation, which sounds like it'll also have some fun twists on the fake dating scenario. Have you read any of these?

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wearing lately: summer glow skincare routine

Much as there's the cliche about having a pregnancy glow, I'm not sure I buy it... especially with the insomnia I've got going over here. But I think a summer glow is in the realm of possibility to attain: a bit of a tan and a few well-placed skincare products, and my current quick and affordable routine is making for glowy skin - even with super minimal makeup. (Which is even better when it's really hot and you don't feel like caking your face with makeup, or having it melt off.)

Skincare

I've had a simple night skincare routine down for a while that has been working well for me, but not much of a morning one, aside from putting on a bit of makeup. When I had the chance to try out some products from Maelove, I decided it was time to really get a morning skincare routine going, and a bonus is that it has come with some glowing... These products are super light feeling on the skin, which is great in the hot summer when you just want that light fresh feeling, nothing heavy, and I'm liking the results after a few weeks of use. One of which is feeling the need to do use less makeup to feel polished!

Quick cleanser: I kind of hate washing my face, so my compromise is to use a washable microfiber pad + Simple micellar water (no rinsing required) or sometimes a micellar face wipe if I'm feeling like I need a bit more cleaning up.

Vitamin C serum: I have been loving this type of product for the way it brightens skin tone; I used to use BeautyCounter's version and now am liking Maelove's The Glow Maker (though admittedly I don't enjoy the smell - of either product, actually), which feels nice going on and is even more affordable, a big plus. Another perk is the anti-aging benefits of sun protection in this product, a good thing for summer. And for being one of "advanced maternal age", ha! (And yes, vitamin C is pregnancy-safe.) First I let my skin dry - an important step to avoid any potential skin irritation from a vitamin C serum, I've learned, along with lots of other great things about it - and then I apply this all over face and neck.

Moisturizer: key step to seal in that vitamin C serum, since it is an oil-free product, is adding a cream or oil next. For summer, having something super lightweight feels great, because I'm not as dry as in winter but also because when it's hot you just want that light and airy feel - and Maelove's The One Cream has such a perfect barely-there yet still moisturizing feel. Great everyday product.

Facial oil: if I'm feeling extra fancy I'll use the Love 31 oil for some extra hydrating and nourishing. It smells like an essential oils product, so I also kind of like it for night time hydration + aromatherapy and use it in the PM instead on some days.

Sunscreen: important any time of year, but a serious must for starting out a summer day! Again this is where I've used BeautyCounter's version in the past, but I'm liking the similar clean ingredients and light + non-greasy feel of Maelove's Sun Protector with SPF 30 (if not the scent, again), and again its good price point. This particular product absorbs nicely, compared to some sunscreens, and also doubles as a makeup primer - handy because in my minimalist approach to such things, I don't usually use one!

Makeup

I'm a fairly minimal makeup person in the first place (no more than 5 minutes to my routine), but in the summer it can feel nice to use even less of it, when you're all hot and sweaty, plus the way the products above help me feel like my skin tone is a bit more evened and and brightened also mean I feel like I can look polished without having to do much more. So I've not often been using my CC cream base; instead  here are the few products I've been sticking to:

Highlighter: this Saie product can be used as a targeted highlighter, but it can also be used as a full-face dewy addition that nicely accentuates the glowiness of the above skincare routine, without being overly sparkly or shimmery. So I've been doing a quick all-over application of this lightweight gel once my face products dry.

Concealer: even with all the glow, sometimes I do need some concealer in the under-eye region, especially with the lack of sleep lately...

Brow tint/gel: just a couple of quick swipes of Brow Wow and my brows look SO much more satisfying. It tints to fill in my sparse areas, has gel to hold the nice shape, AND it's $4. No brainer.

Mascara: admittedly I've never found my holy grail of mascaras, despite trying out a whole range of ones that others have declared their holy grails, so this Saie version is just my current one. It's working well enough - doesn't smear in the summer heat so far, at least.

Cheek/lip stain: a dual product is always handy for a quick routine, especially one that doesn't need a brush for application. Usually I quick add a bit of this Tarte cream blush on the apples of my cheeks, and now that there's less mask-wearing, sometimes even on my lips for a finishing touch!

When I write it all out, it seems like a lot, but this is under 10 minutes for some pretty good payoff. Adding vitamin C to my routine especially has made me feel like a grown-up and in-the-know lady... have you tried it?

Post sponsored by Maelove, but all opinions are my own.

five things Friday: birthday mocktail chat edition

Big weekend here with Father's Day landing on my birthday this year - and the summer solstice too, so we have lots and lots of daylight to cheers it all with. Though let's be honest, at nearly 32 weeks pregnant I am not going to be staying up all that much beyond our 9:30pm sunset, nor am I going to have an actual cocktail to celebrate. Though thanks to some of my new discoveries, especially Ritual's gin alternative and Fre's alcohol-removed sparkling rose, there'll certainly be a delicious birthday mocktail! And thus a great time to bring back the "cocktail" chat on a birthday theme.

So here are some questions, both birthday and summer themed in honor of this weekend (sorry, dads, it's my blog...), to discuss over our virtual beverage of choice (like maybe the above frose!):

1. What's your number one birthday present wishlist item this year, whenever your day might be?
2. Birthday cake filling: fruity or frosting-y?
3. What summer read are you most looking forward to?
4. Ideal summer vacation location: mountains or beach?
5. What's your summer beverage of choice?

Here are my answers - do share yours in the comments! 

1. What's your number one birthday present wishlist item this year, whenever your day might be? I'm angling for an iPad mini, as I think ahead to Netflix watching/Kindle reading/online crossword puzzling potential whilst nursing, and also to use with the Peloton app on my treadmill. But also I still really want these cutest ever espadrilles.
2. Birthday cake filling: fruity or frosting-y? Frosting-y all the way! No fruit in my cake or ice cream, thank you very much. But really the best ever is my dad's Oreo mousse filling - definitely some of that coming my way this weekend.
3. What summer read are you most looking forward to? I of course have a big stack of good stuff lined up for the summer, but right now with my summer reading mood I'm especially excited for Tokyo Ever After - the description of "The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians" makes it sound like the perfect escape.
4. Ideal summer vacation location: mountains or beach? Beach, please! With a big stack of books.
5. What's your summer beverage of choice? Usually I'd love a crisp chilled rose, but a go-to lately has been mixing the above-mentioned gin alternative with lime juice and Topo Chico bubbly water (a la this recipe). Super refreshing.

Cheers to the weekend's celebrations, or just plain the weekend!

kid reads: big-kid picture books to keep busy with

With the arrival of summer, I thought it would be a good time to share some books that are great for keeping an elementary-aged kid busy for a long time - these are kind of an older kid equivalent of something like a Richard Scarry picture book, where there's just so much to investigate on every page that they end up poring over it for hours.

 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Hendrik is a nerd of many stripes, so he's into allll of these, but key to keeping a kid busy of course is finding the big book of whatever subject they're really into. Sometimes we find them by browsing the nonfiction shelves of our library's children's section, based on subject type (outer space, sports, geography, birds, etc.); sometimes I specifically seek out National Geographic Kids or DK books as these tend to have lots of great pictures when they go in-depth on a topic; and sometimes I just search the library catalog online for whatever our subject du jour is, place a bunch of holds, and just see what sticks when we bring our stack home. 

Above are a variety that we've borrowed (or even bought, which turned out to be well worth it) that are some great examples of books with lots of info in easily digestible snippets, great pictures, and a deep dive into a variety of topics, whether you have a kid who loves the Harry Potter series, random facts and trivia (he also loves this series), Legos, biology/science (this is another fave), even Formula One racing (Peter loves this book too - the aerial maps are quite cool).

And bonus - while I've been trying to do less Amazon shopping and thus have done less linking to Amazon, a few of these are included in their current "buy 3 for the price of 2" promo currently going on, which is pretty great if you really want to stock your shelves for summer... I'm pretty tempted to add this Kids' Encyclopedia to our collection.

wearing lately: summer momming

School's out for summer... and summer momming is on. For which my mental preparedness has felt varied, but at least my apparel preparedness is good to go: enter the big tote, easy dresses, comfy slip-on sandals, and cute baseball cap, and I'm ready for action. Ish. 

Summer parenting has always come with a bit of mixed feelings for me - I've got a kid home, and it feels like we should be doing outings and swimming lessons and trips to the park and family BBQs and all that kind of stuff - and I'm lucky to work from home with a fairly flexible schedule to accommodate having a kid on summer break... yet I do still have job obligations, and often a very busy June for work that involves a week of travel (obviously not in 2020 or 2021). Plus I don't love being thrown off my usual routines in general. So it can end up feeling like it's just a lot of juggling, or like I'm only half paying attention to him while I try to answer an email, or like there's a lot of should-ing going on in my head while H is at camp or with a babysitter and I'm working or taking care of the household but feeling like I should be doing all the summer activities with him. And meanwhile some days all I want is to be home alone again, and to read a book in the backyard. Ha!

This year the feelings are even more complicated as my work commitments have a lot more scheduled things (Zooms, bah) than my usual flexible timing. not to mention that I am 31 weeks pregnant...so I'm sometimes rather tired and can't take a whole lot of heat. But at the same time feel like I ought to be doing even more dedicated time with Hendrik to make up for my irritable hormones of the last few months plus the fact that he's about to have his only-child world completely blown up before school starts again. Gah, not helpful mom guilt!

BUT on his last 1/2 day of school I came up with a picnic lunch for us to ride our bikes down to the park with (and in his mind it was an amazing one: pizza Lunchable! I had an avocado, goat cheese, and basil vinaigrette-dressed greens sandwich while he ate uncooked pizza, but okay); then he changed into his bathing suit and we scootered downtown to the little splash pad where he joyfully ran around for an hour while I was able to sit in the shade and keep cool from the mist off the water; and on our arrival home he started right in on his summer workbook and kept himself occupied for a couple of hours. Perfect compromise on feeling like I nailed quality time together, outdoor time (another mom guilt area - usually I feel like we're bad at that), and yet also got time so that I could get work done and not feel like I was giving him only half attention. (Or nap time. Might have actually been nap time for me.)

So that balance is the goal going forward, supplied by some of the items mentioned in this summer prep post, and I can fit whatever I need for all of the above into my great new tote bag, whether it's pool stuff, a new library haul, or my work laptop. Plus get there in comfy and reasonably not overheated style with easy dresses (shoutout to my friend Katie for sending me a couple of her maternity ones like this cute striped number so I have some options!), and shoes that require no bending over to put on (clutch!). This'll be on repeat as H and I go about our summer weekdays for sure.

Sharing on Style Six.

5 things Friday: summer supplies edition

Last day of school for Hendrik! The whole last week feels like kind of a throw-away in terms of education, but hey, at least he's out of the house. Because much as summer is fun, I admit I'm not quite ready for the work/summer break juggle and having a kid home all the time... So this summer we're planning on some general morning routines with going for a walk then workbook/chores/extra screen time for him (and work for me), and then sometimes going to various camps in the afternoon - but also making sure to plan some special outings and activities to enjoy summer together - and to enjoy some last hurrahs of his long reign as only child! In that spirit, I decided to stock up on some summer supplies for keeping him occupied, and to add a little fun to his vacation time too:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Hendrik is probably way more excited about a summer workbook than your average kid, so it's easy for us to implement this in a morning routine. Combined with some typing practice (which he hates but really needs to do), it'll give us both some regular quiet time. He also has a Kiwi Crate subscription thanks to my mom, and I've been stashing away the boxes for the last couple of months while he's busy with school, so these can get pulled out for a literal or figurative rainy day this summer and keep him busy mostly on his own when I need to do other things.

Then a few goodies for hot days: a new insulated water bottle to take to tennis lessons and bike camp, or on an outing to the beach on a hot day, of course! Some freeze pops are a little summer treat that I feel fine about him eating daily, and he'll just think is the best thing ever to get a bonus dessert type thing in the middle of the day. And then I saw these water gun/squirter thingies on some summer recommendations post somewhere and decided to try them from Amazon - thought they would be a little something fun for the beach when he wants to get into the cold lake but I don't....

And to mark the occasion of his last day of 2nd grade, I decided to put together a little package of goodies to surprise him with when he gets home - the water bottle and workbook will be in it, along with a new book and some scented pens and a graph paper notebook (he will go gaga for these). And when I pick him up from his 1/2 day we'll do a little picnic outing together - I've got an actual Lunchable for him, which is going to blow. his. mind. Nice to have an excuse to shower him with a few special things after being resilient through a weird year (plus my recent pregnancy hormonal self who has not always gotten along so well with his 7-year-old antics in the last couple of months...).

How are you celebrating (or bemoaning?) the end of the school year?

reading lately: mystery moms

Okay, here's a fun little reading roundup for your summer lists: a few escapist mysteries I've read lately that are great to get lost in (and finish in a day, in some cases!) but will also make you stop and think a bit about motherhood and marriage, thanks to the moms doing the investigating in them. For all three of these it might be best not knowing too much going in, so that you can just go along for the ride - so I'll try to minimize the plot summaries and just share what I liked about them... the long and short of it is, add them to your list!

 

Mother May I

Joshilyn Jackson has long been an auto-buy (pre-order!) author for me, and much as I enjoy her earlier work, I love how her last book, Never Have I Ever, took a turn into more of a (lite) thriller genre. Her newest follows in this vein, and with its excellent characters, and even more excellent twists and turns (the kind that are intriguing, surprising, and satisfying) I think it is my new favorite of all. I barely knew anything about the plot going in (like I said, auto-buy) and I think that was a good way to go, so I won't say much but the barest of bones: Bree grew up poor and a bit distrustful of the world thanks to her mother's warnings that the world is a scary place, but as a mother of two lovely pre-teen daughters and a delightful baby son, the wife of a successful lawyer, and a lady who has it all put-together with her lovely suburban home in a good neighborhood, all seems right with the world. Until one morning she wakes up and thinks she sees a witch - and soon her baby boy has disappeared, and we're on a race-against-the-clock ride with Bree that will upend her whole understanding of her marriage and life. This one reads a bit as a legal thriller thanks to the help Bree gets from an investigator for her husband's law firm and an old friend, and I do love that genre, so that was a boon on top of the twisty, fast-paced plot. I also love how Jackson writes down-to-earth protagonists who I root for. They might be unreliable narrators insofar as they see the situation from only their own perspective, or they might have a secret from their past that we are unraveling, but they feel like real women who we can really understand and root for (also appreciate how at their core their current family relationships are loving - some great mother/child relationships - even if the mom is facing some skeletons in the closet), which sets them apart from (above!) other thrillers for me. Here I came for the juicy, twisty reading, but I stayed for the insights on motherhood - the nature of the relationship and how it binds women together, what moms will do for their children, and so on. The story also delves into issues of class, privilege, sexual abuse, and how people should be accountable for their past/younger decisions (and for how long, a bit of a #MeToo edge) in thought-provoking ways while still moving along at a finish-in-one-day clip.

4.5/5 stars, a thriller that left me thinking... after I caught my breath

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

I'm not entirely sure how to categorize this book - it's not exactly a thriller in the way you might generally think of one - but I can say for sure that it was fun. It feels a bit like "mommy fiction" in that you've got this frazzled single mom trying to make ends meet while she faces writer's block, an unfaithful husband, messy toddlers, and no childcare and you get all the satire to go along with that - but then it turns into this comedic murder mystery (almost slapstick at times, but not over the top) that has some very unexpected twists when Finlay, meeting with her editor in a suburban Panera to talk about her idea for a new suspense novel, gets overheard and mistaken for being a contract killer. Before she knows it there's a dead body in the back of her minivan that she's got to figure out how to get rid of... It's almost the book version of the Netflix show Dead to Me (the book would totally make a great TV series too), in the relationships Finlay has and also the way you constantly think that she's going to run into a dead end or get discovered but then something unexpected has everyone breathing a sigh of relief. A witty, fast-paced, and fun ride for sure that could be enjoyed by many people, but then as a mom of a young kid I thought some of the observations about all the things that a mom juggles, the paradoxical love and total boredom with her kids that she can feel, etc. were very funny, relatable, and even thought-provoking - so I enjoyed this extra layer. Plus I loved that she is an author, and you get tidbits on the publishing world, kind of a meta feel when she's writing suspense and starring in it, as well. Overall a total change of pace that would make for excellent beach reading.

4/5 stars, making comedic mystery totally work (I might have had my doubts), and I will totally pick up the forthcoming sequel

 

The Last Thing He Told Me

Hannah's husband Owen hasn't come home, but she's received a note in his writing: Protect her. She knows immediately that he means his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, even if she has no idea where or why he's disappeared. As US marshals and FBI agents show up to question her about Owen's whereabouts, and as news of a major scandal + arrests at the startup firm where Owen works starts being reported, it starts to dawn on her that Owen is not who he said he was. Still, Hannah makes it her mission to indeed to make Bailey the #1 priority on his behalf - but also to uncover why Owen has disappeared...before the feds do. I loved the vivid settings (especially their Sausalito houseboat home), the strong lead character, the hands-on amateur investigation Hannah and Bailey undertake, and how the flashback moments start to unravel the mystery for the reader and for Hannah at the same time as she looks at past conversations with Owen in a new light. The mother relationship is a bit different in this one, as it is a stepmother who has a teen actively resisting a relationship - and suddenly finds herself having to figure out how to be that teen's only remaining parent, and how to balance her own feelings of loss - missing the love of her life and also grappling with him maybe not being who she thought - with making sure that the well-being of his daughter is top priority. The fake identity and lying husband plot make for some great twists and turns, and the chosen family theme brings it home as a thriller that can make you think a bit deeper, beyond just being entertained.

4/5 stars, a short and tightly woven puzzle of a story - successful May BOTM club pick!

For some more mysteries/thrillers starring suburban moms that will give you the drama and juicy twists but also some relatable insights, I also love: Joshilyn Jackson's Never Have I Ever, Aimee Molloy's The Perfect Mother, Jessica Strawser's Not That I Could Tell, and Laura Hankin's Happy & You Know It (more of a comedic one; the others are more like Mother May I and The Last Thing He Told Me).

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wearing lately: stretchy stripes

Have already declared that this will be the summer of the stretchy dress... so no surprise, I'm back with another - but this time with stripes!

Not much to say about this one other than it's pretty much the easiest outfit ever for a hot day - the bold stripes make it a "thing" all on its own, so I just added some easy sandals and was done with it. Cute, comfy, and keeping cool on a hot day.

Speaking of hot days, the upstairs floor of our old house will be like 80 degrees from now until fall. It's never my favorite thing, but with being rather pregnant (and then thinking about having an infant sleeping up here in August), I'm on the prowl for things to help... some kind of portable a/c unit is very tempting, or sheets that advertise themselves as "cooling." Anyone got any great tricks for me besides having a fan 2 inches from my face all night? 

And also what does one dress/swaddle a newborn in for late-summer weather? Hendrik was more of a fall baby, so I'm thinking his little outfits probably won't get much re-use in the first few weeks... diapers, onesies and muslin blankets are pretty much what I've got lined up for now. Meanwhile I've also ordered a big kid muslin blanket for Hendrik's bed because he realllly likes having a blanket on him at night but has been waking up from being too hot (and then ends up waking us up - we don't need that from the 7-year-old when we'll get it from the baby brother, thanks!). Hoping this will be nice and breathable so that he can sleep happy too.

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five things Friday: 21 in 2021 update edition

We're almost halfway through the year and under 2 months to baby, which made me think it's time for a check-in on my 21 in 2021 list! Though I always love setting these lists of big and small intentions for fun and productivity, this year I was feeling a little uninspired to make one in January (turns out that mighta been 1st trimester talking...) so I've just been adding to my list 5 items at a time as I think of things that I'm excited about or want to make sure that I get around to. Here are the original 10 + the 5 new ones, with completed crossed off and in process in italics:

1. Give Schitt's Creek another try
2. Update the fireplace mantel decor
3. Do the RAD Reading Challenge
4. Continue the monthly family movie night tradition from 2020
5. Get a treadmill
6. Read 10 backlist books
7. Upgrade my robe and slippers situation
8. Take H on a day trip
9. Make a photo album
10. Spend $50/month with at least 2 local businesses
    
11. Set up a sweet baby brother nursery!
12. Find 2 go-to Instant Pot recipes
13. Take a mini getaway with Peter
14. Try out tousled waves with the Dyson hair dryer
15. Listen to A Promised Land
    

Some updates on the done/in-progress ones:

• It took me several seasons to get into Schitt's Creek, but by that last one? All in. Plus the documentary about the making of the last season endeared me so much more to Dan Levy & co. Worth the bit of effort to fall in love with the show.
• Loved having my treadmill when it was cold/slippery out, and now I'm going to be appreciating it all over again when it's too hot for a very pregnant lady to take walks outside. Have really been enjoying the coached walks, hikes and walk + runs on the Peloton app too.
  
• Currently looking at some fun basket weavings to hang above the mantel and then I think I'm done.
• Have read 9 of 10 backlist books and completed 7 of 10 categories on the RAD reading challenge!
• Item 8 used to be "create a recipe binder" but I'm no longer energized by that idea... so I changed it to a day trip with H, as I want to make some intentional special time with him on summer break before it becomes more about baby brother...

And some notes on the new ones (#11-15):

• There's lots of prep to do with the baby, especially around maternity leave for work and figuring out childcare for after, but I'm putting a fun one on this 2021 list to keep me excited about the baby to-dos... setting up the nursery is fun for me, and I've got a mood board already that I'm in love with. Just got the room freshly painted too.
• Baby coming in a couple of months also inspired several other of the new ones: definitely want to get a little time with Peter after so much no babysitter quarentimes, and I've got a Getaway cabin booked for later in June; also would like to be a bit better about remembering to use my Instant Pot as that could come in handy in postpartum craziness, so I'm looking for go-to recipes (this salsa chicken is my first).
• Thinking ahead that baby feedings might be paired with some fun shows or listens; I've been wanting to listen to Barack Obama's memoir, but the length is quite daunting - could be perfect for those days though!
  
• And the tousled waves 'do is because I saw this little how-to video after Peter gave me my fancy Dyson dryer for Mother's Day and was so in awe that I wanted to try it...but of course I still haven't taken the time to give it a go yet. Putting it on a list is a good prompt.

Anyone else doing a mid-year check-in on 2021 intentions? I love hearing about what's on others' lists!

currently

celebrating: my birthday month! My birthday's not till the 20th, but I see nothing wrong with kicking things off a bit early with the birthday coupons rolling in... picked The Other Black Girl as my free add-on from BOTM and am excited to read this literary thriller set in the publishing industry; I'm contemplating this cute dress with my coupon from Madewell as a great postpartum option (because I know I'll want something that makes me feel fresh and nice at that point!); and with my Anthropologie coupon I'm very tempted to expand my beloved latte bowl collection to include the new matte colors, spring for the tulip-embroidered Soludos espadrilles I've been ogling, or get a snazzy new throw blanket just for funsies.

collecting: all the baby stuff. The crib and dresser are still set up in Hendrik's old nursery, but there are a few things to gather to finish off the room (still loving my mood board selections), and all kinds of gear we'll need too - some collecting it back from where I lent it out to family, but some will need to be replaced, so I've got a new carseat/stroller set and this cute baby carrier on order. Can't believe I'll have a real-live baby to put in them in 10-11 weeks! 

gifting: some fun "family packs" of socks from Bombas. My husband legit loves getting new socks, and so what better way to celebrate Father's Day than to gift some sets that he can match with Hendrik - and with baby too! I mean, how cute is this mini me set in action that I spotted on their Instagram?  

thinking: about how we want summer (well, until baby arrives, anyway) to look around here. We've got some sporadic childcare/camps, but not sure yet about juggling the rest of the time + working. Thankful for recent practical podcast episodes on The Lazy Genius, Rising*Shining, and The Girl Next Door about scheduling a summer day, handling kids' screen time, designing a summer, and more general summer plans for helping me move beyond dread to some good feelings about breaking down the planning and also giving me some concrete ideas like adding some (paid) chores, some fun outings, and some bonus daily screen time to make H's days have a little routine but also fun.

trying: all the non-alcoholic beverages, to satisfy my cravings now that we're to warm weather and even some al fresco dining. This time of year I love a bubbly rose and a good cold beer; the Fre alcohol-removed rose and the non-alcoholic brew selections from Athletic Brewing Co. are actually feeling like some pretty satisfying substitutes. (At first I wondered if that's because I haven't tasted the real thing since early December, but Peter likes them too.) Nice to have the refreshing drinking experience without any side effects, pregnant or no :)

What's currently going on with you as we kick off June? Link up a post below, and then come back on July 7 to chat about what you're currently eating, feeling, going, ordering, and realizing.

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wearing lately: 3rd trimester summer capsule

Last week it suddenly got hot for a couple of days (cooled off to chilly right in time for Memorial Day weekend, of course, as Michigan weather does), and I had a minor wardrobe meltdown: reaching summer and 3rd trimester at the same time, and the outfit possibilities seemed... rather limited. So I decided to solve this minor fashion emergency by turning to my tried-and-true method of getting myself to realize that I have way more outfit possibilities than I realize - by making a mini capsule mood board. When you're consciously mixing and matching, you really don't need all that many things, whether that's for travel or pregnancy or daily life even.

 

pink tee (maternity) | striped tee dress (my version) | flutter-sleeve blouse (similar; maternity) | white button down (similar, similar) | cargo jacket (similar) | slides | sunnies | espadrilles | white tennies (similar, similar) | summer denim (maternity) | swim suit (maternity) | tote bag (similar) | bike shorts (maternity)

Maternity is the perfect time for a capsule approach though, if you don't want to have to purchase too many items that will have a really limited shelf-life in your wardrobe - though admittedly there was also some impulse maternity top + shorts ordering, because when your belly makes it so that almost none of your shirts are wearable, 11 weeks seems like a plenty long time to require some new purchases for...

What I love about how this turned out is that it's a neutrals-with-a-pop-of-summer-color capsule that would feel like my style either way, and it incorporates plenty of non-maternity items with just a few that are maternity-specific basics, like the tees and jeans, that I can get lots of use from. (I made the collage with all regular wardrobe options but linked my maternity ones as above as well, so you can find outfit inspiration here whether you're pregnant too or not!)

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