not necessarily in this order

  I was inspired by   San   and wanted to share some of my currentlys today, too!   ENJOYING  / some fun nail color that Lil Momma and I got done over Feb vacation. I have never been a “nails” person (it always felt like my fingers were suffocating), but this time hasn’t been that bad and I appreciated them shaping them.   EATING  / I’m in the office 2-3 days a week and if I pack and bring my lunch like I am supposed to, I’ve been having my favorite Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on one day and a fun coffee on the other (apple crisp oat milk shaken espresso… mmmm!). It’s been a nice way to incentivize getting everything ready the night before.   SAVORING  / This may sound weird, but last week I started a new workout plan (aka “little things done consistently are better than big things done once or twice”) and it’s honestly been really gratifying to feel a little sore from working out. Maybe it’s because I’ve felt “injured” for years – and I’m sti...

I wanted to share the rest of January’s reads!  For those keeping score, I talk about my ratings approach here . The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches   by Sangu Mandanna Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5  10-word Review : magical and cute, perhaps twee? the literal curses were oof POPSUGAR Reaching Challenge prompt #38: a cozy romance   Dead Water  by Ann Cleeves Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10-word Review : heart-hurt Jimmy fumbling balanced by small-town political intrigue and surprises Fourth Wing  by Rebecca Yarros Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10-word Review:  didn’t grab me at first, but then dragons and wow POPSUGAR Reaching Challenge  prompt #23: a book about dragons The Long Call   by Ann Cleeves Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10-word Review : Matthew and the mystery, trying for control in the mess  Do you binge series or do you spread them out? I am deep into a couple of series, but with only a few left in each, so I am holding myseld to reading only 1 per mont...

5 things that bring me joy when work is stressful One  a midday Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup break Two  Lil Momma helping me pick out my work shirt + cardigan/blazer combo   Three  dance breaks before I go video on for a presentation   Four  Lil Momma coming in to my office on my work from home days for a “fit check”   Five  the cold air hitting my face as I walk into the parking garage to leave     Some finds from cleaning out my desk! Three things I’m enjoying this week   One  Lil Momma’s first school chorus concert! They were so cute! At the in school one she wore her ridiculous fanny pack/pocketbook, but she looked so grown up in her white and black concert attire for the parent concert (and we got another wear out of our desperation buys from her holiday show!)   Two  The Mr. and I have been watching  Expedition Unknown  on Discovery from the beginning and it’s been fun learning little bits of history befo...

  All the Light We Cannot See   Anthony Doerr, 2017 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I waited 33 weeks for this book on the library hold list after loving the complexity of  Cloud Cuckoo Land , the first book I read this calendar year. It floored me and I could do nothing but read it until I read it so fast I had regrets about not savoring it more.  But when I finally got its predecessor in early August, it just sat. I couldn’t bear to start it. With so many sad moments that last handful of years, I haven’t had it in me to read or watch sad things; when I realized this was a World War II novel, I froze. I had rushed the hold without reading anything about the book (although I’m sure I read    raves from blog friends when they read it) and all  those months of waiting became weeks of a standoff  - and an overdue book!! <gasp> - while life lifed and I tried to find the mental curiosity to just start reading it.  Ridiculous?  Possibly.  Overdramatic?...

Part of my screen time lessening is increasing my book time ( when, really, I should be prioritizing my cleaning and workout time - but, life is meant to be savored, am I right?! ). Here are some reviews* of recent reads: Still Life   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It took some getting into for me, a slow burn. But the Inspector grew on me, as did the authentic character studies. I’m not as knowledgeable about the Canadian politics and ongoing, but I got pulled in by the mystery and the people and the vivid messiness of it all.  The Candy House   ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Here’s the thing: I haven’t read A Visit from the Goon Squad , I just thought I had, and that may explain my experience with this. A vivid, sprawling book that moves across characters and timelines that touches on technology and memory in a world that sprawls in bits and bytes. For all the characters focus on technology (for and against), what grabbed me was how real the people felt.  Miss Aldridge Regrets   ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can definitely se...