I thought about it and realized there is never a time when I have nothing I need or want to do. Maybe that's just a part of life or the hustle culture we're accustomed to. I think it's a double-edged sword in some ways. On the one hand, having goals and to-do lists are essential for making progress and moving forward. On the other, having too many things at once can be a counterproductive. For me, creating a balance between the two has been key. If you've ever read any of my "to-do list" posts, you'll know I will put anything on a to-do list if it's important/time sensitive, not something I willingly want to do or something I might want to do but I have a harder time actually doing it.
This weekend feels like a good time to reset and refocus so I thought I'd share my top goals + plans for the weekend in between working and my normal day-to-day.
+ FINISH MY BOOK - I'm finally back on my reading kick which feels so good. One of my top priorities right now is to finish up Where the Crawdads Sing so that I can go see the new movie. I'm a little over halfway right now and the goal is to finish it this weekend. I have Tuesdays off from work so a movie date has my name written all over it!
+ GROCERY SHOP - I've been back in a weird place of trying to eat healthier but not really succeeding? I've also been eating out for most meals and while I still keep it pretty healthy, there's definitely some room for improvement. I'd like to get back into eating at home more for breakfast and lunch so a grocery run is in store. My issue is usually making the time to prep healthier options. It's also nice sometimes to just pick something up and relax on break so I need to figure something out that sticks. I'll keep you posted once I get there! ;)
+ CATCH UP ON GILMORE GIRLS - This might be silly but mentally I also struggle with what activities to spend my free time on.... ???!! I recently started re-watching Gilmore Girls which I am loving all over again, however it's been getting the boot between Where the Crawdads Sing and whatever else I end up doing. I'm definitely that person, ya'll. I'm telling you my problem is always wanting to do too much at once. That's why I'm penciling it on here... if I write it down I'm more likely to remember to make time for it.
+ BIRTHDAY SHOP - My mom's birthday is on Sunday so of course I'll be celebrating with her and the fam. I've done most of my shopping for her but still need to pick up a few more things to finish off her gift!
+ WASH SHEETS - At the bottom of the list because it's my least favorite thing to do, lol. IYKYK.
Cutting it off there because Lord knows it'll be a win if I get these all done! What are your plans this weekend?
Mademoiselle Almond // Mint Honey Coffin // Peach Fizz Coffin // Sway in White Almond // Brush-on Nail Glue
We're haulin' again today, guys. I grabbed a few new sets of press ons during the Static Nails 4th of July sale that I had to share with you. They are SO good for summer-- there are so many good colors + styles out right now. I've been working on perfecting my at-home manicure skills and I think they have some of the best shapes and designs when it comes to press-ons. They give a more professional, salon quality look which I am all for!
They have a few different shapes to pick from, right now I'm having an almond and coffin shape moment. They're the perfect length and give a sleek and chic look. I wanted to get a mix of both so I grabbed the almond shape in both Mademoiselle (ombré French manicure vibes) and Sway in White (a swirled white + nude design). Both are great neutral shades but still have a little something extra to them. I also love the Sway in Black-- definitely grabbing those next time!
Because it's summertime I also wanted to add a few more fun colors in so I snagged the coffins in Mint Honey (such a gorg bright seafoamy green) and Peach Fizz (a sparkly, iridescent peach). I love love love them both- they are definitely my top two faves. The brighter colors are definitely calling my name right now and I wish I'd grabbed a few more! Something purple or blue toned would be so pretty.
Probably the most important purchase was the Brush-on nail glue, lol. You get a little squeeze tube of glue with each set but we did not get along. I had lots of issues, lol. Squeezing and controlling the amount coming out made the application a bit of a mess so I would just skip it and grab the brush-on. Thank me later! ;)
-SHOP THE POST-
These recent "Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts" are becoming pretty popular here on TKD. I started sharing them more for my own reference but it's nice that you all seem to be enjoying them too! I'm going to eighty six the same introy-repetitive-jargon on that today but if you're really curious, I elaborated more in the June post.
One thing I was excited to see when I checked my stats was that the Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts Post from June made this list. That's kind of a mouthful, no? The entire list also changed + is completely different from both June and this one from March. A lot of the times the same posts stay at the top which can be good, however it's also cool to see other posts receiving interest. Here's what made the list:
TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS THIS MONTH
1. BOOKS IN MY CART | BUY 2, GET 1 FREE SALE - Glad to see a lot of you are also in the buying + reading mode too. I've been trying my best to start reading again and buying new books usually helps inspire + excite me. They've also had a lot of great deals lately at both Target + Amazon. I usually like to wait until there's a B2G1 sale or Buy One, Get One 50% off.
2. TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | JUNE - Definitely read this post to see all the winner's, however last month's were a mix of beauty content, shoes + donuts. Honestly some of the best things in life, right?
3. WHAT I WANT | ACTIVEWEAR - I've been having an identity crisis with my wardrobe lately so naturally I feel like I need all new clothes. I tend to be casual and rock the leggings + tee vibe, however I also decided I hated all of my current leggings and tees. Lol, love that for me. I've since decided I need to invest all of my money in Lululemon or whatever will make me a hot girl b*tch! Also a great read if you actually just need some activewear and not a new identity.
Read here: What I Want | Activewear
4. WEEKLY CRUMBL | 6.24.22 - TBH I'm surprised to see this one here. Every once in awhile I share a random post on Friday where I ramble on aimlessly or will review something. These are my saving grace on days when I'm not always feeling my most creative or inspired... some weeks you just to recharge a little, ya know? They definitely aren't the most innovative or visually appealing but they are up and published which is a major win in my book. I could go on and on about quantity over quality (no, I didn't mean quality over quantity) but we'll save that for another day. Read this post for the 411 on the June 24th Crumbl Cookies!
5. ANOTHER SUMMER BOOK HAUL | JUNE - Another book haul made it in to the list which I love. Ya'll definitely have to tell me your recommendations + what books you've been reading lately. I'm currently reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but I'm planning to switch gears once I get Where the Crawdads Sing in the mail. I can't watch the movie until I read it + I think that comes out this weekend? Let me know if you've read it!
Read here: Another Summer Book Haul | June
Are there any other blog posts you want to see? LMK!
Amazon Prime Week has turned into sales-everywhere-week. Pretty sure Black Friday week has already been thrown out there too...? Lol. Everyone jumps on board to grab our dollars and who am I to pass up a deal? Ya'll know I can never buy or accumulate too many unread books so I will obviously be participating. To fill you in on the deets-- both Amazon and Target are doing buy one, get one 50% off on a ton of select books. If you have a Target red card, you can also snag your extra 5% off + earn cash back with Rakuten. If you don’t have Amazon Prime, I’ll share my link for a free 30-day trial here. You can try it out, get the deals & cancel at anytime!
PS-- if you've been living under a rock and haven't joined Rakuten, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I use it every time I shop online + have saved so much over the years. I'm not sponsored (I wish!) but I do have an affiliate link that will get us both an extra $30 if you want to sign up + make a purchase of $30 or more. I always use it for Target, Nordstrom, Walgreen's, etc., but they have tons of stores. If you online shop + don't use it, you are leaving money behind. Stop it!!
Back to the books- here are my top picks so far. I'm finally nabbing Where the Crawdads Sing because I fully plan to read it and go see the new movie coming out. It's been on my list for years and I've always just pushed off buying it. ZERO CLUE on what it's actually about but I saw a teaser for the movie and remember it definitely had a drama/creepy/small town secrets thriller vibe? Not entirely sure but it's raved about. Also on the creepy vibes list is The Silent Patient. I haven't read any thrillers in a long while but this one sounds so interesting. I read the synopsis and immediately added to my cart.
Obvi I had to add in some light fluff to counteract the creep so fun summer romances to the rescue. I recently finished It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey which I loved. Such a great steamy read if you're looking for an easy romance book. I loved it so much that I'm grabbing the companion sequel Hook, Line and Sinker. Normally I don't bother with follow-up books. I love a sequel with the same characters but the follow-ups usually don't excite me. I think the secondary characters are never as interesting as the mains in the first books so I'm never excited to read them as main characters? In It Happened One Summer, I loved it enough and the other characters that I think Hook, Line and Sinker will be really cute. I've enjoyed all of the books I've read by Tessa Bailey but I'll keep you posted.
Also very excited for Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. I haven't read anything by her before but this one sounds like a perfect beach read.
WHAT I WANT TO READ
You can read the synopsis + shop each book by clicking on the title below:
+ Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
+ Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
+ The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
+ Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
What are you reading this month?
I can't remember if I told you or not but I finally finished my way through Schitt's Creek. I've loved the show for years but I could never bring myself to watch the final season. I tend to do that with shows-- I hate facing the endings so I usually bail out to avoid them. I've been working on finishing things so after starting it over from the beginning a few months ago, I made myself finish the series. The devastation was a clear reminder of why I don't finish things! Seriously heartbreaking but I loved it and will keep my fingers crossed for a future reunion or movie deal. There have also been a few new additions to the watch list so here's my little June/July update for ya.
+ Elvis - The talk of the town these last few weeks has been all about the new Elvis movie. For good reason, too-- it's definitely worth the watch. I think it's safe to assume that most of us know who Elvis is, however you may or may not know much about his life or rise to fame. I didn't! I always understood him as the icon he still is today (we are talking about Elvis here) but I didn't have the firsthand knowledge or experience of living through the phenomenon.
Of course my mom was excited to see the film so she, my dad and I went to watch it together one afternoon. A little forewarning-- it's a long one. The runtime is right under three hours so make sure you grab some popcorn + snacks! I think we all enjoyed and were impressed with the movie. It reveals Elvis' start and rise to fame, insights into his personal life, his influence on music culture and of course his performance style and talent. Based on the assumption that most of the film is relatively accurate to his life, it felt like a private behind the scenes look into his world. I also appreciated seeing a snapshot of history not only through his life, but through the time period as well. Austin Butler had incredibly large shoes to walk in by taking on the role and I think he did an exceptional job. His demeanor, moves and performance was remarkable.
Something I wasn't expecting was the relationship emphasis shared between Elvis and his manager. Because I wasn't familiar with his story, I didn't know how complicated and unique the situation ended up being. They also narrated the film from the manager's perspective which was an interesting element. Whether you've been an Elvis fan or not, I'd recommend watching the movie. I think because he's such an influential part of music and Rock n' Roll history, it's worth diving into. As someone who didn't know much about him or listen to a lot of his music, I was drawn in and enamored by him and his life. Perhaps that's swayed by the glamorization and idea of who we've always known Elvis to be, or maybe The King's still got it.
+ The Terminal List - This is a new show on Amazon Prime based on The Terminal List Book Series by Jack Carr. My boyfriend JJ has been reading these books for the past few months so he wanted to start watching. I believe the first season is based on book one and stars Chris Pratt. He plays a Navy SEAL who's entire SEAL team (except for him) gets taken out during a mission. After returning home, he goes rogue in search of the truth and what really happened.
We've only watched the first two episodes but I'm liking it so far. It has a dark, sinister feel to it and there are a lot of moving parts. There's definitely some conspiracy theory vibes which leaves you questioning what's real and actually happening.
+ Gilmore Girls - Ahhh I finally started my rewatch of Gilmore Girls this week too! Watching the show again has been on my mind for the past few weeks. I've been in the mood for something light and comforting and it had been years since I'd seen an episode. I remember coming home from school as a kid and watching reruns every afternoon on ABC Family... anyone else? It's a funny, heartwarming and feel good with all the romance, family drama and humor you could ask for. I think I'm four or five episodes into the first season right now and I love it just as much as I did back then!
What are you watching right now?
I love sharing my unboxings with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)
I love sharing my unboxings with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)
