September 26, 2026 – Eloise would like to show you her new collar. It has pumpkins!

September 27, 2026 – Let’s just say this might be every Sunday picture from here on out. Football on the TV, two doggos in my lap… perfection!

September 28, 2026 – I had a photoshoot with Lila while I was trying to finish a book because she arranged herself on the couch right next to me and gave me so many cute poses! Giving you only one of these photos is heartbreaking.

September 29, 2026 – A bedazzling night with Bri! I am working on the spine of one of my copies of Anne of Green Gables. I don’t love the design of this spine, so it needs a little jazzing up.

September 30, 2026 – Is it embarrassing for your mom to take a photo of you while you’re on a Zoom call with your colleagues? Oops.

October 1, 2026 – If you’re wondering what FaceTiming with me is like, I’m basically just flipping the screen around to show Lila in a COMPLETELY NORMAL POSITION and cooing, “Look at the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!!!”

October 2, 2026 – I had to be presentable on a Friday because I had a client call, which is very unusual for me. The Friday before I leave for vacation, no less! Ah, well. I looked cute, so I had to document it.

Programming note: I will be taking a blog break while I enjoy my New England road trip with my mom! I thought about doing real-time blogging during the trip, but I really want to disconnect and unwind. I’ll be sharing photos on Instagram, and I’ll pop in here next Saturday with two weeks’ worth of photos to share with you guys.

The high of my week was a bedazzling girls’ night with Bri! I gave her some different options for her birthday date night with me, and she chose the one I was most excited about! She came over, we ordered pizza, and then we bedazzled while watching travel vlogs on YouTube featuring all of the places I’ll be visiting next week. (Bri is an evangelist for travel vlogs to get her excited for her travels!)

The low of my week was feeling like a chicken with its head cut off as I tried to prepare to be out of the office for two weeks. I really didn’t know how I was going to get it all done because I had to finalize October assignments, edit September content, and create tons of handoff docs detailing what I do. (The last thing I want is anyone covering for me to feel like I didn’t prepare them enough!) I’m also trying to set things up so my coverage people won’t have a ton to do since they already have enough on their plates! And in the midst of it all, there have been client fires and random meetings and a surprise project to handle. I love being busy, so I don’t mind all of this, but hoo boy, I will be very glad to shut things down at 4PM today and delete Slack/Gmail from my phone. (I don’t play around when it comes to my vacation time!)

I’m currently reading only one book right now! (Very strange for me.) I’m about halfway through Sipsworth by Simon van Booy. This is our October selection for book club. It was my recommendation, and it’s getting very mixed reviews. One friend gave it 2 stars and said she was being “generous.” Eeps! So far, I’m kinda bored by it, so it might be a whiff from me!

A Reel that made me smile was not one Reel, but a series of Reels by a new creator I found, Olima Omega. He basically finds the craziest influencer videos and spoofs them, essentially showing the ridiculousness that is today’s Internet culture. This is the one that started my undying love for him!

A show I watched this week was the Big Brother finale! Okay, so I’m writing this post before the finale, so I have no idea what will happen. I think I will be happy with any of the final three winning, but my heart is set on one person taking it home. Fingers crossed!

The best money I spent this week was on so many different tours and excursions for our trip! I booked a brewery tour in Vermont, a very expensive gondola ride in Vermont (but everything I read said that it’s totally worth it), a day pass for Acadia National Park, and a ghost tour in Boston. We’re going to have a great time (please send all the good vibes that neither of us will get sick or injured on this trip. We are very unlucky when it comes to stuff like this.)

My plans this weekend include so many things! Today, I have a massage scheduled at 5PM and afterward, I might poke around Target for a few trip items I need. Tomorrow, I have a writing date with Mikaela in the morning, and the rest of the day is free! I’ll be spending most of the day packing, cleaning, and getting everything set up for the girls’ cat sitter. And Sunday is football with the fam! I’m staying over at my mom’s house since our flight is early on Monday, so it’ll be easier to wake up in the same place and have everything we need ready to go.

What was the high of your week?

anticipating our New England road trip. For so long, I didn’t even know if it would happen or if we’d have to make some drastic changes to our itinerary, but it’s happening. This time next week, I’ll be in Boston!

obsessing over the weather in Boston, Bar Harbor, and Stowe. Every morning, I check my weather app to see how things have changed. So far, it seems like it will be perfectly chilly for us!

refusing to look up fall foliage maps. I do not want to be disappointed if the foliage isn’t as vibrant as I want it to be. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ll let myself be surprised!

creating a big master to-do list for the week. There are chores to do, packing to start, an itinerary to finalize, tours to book, and odds and ends like preparing for the cat sitter. AHH!

tracking my daily page count total for a reading challenge at work. Last I checked, I was in the lead, so let’s hope I maintain that! (Today is the last day, so fingers crossed.)

watching the new season of The Traitors US. It’s all “normies” (typically, the cast is filled with reality TV veterans, Real Housewives, and random celebs), and the cast is excellent!

listening to an outstanding thriller called Ask for Andrea by Noelle Ihli. This was a Kim recommendation, and she knocked it out of the park!

choosing my next book to read. Typically, I stick to my strict TBR list when choosing what to read next, but I have a short window between now and when I leave on vacation, so I want something quick and easy I can finish by Sunday evening. I might just pick a book off my shelf on a whim! (Update: I picked up Sipsworth by Simon van Booy.)

researching everything I can about anti-inflammatory diets because I think it’s time to make a big change to the way I eat (ugh)

playing around with my Medrol dose, once again. Right now, I’m back up to 6mg (my original dose was 12mg, before I was on meds), but I think I need to up it to 8mg.

buying an insulated medication travel case because I have to travel with two different medications that need to be kept cold. One of them can be kept at room temperature if needed, but the other one absolutely cannot so… erm… fingers crossed?!

dealing with a facial rash near my nose. It’s not super noticeable, thank goodness, but I haven’t been able to do my normal skincare routine in weeks because of it. My dermatologist believes it’s perioral dermatitis, and she cautioned me that it can be really difficult to treat. Hooray! She prescribed two topical anti-inflammatory meds (I use one in the morning, the other in the evening) as well as a round of antibiotics for a week. So far, no real changes, but it’s still early.

loathing the way my beloved Miami Dolphins are playing this season. And our best player is out for the season. Thankfully, I have my backup team (the 49ers, my brother’s fave team) to root for and they are playing exceptionally well this year!

eating Snickers pumpkins. I don’t love regular Snickers, but give me Snickers shaped like a pumpkin or a Christmas tree or a heart, and I’m all about it!

annoyed by all of the political ads. And since I’m in a blue city in a red state, I get to see allll of the Republican ads.

feeling like I am in a good place with my mental health, after a pretty big dip at the end of August/early September.

What are you currently loving and loathing?

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Historical Romance • 2010

Short synopsis: After fleeing London’s marriage-minded society, the irresistibly eligible Lord Nicholas St. John is drawn into Lady Isabel Townsend’s desperate scheme to protect her brother’s inheritance—and into a dangerous romance neither can resist.

I first read this book quite a while ago, and I’m on a mission to reread all of Sarah MacLean’s books since she’s my #1 historical romance author. This one was just as delightful as the first time around, and it had been so long since I had read it that I didn’t remember anything. It’s fun when that happens! (Or maybe concerning about my memory. Either or.) Here’s a really funny thing that happened while I was reading, though: In the story, Isabel realizes she needs to sell these “marbles” that have been in her family for a long time because she needs money. I spent far too long thinking that they are the kind of marbles you play with, and I was really confused. I’m picturing this small bag of tiny marbles and I didn’t understand why a) they were so damn valuable and b) it would take someone weeks to assess their worth. No, no. Marbles as in sculptures. It made so much more sense. The more you know!

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (★★★★☆ 1/2)

Audiobook • Libby • Fantasy • 2025

Short synopsis: A spine-tingling thriller about a 10-year-old girl with an impossible power, her father, and an unlikely stranger, who come together to confront the dangerous forces that want her at all costs.

I am three for three on TJ Klune books. So far, I have loved everything he’s written (that I’ve read, of course, as I am not yet a completionist!), and this book is no exception. This novel is about Nate, a guy who lost his job and wants to spend some time at his family’s abandoned cabin to lick his wounds and figure out what’s next for him. The problem is, when he arrives, he finds out his cabin is occupied by a surly man named Alex and a precocious young girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Why are they there, and what would happen to them if they left? I adored Nate and Alex and Art so, so much. They were all so wonderfully complex and different and so fun to root for. I was here for every moment of this adventure, even when things seemed impossibly dire. I didn’t care for the epilogue, which is why I gave this book 4.5 stars. I find most epilogues unnecessary, and I think the novel would have had such a stronger ending without it.

And Now Back to You by B.K. Borison (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Target) • Contemporary Romance • 2026

Short synopsis: When radio meteorologist Jackson and journalist Delilah are forced to team up to cover a historic snowstorm, their clash of personalities gives way to an unexpected friendship—and a chemistry neither can ignore.

I think we have a pattern here with B.K. Borison books. Her first book in a series is always excellent (Lovelight Farms, First-Time Caller), which makes me so excited to check out the next book in the series. But then the second one is always a dud (looking at you, In the Weeds). This book was so bland with one very dull MMC and one manic-pixie dreamgirl of a FMC. I just didn’t care about them, nor did I find their romance all that exciting. And, as always, I think any romance over 400 pages is too long, and this one was around 470 pages, which is TOO GODDAMN LONG. There were so many unnecessary side plots, along with a dramatic moment that felt forced and gratuitous. And don’t even get me started on the grand gesture at the end, which I could see from a mile away. I literally muttered to myself, “Oh, he’s going to do XYZ thing, isn’t he?” And sure enough, he did. I didn’t hate this book and I can understand why many people love it. But I just need more from my romances these days, and this one failed to deliver.

What are you reading?

September 19, 2026 – A walk with my fur-siblings! We went around 10:30ish and it was hot, but not unbearably so. Fall has arrived!

September 20, 2026 – My first time making apple crisp! It wasn’t perfect, but it was still pretty delicious.

September 21, 2026 – I call this Sister Time (TM). A few times a week, I’ll find the two of them hanging out together in the bedroom like they needed some time away from mom. I get it! I’m a lot.

September 22, 2026 – Highly recommend having a cuddly cat next to you while you talk about your deepest traumas in therapy.

September 23, 2026 – Family nap time!

September 24, 2026 – Supermeowdel!

September 25, 2026 – We recorded a great podcast episode about marriage! We invited Mikaela to participate because a) she was the one who suggested this episode and b) since I am an unmarried lady, we needed another perspective! I really enjoyed this episode and everything these ladies talked about.

The high of my week was spending an evening with a friend, watching episodes of Drag Race. We’re watching the season that was released earlier this year, and it’s such a delight! What’s even more fun is watching with someone who loves this show so much and talking about our faves together.

The low of my week was learning that Chip has been banned from Rover. Oh, boy. We thought we found a great dog sitter for Chip, but a little over a week ago, Rover contacted my mom to ask for more details about an “incident” that happened while Chip and Lucy were at the dog sitter’s house. We didn’t know much about this incident, only that Chip had nipped him, but the dog sitter seemed fine to watch the dogs even after all that, so we figured it was all okay. Imagine our surprise when they banned him completely from Rover because of this incident.

That was a major blow for us, but we believe we have found an alternative. My friend recommended the dog boarding place she’s taken her dogs to, so Chip and Lucy had an evaluation this week, which they passed, and they’ll spend today there to make sure it’s a good fit. Chip isn’t reactive around other dogs, but he can get nippy with people if they try to pick him up or handle him a certain way. So, we’ll see! (Fingers crossed it all works out because omg, I never thought it would be this hard to find a dog sitter!)

I’m currently reading three books, as always! I just started Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. It is very weird, but I am trying to push through my uncomfortableness because so many of you have loved it! My romance is If Not You by Ellen O’Clover, which has been delightful so far. And on audio, I’m listening to Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman, which has been a light, easy read.

A Reel that made me smile was the Cat Olympics! One of my favorite cat IG accounts does this event every year, and there’s nothing I love more than opening Instagram to see another video from him! My favorites have been the Great Cup Long Jump and Air Jail Hold.

A show I watched this week is the premiere of Survivor 51! It was a great premiere, and I’m excited for another crazy season.

The best money I spent this week was $40 on the softest, warmest jacket for my New England vacation! OMG. I love it so much. It’s so cozy! I want to wear it all the time, although it’s a little unnecessary for Florida. But hey, we got some seriously cold days last winter, so it might come in handy more than I think!

My plans this weekend include a lot of fun things! Today, I’m meeting up with Bri and Mikaela to record a podcast episode, and after that, I’m meeting up with family because it’s my nephew’s EIGHTEENTH birthday today. (No, I am not okay.) Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment and then a brunch date with my mom, Bri, and Bri’s husband. And Sunday, I have a pedicure date with my mom and football with the fam. Yay!

What was the high of your week?

I’ve been wearing my Oura ring for four months, so I figured it was time to review it. The tl;dr is that I love my Oura ring. I barely notice it on my hand, and I really enjoy the metrics it provides me. It was a great decision for me, especially because I highly value sleep metrics and found it so clunky to sleep with my Apple Watch. This ring is so sleek that sometimes I have to check and make sure it’s still on my finger!

Why did I buy an Oura ring in the first place?

I’ve had an Apple Watch for quite a while, and I liked it a lot, but the watch always felt heavy on my wrist. (I am a delicate bird.) At some point in the day, I just wanted it off my wrist. Plus, I had to charge it for an hour or so every evening to sleep with it. That wasn’t too bad, but it could be a nuisance if I was trying to close my rings late at night.

My mom got an Oura ring earlier this year, and I loved looking at her Oura app to see her metrics. (I also liked to joke about connecting her app to my phone, just so I could see her heartbeat at all times. I am in therapy, okay?!?!) I hemmed and hawed about it, but ultimately, since I had some leftover HSA money from 2025, I decided to put it toward buying an Oura ring. I’d test it out for a few months and see how I liked it.

I was mainly curious to analyze my sleep metrics, my daily “readiness” score, and see how my stress levels fluctuate throughout the month. Plus, I figured it could be a good way to track my PsA progress and see how things like inflammation affect my overall health.

What I love about my Oura ring

There is a lot I love about my Oura ring. I find so many of the metrics useful, but especially:

• It’s unobtrusive

I’ve already talked about how unobtrusive the Oura ring is, but I want to reiterate it here because I don’t wear jewelry. I never wear rings. I only put on earrings if I remember to, and then I take them off as soon as I get home. I’ll wear necklaces from time to time, but I get annoyed with having something around my neck. Bracelets are a no-go. So I was worried about how I would adjust to wearing a ring 24/7, and a ring that’s a bit heavier than I’m used to. The first few days were weird, but I got used to it pretty quickly. (And I don’t even wear the slimmer version that came out mere months after I purchased my ring. I’m sure that one would be even better!)

• The sleep metrics have been so helpful

I am not sleeping well right now, so some days it’s frustrating to open my Oura app and see I slept less than 6 hours and my readiness score is in the trash. But it’s still helpful to understand what is happening to cause my terrible sleep. Sometimes, it’s because my resting heart rate never lowered throughout the night and sometimes, it’s because I didn’t wear my CPAP to bed and I had a lot of breathing disturbances. Recently, I took all my sleep data from May until now and threw it into ChatGPT to help me understand my sleep trends. It was helpful to see that a) I’m regularly getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, b) my heart rate variability can fluctuate dramatically (and especially around my period). I also figured out that my recent dip in sleep health coincided with a recent PsA flare, so, well, there ya go! It’s going to be so helpful to have these metrics to look at long-term, especially once my PsA is more controlled.

• I love getting my daily readiness score

Every morning, I love opening my app to see how I slept that night and how it will affect my readiness score for the day. Oura’s readiness score combines metrics like sleep, physiological signals, and activity to show how prepared your body is for the day. It doesn’t just measure what things look like today; it compares them over time. Essentially, Oura calculates my readiness score by comparing things like how much sleep I’ve gotten over the past few weeks, how consistent my sleep/wake schedule has been, and whether my activity level was lower or higher than usual. What’s even cooler is that it adjusts my activity level based on my readiness score. So, if I’ve had some bad nights of sleep and my stress levels are higher than normal, it lowers my daily step target that day. (You can choose between two types of activity goals: active calorie burn or steps. I’ve chosen steps.) Right now, my daily target is 4,500 steps, but if my readiness is particularly low, Oura will lower the target to 2,000 or 3,000 steps.

• Cycle Insights are a fascinating discovery

One of the things I love most about my Oura ring is Cycle Insights. This stays on my homepage, so I can see exactly what day of my cycle I’m on and what phase I’m in. It also shows a fertile window for people trying to get pregnant, which is probably very helpful. (For me, it’s more helpful to see when I’m ovulating since I know I’ll be in pain, sigh.) I like being able to see how my body temperature is affected by my cycle and how close I am to starting my period (since I always have an idea of when it will begin, but Oura makes it very clear with a red warning, “Your period will start in a few days.”). And because I’m so clued into my cycle timing, I’ve noticed that at the beginning of every period (usually day 2 or 3), Oura warns me that I’m experiencing “major signs of strain.” Logically, yes, I know this because I’m in immense pain, but there is something gratifying about seeing that it’s not all in my head. Every month, my body goes through something that causes physiological stress, and my Oura ring captures it.

What I don’t love about my Oura ring

There isn’t much I don’t love about my Oura ring. The biggest drawback for me is that it doesn’t always calculate my naps. However, I think this is because my heart rate doesn’t typically lower enough for Oura to register that I’m asleep, so it’s more of a “me” thing than an Oura issue. Still, it helps to see that, even though I thought I slept deeply during a nap, Oura isn’t counting it toward my sleep metrics or readiness score because my heart rate stayed elevated.

The other thing I don’t love is their tagging system. In the app, you can tag all sorts of things so Oura can start detecting trends in your data. Some common tags are CPAP, caffeine, cramps, massage, vacation, airplane, reading before bed, alcohol, etc. You can also add custom tags. I am still figuring out the best way to use their tags, mostly because you have to add a start and end time, which I find to be strange. I just want to tag that I used my CPAP last night, not exactly when I used it! I wish there was a way to bypass the timing for some tags, but alas. It’s also a little time-consuming to add in tags every day, so I just haven’t been doing that unless I have a particularly bad night of sleep or my stress levels are higher than normal.

I also haven’t tried out the activity aspect of Oura since I’m still not cleared for high-impact activity. It works fine for my walks and short stints on the bike at the gym, and they recently added live tracking when you start a workout. So far, it seems to work much like my Apple Watch, but once I’m back to more strenuous workouts, I’ll report back!

Do I recommend the Oura ring?

Smart trackers like the Oura ring can be complicated to recommend. Ultimately, if you enjoy analyzing your own health metrics, I would recommend the ring. If you don’t love waking up after a restful night’s sleep only to learn it might not have been as restful as you thought, you may not want a tracker like this. (I personally find that fascinating because there is so much more to sleeping/restoring your body than actual sleep!)

The Oura ring does come with a yearly membership ($80), which your FSA/HSA will cover. I don’t find that price unreasonable given how robust the app and health tracking are, but YMMV.

For me, I am most interested in understanding how my body is faring physiologically. This is important as I learn to manage a chronic autoimmune condition and as I get older and enter perimenopause at some point in the next decade. I have found the ring really useful for tracking my health metrics and understanding how different things (like a PsA flare or the first days of my period) affect my body as a whole.

Do you use any sort of tracker like this?

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yaisawa (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Fiction • 2010

Short synopsis: After her boyfriend leaves her for another woman, a reluctant reader moves into her uncle’s tiny Tokyo bookshop, where the books, eccentric family, and unexpected connections help her heal and rediscover herself.

I’m going to be honest with you guys: I finished this book almost a month ago and didn’t take any notes on what I thought, so I’m trying to remember exactly why it wasn’t a hit for me. I think I didn’t love this book because the bookshop didn’t play as big a part as I expected. The first half follows Takako, who, after a major life upheaval, ends up living in the apartment above her uncle’s bookstore. She’s not a reader, spends more time sleeping than awake, and isn’t particularly close to her uncle, whom she hasn’t seen in years. This part of the book was great because the bookstore was the setting, and I sympathized with Takako and all the ways she felt her life had imploded. The second half of the book is where it lost me. Now, Takako is living somewhere else, she has a new job, and she barely sees her uncle. And then her uncle’s estranged wife comes back into his life… and chaos ensues? Somewhat? I don’t know, guys. It was just kinda boring, and I found myself liking Takako less and less. At least it was only 150 pages!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 8 by Beth Brower (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Historical Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. 

I AM NOT OKAY. I finished Volume 8 of Emma M. Lion at the end of August, and now I have to wait until FEBRUARY 2027 for Volume 9. I don’t know if I can handle such a long wait between books, but I must persist. Somehow. (I will do it by buying the physical version of each volume and rereading the whole series before February.) In this book, Emma spends a few weeks at Islington’s estate, where she meets his sister, frolics in nature, and learns more secrets about her tenant, Pierce. You guys cannot talk me out of being Team Hawkes, especially after this book. The boxing scene! The scene of Emma in his room! The laid-back Hawkes at the estate! OMG, Hawkes 4ever.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore (★★☆☆☆ 1/2)

E-book • Libby • Fiction • 2017

Short synopsis: Raised by her brilliant but eccentric computer scientist father in 1980s Boston, Ada Sibelius sets out to uncover the secrets of his mysterious past as his mind begins to fail.

September 12, 2026 – I’m watching TV and coloring, and Eloise is doing her best to prevent me from coloring. But look at her little tucked paws! I die.

September 13, 2026 – It was the first football Sunday of the year! And I got some great dog snuggles. My favorite!

September 14, 2026 – I’m trying this thing where I start my day with a walk outside. I think some people call it “movement”? Anyway, I like it so far!

September 15, 2026 – It’s my brother’s 40th birthday today! My mom took two pictures, and in the other one, I look much better, but my brother’s eyes are half-closed, so because it’s his birthday, I’m choosing the one where he looks better. You’re welcome, bro-bro!

September 16, 2026 – I don’t know how I birthed such a majestic being, but man, she’s stunning. (And kind, and brave, and smart…)

September 17, 2026 – I love being loved by this girl. She’s also a stunner. (She recently went to the vet for a dental cleaning, and they couldn’t stop talking about her big green eyes. She gets whatever she wants because of those eyes.)

September 18, 2026 – Last night at book club, Bri brought out two big totes of her childhood stuff, including her birth announcement. How freaking adorable is this? She also brought her 8th-grade and senior-year yearbooks, and one of her friends wrote in her senior-year yearbook, “You’re like a mom lol.” Bri is the youngest in our book club and not a mother, but she takes care of us the most. I love that she was this way in high school, too! (And yes, this means today is Bri’s birthday! She’s officially in her mid-thirties!)

The high of my week was celebrating my brother’s 40th birthday! First, we celebrated on Sunday because it was the first football Sunday of the year! (I am so happy football is back!) Then, on Tuesday (his actual birthday), we went out to dinner to celebrate. It’s hard to believe my brother is in his forties now. I’ll be joining him next year, but for now, I can be the bratty little sister talking about how young I am to still be in my thirties.

The low of my week was more psoriatic arthritis pain. It’s not at the level it was before I started treatment, but I’m also not where I was when I was on a higher steroid dose. I’m getting bloodwork done on Saturday and after that, I’m going to start the process of increasing my steroid dose until I’m at a level where I don’t have any pain (per my rheumatologist’s recommendation). I want to see what my inflammation numbers look like at a low steroid dose while on methotrexate/Humira. A science experiment, I suppose! But then I’ll wait until I’ve been on Humira for a full three months (so… end of October-ish) and try tapering again. I keep doing this process because a) I want to get off steroids and b) I need to understand how much of my pain is being managed by steroids vs medication. It’s not just because I want to be off steroids, but also because so far, the steroids have been doing most of the pain management, and if that remains the case after being on Humira for three months, then it’s back to the drawing board.

I’m currently reading three books! In print, I’m reading The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body’s Fear Response by Ellen Vora, M.D. I don’t agree with everything she says, but it has given me some very interesting takeaways that I’ll be sure to share soon. My romance is Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake. AHB can be hit or miss for me, and right now, this is middle of the road. I can set it down for days at a time, which is probably not a good sign. And on audio, I’m reading Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd, which Jamie of The Popcast has been raving about lately. I’m halfway through and so far, I can’t get enough of this book! It’s so good!

A Reel that made me smile was this one about the reality of hotel room lighting. I was CACKLING!

A show I watched this week was The Floor. It’s a silly game show hosted by Rob Lowe, but it has become surprisingly strategic over the past few seasons and it’s a fun one to play along with. (Although I would be terrible at this game because my social anxiety makes word retrieval so difficult for me!)

The best money I spent this week was $22 on this great sling bag! A few years ago, I saw a woman wearing this bag while I was on a trip and I loved it, but when I looked it up online, it was too pricey for me. And then I randomly saw it in a shoe store this week and couldn’t snatch it up fast enough! It’s super roomy and has a spot on the strap to slip your phone/wallet so it’s in easy reach.

My plans this weekend include book club tonight. We’re having a pajama party and breakfast for dinner! Tomorrow, I am getting bloodwork done and then getting my flu/Covid shots (really nervous about how I’m going to feel since it’s the first time I’m getting these shots while on immunosuppressant drugs. Pray for me!). The rest of the day is free! I’m thinking of taking care of some errands (boring) and maybe going for a walk with my mom and the dogs. And Sunday, I have a writing date with Mikaela followed by football with the fam. My beloved Dolphins play my brother’s beloved Niners, so it will be a divided house. (We’re probably going to get demolished by the Niners, so should be a blast!

What are your weekend plans?