TGIF! It has been a long week, so I am so so happy to report that it’s Friday! I have a bridal shower for a good friend of mine this weekend, so I am so excited to celebrate my friend.
However, before we commence the weekend, I want to take a moment to share my favorites for this week.
Over the Influence by JoJo: JoJo was my favorite singer for as long as I can remember. I have loved her music since I was 11 years old. Needless to say, her memoir was on preorder so quick for me. I have been loving and savoring this book, since she is my favorite artist. However, reading this has made me see her as much more than JoJo the one that wrote the songs I loved as a preteen. It made me see her as JoJo the person, the human, and her strength. I absolutely am loving this one.
Coach Essential Slim Wallet:This has turned into my new favorite wallet. I absolutely love it. I love the organization and being able to just slip out my card without having to dig through. I love how sleek it looks. I also just love the simplicity of it. I 10/10 recommend.
The Perfect Couple: I read the book last year, and I have been binging the series for the last few weeks. I loved the book, and I enjoyed the series. The actors were excellent, and I just love Elin Hilderbrand in general.
The Happy Planner: I have been an inconsistent planner user over the course of my lifetime. However, I decided to get a Happy Planner to help me keep track of things, especially since I have been forgetting so much lately. So far, I’ve been really enjoying having all of my appointments at my fingertips, and it’s been easy to remember what I need to do.
I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, I was the girl always with a stack of books in hand, found solstice in the library in high school, and I even majored in writing with the hopes of writing my very own book.
My love for reading continued as an adult, and grew when I got my Nook and Kindle. It further expanded when I got a bookstagram account, and connected with readers all around the world who would review their books or take the time to create artsy photos with books. To this day, I still regularly watch booktube, where people vlog about their reading experiences, and I would pull up Goodreads to add what they were reading if it sounds good to my TBR.
However, for the last few months, I have found myself struggling to pick up a book and keep a book in my hands. I swear it’s not the book’s fault — it’s mine. I would find myself scrolling on TikTok after reading a few pages. I would only get through 10 pages before I would close the book for whatever reason.
Because of this, reading has become a chore to me in some ways in the efforts to try to reach my Goodreads goal. I had been behind several books. And the more that I become behind in my goal, the more overwhelmed I would then become.
It is then I ask myself this question: isn’t reading supposed to be fun? Isn’t this supposed to be a hobby that I enjoy to relax, not give me stress and anxiety?
Well, yes. No one is forcing me to read a book, nor am I getting graded on it. Especially since I’m not a book influencer, and reading is something that I do because I enjoy it. I don’t make money reviewing books, nor do I create bookish YouTube videos. Add in the fact that I also work full time, and have other hobbies than reading.
The funny thing about consuming so much book content is the comparison aspect. Oh, that person is finishing 4 books a week, why can’t I? Or when I compare myself to how I was reading last year, a time when I took the train to and from work and had a lot of time to read. I also got married last year and read a lot on my honeymoon, and read a lot in the pool.
However, what I’ve come to realize is that my time reading is changing, as things do in life. That is perfectly okay. The worst thing I can do is force myself to pick up a book. After all, I had a lot of assigned reading as an English major — the last thing that I need to do is continue to force myself to do so when I am not graded or even forced to.
I’ve entered a new season of life, and that is okay. That season is going to be spent doing all of different things, not just spending in a book. It doesn’t mean I no longer love reading. It just means that I am not forcing myself to read when it doesn’t feel right.
After all, reading is supposed to be fun and that’s no question.
As I stepped into the new Mind, Body, & Soul Wellness LLC, I was instantly filled with amazing healing energy. The wellness center just opened its doors last week, and the owner, Milford-born Jennifer Paskiewicz could not be more thrilled to open her business in her hometown.
Red light therapy/reiki
Paskiewicz got the idea for the center back in May, when a family member was diagnosed was cancer, and another loved one was battling an autoimmune disease. She was looking for a space that had it all and decided to create that.
“My loved ones needed a place,” she said. “So I decided to build it.”
Infared Sauna room.
The wellness center offers many different services to, like its name, heal the mind, body, and soul. Currently, the wellness center offers halotherapy (dry salt room), Infared sauna, red light therapy, reiki, and psychotherapy. Booking for the salt room, Infared sauna, and red-light therapy are available online, while bookings for reiki can be done over the phone.
“These are different ways to heal a person,” Paskiewicz said.
There are many benefits to starting these types of therapy. Halotherapy, which is dry salt, can help with respiratory issues, allergies, ear infections, reducing stress and anxiety, and more. The Infared sauna also reduces stress, improves circulation, balances blood sugar, and overall just detoxes the body — just to name a few. Red light therapy has many benefits, including: skin rejuvenating, pain relief and offer an enhanced way to improve overall health in a noninvasive way. However, Paskiewicz urges consulting your doctor before starting any treatment.
Paskiewicz is a therapist who specializes in trauma, anxiety, and depression. Many of the services that she offers are the same things she suggests for her clients, as she very well “practices what she offers” herself.
“I’m a walk-the-walk therapist,” she said. “All of the things I offer, I do.”
Over the weekend, I had visited Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness. I had never been to an actual salt room before, so this experience was calming for both my body and mind. This salt room has meditation music playing throughout our 30-minute session, which allowed me to close my eyes and just relax. Dry salt rooms are amazing, especially during this time of year, when cold, flu, and allergy season begins to commence.
There were two things that I really enjoyed about my visit to Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness. The first was the decor. I found everything to be so calming, from the simplicity of the salt room to even the decor of the lobby. The second was Jennifer herself. When I went, my mother-in-law and my husband had joined me. Jennifer was more than happy to accommodate the three of us and walked us through the process. We all had a lot of questions about the services she offered, and she was extremely informative and passionate about everything that she was saying. I also really enjoyed her energy that she projected to those around her.
I definitely will be returning to Mind, Body, and Soul Wellness soon.
I am one of those fortunate people out there who is lucky enough to have a spouse that doubles as my best friend. I’ve been with my husband since 2017, and we’re one of those people who always do things together even after the wedding vows were said last year.
Needless to say, my husband and I do a lot together. He also is the person who I look to for support, and yes, even gossip. I call him when I’m driving home from work. We tell each other secrets, make jokes, and yes, make sure that we have some fun stuff planned because we genuinely love to spend time together. He is truly, as I mentioned earlier, my best friend.
And I am perfectly okay with that. In fact, I am actually proud of that if I’m going to be honest.
In high school and college, I’ve had friends that spent all of their time with their boyfriends. While I agree that sometimes too much of any one thing can be a bad thing, I also think that it’s okay to spend a lot of time with the person with whom you’ve elected to be your partner. In fact, I hate it when people use that as a way to cut down someone or insult them, either out of jealousy or as being insecure in their own lives.
And that is not to say that my husband and I don’t have our own friends, interests, and things that we like to do on our own. My husband likes to do fantasy football. I like to go to book clubs. Those are things that we like to do with the people that share the same interests, and then we go home and talk about it. We are supportive of that other person doing things that make them happy.
We do not, in any way, shape or form, prevent the other from doing the things that we like to do. Nor do we isolate the other from making new friends or seeing existing ones. I think that’s the key here.
So yeah. Proud husband’s girl over here, raising my hand loud and proud.
Permanent jewelry has been a trend over the last few years, and something that makes having a piece of jewelry — whether that may be a necklace, anklet, bracelet, or ring — always with you. For some, this is a symbol; for others, it’s a friendship bracelet. Interlinked Jewelry, based in North Haven, Conn., brings the fun and sentimentality of permanent jewelry.
Run by a wonderful woman named Jackie, there are two ways to get a piece from them. The first is to go to a pop-event. Jackie is at a lot of events — from the Milford and Walnut Beach Farmers Market to the Norwalk Oyster Festival. She posts her whereabouts on her Instagram page and is all over the state. The second is to make an appointment at her North Haven studio.
When approaching the table, there are two small boxes with various chains to choose from, with one side being silver and the other gold. In the middle, there are a few little jars filled with charms that you can customize your bracelets with. In the corner, Jackie is there with her tool kit for assembly.
Now, what makes these bracelets permanent? A permanent bracelet is welded or zapped on. Depending on the options you choose, it just takes a simple zap for these bracelets to be a part of you.
With that being said, just because it is a permanent bracelet does not mean it is never going to come off of you. I asked this question, just in case something happens and I need to take all of my jewelry off for a medical procedure. Jackie said that these can be removed with simple nail clippers. What I thought was really awesome about Interlinked Jewelry was that Jackie will be more than happy to meet up with you to fix it should something happen. Having that lifetime warranty makes me as the consumer feel so much better about my purchase.
The prices for a bracelet is not expensive. As mentioned earlier, Jackie offers sterling silver and gold-filled. Sterling silver is $40 and gold-fill is $55. To add a charm, it costs $15, and she even gives the option to add a clasp if you so choose. Honestly, if this is something that you wear every single day, the cost per wear becomes pennies within a few months.
I got one bracelet, and I absolutely loved the process. There were two best friends in front of me who got matching anklets, which I thought was really amazing. I opted for a sterling silver chain and a hamsa charm. Once I picked out the bracelet that I wanted, Jackie really took her time to make sure that the fit was exactly how I wanted it, as well as something that would be comfortable for me to wear. We tried a few different length sizes before settling on the one that we zapped on. She was so fun to talk with, and the process itself took less than 15 minutes. However, it was just so much fun to just sit and chat with her. She even handed me a little cleaning cloth to keep my bracelet looking perfectly shiny. The process was easy and painless.
Overall, if you’re considering getting a permanent bracelet, I highly recommend checking Interlinked Jewelry out, because she was a joy to work with from start to finish.
I have a long list of products that I went through the month of August, guys. I am working on my own version of a project pan, so I’m glad that I got the chance to get through some of the things that have been in my stash for far too long.
Here is everything that I have used this month:
Biondi Boost HG Conditioner: I love this conditioner and use both this and the shampoo regularly. I have used it for well over a year and have noticed a huge difference in my hair since starting to use in terms of thickness and health.
Fenty Liquid Eye Liner in Big Truffle: I love this eye liner. I love the color and it lasted for almost a year before drying. I already repurchased it and it’s been in heavy rotation. This, by far, has been in huge rotation.
Olaplex Number 3: This is a TikTok product that has been talked about for a while. I got this for free with some Sephora points since I wanted to see what the hype was. I liked it, but I am not sure if I want to go ahead and repurchase.
Bath and Body Works Shower Gel: These have been my go-tos, and I have been trying to use up all of the products that I have in my Bath and Body Works stash of goodies.
OSEA Body Polish Scrub: This was my free Ulta gift for my birthday month, and I enjoyed this product, but I will not be purchasing it again. Because I have such dry skin, I prefer a scrub that is a little heavier, so I don’t think that this is something that would work.
Tree Hut Lotion: I love this body butter, and it truly lasts for a long time, so I’m happy to get through this one. I am using up something that I got as a birthday gift, so once I finish that one, I will be repurchasing another body butter.
Biondi Boost HG Intensive Spray: I have been using this for almost two years at this point, and this is a Holy Grail product for me. It has helped me have thicker and fuller hair, which is the reason why I love it so much.
As the sun sets on the last night of August and the last night of summer (well, kinda), I am sitting here in disbelief that we are in fall of 2024. Is it me, or this year flew by quickly?
Before looking ahead at the wonderful fall season, I want to take a moment to reflect on my favorites for the month of August.
Elin Hilderbrand Books: I picked the perfect time of year to begin getting through Elin Hilderbrand books. She is the queen of the summer beach read. This month, I managed to get through two of her books — one of them being my favorite read of the summer and a top for the year, Golden Girl. In fact, that’s one of the books that has stayed with me, even though it’s been a few weeks since I’ve read the book. I still have a few to get through of hers, but I definitely will be reading more as time goes on.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: Other than Golden Girl, this was one of my favorite books that I read this month. It is about Margo, who decides to have a baby at 20. She drops out of her college, and then loses her job. This book was really entertaining, but also managed to leave me with something to think about. I highly recommend reading this one, if you haven’t already.
Coach Brooklyn 28: This bag is viral, but it is for good reason. I sold a few bags to get this one, and this one is one that I have not changed out of since the day it got home. I got it in the maple color, and I absolutely love it. I also have it in black, but I am still obsessing over the gorgeous Maple color, which is absolutely perfect for the fall season.
Coach City Tote: I have had to take a step back from going to the gym this month, and I’ve been using this bag as my daily work tote. It reminds me of the Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote, but a more carefree version. I can fit everything from my crocheting, to my lunch, to a few other things without a problem.
Baggu Tablet Case: This guy is a little bit too big for my Kindle Paperwhite, but I still really love it. I love that it’s padded so it gives it an extra layer of protection, which for my emotional support Kindle is absolutely needed. You can also fit legitimate tablets in here, but this also works for Kindles as well.
Avril Lavigne: I went to see Avril Lavigne this past month, and it sent me down a rabbit hole of nostalgia. I have been listening to her albums almost daily at this point. She is the second-best concert that I have seen this year, and I was really happy that I got a chance to see her.
Collective Soul: Now this is the best concert that I’ve seen this year. Collective Soul is a band that has meant so much to me. When I was dealing with my anxiety to the point where driving was not feasible, listening to them helped so much. In fact, when I would feel anxiety coming on, I would listen to Shine to help me get through those intense moments.
Air and Anchor Necklaces: For the second month in a row, Air and Anchor necklaces have been my go-tos. I wear the two I have together — or I just wear one at a time. I have an amethyst charm on one of them, and it brings me so much peace whenever I wear it. I highly recommend them if you’re looking for durable and completely customizable jewelry.
Emerson and Oliver Bracelets: Another jewelry favorite this month is these bracelets. I absolutely love them. And what’s really cool about them is that they offer a free five bracelet starter set, where all you have to do is pay for shipping. These, like the Air and Anchor necklaces are built to be worn 24/7. They are perfect for the office, because while they are stackable, they are not loud and they do not make noise. Therefore, they are perfect if you want to wear these to the office.
Too Faced Pumpkin Spice Second Slice Eye Shadow Palette: To quote Richard Gilmore, I am an autumn. I got this palette a few years ago for my wedding, and in the effort to use it up before it goes bad, I have been experimenting with it. I absolutely love the colors. I love the variety, and the colors look amazing on me. Unfortunately, this one is no longer available on Ulta, but you can find it here.
Hey, British Vogue. My name is Natalie and here is what’s in my bag. The bag in question is the Coach Brooklyn Shoulder 28 shoulder bag in the gorgeous and sold out maple color.
Before we continue, can I just swoon over the color?! It is the most gorgeous chocolate brown that I’ve seen, and is sold out for a reason. However, I would check out Dillards and Macy’s. They also have this bag in black, the new ruby, dark stone, suede, and a neutral color, as well as a like green that looks like is seasonal. I also somehow got the black one, and am so happy that I did now that I know how much I love, love, love this bag.
When I got this bag, I was so excited and changed it immediately. The leather on it so soft and supple, it is super comfortable to wear, and fits everything I need on a daily basis. It is truly the perfect medium sized bag.
I’ve only had it for a few weeks, but I absolutely love this bag to the point where I am considering getting the larger size, the Brooklyn 39, at some point. I recently sold some bags, so I was able to add the Brooklyn size 23 in my collection, which will be a perfect neutral errand bag.
So far, I can see that this will be an amazing everyday bag, especially as we enter the cooler months.
So, here’s what’s in my bag;
Vintage Coach wristlet (I believe it is called the Ashley?)
Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette
Kindle Paperwhite in a Baggu Tablet pouch
My work badge (not pictured)
My phone (also not pictured)
Loose lip gloss, such as Summer Fridays in Vanilla Beige; ELF lipstick and Lip oil.
There is a special place in my heart for stories that have a Connecticut setting. Jane Green, Marissa D’Angelo’s Charles Island, and more have been books that I know and loved. So when I found the book, Falling for Fairfield by Olivia Berry, I knew that this would be something that I wanted to pick up.
Falling for Fairfield is a short little novel that tells the story of Emma, who at the start of the novel has fallen out of love with her big NYC ad exec lifestyle. Fed up, she quits her job and has her sights set on small town Fairfield. Emma opens her own business, in which she begins to accumulate local small businesses to promote.
This book is the type that you can devour in one setting. It is also the type of book that if you’re from Fairfield or know Fairfield, you can actually picture the locations in the book. Berry is a Fairfield native, and mentions several real life places such as the Fairfield Theater Company, Merritt Parkway, Fairfield University, and Sakura Garden. There were many places throughout the course of the book that were unnamed, but were one of those if you know, you know type of places.
I thought that this was a fun read, and honestly enjoyed reading this one. I loved the transformation of Emma, and the journey that our protagonist goes through from start to finish. While there is a romance in the novel, I believe that it takes a back seat to the love letter that novel is to the Town of Fairfield.
That said, if I’m going to be honest, this book is reminiscent of a Hallmark Channel movie. There were a ton of cliche, cheesy moments, and had the same formula as those movies — girl moves from the big city to a small town; falls in love with a local guy; and becomes a huge fixture in the small town that she recently moved to. That said, while it was cheesy and wholesome, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy this book. I had so much fun reading it, and it’s something that I am happy to get to.
While I enjoyed this book for the most part, I will say that there was not a lot of conflict with this one. The tiny amount of conflict was there was an issue throughout the story when Emma tried to get a roommate, but it didn’t work out. That potential roommate kept on appearing throughout the book, which I liked, because it’s something that does happen in a small town. That said, I felt that this was forced conflict that was sprinkled in, and didn’t really enjoy that.
And like all Hallmark movies, everything was super happy and tied with a neat bow. Some people are not fans of that, but for me, that is something that you just need in either a book or movie format. I feel like when you’re picking up a book like this, it’s part of the expectation of it to be that way.
Overall, I give this one 3 stars. Falling for Fairfield is a self-published book, but is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
When I walked into 7 Seas in Downtown Milford, Conn., I felt like I was walking into something that resembled a cross of both Luke’s Diner and the bar in Cheers where everyone knows your name. 7 Seas has been a part of the Milford community since 1965. Between the old-fashioned wood paneled walls to the various knickknacks collected throughout the years, 7 Seas has and continues to be a casual and cozy place to enjoy.
7 Seas is definitely a small little place, but comes with a ton of history. According to the about section on the website, the building was originally an old garage that was converted to a restaurant. That being said, 7 Seas is not the first restaurant to occupy the Daniel Street space. According to the website, there were a few other restaurants that came before 7 Seas called the location home.
The website also says that the name 7 Seas comes from owner, Richard Smith’s navy days, and since its inception, it has been named Best Neighborhood Restaurant by Connecticut Magazine in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
However, something that I thought was really interesting was the fact that several famous people had visited this restaurant — including Dan Patrick and Paul Newman.
Now, enough about the history, and let’s talk about the menu. When I visited, my husband and I were enjoying a simple lunch date. The menu consisted of bar staples such as wings, burgers, appetizers, and chicken tenders. But that is not what they are truly known for — the most famous thing on their menu is their lobster roll, which the menu names it as “famous.”
However, they have dinner options (served after 5 p.m.), several different types of chicken, seafood that the menu claims that it was “so fresh that it slept in the ocean last night,” and so much more. Many of their items are very classic, very New England, and I am here for it.
One thing that really impressed me about this place was the portion sizes. They were massive. I got the charbroiled chicken sandwich, and not only was the sandwich huge, but they loaded the plate with fries. For me, having a good sized portion is something that is important as your girl would like to get some bang for her buck.
In addition to the sandwich, I had the opportunity to try some of their chili. It was delicious and hearty, but boy oh boy, was she spicy.
The only downside of 7 Seas in my opinion is the parking; however, there are many free options to choose from as long as you’re willing to do a little bit of walking. Personally, the Downtown Milford area is a great place to walk around in so it’s worth taking a stroll around to check out the small businesses in the area.
Overall, 7 Seas in Milford is a beloved establish in the Milford community and for good reason, due to delicious food and comforting ambiance. I am already looking forward to my next visit.
thenutmegmillennial.com 