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Is Kindle Unlimited Worth It?

You may have heard of the term Kindle Unlimited, which is Amazon’s book rental service. For the price of $11.99 a month, you have access to borrow 20 books at once.

Basically, think of old school Netflix for books.

I had Kindle Unlimited for the past year, and I’ve really enjoyed it. The books on it can rotate, but there’s always some authors on there that are popular and beloved, including: Ana Hoang, Lucy Score, and even the Summer I Turned Pretty series — just to name a few.

Over the course of my time using it, it’s safe to say that I’ve gotten my money’s worth of books that I’ve downloaded it from.

But, is it worth it?

I honestly think so.

As an avid reader, Kindle Unlimited does save me some money. What I like about it is that if I don’t like a book there is less strings attached. All I do is return it back to the Kindle Unlimited store. That said, it also saves me money when it comes to getting books onto my Kindle, because let’s face, the price of ebooks can add up, especially when you read as much as I do. So many viral books are available on Kindle Unlimited, such as the Things We Never Got Over, the Twisted Love series, and many of Colleen Hoover’s books. If I were to buy these books, it’s usually $5 to $10 for an ebook, and about $16 for a paperback physical copy. $11.99 a month for an unlimited amount of books to read makes things so much easier than ever to read and return.

Furthermore, Kindle Unlimited also has a great selection. There are so many New York Times Best Sellers, including True Believer by Nicholas Sparks, the Summer I turned Pretty, many of Lucy’s Score’s backlog, Ana Hoang, Frieda McFadden, the Harry Potter series, and so much more. There’s a lot of YA, fantasy, and so much more. And, many of the BookTok books that have gone viral are available right at your fingertips. What’s nice about Kindle Unlimited is that the books sometimes rotate, and it seems like they are always adding something new to the list of titles.

One other thing that I love about having Kindle Unlimited is the fact that I can download a book that I already have a physical copy of, and be able to read in the pool, or travel with a book without having to actually purchase the ebook version of it. Because of this, I am able to get through more books than ever, because there is more opportunity to read them.

The only downside to using Kindle Unlimited is simply that you have a hard limit of 20 books being renting out at once, but the solution is simple. Just return as soon as you’re done reading a book (or if you’re a bookstagrammer like me, taking a photo for the review), and take out whatever is on your wishlist.

So, yes. Kindle Unlimited is 100 percent worth it. But, that’s just one reader’s opinion.

How I’m Preparing For NanoWriMo

November is National Writing Month, also known as National Writing Month, and this is the year where I will actually complete my novel. For me, this is going to be a challenge to actually get back into fiction writing. However, for someone who has fallen out of the habit of writing for a while, this is going to be daunting. So, I decided to start preparing for it now. Here’s how:

1. Journal Writing: Writing is writing. Journaling is a great tool for not only writing, but for mental health as well. I’ve been working on trying to be more consistent with my journaling so writing becomes more of a habit.

2. Writing short stories: To get myself back into the practice of writing more fiction, I purchased a book of short story prompts and a notebook to write some short stories. They may not be perfect, but they definitely will help me sharpen my skills in time for November.

3. Mapping Out My Story: Outlining is an essential step of writing, but also one that I slack on. Before I open up that word document on November 1, I want to have as much as I can planned out beforehand. I have been using the Writer’s Workbook, something that I purchased from Amazon, and it has been a great tool to help map out my characters and work on plots and scenes.

Will you participating in NanoWriMo this year?

6 Tips For Future Brides

Having just gone through the stresses of wedding planning, I’m here from the other, married side to share some tips that I have for the future brides out there stressing about planning a wedding. For those of you who may know, I am a 2023 bride, and am so happy I can leave the stresses of wedding planning behind me.

That said, here are some tips for all of the future brides out there, or for anyone who is planning a wedding:

1. Remember the why.

With every goal that you have, you have to remember the reason why you have the goal. The same goes for wedding planning. Why are you planning this wedding? For me, the wedding planning was because I wanted to celebrate a lifelong commitment to my best friend. I feel like so many brides out there often forget that, and get swept up with the smaller details and drama of the day — myself included. But, the goal is to celebrate two lives molding into one.

2. Create a List:

With so many moving parts, a to-do list is your BFF to make sure that you have everything you need to done.

3. Delegate:

One of the hardest things that I have had to learn was the ability to delegate — whether it was with my bridesmaids, mother in law, or husband to be. Delegating different things helps make it easier than ever before to make sure that you get everything done with as little stress as possible.

4. Make sure you take off time at work the week of and after.

If you’re taking a honeymoon, chances are you’ll have the week after your wedding off; however, I highly recommend that you take off a few days before the wedding for the very reason to give yourself some breathing room. I did not do this, and I highly regret it. There were so many last minute details that I couldn’t attend to during work hours, and of course, it was overwhelming trying to balance everything.

5. Start Early:

With weddings booking into 2025/2026, it’s easy to procrastinate. However, don’t. Try booking the venue ASAP. That said, don’t get me wrong. Enjoy your engagement. Soak it in. But, make sure that if there is a venue that you’ve been dreaming of, you book it.

6. Use Instant Cameras for Guest Book.

One of the best things that I did that was a hit was my guest book, which was using an Instax Mini camera for guests to take pictures and write messages. I loved this because I can see my wedding through the guest’s point of view. I highly recommend it to any bride looking for a unique guest book idea.

Friday Faves: October 6, 2023

TGIF everyone! I have a three day weekend coming up, and I couldn’t be more ready to just take some time for relaxation and fun. I have a few fun things planned, but I also have some fun self care activities for myself planned as well.

But, before we get to the weekend fun, here are this week’s Friday Faves:

1. Spotify’s Daylist: Thank you to my friend Marisa who showed me this really cool feature on Spotify. Basically, all you do is type in “daylist” in your Spotify search bar, and boom, you have a playlist. What I really like about this feature is that it changes based on the time of day. Therefore, I am able to get a different playlist for my various times of day for driving to and from work, as well as playlists based on when I listen when.

2. Dagne Dover Cameron XS Bag: I’ve been carrying this bag a lot lately, simply because it’s a Mary Poppins type bag, which we love. I love that it’s easy to carry everything I need, and it’s just so lightweight. You can see what I carried in my bag in this post here.

3. Essie Espressie Nail Polish: Essie is my favorite brand of nail polish, and I just recently discovered the espressie line, which is the express dry line. I have worn Take the Espresso polish all week, and it has worn wonderfully.

4. Mophe 2 Quad Goals Multi-Palette: I need some makeup that I could bring to work if I was not to put any makeup on. This is such a great thing to have if you no time, and you don’t need to have to carry a brush.

Are E Newton Bracelets Worth It?

To get waterproof, good quality gold jewelry often comes with the assumption of a hefty price tag as the price of solid gold continues to rise. That said, the popularity of other inexpensive options have continued to grow, from gold plated, gold vermeil, and gold filled — which can loose their luster and gold color over time so you have to baby it.

Enewton promises to change that expectation. According to their website, the brand only sells what their founder, Elizabeth Newton, would wear herself. All of the pieces offer a “commitment to quality materials,” so its wearers can “shower, sweat, sleep, and swim” in their eNewton pieces.

eNewton offers a wide variety of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings, all of which that are gold filled. I have a huge collection of their necklace and bracelets, and they are the perfect everyday pieces.

Let’s take a moment to talk about my favorite pieces of theirs, which are the bracelets. The bracelets come in silver, gold, pearl, and two-toned. They can be worn stacked,or on their own. The price of the bracelets range from $42 to $172, depending on the materials of the bracelet and the size of the beads themselves. The size of the beads range from 2 mm and up.

What I love about eNewton is that it is life proof, but they make a great everyday piece to wear. I love that I can mix metals, or go with a stack that is silver or gold. Furthermore, they also go with my other repeat bracelet offenders, such as my Cape Cod bracelet that I have not taken off since the day I purchased it.

In addition, they also offer gemstone stacking bracelets, which I love because they add a little pop of color to your stack.

That said, I wanted to note one thing about the brand. Many of their bracelets do in fact run on the smaller side, measuring a 6.25 inch circumference. The brand does offer eNewton extends, which is 7.25 inches, and is a much looser fit. I have a 7 inch wrist, and tend to gravitate towards those, because they fit so much more comfortably for stacking purposes. However, I have found that the regular ones do fit as well.

Furthermore, I also have a few of their necklaces, all of which are pieces that I absolutely love. All of the pieces that I have are just great everyday staples that I can wear with anything — dressed up or down, no matter what the color. I love layering them, or layering them with other pieces. The only thing that I do not like about the necklaces is the fact that most of them come in 15 or 16 inches. I bought the extend to go with it, and sometimes don’t mind a necklace fitting closer to my neck. However, I wanted one so I can stack multiple pieces together or make it longer if I so choose. This is one thing that I don’t like about them, because this size may not fit everyone, or fit someone the way that they want it to.

That being said, I will say that the quality of each and every one of my eNewton pieces is 100 percent worth the hype. I don’t like to use the term “investment piece,” but these pieces are ones that you will have for a long time. I do take mine off at night, but I will say that I’ve worn mine to the gym, and yoga and they have not changed colors whatsoever.

Furthermore, the price of $50 is a little higher than some of the other beaded bracelets out there. But, comparing it to other beaded bracelets with the same quality, such as the famous Tiffany and Co. bracelet, or even the Beads and Pave bracelet, this price is a little less hefty, especially since I think they have the same quality as those brands.

With that, I bring up the point that any of these bracelets will become go-tos in your collection. They are worry-free, they go with everything, and they are easy to get on your wrist. Therefore, the cost per wear will lower, but it will also make it a piece that you will have for years to come.

Therefore, this makes it 100 percent worth it.

What’s In My Bag: Dagne Dover Landon Carryall XS

One of the newest bags in my collection is the Dagne Dover Landon in the XS in the black. So far, I love this bag. I love that everything has a compartment and a place, as well as it’s so lightweight. The bag fits a lot, and is so cute.

Here’s what fits in mine:

Basically, it’s the perfect everyday bag, and I am so happy to have it back in my collection.

Are Hoo Hoops Worth It?

My name is Natalie and I have the world’s most sensitive ears. Not when it comes to the metals, but rather the weight of the earring. If an earring is too heavy, chances are, I will not wear it. My biggest fear is to have my piercing holes stretch, so I avoid heavy earrings like the plague.

This is a terrible problem to have if you love hoop earrings just as much as I do. But, Hoo Hoops came to my rescue.

Hoo Hoops is a small women owned business that promises to be your go-to lightweight hoop earrings. The hoops come in two sizes: the minis (one inch), and the regular (two inches). They are made out of a lightweight material, and come in so many different colors from trendy to neutral. Like, any color that you can think of, they have. They even have some earrings with pearls and sparkle in them, which are so gorgeous. All of which add a perfect pop of color to any outfit.

Oh, and the best part? They are hypoallergenic.

When I, the queen of sensitive ears, say that these earrings are the most comfortable and fun earrings that I’ve ever worn, I truly mean it.

I am a huge fan of the minis, because while I like a good hoop, I’m not a huge fan of the larger size. What I love about these earrings is that they are so comfortable to wear, but they still add a touch of fun to my outfits. I wear them to work, but I can also wear them to events I attend as well. Furthermore, as someone who has multiple piercings, I can say that I can wear these earrings without any issue whatsoever.

With a price tag between $30 to $40 per pair, these earrings are perfect for holiday gifting, the perfect pair to wear to holiday parties and gatherings, or even just a fun little addition to your jewelry box.

I can not say enough good things about these earrings. Therefore, I’d say that these are 100 percent worth it.

Brewport In Bridgeport Brews More Than Just Pizza

There is no better combination than pizza and beer; however there is no better combination than delicious wood-fired pizza and a beer.

Located ideally right next to the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, Brewport offers its exact combination. Their menu keeps it simple — just pizza, salad, beer, cocktails, and wine. However, due to their simplicity, it allows for excellence, and a relaxing ambiance.

What is really nice about Brewport, is that you can easily stop by for a pizza during your lunch break. The service was extremely quick, which is nice if you need to get back to the office, or even if you want to grab a pie before a show. Their menu promises nothing but great food in front of every category, and I can safely say that they delivered.

Now, let’s talk food and drinks.

Their pizza menu offers a little bit of everything. All pizzas have a thin crust and are wood fired, a charcoal that rarely exists outside of New Haven. As someone who grew up on New Haven style pizza, I was delighted to see this pizza done right. The crust was crispy and crunchy — a mouthwatering combination with fresh dough.

Their pizza menu has a few different options, including: a daily special, meat master (pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham), the white clam (white clam pizza), and a tree hugger (vegetable pizza). However, what I really like about their pizza menu is the ability to customize your pizza with whatever topping that you can choose. With the build your own option, you choose either red or white base, and then load it with toppings. And the toppings are limitless — from the expected pepperoni, broccoli, to mashed potato, buffalo chicken, and pulled pork. Needless to say, the options are endless, so there is a pizza for everyone.

In addition to pizza, they also offer salads as well for both individual and family size, which is nice to add to a pizza pie. After all, pizza and salad go hand in hand. Some of the options include antipasto, Ceaser salad, and garden salad. Furthermore, you can add grilled chicken and more for an additional cost to make your salad a little heartier.

Now, let’s talk about the real reason that one goes to a brewery — the drinks. Brewport has got your back on that front. Their beer menu is extensive, along with a few different options for both cocktails and wine.

I highly recommend taking the trip to visit Brewport. What I like about Brewport is that it offers a great place to go to, whether you’re visiting the downtown Bridgeport area for business or pleasure. I highly recommend it as a good lunch or dinner option as well, although they are only open for lunch Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

I mean come on — what better combo is there than pizza and beer?

4 Tips to Survive Blogtober From A Seasoned Blogger

This is probably my fourth year doing Blogtober, and I still can’t believe that it is already October. If you’re new to blogging or not familiar, Blogtober is basically when bloggers post a new post everyday. Yup. That’s 31 posts, folks.

I am exhausted just typing that, folks.

However, for me, there is nothing more satisfying than completing the challenge on October 31st.

Needless to say, I’ve developed some tips and tricks to help get through this month with some of your sanity. But before I reveal them to you, good luck to all of the bloggers out there who are participating.

1. Schedule and Write As Many Posts As You Can:

This is a great idea in theory, but can be hard to execute. Back when I was working at a more stressful job, it was hard to get the energy to write a post for the week ahead, much less a few months. However, the key to surviving Blogtober is simply to write as many posts as you can ahead of time, so you have less to do during the month of October, because you know, writer’s block happens.

2. Give Yourself Grace:

Miss a day? Well, it happens. I am the queen of beating myself up, however, if you miss a day or even two, it’s not the end of the world. Just get a post in the next day. Trust me, the blog will still be there.

3. Use It As A Time to Experiment:

Many of my most successful posts are ones that I came up with to fill the Blogtober void. I’m a lifestyle blogger, so my topics are a bit all over the place. However, I have had some of my best posts (best meaning most read) from random Blogtober posts I came up with.

4. Pinterest/Google:

Pinterest and Google are your friends when you’re encountering writer’s block here, everyone. I’ve found so many great ideas from those sources, and they are usually ones that take not a lot of time/research to create.

Good luck to all of the bloggers who are participating in Blogtober this year!

September Favorites

Okay, so running the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can not believe that September is over. Tomorrow begins the first day of Blogtober, and for once, I am actually prepared for it. I have about eight posts scheduled, and I am so happy to be ahead of the curve this time.

September was a super busy month for me. My friend from Italy came over for a visit, and we had my wedding reception, where we celebrated our marriage with our marriage with our friends and family.

That said, I have a lot of favorites that I am looking forward to sharing with you. So, without further a due, here are my September favorites:

1. JoJo Loves You Earrings and Necklace: Up until now, I never used to be a matchy-matchy kind of gal. However, I have dived headfirst into wearing matching JoJo Loves You earrings with a marina necklace. For earrings, I will either grab the mini or the ultra mini, and my necklace doesn’t matter. I love this brand, because it adds just the right amount of sparkle to an outfit, which we are all here for.

2. Madewell Transport Tote: This simple tote has been on repeat this month. I’ve had the brown for years, and I just recently invested in the black with my new initials. I love this because it fits everything but the kitchen sink, but looks so sleek. It is the perfect work tote, and I love it.

3. King of Sin Series: Ana Hoang does it again, and this time, the romances are oh so steamy. I devoured the first two in the series and I absolutely loved them. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series as they release.

4. Fake as Hell by All Time Low and Avril Lavigne: This song has been on repeat since it came out.

5. Lumispa: I love this little device! It has only been a few weeks since I started using it, but I already am seeing a huge difference in my skin.

6. Little Words Project Bracelets: Last but not least, I’m sharing my favorite brand of bracelet — the Little Words Project bracelets. As you may know, I am a brand ambassador for them (so use my code BAnutmeg to score 15% off of your order), and that is because I love the brand so much. My favorite word this month is, breathe.