February Reading Wrap Up

While February was a short month, it was a productive one for me in terms of reading. This month, I’ve read a grand total of nine books. What is extremely awesome is that some of the books that I’ve read were actually on my Mashed Potato reading list, which makes me extremely proud of myself.

Without further adue, here are the books that I read this month:

  1. Heartstopper, Vol. 2 by Alice Osman: Five out of Five Stars
  2. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult: Four out of Five Stars
  3. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith: Five out of Five Stars
  4. Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds: Five out of Five Stars
  5. Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Four out of Five Stars
  6. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory: Five out of Five Stars
  7. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory: Five out of Five Stars
  8. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory: Five out of Five Stars
  9. Again, But Better by Christine Riccio: Five out of Five Stars

What I Love Wednesday: February 19

I can’t believe that we’re already in the middle of the month. Today is actually my grandfather’s birthday, so it’s a little emotional for me. However, on a positive note, it is a four day week, which is awesome.

That said, here are my favorites for the week:

  • The Wedding Date Series:

You might recognize this from my Mashed Potato reads blog post. Last week, I wanted to read a swoony love story, and since this has been on my TBR for a long time, I thought that this would be a good pick.

I loved the first one, which features Drew and Alexa. They get trapped in an elevator, and Drew asks her to be his plus one to his ex’s wedding. Alexa, normally the practical one, accepts the invitation. Soon enough, the two begin to fall for each other, and find themselves being reliant on weekend visits. I’ll let you find out what happens next.

What I love about the series is that it’s about several characters — not just the main couple. The first is about Drew and Alex. The next book, the Proposal (which I read over the three day weekend and loved), is about Drew’s friend Carlos, and a girl he met at a baseball game. The next book, the Wedding Party, is about Alexa’s two best friends, Maddie and Theo.

All of these books are cute and fun, and I highly recommend them if you’re a romance reader.

  • Keurig Milk Frother: 

I love lattes a latte. What I don’t love is the fact that Starbucks lattes are really expensive. For a while, I have considered getting a Neoespresso to try to reduce how many lattes I purchase. However, I didn’t want to spend $200 on something that actually confused me.

That said, I do have a Keurig coffee maker that I use several times a day for coffee and tea. Therefore, when I saw this while wandering around in Target, I knew that this was the answer that I needed.

What I love about it is that it is really easy to use. All you do is pour your milk in, and then make coffee with your Keurig. It is so easy to use in the mornings, and bringing my coffee to work has saved me already $25. What I’ve also noticed is that there is a lot less sugar in my handmade lattes versus the ones that I purchased at Starbucks, which is an added bonus.

  • Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:

As many of you know, I am terrible with TV shows and I don’t watch a lot of TV. However, I wanted to watch this one, because Lauren Graham is in it, and I love her from Gilmore Girls. So, I watched the premier, and recorded the second episode. And, I really enjoyed it.

It is about a woman who thanks to a freak accident, can hear people’s thoughts in the format of pop songs. And, it’s really cool to watch. She is able to hear her father’s thoughts, who is currently suffering from a rare brain disease. And, she hears some of her co-worker’s thoughts as well. Overall, I definitely can see myself loving this show, and continuing it.

  • The Circle: 

I just finished The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel last week, and I was looking for a show to binge watch on Netflix. I’ve heard really good things about this show, so I decided to give it a try.

It’s a reality show where contestants are basically trying to win popularity — and $100,000 — by their online profiles. It is addicting because it’s very entertaining, and because it’s fun to watch them figure out who is real and who is not.

I’ve already watched four episodes, which is rare for me, since I don’t binge watch an awful lot of TV. However, I can assure you that it’s something that you are definitely going to want to carve out a weekend to just watch.

 

Eating My Way Around CT: Sweet Cupcasions

Cupcakes are by far my favorite dessert. While I love baking them, I still take advantage of whenever I could get cupcakes to go.

One of my favorite spots is Milford’s Sweet Cupcasions. And, they are pretty famous. They were featured on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

Sweet Cupcasions is located in the downtown Milford area, and has a mixture of both the classic cupcakes — vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet. But, they have so many unique flavors. Their regular menu has the All About Ethel (chocolate cupcake, with peanut butter), and 14K (which is carrot cake). What is even more awesome is that they have something for the furry friend in your life — a peanut butter flavored cupcake that is a favorite of Lucy’s.

What I love about this bakery is that the menu changes every month. Naturally, on their menu this month is more Valentine’s Day themed with flavors such as First Kiss and Love at 1st Sight. My favorites this month are the Fairy Dust (just a plain vanilla funfetti cupcake), and Happy Birthday to Me (basically chocolate chip cookies).

Now, let’s talk about the actual cupcakes. They are absolutely delicious. They are always fresh and delicious — and they last for a few days as well. Since I live alone, I don’t go through cupcakes that quickly — which means that before I can eat them, they often go stale. Not these. These last up until a week, and they still taste delicious.

If you’re interested in checking out this amazing bakery here’s one tip: go early. They run out of cupcakes very quickly — especially on the weekends or holidays. I’ve gone there Sundays before noon, and they already had a limited selection of cupcakes.

Overall, if you’re in the mood to treat yourself to a delicious cupcake, definitely check this out.

Note: I was not compensated for this post in any way, and all of my opinions are my own. 

 

Why It’s Important to Learn to Love Yourself This Valentine’s Day

I don’t know about you, but everywhere that I go it seems that I am surrounded by love. Naturally, it’s because Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and every store wants to ensure that you get your loved one a gift that will make them swoon. Oh yeah, and roses and candy naturally.

What many don’t forget is that love should always start at home. That means, love should always start with yourself.

At the end of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw said “the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you, you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”

And that’s true. I’ve heard that before you can love someone else, you need to learn to love yourself. I’ve always believed that. After all, I worked on my relationship with myself before I began dating my boyfriend. However, what I have always wondered what happens once you’re in a relationship? 

“The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you, you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”- Carrie Bradshaw

The answer is, well, you still have to nurture that relationship. What does that mean? Showing yourself some love. Taking yourself on some dates. Putting yourself first, even that may mean that things won’t get done, or that you don’t go out every Friday night. It means being attuned to the needs that you have. So, if you have cramps or need a night to recharge, then you do so.

Which is fine.

We don’t need to have it all, or do it all. I think sometimes we lose that, whether we are in a relationship, or if we’re single. Lately, I have been trying to learn how to love myself, which has been a struggle. I sometimes lose sight in taking time to self care, simply because of the fact that I am trying to get everything done, or try to fit so many things into one small slot of time.

This needs to stop.

And, it is.

This Valentine’s Day, I am showing myself love by simply showing myself some self love. I am practicing self care by taking care of me. I am starting to slow down. I am working on myself by doing yoga, working out, journaling, and using my essential oils on the regular.

That said, this means that I may not be the most social. I may not always be productive. And, I am okay with that.

Therefore, this Valentine’s Day, I want to ask everyone reading this to show themselves — as well as their significant others, as they are awesome too — some love. Self love is so important, and is something that is always important.

How are you going to show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day?

What I Love Wednesday: February 12th

Happy Hump Day every one! Today is especially awesome, because I have the day off for Lincoln’s birthday. That said, let’s continue these positive notes by telling you what I’m loving this week:

  • YA Fantasy Books: 

I go through phases on what I want to read. Some days, I want to read romances. Others, I want to read non-fictions. Nowadays, I have been reading a lot of YA Fantasy. I went overboard at the bookstore and purchased quite a bit of them for me to read. I am currently listening to A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Bridget Kemmerer, and I am reading The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I am loving them, and I have so many series that I have yet to read.

  • The Descendants series: 

I watched the first one last week, and I became instantly obsessed with it. I’ve been watching a lot of Disney movies this past week, and this one was my favorite because it has a twist to the movies that I love. Maybe this is what sparked my love for fantasy novels?

  • Air Fryer: 

I purchased an air fryer from Kohl’s a few weeks ago. And, I love it. I’ve used it to reheat some frozen foods, and just started to venture out to try things like fries and French Toast. I’m just learning how to cook, so I am hoping to expand my horizons soon.

  • Passion Iced Tea: 

I am addicted to Starbucks Passion Iced Tea. However, the price is a bit too much for me to enjoy every day. While at Target, I discovered six packets of tea for $3.29. And, these can make pitchers. Yeah, you heard me. Pitchers. So, for less then the price of one tea from Starbucks, I am going to make 12.

Not a bad deal.

Nook Glowlight Plus Review

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I constantly go back and forth between using an e-reader and reading actual, physical copies of novels. What I love about e-readers is the fact that I can take it everywhere. I love that I can store thousands and thousands of books in one tiny little device. This makes it easier for travel, easier to take it Starbucks, and easier to read with Lucy on top of me. I also like using ebooks because I can get books that I want to read within seconds.

I’ve had a few Nooks — I’ve had the Nook Simple Touch, the Nook Tablet 7, and the Nook Glowlight 3. And, I’ve had the Kindle Paperwhite as well. However, there is something about the Nook ecosystem that I just love and keep on returning to again and again. I love the way that the Nook is, and for me, the Nook is a lot easier to navigate than the Kindle.

The one thing that my Nook Glowlight 3 did not have that made me switch over to Kindle? The fact that the Kindle is Waterproof. And, that’s something that I need in an e-reader, because I carry my e-reader everywhere and I tend to spill my water bottle in my bag. Furthermore, I also read a lot near the pool, and I want to make sure that whatever I use for reading can use that.

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That said, I found the Nook Glowlight Plus while walking around the bookstore one day. I liked the huge size of the e-reader, and I liked the fact that it was waterproof. When I saw this, I did wonder if this will keep it from fitting it into my tinier purses.

However, I did like the fact that the screen resolution was awesome, and it had a headphone jack.  And, I loved the larger screen. Compared to the original Glowlight, this screen is 7.8 inches versus the standard 6 inch of the one that the original one had. I love that.

So, I used my Christmas money and splurged.

And, I love it so far.

Many of the reviews on Barnes and Noble say that this is the best Nook ever. And, I agree. My doubts of it being too big vanished the second that I took it out of the box. While it was definitely bigger than my original one, it’s not too much to manage. It also is something that feels so comfortable holding it and how it felt in the hand. It’s so comfortable, and I knew that I found a device that I loved.

After using it for a couple of weeks, I can say agree with those reviews. The bigger screen allows me to read quickly, and have less page turns. Now, the software is similar to my other one, which I am okay with because it’s so easy to navigate. Furthermore, I also love the fact that this device has page turn buttons. Honestly, that was one of my biggest complaints about the Kindle, so I am so relieved to have them back again in my life.

The only compliant that I have is the battery life, but it’s a lot better than my original Glowlight. I also wish that the storage was a little larger or that it had a little slot for an SD card like the previous Nooks.

Overall, I am in love with this device and if you love reading, I highly recommend that you pick it up. Trust me, you will not regret it.

What I Love Wednesday: February 5th

Happy hump day! I still can’t believe that we are already in February. This month is going to be a hard one for me, as it’s approaching the year mark on my mom. However, I am focusing on some of the things that I am loving this week.

  • Miss Americana:

I watched the documentary on Friday night, and I loved it. I am a fan of Taylor Swift, and she is one of my favorite artists. I am not a crazy obsessed fan, but I appreciate her music. That said, I loved the documentary, and gained so much respect for her after watching it. She is truly an inspiration, and a role model — something that this movie showcased. After watching the movie, I may have been listening to her music for a few days afterwards.

  • Brita Water Filter: 

I purchased a Brita Water filter for a couple of reasons: the first, to eliminate the need to purchase water every week, and secondly, to have less of a carbon footprint. As of now, I still have some of the water that was bottled. However, I hope this will help me save some money on my grocery bill.

  • Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

I finally got around to watching the new season, and let me tell you, it’s amazing. I love watching Midge travel across the country and do her comedy. I love all of the other things that are going on with the other characters as well. I’m currently only on episode four, so I can’t wait to see how the rest of the season plays out.

  • Amazon Stair Stepper:

I purchased a stair stepper, because I truly miss running. I miss it because for thirty minutes, I could close myself off to the world. I could listen to music, a podcast and an audiobook. But, since getting Lucy, I haven’t been running. And, since I sprained both of my knees, I am afraid to. Therefore, this machine has helped me run again, which is something that makes me happy. It also gives me a good workout, as after I finished doing it, I was sore.

Have Some Respect For Your Ex

With the rise of social media, I feel as though we lost one element to basic human life and functioning — respect. It is so easy to express emotions and thoughts, that it is forgotten the impact that it can have. And, once it’s out there, chances are, there is no going back.

It really bothers me when exes go back and forth in battle with each other, whether it may be talking behind their back, spreading rumors, or just basic immaturity. After all, you did like this person for a period of time. However, things change. That person cheated, they turned out to be not a great person after all, or maybe it just didn’t work out. Whatever the case may be, you still gotta treat them with respect and kindness. Even though it’s going to be hard and you may want to say that they are the world’s worst person.

What does this mean?

That means no tweeting. That means no spreading rumors. And yes, that also means no calling them up to yell at them.

I get it. Breakups are upsetting and devastating. I’ve been through a couple to know this personally. And, maybe that person is using the breakup as a way to destroy you. Some people sadly are like that.

That said, no matter how hurt you are, use it as an opportunity to grow. I believe that when you use public means to destroy a person, it shows your character. It shows that you’re petty and willing to do anything to destroy them.

I also believe that using social media as a method to voice any sort of ill feelings can result in nothing good simply because people use social media in general as judgements of character — including job recruiters. Therefore, the less negative, the better.

Most importantly, it’s important to do the same offline as well. Whether it’s showing respect by not randomly talking ill of the person, or just allowing there be mutual friends, I think it shows so much class when you say that while things didn’t work out, you still respect them as a person.

This doesn’t mean you can’t vent about your feelings and not talk about them. When I’m upset about someone, I take it to my journal. I talk to my best friend and my dog. And, usually those are safe and private ways to vent.

Taking the high road isn’t easy. However, nothing in life worth having is easy. Just show some respect for your ex, plain and simple:

January Reading Wrap Up

Everyone seems to say that this month lasted forever. However, for me, this month went by very quickly.

This month was a very successful month for reading. I sadly didn’t read any of the books on my Mashed Potato Reading list. However, I did get a chance to read nine books. And, many of them were five star reads, which is great.

Which, if you ask me, is not a bad thing. Here are the books that I read this month:

  1. The Wives by Taryn Fisher: Five stars
  2. After by Anna Todd: Five Stars
  3. After We Collided by Anna Todd: Five Stars
  4. After We Fell by Anna Todd: Five Stars
  5. After Ever Happy by Anna Todd: Five Stars
  6. Bloom by Kevin Panetta: Five Stars
  7. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano: Five Stars
  8. Heartstopper vol. 1 by Alice Osman: Five Stars
  9. Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: Four Stars

Romantic Reads TBR

I love reading romance books. They are my favorite genre of books, and they always put me in a good mood.

Valentine’s Day is this month, and I am so ready to spend this month diving into romantic novels. Here are a few that I want to get to this month. And, yes quite a few of them are from my mashed potato list.

  • Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
  • The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
  • Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlene
  • Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
  • Falling by Jane Green
  • The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
  • The Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory
  • Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstien
  • Start Here by Trish Dollar
  • Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds

Yes, this is a bit of an ambitious list. But, I’m hoping to get through some of them. Will I? Stay tuned.