What's Up Wednesday {05.29.24}

                       

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

We are back on the grind for cooking at home and this our meal plan this week: 

Monday: Brats and burgers for Memorial Day

Tuesday: Walking tacos with Mexican street corn

Wednesday: Leftovers/takeout

Thursday: Parmesan chicken with mashed potatoes and corn

Friday: Cheesy chicken and rice

Saturday: Cookout for mom's birthday 

Sunday: TBD

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

One of the things I love about Timehop is some of the memories it brings up like when we went out of town to celebrate my friend's bachelorette party.  It's always so fun when those memories pop up and remind me of the wonderful times we had while celebrating our friend.

3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

We've been discussing moving Justin's office to the basement so we can spread out a little more than his current office space and it's been fun to daydream ideas of how we could setup our basement in a way that works for both of us.  I don't think it will be happening anytime soon, but I am excited at the possibility of our basement being more than a dumping ground. 

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

Last weekend we went to the west side of the state and had a mini getaway for the night.  Justin surprised me with a meet and greet with a Capybara and it was so much fun. I first encountered capybaras several years ago when I went to South America and have always wanted to pet one since then.  Now I can check that off my bucket list. 

 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

I have my physical in a few weeks and I'm really dreading getting my bloodwork done.  The last few times I've had it done I've started passing out because they moved the needle.  It's become quite a recurrent activity that I'm beginning to develop a trauma response to getting my bloodwork done.  I'm prepared to get it done next week but ugh I hate it so much.  

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

I'm excited about The Amazing Readathon.  I've been really loving reading books lately so it will be fun to have specific things to focus on while I'm reading next month.  

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

In May I read a total of three books and started three more.  I'm going to just list them all here, but come back shortly to read my full review of each book.

1. Funny Story by Emily Henry

2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

3. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

It's always Crime Podcasts and chill beats.  Or, if I'm not listening to either of those it's an audiobook.  I haven't been in too much of an audio book mood lately though so it's mostly crime podcasts and music.  

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

I got this super cute matching set from Shein recently and have been wearing it a lot lately.  I also have been wearing a lot of dresses lately.  They're just so much easier to wear for work and when I need to stay cool.  When I'm just vegging at home, I still rock my leggings and t-shirts.  It's just the easiest to wear when I'm going to be home for the day.  This is the dress I most recently bought from Target and I really like it.  It's very comfortable and the pockets are just perfect.  To shop the dress for yourself, just click on the photo below. 

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

On Saturday we're having my family over to celebrate my mom's birthday and on Sunday I'm going to a baby shower for Justin's cousin.  I'm trying very hard to get the blanket finished in time for the shower, but it's not looking promising.  Thankfully I have a few months before the little guy arrives so I can work to get it done before then. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

June always brings with it a lot of activities but I think I'm most excited to go Strawberry picking with Justin's parents and to attend the three book clubs which I signed up for.  Oh! And I'm looking forward to participating in The Amazing Readathon. Lots of fun things to look forward to. 

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE(S) DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

I didn't really like how my beauty/skin care products were organized in our bathroom so I went and bought some clear acrylic shelves for the wall.  I am hoping it makes the counter feel less cluttered.  I also purged a few skin care items that I just do not use.  Killed two birds with one stone.  To get the shelves for yourself, just click on the image below.  It's my affiliate link. 

Outside of the shelves, I bought a bunch of other household items like bird seed, pillow covers and birthday gifts for friends and family.  

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

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Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What's Up Wednesday {02.28.24}

                      

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

I got a bit off from doing a meal plan and we ended up eating out the last few nights.  But here is the plan for the rest of the week. 

Wednesday: Creamy White Lasagna Soup

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice 

Friday: One Pan Roasted Veggies and Sausage

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: To Be Determined

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

Leilah's gotcha day was last week and she's officially been a part of our family for 11 years.  It's so wild to look back at the last 11 years and how much has changed in that time.  She's such a sweet kitty and I'm so grateful she is still here and part of our family.

 

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3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

It has been so much warmer in Michigan lately and I'm geeked.  I love when it starts warming up here because it brings with it a bunch of sunshine.  Yesterday we actually hit our highest for February 27 in history at 72 degrees.  I made sure to get out a bit and enjoy the sunshine. 

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

We've been hanging out at home a lot for which I am grateful.  I tend to, this time of year, want to stay home more and it's nice when we get to just chill here.  

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

I have a few doctors appointments for which I am not looking forward.  The one won't be too bad, but the other is not my cup of tea.  But it is so important to do your annual visits so I am going to push forward. 

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

I have a hair appointment on Friday and I feel like it will be good because I have decided to try and grow out my natural hair.  So I am into about 5 or 6 weeks of new growth and I'm very curious to see what it will look like as it grows. 

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

I've made it to book four of the Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery series and really like it.  I finished the third book last week and could not wait to start the fourth one: Donors, Deception & Death by Sally Bayless.  I'm already a quarter of the way done with the book and cannot wait to read more.  Plus, it's free on Kindle Unlimited.  I will say, I am bummed that once I finish this one there won't be any more for me to read until her new one comes out in May 2024. 

I'm also making my way through A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.  I jumped on the hype train last month with the ACOTAR series and am so glad I did.  These books are very good and I cannot wait to finish the series. 

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I've been listing to the Holiday Swap (while also reading it) by Maggie Knox and so far it's very good.  My friend, Danielle, mailed the book to me as part of a book swap so I thought it would be good to start listening to it.  

Outside of listening to the book, I am listening to Punk Rock from the 2000's and my normal crime podcasts: Crime Junkie and Morbid. 

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

With the weather bouncing all over the place, I have been wearing a lot of layers. I'm actually think we will be making our way into air conditioning temperatures here pretty quickly.  But I won't be doing anything outside to prep for Spring/Summer until the end of March unless we stay consistently warm. 

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

We honestly do not have any plans this weekend and I am so excited.  I need to do a few things around the house so I will be taking some time to catch up on those.  Plus with it being a new month it will be a good time to do a reset. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

For the first time this year we don't have something scheduled every weekend and I am looking forward to not being busy every weekend.  

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE(S) DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

On a whim, I bought this self-warming cat bed for one of my kitties.  She kept laying on the vents to keep warm and I wanted to give her something a little bit more comfortable.  Of course, her sister stole it from her and loves it so we ended up buying two of them.  The cats like it and it's better than just laying on an air vent. 

For myself I purchased this tablet stand for my Kindle Paperwhite.  I have been reading a lot more in bed and have ended up causing some pain in my wrists from holding the tablet for hours.  So of course, I had to find a lazy solution and bought a stand and a page clicker.  It's honestly been great because I use it more than just when I'm reading in bed. 

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

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Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What's Up Wednesday {01.31.24}

                     

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

We've been actively meal planning and eating at home for the entire month and this week is no different!  

Monday: Crispy Parmesan Baked Chicken Milanese & Veggies

Tuesday: Tacos with Skillet Mexican Street Corn

Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice 

Thursday: Crockpot Chicken Broccoli

Friday: One Pan Roasted Veggies and Sausage

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: To Be Determined

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

Michigan winters have been weird the last few years and we finally got some snow.  So of course it reminded me of all the times we had snow and I made snowmen and went sledding with family or friends.  Always so much fun.  

3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

Have you tried Tate's Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies before? If you haven't, you should.  They're thin, crispy and oh so delicious.  I bought them on a whim last week and immediately fell in love with them.  

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

This week we have been hunkering down a bit because we had a family emergency last week that caused a lot of stress for our family.  Thankfully, everything is going to be okay (as far as we know now), but the stress of last week is carrying over to this week. 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

If I am being very blunt, I am dreading making my next OBGYN appointment.  We've been struggling to get pregnant and I just do not want to take the next step to get some testing done.  I think it's just overwhelming thinking of all the things we may have to do to get tests done and I keep avoiding it.  But if we want to start a family, this is the logical next step.  Just need to muster up the courage to get things going.  

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

Valentine's Day next month! Justin and I always take a day off work to spend time together and I am looking forward to the two of us just spending the day together.  I also have a baby shower and Galentine's Day planned too.  So much excitement and love to celebrate next month. 

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

I'm excited because I have been reading a physical book and a book on my Kindle at the same time.  So far this month I have finished:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time....

2. Sales, Secrets & Suspects by Sally Bayless

In the charming little tourist town of Dogwood Springs, Missouri, Libby Ballard, director of the local history museum, is on a mission to boost museum attendance. To attract more visitors, she plans a big birthday party for the town, with hopes of displaying an armoire that once belonged to the town's founder.

But when Libby attends a local auction to acquire the armoire, she instead stumbles upon a dead body....

And I started A Court of Mist and Fury too! I won't finish before the end of the month, but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far this month. 

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

This month I listened to Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmuson Spotify.  If you haven't checked out the book yet, I'd definitely recommend this one.  It's a good listen - the narrator is great. 

If you didn't already know, you can listen to books for free if you have Spotify Premium.  They provide 15 hours a month of listening time which I thought was pretty cool.  

Once I finished listening to Lessons in Chemistry, I started Book Lovers by Emily Henry.  I have heard mixed things about this one, but I am about 1/4 of the way done in the book and am enjoying it so far. 

I haven't changed up what I'm listening to when it comes to podcasts and still listen to Crime Junkie and Morbid whenever there is a new episode out.  Of course, whenever I get the chance I am listening to 2000's pop punk because why the heck not? 

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

I am still living my best life in my leggings, but added a new half zip pullover to my collection last week from Target and love it.  It's super soft and adds a little pizzaz to my wardrobe since I've been living that muted life lately.   If you want to get one for yourself, just click on the image below and it will take you to my affiliate link.  

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

As of right now we don't have any plans on Saturday or Sunday, but Friday night I'm hosting a little party at my house for my friends birthday.  It will be low-key so I'm excited to hang out with some ladies and have a nice evening. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

I'm pretty excited because Justin and I are going to take a safety class to learn about using machinery for making wood projects. Our friend recommended we take this class to be able to use the machine so we're taking the class then hopefully we can check one of his goals off for 2024 and make a cutting board.  I'm super excited because we're taking a 1/2 day off work and doing that together. 

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

Everyone has been talking about the Snail Mucin that supposedly is so good for your skin, so I was influenced and bought some.  And they weren't wrong... it really does wonders for my skin.  I'll be curious to see how my skin does a month from now once I've been consistently using it.  

I also bought this vase and eucalyptus leaf stems for my kitchen and it's so cute.  I will say the vase was a little smaller than I anticipated, but it is nice that it doesn't overpower the kitchen island.  I wanted something to put out when I don't have real flowers in my kitchen and this was the perfect solution for that.  

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

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Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What's Up Wednesday {11.29.23}

                    

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

We've been actively meal planning and eating at home for the entire month and this week is no different! I'm excited because we're going to try two new recipes.  

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Crispy Parmesan Baked Chicken Milanese & Veggies

Wednesday: Baked Chicken Ricotta Meatballs with Spinach Alfredo Sauce 

Thursday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Friday: Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon

Saturday: Chili

Sunday: Potluck with my family 

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

When I was digging through our Christmas decorations I came across some candles that I bought from a local artisan and they smelled SO good.  It is so amazing to mee how a smell can bring you right back to a memory and this particular scent brought me back to my childhood and Christmas Eve at my grandma's house. 

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

This past weekend was a bit crazy with Thanksgiving then his dad being in the hospital a few days so we've been laying very low the last few days to try and catch up from the stressful weekend.  We also went to get our Christmas tree over the weekend too. 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

This one is a bit silly, but I am dreading laundry.  I really hate doing laundry and do not want to tackle the large pile of clothes building in our room.  For a while I had a great routine of doing one load a day but fell off the wagon so now I need to get back on that schedule to help reduce my stress.  OR.... maybe I need to get rid of some of my clothes. 

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

We're going on a cruise with Justin's parents next weekend and I am psyched.  We weren't quite sure if we would get to go, but we are for sure going and I cannot wait to have a weekend of sunshine and relaxation.  Now I just need to get through the stress of actually making it on the trip. 

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

I'm still spending most of my time watching the holiday shows and I'm excited. I've been watching: 

• Holiday Wars
• Christmas Cookie Challenge
• Holiday Baking Challenge
• Any Christmas movie 
• Dancing with the Stars 

I am still reading the following book, but I have to say I'm really enjoying it: 

Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis

A new job, a new friend, and a newly adopted furry companion. Then there’s the dead body in her new office.

Libby Ballard, director of the history museum in the small town of Dogwood Springs, Missouri, is eager to build a new life. She’s only been in town a few days, but already she’s settled into an apartment, made friends with a neighbor, and adopted a lovable dog.  But the idyllic charm of Dogwood Springs is about to be shattered by the shocking discovery of murder. When Libby walks into her new office, she finds the lifeless body of her predecessor.

The shadow of a killer looms over the museum, threatening to derail Libby's new job before it even begins. To make matters worse, the police wrongly target one of her staff members as the prime suspect.
If Libby wants to clear her colleague’s name and save her own job, she must delve into secrets and lies to find the truth.

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I haven't changed up what I'm listening to at all and continue listening to my crime podcasts which include: 

• Crime Junkie
• Morbid
• Accused
• My Favorite Murder

I also have been, of course, listening to all things Christmas music.  I'm more of a classic Christmas music girlie so it's a lot of Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee.  

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

My sister-in-law and I exchanged Cozy Christmas Baskets and she gave me the coziest lounge set that I never want to take off again.  If I can find them online, I'll be sure to come back and share the link with you all. 

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

On Friday I am heading to a team event where we are going to lunch then doing an escape room.  I am super curious to see how this goes since our team hasn't really been in person in months.  

Saturday my mom is coming over to bake cookies together for our annual cookie baking and I'm looking forward to that.  We usually watch White Christmas and bake a few different types of cookies.

Sunday is our annual Braun Family Christmas get together where the whole extended family gets together.  This year we are anticipating 40 people will be there so it will be so much fun to see everyone. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

I think it's obvious, but I am looking forward to all things Christmas.  I have a cookie decorating class with my friend, sister-in-law and mother-in-law where we will make Christmas themed cookies.  We have our annual Friendsmas with our friends then we will have our traditional Christmas get togethers with our family. 

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

This one is a bit silly, but we put up cabinets in our laundry room and I have been having fun organizing the shelves.  I haven't quite finished everything yet, but these bins have been great for the space.  I also got these labels for the bins too.  It's nice to have consistency in labeling across the house. 

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

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Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What's Up Wednesday {10.25.23}

                   

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

We've been actively meal planning and eating at home for the entire month and this week is no different! I'm excited because we're going to try two new recipes.  

Monday: Shepherd's Pie

Tuesday: Goulash

Wednesday: Crispy Parmesan chicken and veggies

Thursday: Chicken broccoli crockpot meal

Friday: Sausage and veggie bake 

Saturday: Out for our anniversary

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

We are quickly approaching our 12th wedding anniversary and it is so hard to believe we're already at 12 years! We will be out to The Melting Pot for dinner which is the restaurant in which he proposed.  It's not the exact same one as that one no longer exists, but it's the same chain.  I'm excited to go out and celebrate with him.   

3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

We had a quick spurt of warm weather yesterday and it was so refreshing.  Of course, we used that time to clear off the furniture on our deck and take down the hose for the winter.  I know we could have potentially left our furniture out there but we don't want to risk any damage to our deck that's just over a year old.  

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

This week has been super quiet which is awesome.  Sometimes we get super busy this time of year and I'm happy that we don't have any time consuming plans this week.  We've made sure to do the normal Fall fun things by going apple picking and doing some other fun holiday-related events. 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

I mentioned this last month, but I have my annual lady physical this Friday and I just do not want to go.  I know it's a very important part of my health, but it is my least favorite part of the annual physical process. 

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

I finally joined the Kindle Paperwhite club and I'm thrilled.  Of course, when they did a stock your kindle day I got a few books for super cheap so when my Kindle arrived I already had a few books loaded to go.  Of course, I went all out and got a clear case and bunch of stickers to decorate my case.  I am also thinking about doing holiday-themed book stickers so I can switch them out for every holiday. 

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

I'm still spending most of my time watching the fall shows and I'm excited. I've been watching: 

• Halloween Wars
• Halloween Baking Championship
• Halloween Cookie Challenge
• Futurama 
• Dancing with the Stars (premiered last night!)

As far as books go, I got my Once Upon a Book Club Halloween Box so I will be readying that book and I am also reading a book on my Kindle. 

The first book is called: 

Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis

A new job, a new friend, and a newly adopted furry companion. Then there’s the dead body in her new office.

Libby Ballard, director of the history museum in the small town of Dogwood Springs, Missouri, is eager to build a new life. She’s only been in town a few days, but already she’s settled into an apartment, made friends with a neighbor, and adopted a lovable dog.  But the idyllic charm of Dogwood Springs is about to be shattered by the shocking discovery of murder. When Libby walks into her new office, she finds the lifeless body of her predecessor.

The shadow of a killer looms over the museum, threatening to derail Libby's new job before it even begins. To make matters worse, the police wrongly target one of her staff members as the prime suspect.
If Libby wants to clear her colleague’s name and save her own job, she must delve into secrets and lies to find the truth.

Henlock Island

Laney Kilpatrick has been renting her vacation home to strangers. The invasion of privacy gives her panic attacks, but it’s the only way she can keep her beloved Hemlock Island, the only thing she owns after a pandemic-fueled divorce. But broken belongings and campfires that nearly burn down the house have escalated to bloody bones, hex circles, and now, terrified renters who've fled after finding blood and nail marks all over the guest room closet, as though someone tried to claw their way out...and failed.

When Laney shows up to investigate with her teenaged niece in tow, she discovers that her ex, Kit, has also been informed and is there with Jayla, his sister and her former best friend. Then Sadie, another old high school friend, charters over with her brother, who’s now a cop.

There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it... But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone—or something—that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I haven't changed up what I'm listening to at all and continue listening to my crime podcasts which include: 

• Crime Junkie
• Morbid
• Accused
• My Favorite Murder

I also created an awesome Fall Playlist for myself which has a bunch of different songs that feel very Fall-ish and put me in a relaxed mood.  Plus, it makes for a great playlist for a road trip.  I was able to use it last weekend when mom and I went to Traverse City.  So much fun. 

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

It cooled way down here lately, so I've been wearing a lot of sweaters and leggings.  I love wearing warm and cozy clothes so of course I'm a happy camper.  Check out the sweaters I got below.  If you want to shop them for yourself, just click on the image.

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

I mentioned it above, but our 12th anniversary is on Saturday and we're going out to dinner to celebrate.  Otherwise, we do not really have any plans other than to relax and enjoy each other's company.  

On Sunday my mom and I are going to my cousin's house to meet her new baby boy.  I'm excited to meet him since he's almost a month old. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

November is always busy between Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, but I love our Friendsgiving tradition and I cannot wait to celebrate with our friends.  Especially since we have some friends coming in from out of town to hang out with us and meet our other friends.  It's going to be a lot of fun.  

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

I think it's kind of obvious at this point, but my favorite purchase is my Kindle Paperwhite.  I'm hoping it will help me read more books since I'll be able to read at night without needing a light source and it will be easy to travel.

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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What's Up Wednesday {09.27.23}

                  

Welcome to another round of What's Up Wednesday Post!  What's Up Wednesday focuses on a bunch of random set topics and is one I try to do every month.  I got the idea from Shaeffer Told Me To and Mix & Match Mama and have been trying to participate for several years now.  Be sure to check them out! 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK

I was gone over the weekend, so this week is going to be a bit weird from a menu perspective (read: eating out).  But I am hoping to make a few things this week so we don't eat out for every. single. meal. 

Monday: Takeout 

Tuesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Wednesday: Out to eat with mom before Funny Girl 

Thursday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Friday: Chili

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT

It has come up a few times, but it really blows my mind how quickly kids grow up.  My niece will be 11 next month and I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that she is a pre-teen and not a little girl anymore.  It's amazing how quickly time flies, but I will say it has been fun to watch my niece and nephew start to develop little adults.  

3. WHAT I'M LOVING 

It finally started to cool down around here and the leaves are making their gradual change to red, orange and yellow.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year so I am so excited to see the changing colors and feel the cool breeze of Fall. 

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

I mentioned this in yesterday's post, but we rented a dumpster for the next week to go through our basement and purge our basement.  We're going to be going through everything and throwing away what we do not need, what is trash and what is broken.  If we can donate anything, we will also be doing that.  So our main focus the next week will be on purging things. 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING

All ladies will understand this, but I have my woman physical next month.  I really don't want to do that appointment, but it is important that I have those as we are trying to start our family.  I'll just say this though, no one likes the speculum and I wish it was not so yuck.  

6. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT 

Justin and I got new phones last week and I'm really loving my new phone so far.  I finally upgraded to the "max" size of the iPhone and I like it.  I was a bit worried that I would not like how large the phone is, but so far I'm really enjoying the phone a lot.  I cannot wait to really put it to the test in a few weeks when we go apple picking with our friends.  

7. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING

So many shows have come out recently that I love because hello Fall.  But I've been watching: 

• Halloween Wars
• Halloween Baking Championship
• Halloween Cookie Challenge
• Futurama 
• Dancing with the Stars (premiered last night!)

As far as books go, I bought a few books over the weekend and I can't wait to dig into them.  The first book I got was:

None of this is True by Lisa Jewell

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

8. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I haven't changed up what I'm listening to at all and continue listening to my crime podcasts which include: 

• Crime Junki
• Morbid
• Accused
• My Favorite Podcast

I also created an awesome Fall Playlist for myself which has a bunch of different songs that feel very Fall-ish and put me in a relaxed mood.  Plus, it makes for a great playlist for a road trip.  I was able to use it last weekend when mom and I went to Traverse City.  So much fun. 

9. WHAT I'M WEARING

Over the weekend I bought a few long sleeve t-shirts so I have been wearing those, but I also have been loving wearing dresses.  I got this one from Target a few weeks ago and have been anxiously waiting for it to be cool enough for me to wear it out.  I also got this Hello Kitty Halloween crew neck as well and can't wait to wear it. 

10. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Right now this weekend will be mostly filled with cleaning out the basement, but we have a few things outside of the basement cleanup that we will be doing.  This includes me doing a girl-date with my friend Trista since we haven't had any one-on-one time in a while.  We also will be heading to watch my niece cheer and having dinner with my family on Sunday.  So there's a few things thrown in our weekend but overall it will be focused on working on the basement. 

11. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH

October brings with it all the fun and exciting things.  We will be going apple picking, celebrating our anniversary and I'm hoping to do a few fun spooky things as well.  We usually have a Halloween party, but I'm not sure if we will this year since our anniversary falls the Saturday before Halloween which is when we'd typically have the party.  So I am not sure we will be having the party this year.  We will see! 

12. WHAT AMAZON PURCHASE DID I LOVE THIS MONTH

I'll be doing a longer post about this closer to the end of the month, but I think my favorite purchase was this acrylic drawer: Stori Audrey Stackable Drawer.  I had purchased a few of these in the past to organize under the guest bathroom sink and really liked them.  So when I needed a way to organize my hair clips I ended up buying this for the bathroom and it works perfectly! 

Well that's everything for today, I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and are looking forward to a long weekend! Be sure to check out Shay and Shaeffer's posts too for others doing the What's Up Wednesday series. 

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