Reading

Currently September/October 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

Playing catch up!! Our September was packed! First, our family went on a vacation. If you missed the recap, you can read all about it by clicking here. Then, my parents came to visit for 2 weeks the following weekend after we got back. It’s been a whirlwind!

This month I’ve been resting and trying to get caught up on house work, (along with catching up on work, work). Now that it’s fall, I’m really wanting to do a deep clean of the house. I’m thinking of dedicating a month to deep cleaning and trying to get it done little bits at a time. I’ll keep you posted if that happens!.

Anyway, here’s what else we’ve been up to…

Currently Watching

Jurrasic World: Fallen Kingdom

I’m not typically a huge fan of Sci-Fi movies, but I’ve always been able to make an exception for the Jurassic Park movies. I enjoyed this one. It was your typical Jurassic movie, but the story line was a little different than I was expecting. I have a feeling it’s going to lead up to more of what I had in mind in the next movie (assuming there will be a next movie). I missed some parts of the movie here and there since Gryffin was having a hard time with going to bed, but my husband bought it so I’ll be able to re-watch it soon!

Friday family night movies have included:

  • The Incredibles
  • The Incredibles 2
  • Wreck-it Ralph

Currently Reading

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

While the last month and a half has been fun, it’s also felt a bit chaotic, so I decided to go with something light hearted and comforting, which ended up being a children’s book. I finished this book, so I’m on to the next one in the series!

Farmer Boy (Little House Series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

My goodness, these books talk about all sorts of yummy food. It’s hard reading before bed because it makes me so hungry lol.

Currently Making/Baking

White Chicken Chili from the Salty Side Dish

I can’t remember if this recipe has made it on the blog before or not, but either way, this has become my most favorite fall recipe so far. The only thing I do different on this recipe is leave out the heavy cream and I add a can of mild green chilies. It’s the best!

Current Favorite

Calmed by Nature YouTube Channel

While I like to listen to music with lyrics, I often find it to be distracting when I’m trying to focus, so I was happy to discover this Youtube channel. There are so many different scenes and sounds to choose from! Just staring at the pictures is calming, then you add the sounds and I can feel my stress levels evening out.

My current favorite scene is this cozy ship cabin. The dim lights, tea, and book is extremely inviting. This is the epitome of relaxation to me.

My second favorite has been the Cozy Fall Coffee Shop.

You’ll have to let me know if you have any favorite channels or apps like this!

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I hope you all are having a wonderful fall so far!

Much love to you all,

Cami

Currently August 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of summer! It’s been a really, really strange summer, but it’s nice to look back over the last couple months and remember the fun we were still able to have. I don’t think we managed to even get half of our Summer Bucket List completed, but we still managed to have fun regardless. I will share our Summer Bucket List recap next month.

As for this month, it has been a constant cycle of work, play, repeat all month long! Our weekends have been full of friends and food (don’t worry, they’ve been very small gatherings), and then we hit the ground running during the week balancing work and home life.

Aside from that nothing too exciting has gone on. Here’s what else we’ve been up to this month…

Currently Watching

This month’s Friday family night movies have included:

  • Lilo and Stitch (I don’t recommend if your kid picks up on bad behavior)
  • Dora the Explorer (I didn’t think Gryffin would like this since it wasn’t a cartoon and out of his age range, but he actually watched quite a bit of it)
  • Angry Birds 2
  • A Bug’s Life

Currently Reading

Haha, apparently I’ve been on a “self-help” kick lately. I started the first 2 books a while ago and just wanted to finish them up, however the last one is new.

Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Finished! This book gives you a nice kick to get you motivated and moving toward your goals. Some chapters were more relatable to me than others. While I didn’t necessarily love this book, I still thought it was good and worth a read.

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Boundaries, Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

I made it through 85% of this book before it expired on the library app. It’s on hold so I will have to wait for it to come around again. I also want to check out his book “Boundaries with Kids”.

Nice Girl’s Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel

I’ve read some controversial reviews on this book, but I decided to check it out anyway. There have been some things in my professional life I would like to work on and this book addresses these issues and topics. I’m not very far into it, but flipping through there is a lot of helpful advice.

Currently Making/Baking

Homemade salsa and Pork Carnitas!!

Yeah…I’m not the best at food photography

Making homemade salsa was on my Summer Bucket List. It turned out good, but not the best salsa I’ve ever had. I’m now determined to find the perfect recipe. The pork carnitas on the other hand were amazing!! We have a Ninja Foodie and used the recipe that came in the cookbook. We will absolutely be making them again!

Current Favorite

The Abide App!

This is not sponsored

I’ve been feeling extremely overwhelmed and dealing with some major stress. My sister suggested that I try listening to some Christian meditations before bed to try and help me sleep. I hesitated at the thought of it at first, but then I remembered Psalm 1:2 “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night”. The Bible also references meditating on scripture more than once, so I decided to follow her advice.

That’s when I discovered the Abide app. The free version comes with 2 sleep meditations and then a daily meditation. I find it extremely soothing and also really helps me focus on God and reminds me that He IS GOOD and to put my faith and hope in Him. If stress and anxiety are keeping me up at night I put on one of the sleep meditations and most of the time I’m asleep within 15-30 minutes. The daily meditations are great for the morning and it tends to give me food for thought throughout the day. I highly recommend.

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Anyway, I hope you all were able to have a good summer this year and that you continue to stay healthy and safe!

Much love to you all,

Cami

Currently July 2020

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And just like that, there goes July! We had a pretty quiet 4th. We spent the afternoon with my brother and his family. Gryffin had a blast playing with his cousins that we hadn’t seen since the shut down. I also made these delicious red, white, and blue brownie kabobs. They were as sweet and refreshing as they look! You can bet I will be making these every year.

After my brother’s house we went out to dinner at our favorite Mongolian grill restaurant. With the majority of fireworks shows being canceled, there were quite a few illegal fireworks going off so we had fun running from our back deck to the front window to watch them all, haha.

The only other thing I can think of that happened out of the ordinary was that Gryffin and I came down with small head colds (I got covid tested just to be safe and we’re clear). It made me realize though I need to be more diligent about cleaning my home’s high touch areas and making sure I’m washing HIS hands as much as I’m washing mine. Regardless of Covid, it’s not fun being sick, no matter what sickness it is.

Here’s what else we’ve been up to this month…

Currently Watching

The BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. I’m leaving this on here because I’m not done yet. I haven’t made too much of an effort but I’m also not giving up.

Also, Friday nights have officially become our family movie night! Gryffin is now old enough to sit through most of a movie – granted he gets some toys to play with when we’re about 3/4 of the way through, but we’re completely fine with that. Our Friday night movies have included

  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Trolls 2 (Gryiffin really liked this one),
  • Emporors New Groove
  • Scooby (we watched this one tonight!)

Currently Reading

I don’t have quite as much to share in this section as last month, but I’m still working on a couple books.

Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I started this book over a year ago when I was looking at starting up my own freelancing business. This book is super motivational when you’re looking to chase after your goals and dreams. I took a long hiatus from this book after I put my freelancing dream on the back burner. I’ve picked it up off and on throughout the year, but I’m determined to finish it.

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Boundaries, Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

I made it through 60% of this book before it expired on the library app. I need to check this out again so I can finish it though. There are so many good points and I really find it helpful regarding different areas of my life. I also want to check out his book “Boundaries with Kids”.

Seeking Him by Nancy DeMoss Wolgeuth & Time Grissom

This is a devotional I recently started. I sometimes have a hard time being consistent with online devotionals and was wanting a hard copy to go through – this fits exactly what I was looking for and in need of.

Currently Making/Baking

Homemade salsa and Pork Carnitas!!

Yeah…I’m not the best at food photography

Making homemade salsa was on my Summer Bucket List. It turned out good, but not the best salsa I’ve ever had. I’m now determined to find the perfect recipe. The pork carnitas on the other hand were amazing!! We have a Ninja Foodie and used the recipe that came in the cookbook. We will absolutely be making them again!

Current Favorite

Summer days!

I have really enjoyed the warm weather and getting outside more.

Image may contain: 1 person, text that says 'AUTHOR AUTHOR OF THE THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLE TWYLA THARP KEEP IT MOVING LESSONS S'
This book was from last month

Gryffin is at daycare and I have Friday afternoons off during the summer which gives me 4 uninterrupted hours to relax and/or get things done. 9 times out of 10 I choose to relax and enjoy the quiet. Reading outside is definitely one of my favorite summer activities.

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I hope you all had a great July. Here’s to a happy and healthy August!

Much love to you all,

Cami

Currently May/June 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

I skipped last month’s post on purpose. With current events and everything going on in the news it just didn’t feel right at the time, so I’m combining the two months together.

May was stressful. Between work, planning a cross-country trip during a pandemic, and heartbreaking news headlines, it was a roller coaster for sure. We were also still working on the refinance of our home, which was also a bit of a roller coaster as well. Thankfully we finally closed!

As for June, it’s actually been quite a fun month. I flew across the country to my dear friend’s wedding. It was seriously so nice to put my phone away and soak in all the fun of what turned into an amazing girls weekend.

I came home completely exhausted and yet refreshed all at the same time! Mikey and Gryffin were troopers while I was gone for nearly 4 days! Which, by the way, was the first time I had been away longer than a day trip.

Here’s what else we’ve been up to the past couple months…

Currently Watching

The BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. This is a small spoiler of my next section, but since I was reading the book I also wanted to watch the movie as I’m going through it. Amazon Prime split the 6 hour movie into episodes, which is perfect since I barely have more than an hour or two sit down and watch anything. It’s perfect to turn on while I’m folding a load of laundry.

Currently Reading

Oooh do I have a lot to share in this section!

Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel (who also has a blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, which I highly recommend checking out)

Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by [Anne Bogel]

Finished! I’m pretty picky when it comes to buying books. I’m very happy to report that I enjoyed this book so much I ended up buying it half way through. As it turned out, I THOUGHT I was only half way through when I ordered the book, but instead I was only 2 chapters from the end. I would have been more disappointed except for the fact I know I will read it again.

Even though this was a self-help type book, she really drew me in with her stories. I really appreciated her point of view that overthinking also encompasses a variety of things that generally take up brain space, like clutter, for example. She covered a variety of topics and subjects that all related to overthinking. I really enjoyed it.

Look at me being an over achiever here…

I’m also listening to the audio book “Boundaries” by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend.

Boundaries, Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

I already know I’m going to have to check it out again, probably as an e-book. I’m only 8 chapters in and already want to refer back to a couple things he’s talked about. I might even just end up buying this one too.

I also chose Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen for some light reading before bed.

Pride and Prejudice by [Jane Austen]

I actually just finished this! I have read this book once before as a requirement for a class. To be honest, I did not enjoy it at the time but I knew it was only because I required to read it. 15 years later and I finally picked it up for fun. I’m happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And last but not least Keep it Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life, by Twyla Tharp.

I actually had this book on hold at our library before the Covid-19 shutdown, so I was happy to receive an email last week letting me know the book was available via curbside pickup! I believe the book recommendation came from Anne Bogel after reading on her blog, but I could be mistaken. Since I have 3 books going right now the timing isn’t the best but it’s causing me to get some serious reading in this month!

Currently Making/Baking

This No Bake Oreo Cheesecake by Aimee with Shugary Sweets.

My husband loves cheesecake, so on his birthday I try and make him one every year. This was an easy recipe and it turned out as good as it looks!

This particular recipe calls for 2 pre-made oreo crusts, but since I couldn’t find any at the grocery store I ended up having to make my own. I wasn’t disappointing though, because just look at that!

Current Favorite

I’ve been on a shopping kick via Amazon lately. After discovering I was in need of a new lip color I decided to branch out and try something new when I found this Milani lipstick. It arrived and I immediately fell in love.

At just under $5 I figured I couldn’t really go wrong and chose the shade called Rose Femme – the name sounded lovely. The color is perfect! Slightly dark for summer, but rosey enough that I can still get away with it. I loved it so much that I ended up purchasing a second in a different color. It goes on so smooth and doesn’t leave my lips dry or flakey. Oh, and it smells good too!

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Well, that’s all for now. I hope you all are hanging in there. Have a wonderful, safe, and happy July.

Much love to you all,

Cami

Currently April 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

This month has been an absolute blur! I’m still working mostly from home aside from going into the office once a week. The only other real news is that we’re in the process of refinancing our mortgage – which I’m not going to lie, was a little more stressful than I was anticipating. We’ve been working extra hard this month out in our yard and doing a LOT of spring cleaning so we could make our house look pretty for the appraiser.

We’ve only had our house for a little over 2 years, but with a baby I didn’t do a great job of keeping up our garden areas. There also was quite a lot of stuff left under our deck from the previous owner that we were able to get rid of. It looks much better now! We still have a few more things to get done, but I’m hoping to get some before and after pics posted.

Anyway, here’s what else we’ve been up to this month.

Currently Watching

Yep, there you have it folks. This is what quarantine has done to me. I’ve watched some Jeopardy too.

Currently Reading

Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel

Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by [Anne Bogel]

I’m only 3 chapters in, but it’s already a good one. Even though this is a self-help type book, I can’t help but be amazed at what a good story teller she is. I have been so tired at night I haven’t been able to bring myself to read, but I’m determined to keep going, no matter how slow.

Currently Making/Baking

These Cheese-steak Sloppy Joe’s by Heather with The Toasty Kitchen

Close up of ground beef, onions, and bell pepper in a sloppy joe sandwich.
PC: The Toasty Kitchen

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it last night and it was so so good! I added mushrooms (yuck, but my husband likes them and I’m trying), subbed with pepper-jack cheese, and added chipotle ranch. They tasted A-mazing!

Current Favorite

The feeling of accomplishment.

That might sound cheesy, but getting so much done this month has been so refreshing. I’ve been feeling extra blessed with what we have and extremely thankful.

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I hope you all are hanging in there. Here’s do a wonderful and happy May!

Much love to you all,

Cami