Friday Favorites #10
Happy Friday! I hope you are having a good week. Our week started off pretty cold as winter decided to make a comeback right after our brief taste of summer. We even saw some snow on Tuesday morning! We’re back to actual spring again, so hopefully it’s here to stay.
Ryan’s parents are arriving this afternoon and are staying with us through Wednesday morning. It’s so wonderful to have time together and we are very much looking forward to their visit. We have no plans set in stone, but I am sure I’ll post about it next week. Enjoy the weekend and read on for this week’s roundup of Friday favorites!
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
I absolutely loved The Nightingale so knew I had to get my hands on another Kristin Hannah novel. I posted about The Nightingale in my first Friday favorites post! While I am not enjoying this one quite as much, I am captivated by the story. It’s beautifully written and incredibly researched. The Four Winds is set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl so does not make for a very happy, optimistic book. One reason I love historical fiction is I often learn more detailed facts about significant events in history and find myself doing further research online. I had no idea about “Black Sunday” until I read this book, and wow what a devastating, catastrophic storm.
I have only read two of Hannah’s books (The Great Alone is next on my list) but both the books I have read completely gripped me. They are books that stay with you, capture your heart, and make you think and reflect on important life lessons. Her strong, inspirational characters have you invested in their story lines, and you can’t help but feel they are real. This novel follows Elsa, who in the beginning struggles self-worth but loves her children above all else and works incredibly hard fighting challenge after challenge to provide for them.
It is one of those books that humbles you and makes you realize that your worst days don’t come close to some of those who have experienced severe hardship through past historical events like the Great Depression. I am not quite to the ending yet but can confidently recommend this book.
Amazon Dress
Oh, Amazon how I love you (my husband not so much ha-ha). Clothes on Amazon are usually hit or miss for me. I recently ordered this dress and wore it on Ryan’s birthday. It’s very comfortable, a good length (I am 5′ 2″) and I love the little cutout detail with the drawstring. I paired it with some white sneakers, but it could easily be dressed up with heels or worn with sandals too. I am always on the hunt for clothing items that are easy to throw on but make for a cute outfit. This was a win especially since I scored it half off for ten bucks!
School Earth Day Project
I try not to view school projects sent home as another thing added to the to-do list (especially since I used to assign them as a teacher!). A shift in mindset can really make it a fun, learning experience for all involved. The assignment was pretty simple: create something out of recycled material. After browsing Pinterest with Lucas, he decided on a jetpack. He dug through our recycling bin for a couple bottles and also found an empty granola bar box from Costo. We wrapped the box in paper from a gift bag and the bottles in aluminum foil. Lucas did the flames all on his own along with the “baby droid” to put inside his jetpack (mom did the hot gluing). It was a great time putting it all together and Lucas was so proud to take it to school. Definitely a highlight this week!
Beef TV Series on Netflix
Ryan and I recently finished the series You and happened to see a preview for Beef on Netflix. We recognized Glen (Steven Yeun) from TWD and its premise was intriguing so thought we would give it a try. Well, we ended up binging the whole thing in a week! It’s not your typical show but has all the qualities of a good one: comedy, drama, action, unexpected plot twists. The acting is top notch, especially the two main characters. You are drawn to their broken, depressing story lines and each episode hooks you. It definitely has R-rated content, but worth the watch! Ryan and I are still talking about it!
Spring Cleaning
Confession: I love to clean and organize. While the process can be somewhat exhausting, the feeling of accomplishment is so satisfying. This is the time of year when I want to clean all the things, and with Ryan’s parents coming and the dreary weather, it was the perfect week to do so. Cleaning helps me reduce stress and provides a sense of control over where we spend a lot of our time. Yes, I get hot and sweaty, and the grime that won’t come off the oven can be really annoying, but it’s worth it to have a home we can relax and enjoy comfortably. I light some candles, play motivating music (usually Greatest Showman) and feel my mood boost during the process. I don’t think we typically view cleaning as self-care, but it really is for me! It is difficult to keep a clean house with three messy boys, so it’s obviously not always spotless. However, when I do get around to cleaning it makes me feel like it have it together, even if it’s just by a little bit.