Here’s my new tattoo! You can find the meaning behind it here.

The high of my week was meeting up with Mikaela and her girls for dinner on Wednesday. This was a spur-of-the-moment dinner date and I’m glad I said yes when I would normally say no. It was nice to get out on a weeknight and hang out with those adorable girls.

The low of my week was the news. The situation in Israel and Gaza is sickening and I feel so helpless. I am trying to stay informed and I hope this nightmare ends soon.

An Internet find I loved was this hilarious Reel. Please do not miss the comments. I was crying! So good.

I’m currently reading three books. On audio, I’m listening to The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow, which is a fun YA mystery. I’m enjoying it so far! My current romance is Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and I’m also really enjoying it. And, finally, I’m reading Drowning by T.J. Newman. I inhaled her debut, Falling, and this one has the potential to be just as good.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was the Fall Extravaganza episode from The Girl Next Door Podcast. This is my favorite episode they put out every year (they’ve been doing them for a decade!) and this year was no different. It brought me so much joy!

The best money I spent this week was um… nothing? I bought some groceries, cat litter, and cat food and that was about it.

My plans this weekend include not a lot! I am recording two podcast episodes with Bri on Saturday morning and meeting up with Mikaela afterward for a writing date. And Sunday is, of course, football with the fam. I am planning on making these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies—yum!

What was the high of your week?

The high of my week was seeing the Barbie movie! I was so, so excited about this movie and it did not disappoint. It was funny and silly, but also heartfelt and emotional. America Ferrera is not getting nearly enough accolades as she should because she was sensational. The movie is super feminist and not for male fragility, that’s for sure, and we need more movies like it.

The low of my week was my blog being down for 36 hours! I am very grateful for two blog friends who reached out to me to let me know my blog was showing a weird “suspended” error. I contacted my hosting company and learned that my site had been infected by malware and they had taken the site down for security reasons. They informed me that I needed to remove the malware to get my site back. At first, I thought this was something I could do myself but I had to go through a third-party company. They were able to remove the malware fairly quickly, but then my hosting company needed time to scan the site and make sure it was fine before putting it back up. But she’s back and I missed her so much, and I will never take her beautiful little face for granted ever again. I have to figure out what I need to do to make sure that doesn’t happen again (other than changing my password, which I did the minute my blog was back online). I thought my blog was getting scanned frequently for stuff like this (I use SiteLock, which came with my hosting package), but maybe I need something more robust. Hackers are getting smarter and smarter!

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was scheduling an initial consultation with a dietician. I am meeting with her in two weeks and I’m hoping it goes well. She seemed to say all the right things in her bio so I hope we can work well together. I will definitely keep everyone posted on my journey!

An article I enjoyed was ‘Sounds Like a Cult’ Podcast Host Sues Former Co-Host. The way I gasped when I saw this news! I am still listening to SLAC, even though I don’t really love it. I wish it were more research-based and factual. But they are still releasing episodes like everything is normal so I had no idea things had gotten so messy! I really hope the podcast can continue with Amanda and a new co-host because I think the weaknesses definitely lay with the other co-host, but we’ll see. Some juicy gossip for sure!

I’m currently reading three books. I am nearly finished with two of them—An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena and Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly—both of which will probably get 4 stars from me. And I just started (ironically) Cultish: The Language of Fanatacism by Amanda Montell (the same Amanda as referenced above!) on audio.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was A Look Back on Season 5 on the Currently Reading podcast. This was a fun romp through memory lane as the ladies wrapped up their most recent season. I always enjoy getting some behind-the-scenes tidbits about podcasting and how people produce their shows, and this one was really interesting to me.

The best money I spent this week was on some ergonomic accessories for my desk. My carpal tunnel pain has been terrible lately so I went and ordered a new mousepad with wrist rest, a funky-looking ergonomic mouse, and a wrist brace to wear at night. Here’s hoping it makes things feel better!

My plans this weekend include not much! It should be fairly low-key, which I am looking forward to. My mom and I may go see the Barbie movie together because a) she needs to see it and b) I need to rewatch it. Ha!

What was the highlight of your week?

The high of my week was doing an art class with my mom! We were the only people in the studio at the time, so we got to have one-on-one attention, which is MUCH NEEDED for us. We are not artsy people in the least. My mom made a large porch sign and I made a lazy Susan, which I’m going to put on my dining room table. Since the designs were painted on using stencils, it was basically foolproof for the two of us. I’m really happy with the way my piece turned out, and I can’t wait to go back and paint something else.

The low of my week was still dealing with my scalp psoriasis issue. And honestly, it’s my own fault because I’m not using the treatment as much as I should. It’s a liquid treatment, which makes for a very messy process when I have to rub it on my scalp. The liquid drips down my neck and chest. (I tried applying the liquid with my head upside down but then the liquid GOT IN MY EYES. So that’s a no-go.) Plus, after I put it on, my scalp and neck tingle for a good hour, which is so unpleasant. It makes my hair oily and my skin tingle. Can you see why I conveniently forget to put it on regularly? Maybe it’s time to call my derm to see if she can prescribe something else that I may be more apt to use regularly. Hmm.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was booking things for our Charleston trip! I planned out our itinerary a month or so ago and booked a few dinner reservations, but hadn’t done anything since then. This week, I booked a few tours and a brunch reservation so things are coming along! We leave in a few weeks, yay!

I’m currently reading three books! On audio, I’m listening to Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. I’m nearly halfway done and very much enjoying it. In print, I’m reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo. This was my pick for our June book club, so I hope everyone enjoys it! And on my Kindle, I’ve got a historical romance going: A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Games We Love, Hate, and Made Up on The Girl Next Door Podcast. There are a lot of topics that Kelsey and Erica cover that I can’t relate to as a childless person. This one was right up my alley, as someone who loves a good game night and does a lot of game nights with kids (my nephews). My favorite part of the episode was when they talked about what can be, ahem, challenging about playing games with kids and Kelsey’s immediate response was how kids never seem to know when it’s their turn. OMG! Speaking right to my soul there. The amount of times I have to say, “It’s your turn” to one of my nephews (and honestly, sometimes to my brother or my mom) during a single game night is too many to count. It drives me crazy because I’m all about moving the game along at a regular pace, and kids are not about that life.

The best money I spent this week was on a new nightgown. I love wearing nightgowns these days. They are just so comfortable to wear around the house! I only had two, though, and one of them is getting a little worn out so it was most definitely time for an upgrade. I bought this one off Amazon and it is so very comfortable! (Runs big, so size down.)

My plans this weekend include a lot of fun things! Today and tomorrow will be my busy days, as I am going to my girlfriend’s house for game night with her friends. There will be nine people in total so it will be a big group, but hopefully a good time. I’m going to stay over Friday and we’ll have a lazy morning. In the afternoon, we’ll head to The Cheesecake Factory to have lunch with her parents and her younger brother, all of whom I’ll be meeting for the first time. Eeks! The rest of my weekend will be spent recharging my batteries. I do not have any plans on Saturday evening, Sunday, or Monday, and I plan on keeping it that way!

What was the best money you spent this week? 

The high of my week was having dinner with my cousin, her daughter, and my mom. My cousin graduated with her BSN last weekend, but we weren’t able to attend her graduation, so we happily took her out for a yummy dinner at one of our favorite places. We got to catch up, which was so nice. And we learned that my cousin has a fangirl thread on a local infertility support group on Facebook! She’s a nurse at a fertility clinic and it does not surprise me at all that her patients love her so much that they boast about her on a Facebook page. She is such a kind, patient, and caring soul—the epitome of an enneagram 2!

The low of my week was getting ghosted by the person who was supposed to pick up my bed frame on Wednesday night. Ugh! I really hate selling things on FB Marketplace, but it’s a huge bed frame and it would be nice to send it to a good home. The person seemed really keen on receiving the bed frame, but the time when he was supposed to pick it up, he disappeared from our Facebook messages. He had given me his cell phone number, so I tried texting him to ask about it, but he never responded. And then my anxiety brain decided that this meant he was actually a serial killer and preyed on people in FB Marketplace, and I had just given him my mom’s address and he was going to come over and murder my mom and stepdad in their sleep. !!! THIS IS WHERE MY BRAIN GOES, YOU GUYS. Anxiety is fun.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was calling my water company to find out why my water bill was so high this month. I’ve had to call them twice, but luckily, the second time, the man I spoke to seemed very adamant that something looked wrong on my bill. (It was $220 and my usage was nearly 13,000 gallons for a month! That’s more than 4-person household would use and it’s definitely more than a single person would use in a month, even someone like me who loves to take a bath almost every day, ha.) I’m hoping it can get corrected!

I’m currently reading four books! I am slowly reading The 1619 Project (it’s very dense, so I read one chapter every other day or so). My e-book right now is The Body by Bill Bryson, which I am loving. It’s so interesting! My print book is Happy Place by Emily Henry, which I’m not far enough into to give an opinion. And my audiobook is Sure, I’ll Be Your Black Friend by Ben Phillipe, which I just started yesterday.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was The Inflammation Theory of Disease on Stuff You Should Know. This paired very nicely with reading The Body and was quite interesting!

An Internet find I loved was k.s. Rhoads who takes popular children songs and sings them like one of his favorite “dad bands.” The videos he posts are so well-produced that they look like actual music videos, and the songs are SO GOOD. Like, I want him to put out an album with these songs. There’s Mumford & Sons singing You Are My Sunshine; Weezer singing Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes; Dave Matthews singing Sesame Street; and Hamilton singing The Itsy-Bitsy Spider. THEY ARE SO GOOD!

The best money I spent this week was $23 on some new books! I had a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket, so it was exciting to do some online book shopping this week. The books I got: Something Wild and Wonderful, Women Are the Fiercest Creatures, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

My plans this weekend include lots of fun things and one not-so-fun thing. Today, I have my mole removal procedure, which won’t be fun but will be necessary. Tomorrow, I’m doing breakfast with my girlfriend and then she’s coming over to my apartment to finally meet the cats! (Well, it’s unlikely she’ll meet Lila since Lila likes to hide when company is over, but I’ll try my best to coax her out.) Later on Saturday, I have game night! And then Sunday will be a busy one, as I have Silent Book Club in the morning and then I’m heading to Bri’s to record a few episodes of the podcast. (Season 5!)

What was the high of your week?

The high of my week was having a mother/daughter date to see an early screening of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. This movie was so, so good. Both my mom and I read the book when we were younger, so we have a tender attachment to it. I can’t say how true the movie adaptation stayed to the book, as I haven’t read the book since I was a kid, but I’m not someone who is typically precious about that sort of thing. I thought it was a sweet movie that made me laugh and cry and remember what a weird time puberty is, especially for girls.

The low of my week was feeling so worn out. The past two weeks have been so busy for me. Let’s review:

• Tuesday (April 11th): Date night in Tampa
• Wednesday (April 12th): Movie night with friends
• Thursday (April 13th): Taylor Swift concert where I was peopling from 1pm-2am
• Friday (April 14th): Running errands, doctor’s appointment
• Saturday (April 15th): Pet walk, writing date
• Sunday (April 16th): Breakfast date, Silent Book Club
• Monday (April 17th): NOTHING
• Tuesday (April 18th): Dinner with Bri
• Wednesday (April 19th): Movie night with mom

For an introvert who deeply values her alone time, this kind of schedule does not work for me. Not to mention, my work week has been super busy. I’ve had way many more meetings than usual and I came back to work (I gave myself a four-day weekend for the concert) with six new direct reports to manage, so I’m also exhausted from all of that. It’s been a very taxing few weeks, even though I’m doing lots of fun things! But my battery has been stuck at 10% every day this week and I need some alone time to recharge it.

One nagging task I marked off my to-do list was ordering my new bedframe! She’s a beauty and I can’t wait to get it all put together with my new mattress. I just have to wait for my brother to deliver my new mattress (and he’s promised to help me put together the bedframe so yay!)

I’m currently reading In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer, which has been such a sweet, happy read that I’ve needed this week. And I just started Killers of the Flower Moon on audio, but barely have had time to listen to it lately, womp!

A podcast episode I enjoyed was this lovely, 2+ hour discussion of the Love Is Blind finale + reunion. I had been obsessively refreshing their feed to get this episode because I wanted to hear all of their thoughts about that crazy reunion show. It was well worth the wait!

An Internet find I loved was this Reel a friend sent me about a book cafe in South Korea. You pay a small fee (which includes a drink!) to get access to a quiet, peaceful space filled with little nooks where you can sit in a cozy nest and read. You can even order food from the nook! This is genius, you guys. I need this to become a thing here. (A lot of comments on this Reel compared this to a library and… I’m not sure what libraries are like where you are, but here in Florida, ours do not have cozy nooks where I can lie down and read nor can I bring in any outside food. GTFO with that nonsense.)

The best money I spent this week was on more summer clothes from Old Navy. Ahh, they got me again! I fell for the scam that is Old Navy Super Cash, and when I realized I needed to “spend” my Super Cash by the end of the week, I decided to place another Old Navy order. I wanted to get another pair of shorts because I love the pair I bought last month so much. They are so comfortable and flattering! So I got another pair of shorts, a striped dress, and some t-shirts/tank tops. Oops. Someone take away my access from OldNavy.com, please.

My plans this weekend include almost nothing! The only things on my agenda are a writing date with Mikaela on Saturday morning and game night with the fam on Saturday evening. Originally, I planned to have dinner tonight with the woman I’m dating but we have both had really crazy weeks so we decided to cancel and give ourselves the gift of a Friday night in. It’s nice to date someone who takes mental health as seriously as I do! I’m hoping this low-key weekend will be exactly what I need, especially because next week I’m on dog duty!

What was the highlight of your week?