It’s clear my body needed a good dose of vitamin sea because I’ve felt fairly energized this week!
R - Reading
I finished listening to Daisy Haites on audio and the last few chapters wrecked me. I’m officially sucked into the toxicity of Jessa Hastings’ Magnolia Parks Universe.
After seeing Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe making the rounds on bookstagram, I had to see what the hype was for myself. I ultimately decided to DNF around the 30% mark because I wasn’t invested in the only fans storyline. It’s something I do plan to watch on TV if the adaptation goes through!
I flew through my eARC of Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. I might give Emma of 83rd Street a slight edge but boy are these Jane Austen retellings a million times more fun than the originals. I hope this author duo keeps cranking books out.
By some miracle, my library got a digital copy of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo and I immediately checked it out. It’s annoying reading it on my iPad but hopefully, the story will be worth it.
E - Eating
You know how I told you in The Ultimate Summer Edit that you should be eating more summer salads? I present to you: pecan crusted chicken, a simple fruit salad, and leftover hashbrown casserole. Even my kids asked for more.
salad “recipe”:
thinly slice an apple and quarter strawberries to your liking
mix with arugula or 50/50 mix
zest one small lemon and add juice of the lemon to the salad mix
drizzle with olive oil
season with salt & pepper
This would be an easy salad to add feta or goat cheese to or extra pecans from your chicken if that’s what you like.
P - Playing
Toro y Moi radio in the kitchen while I cook dinner. Fun fact: he’s from my home state and has a new album coming out in the Fall.
O - Obsessing over Organizing
My daughter’s toys. Womp. Womp.
R - Recommending
I’m a fairly self-aware person and the more book reviews I write, the more I realize that reading deeply and critically is not my strong suit. That’s why I’m recommending this newsletter from Clara where she does a deep dive on what makes Emily Henry novels so wonderful. It’s full of quotes from other readers who perfectly capture the essence of EmHen that I’ve been unable to articulate.
T - Treating myself to
Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches even though I absolutely should not be indulging in any dairy products. My husband picked up a few flavors to try and oh. my. gosh. they blew me away. The ice cream is rich but the flavor isn’t overpowering. The cookie is somehow soft but has a bit of chew to it. They’re never too hard and don’t fall apart. My favorite flavors so far are the key lime pie, the classic, and the banana pudding. I wish my Costco carried the mini sizes because the original sandwiches are big enough to share and sometimes I just want a bite! You can find your local retailer here.
Maybe this would have been a good thread but I’ve been crowd-sourcing apps and programs to build early reading skills and I’m so appreciative of all the suggestions! I hope this list will help someone else working on summer reading with elementary school aged kids.
All About Reading
Teach Your Monster to Read
Big City Readers
Endless Alphabet and Endless Reader
Duolingo: ABC Learn to Read
Khan Academy Kids
If you'd like to support this free newsletter, here are a few ways:
👍 Comment and like this post here on Substack!
☕ Consider buying me a coffee.
📲 Restack your favorite part and share it as a Note on Substack.
📧 Forward this email to a friend (if you're the friend, subscribe here)
📸 Catch me on IG @overbookedmama
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest
I have never heard of Nightingale sandwiches but now I NEED them in my life!
I bought a physical edition of The Familiar a while ago but still haven't read it!