Happy May! Hope you all are holding up okay. It’s hard not to think about how surreal all of this is and also overwhelming to think about how much longer it could go on. I am trying my hardest to stay positive, but some days that’s easier said than done. In other news, April went fast! Do you guys agree? March seemed to last an eternity, but April flew. I think partly due to the fact that we are all sort of settling into this new “normal” for the time being. Anyway, here is what’s been keeping me busy and entertained this month.

books read: full reviews here

  • Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren – just absolutely ADORED this book.
  • Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
  • The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
  • Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – a reread that I will likely reread 100 more times. One of my favorite books of all time.
  • Shortcake by Lucy Watson

in the kitchen:

  • made this Italian bread for Easter Sunday to keep dad from going to the bakery and it was a hit! We used the leftovers for sandwiches during the week. Super easy and delish!
  • an entire tray of my favorite brownies that vanished in less than two days.
  • homemade pasta, twice! This is the recipe I used and we love it.
  • this blueberry coffee cake – it was out of this world delicious! I accidentally ordered a huge container of blueberries from Costco and knew I had to use them up before they went bad – we’re wasting nothing around here – and this couldn’t have been better. I may just have to make another one to use up the rest.

new products:

  • Isle of Paradise self tanning drops – I am NOTORIOUSLY bad at all self tanning. It doesn’t matter how “foolproof” it is, I will find a way to screw it up. One time in college I missed an entire half of my arm. Anyway, I tried these and they actually are easy! You just mix a few drops in with your regular body lotion. The color (I got medium) looks natural and it fades gradually instead of peeling off and looking dirty like a lot of other brands I have tried. So far so good! And perfect for the appalling paleness of April/May.
  • Glossier Stretch Concealer – I really haven’t been wearing much makeup on most days since we’re all just stuck in the house. But on days I want a little pick-me-up, I’ve been reaching for this concealer that I actually never liked. I found it buried in the bottom of a drawer, and instead of using the concealers I do like (and will want after this ends!) I decided to try using this one up. It gets the job done, is light and stays put most of the day. Still don’t think it will be one of my favorites, but I am loving it for the moment.

music:

  • Lynyrd Skynyrd has been playing pretty much non-stop around here. While I’m not usually the biggest LS fan, it’s been making the house feel like our family’s annual post-Clam-Bake-poker-game, and for that, I am loving it.
  • LÉON – Once upon a time ago I started listening to her music, then it somehow all got deleted off my phone. I stumbled across her again this month and remembered how much I love her voice! A happy accident.

tv/movies:

  • Stranger Things 3 – we FINALLY got around to this. And OMG I cannot believe we waited so long to watch. Kind of underwhelmed by the finale, but the rest of the show was so good I didn’t even mind. It also felt really good to get excited about tv again!

other things:

  • Planting – I planted a bunch of seeds in peat pellets and have been loving watching them grow! There is something so comforting about seeing something grow from nothing, especially right now. We also have been working on planting flowers in the backyard and they are bringing the happiest pops of color.
  • YouTube – resorting back to old ways and watching insane amounts of YouTube is becoming the new norm. I’ve revisited some of my favorite vloggers, and something about it has been so calming.

the main events:

  • Our baby, Dudley – we lost our sweet, sweet boy this month and it has been harder than I ever could have imagined. I look for him everywhere, all the time, and my heart breaks all over again when I realize that he’s really gone. There truly aren’t word to describe what kind of pup he was, or how much we all adored him. We miss him so much.
  • 26th Birthday in Quarantine – you can read all about it here. Spoiler Alert: I had the best day.
  • And aside from all that – a whole lot of NOTHING! Just like the rest of the world. I personally feel like April went 10x faster than March, and can’t even wrap my head around the fact that it’s May??!! How did this happen?

with love (as always) JAK