It’s officially Fall where I live, the trees have finally changed colors and they cover the ground in crunchy little piles that are perfect for stepping on. When the weather gets like this, all I want to do is cuddle on my couch with a soft blanket, a cup of hot coffee, and a good book! It’s difficult to leave the house for work some days when that’s all I want to do. Thankfully, I work at a Library and I still get to be around books!

If the fall weather has you dreaming of snuggling up with a book like me, then here are two books that I recommend for your reading pleasure. 

First up is  After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is a book about marriage and what happens to a couple, Lauren and Ryan, after they have been together for 10 years. It’s an unconventional story and not predictable, that’s what I love about it. It’s funny and honest. I laughed out loud and cried a few tears. Her characters aren’t unbelievable, it feels like they could be your real friends. There is some mild language and a few sexy parts but nothing like other romance novels that are out there. It’s an inspiring read that pushes on what you might think about your own marriage. If you like to read stories that are relatable to your own life, then this is definitely a book that you should check out! 

This second one, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up, by Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn is a very honest and hilarious telling one of couple’s marriage. I have just started this and I have been laughing out loud. It definitely has a lot of foul language, so if that bothers you, I wouldn't recommend it. Once I finish it, I’ll share more of my thoughts about it on Instagram. 

If you can’t tell, I like to read things about marriage and I like them to be funny, because if you can’t laugh about some of the hard stuff you’ll end up crying! If you check out either of these books, let me know what you think of them. If you’d like more book recommendations, let me know that as well and I will make this a regular feature!

Happy Reading :) 

One Easy Way to Focus on Thanksgiving

It’s beginning to look a like Christmas everywhere I go this month! While I absolutely love Christmas (it’s my favorite holiday), I’m not quite ready for it to be here yet. I think there is a temptation once Halloween is over to jump right into the Christmas season. To begin making wish lists, to assess what we don't have and what we want. While I am still planning ahead for all the fun holiday activities, parties, and gifts, I don't want to miss out on this fall season, on the season of Thanksgiving. I wanted to do something to keep my family focused on it, to be grateful for where we are and what we have right now. I thought up a fun way that we can display what we are thankful for and I wanted to share it with you all! 

I present to you the “Thankful Tree!” This is fairly simple project and you probably have all the things you need already in your house.

Whatcha need:

-markers (black & fall colors)

-roll of kraft paper (you can get this at your local dollar store!)

-scissors

-tape

How to put it together:

1. Cut off a piece of the kraft paper, whatever size you want. I made mine 30in by 32in to fit this space in my kitchen.
2. Tape the kraft paper to the wall.
3. Using the black marker, draw a tree outline, leave out the leaves.

Boom! Done, all set up. Now each day you & your family can write on the tree what you are thankful for using the fall colored markers. I had big plans of cutting out leaf shapes or writing on actually leaves, but that just didn't happen. I like how it turned out just writing on the kraft paper, especially in different fall colors! My kids love doing this and my oldest daughter likes to write out the letters for her thankful thought of the day. 

If you try it let me know! How are you trying to remain present in the Thanksgiving season?

Birthday GIVEAWAY!

Guess what guys? It’s my birthday this week and I want to celebrate by doing a giveaway! My favorite things are coffee (duh!) and journaling. Therefore, I present you with a chance to win a $10 gift card to Starbucks, a cute little journal and my absolute favorite pens to write with! 

Ready to enter to win these goodies? Sign up in the obnoxious big box to the right! You can submit more than one entry by visiting me on Facebook, leaving a comment on any blog post, and answering a question about your favorite things to read about. The winner will be contacted by email on November 9th! 

Good luck!