Tonight we’ll be heading to the soccer fields again for the final games of the season for Chase and Ryder and then on Saturday it’s another flag football game for Chase. We also have plans to get together with friends today (the boys are all off of school) and do a bonfire! I hope you all have a great weekend and hope to see ya back here again next week.
And now let’s dive right into my weekly roundup of favorites!
Things I’m Loving Friday #590
(Tank: Target / Jeans: FRAME — PBFINGERS15 saves 15% / Sandals: Amazon / Bag: Amazon)
These Amazon strappy sandals deserve a shout out this morning because we’re entering the time of year when I’ll be wearing them on repeat. I love the added interest from the multiple straps — a nice alternative to a basic flip flop! — and they remind me so much of TKEES sandals but for a fraction of the price. The best part though? They’re legitimately comfortable. The small straps don’t dig and there’s just enough cushioning on the bottom to protect your foot from feeling every lump and bump you may step on.
Ryan: “Hey is that a new phone charger?”
Me: “Yes! But this one is fast-charging.”
Ryan: “How do you know that.”
Me: “Umm… Marketing?”
Ha! But really, the marketing on this phone charger got me on Amazon and ya know what? It didn’t steer me wrong! This little charger is easily the fastest charger I’ve used for my phone. The marketing gimmicks that sold me were the fast charging time but also the fact that this charger uses technology that preserves your phone’s battery life. (It may all be in my head, but I honestly started questioning whether one or two of my previous chargers were causing my phone battery to drain faster after using. Is this possible!?) It can also charge three devices at once (two built-in USB-C cables plus an extra USB-C port), so you can charge your phone, laptop, earbuds, etc. all at once if needed. I’m a fan!!
What a fun game!!! This game went in Chase’s Christmas stocking this year and our entire family loves it. It’s incredibly fast-paced and the kind of game our entire family, adults and kids alike, get really into. It’s also fast to learn which is always a perk! You’re essentially working to complete separate piles of matching clothing using cards that rapidly switch out from the middle pile all at one time. It’s a whirlwind! Also, I realize it says it’s for ages 8+ but Rhett at 5.5 years old can play himself, though if he wants a shot a winning, he has to pair up with me or Ryan.
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / My rating: B+
Whoa, what a book. You know those books you read that just kind of make you feel icky the entire time you read them? That was Yesteryear for me. I didn’t like the main character at all and so much about the book was just plain uncomfortable to read… and yet I could not put it down. Which, now that I think about it, is kind of an odd parallel to draw because at the heart of this book is a polarizing “tradwife” Instagram influencer named Natalie who has millions of followers and produces content her fans (and haters) are addicted to consuming, dissecting and vehemently supporting or ripping apart. She certainly had me captivated. Phew.
When Natalie wakes up in a life that isn’t hers, the book takes a turn as she’s forced to face hardships she never imagined and questions why she is where she is and how this is possibly her new reality. This book caused a lot of internal dialog in my brain and I think it would make an absolutely fantastic book club book.
From Amazon:
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.
Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
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Friday Flashbacks
Edamame Black Bean Salad (A high-fiber, fresh and delicious salad perfect on its own or topped with your favorite protein.)
Chicken Sausage Sweet Potato Bake (In case you’re looking for the ultimate easy weeknight dinner!)
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is one thing you’re loving this week?
How does your month of May look? Is it MAY-nia for you, too!?
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I just finished Yesteryear today.. I completely agree. I was going to suggest it to my friend group, but didn’t know how to explain it. I wasn’t sure it was a book for everyone, but you described it perfectly. The reason I found it was because I heard that Anne Hathaway claimed the rights to make it into a movie, so I was intrigued. Also, a recommendation if you haven’t read it yet. Theo of Golden… I think you will love it. I didn’t want it to end..
Reading Yesteryear now. Almost done and I’m LOVING it so I’m not sure what that says about me. HAHA.
Haha!! I didn’t hate it at all (hence my B+ rating) but mannn it was disturbing!! I think it’s such a great discussion book!!
Oh gosh, I absolutely LOVED Yesteryear.
It touched on SO many thought-provoking themes like the manosphere, modern-day feminism, influencer culture, the rise of the tradwife aesthetic, religion, postpartum depression, homeschooling, and on and on. It made me think about so many things!
I don’t need my main characters to be friendly — I liked that she was a deeply flawed person (aren’t we all?), and I found it tragic to see just how rigidly she stuck with the values she’d been taught, to the point where she was simply unable to extend some kindness to herself in the ways that her mother and sister were ultimately able to do. Personally, I would highly, highly recommend!