P.S. You may also catch up on anything you may have missed this week through my weekly newsletter: Sticky Notes!
Things I’m Loving Friday #605
Earlier this summer, when I restocked my Promix electrolytes, I added a few flavors of Promix Puff Bars to my order and I’m so glad I did! They have a hold on me right now and every time we run out, they’re an instant re-order. They’re so much better than your typical dry-yet-chewy protein bar. They have a crispy treat consistency and a sweet flavor without tasting the least bit artificial. (They’re free from anything artificial, so that makes sense!) I also really like the size for when I want a little something sweet but not in the mood for a dense protein bar. They’re also crazy high in protein and fiber for their size; one 150 calorie bar has 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber! Our kids also like them so they feel like a win all around. My favorite is cookies ‘n’ cream which does not taste like an Oreo at all but is somehow still super good and studded with mini chocolate chips I love. The boys’ favorite is the birthday cake. Mint chocolate and maple are on my list to try next!
Ooph, how’s this for a produt name: Remedy Skin, Hand & Curicle Firming Whipped Cream with Peptides. Whatever happened to “hand cream” or “lotion”!? Despite this product’s mouthful of a name which, let’s be honest, did intrigue me, it IS a gem. This Target find is a rich but not sticky-thick hand cream with peptides, shea butter, and ceramides that’s supposed to go beyond a typical lotion. It uses peptides and a hydrophobic lipid complex to firm thinning hand skin and stay on through repeated washing. I keep it by my bedside and use it before bed at night. It’s also become a travel staple for me because what is with travel drying out my skin and turning me into a desert lizard!?
I kind of hate myself for loving my new Kindle so much. Why? Well, because I feel like I was more or less forced into embracing a new Kindle when my old Kindle was perfectly fine and functioning quite well. Apparently it was just too old and Amazon made it obsolete and unable to download any more books, both from Amazon and any library. (A heads up about this would’ve been nice, as one day it was just like, “No more books for you!”) I kind of hated buying into Amazon’s forced upgrade but I must admit my new Kindle is pretty fantastic. As it turns out some major upgrades to e-readers have happened in the last 10+ years. Who knew!? My favorite upgrade: Little buttons to turn the pages versus swiping. So simple, so lovely. Oh and I should probably mention that my new Kindle is still actually “old” by Kindle standards. I got it resale solely for those little button page turners and really do love it.
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Heartwood by Amity Gaige
Genre: Mystery/Fiction / My rating: B
I liked so much about Heartwood — the insights into Appalachian Trail hiking, the unexpected humor from a secondary character, the passages that had me highlighting takeaways I wanted to remember — and yet, overall, this book fell a little flat for me. It started off so strong and I think where it lost me was when all of the build up and intrigue just sort of slowly unraveled until I found myself feeling disappointed by the last third of the book. It was enjoyable enough (especially the first half!) but not one I can glowingly praise despite the fact that I find myself really wanting to because I liked so much about it!
From Amazon: In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.
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Weekly Looks
A few outfits I wore this week/the end of last week!
Coffee & Dogs Sweatshirt: LOFT / Jeans: FRAME (PBFINGERS15 saves 15%) / Sneakers: adidas / Blue Initial Name Necklace: BaubleBar
Skirt: Quince / Tank: Z Supply (via Amazon) / Sandals: beeks (PBFINGERS10 save 10%)
Friday night’s football game look! / Top: Target (but old) / Pants: Amazon (a look-a-like to my beloved RUTI pants — the fabric is different but the fit is very similar, though a touch baggier) Shoes: Nike / Bag: Clare V.
Pants: Amazon / Cardigan: Quince / Bodysuit Tank: Nuuds / Sandals: Amazon / Blue Bead Necklace: BaubleBar / Suitcase: Samsonite / Bag: BaubleBar
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Friday Flashbacks
Oatmeal Apple Crisp (I made another batch this week! It’s forever and always our family’s favorite apple crisp!!! Please try this one if you go apple picking this fall; I think you’ll love it!)
Chicken and Chickpea Salad (A great one to keep in mind if you’re looking for an easy lunch to meal prep!)
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You should put for adults only beneath the Kindle photo. Yep I was reading a long 😉🤣
OMGGGGG I’m dying!!!! I was not paying attention at all and will update it to a more appropriate pic now! Thank you for telling me!!! Also, thank you for making my friends laugh bc I just sent them this pic and we were all cracking up — Ooops!
The same thing happened to me with my old Kindle…although to be fair, it is about 15 years old and I don’t use it very often ( I prefer physical books). But I did recently try to revive it for some upcoming travel and learned it’s obsolete! Amazon so generously offered me a trade in value of $5….
I also was required to upgrade my kindle, because my Kindle Fire was no longer being supported. They did give me a heads up and gave a 20% discount on a new one, but to be honest, I still miss my old Fire. I like that my new one is small so it’s easy to transport, but it’s better than reading on the kindle app on my phone. While I bought a new low end model, it feels older bc it is slow to transition from pages and doesn’t sync as fast as my old kindle. But i still wanted a working kindle, so there’s that…
Have fun on your girls trip!
I don’t know if you’ve read this one yet, but I highly recommend The God of the Woods! I have not read Heartwood yet (although it’s been recommended to me), but from the description it sounds similar to The God of the Woods. But where you say Heartwood fell kind of flat for you at the end, The God of the Woods definitely did not for me. It was one of those books were I just wanted to keep existing in the book’s universe forever. It also is set kind of close to my home so it’s always fun to have those little nuggets pop up and recognize places that are mentioned.
Enjoy your weekend away in NYC with your girlfriends!
Have a great trip, the last-minute ones always seem to turn out better than the heavily planned ones.
On the travel front, the thing that finally made workouts stick for me away from home was cutting the gear decision to zero: one pair of shoes, one band, nothing that needs inflating or a place to live afterwards.
Half of my home setup is stuff I liked using and then had nowhere to put. Enjoy Rowayton, September light there is worth the trip on its own.