Hello Saturday, Volume 8

Hi friends!

Welcome back to Hello Saturday. Grab a coffee and let’s catch up!

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What I’ve been up to:

Sooo, oops. I didn’t intend to take a three month hiatus from Hello Saturday, but here we are! So much has happened since my last post to this series back on December 5th — I celebrated my 29th birthday, Christmas, and New Years, watched the Presidential Inauguration, took a couple weekend day trips, watched the Super Bowl, and went back home to Wisconsin for a couple weeks to see family, among other things. Life’s been busy and 2021 has been flying by so fast it’s hard to keep up with the time (understatement, right?). I can’t believe we’re headed straight for the spring season in just a couple short weeks. I’m not ready for Carolina summertime yet, but I’m ready for slightly warmer, sunnier, longer days, that’s for sure!

Aside from a weekend travel or two, I’ve been spending most of my weekends cozied up at home, watching Netflix, reading books (my new favorite hobby), and drinking coffee. My family is road tripping to North Carolina as we speak, so I’ll be spending this weekend tidying up around the house, catching up on some much needed laundry, and attempting (Alex, I said attempting) to clean out my closet. I desperately need to donate or Poshmark clothes I don’t wear — my closet is out of control.

What I’ve been watching:

  • New Girl. This show is one of my all time favorites. Alex and I have been rewatching it over the past couple months and we’ve been getting a ton of laughs out of it. We’re nearing the end again, so we’re savoring the last episodes best we can (sad face).

  • Good Girls. I started this show a few weeks ago and it’s so good! Definitely binge worth because it draws you in and leaves you craving more and more. I’m on Season 3 now, so I’m almost done with this show too.

What I’ve been reading:

  • One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London. I finished this one in early February and thought it was meh. It touched some very important subjects regarding plus size women being cruelly represented in the media, but I thought the writing was sad and a bit harsh. Seeing this book had good reviews, maybe I’m in the minority, but I wouldn’t recommend reading it.

  • Anxious People by Frederik Backman. I finished this book last weekend and ugh, my heart. It was such a good light-hearted read. It was a wholesome story, one I recommend highly. Look for a full book review post in the coming weeks.

  • i’m thinking of ending things by Iain Reid. The Guardian called it “Brilliant.” on the cover. I call it two stars. Blah.

  • Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman. Just started this one, so nothing to report. I’ve heard good things, so let’s see!

What I’ve been listening to — music & podcasts:

Music:

  • driver’s license by Olivia Rodrigo. Adding this one to the music list because it’s been on my chill playlist since it took the world by storm in January. I anticipate there will be lots of good songs released in 2021, but this one will definitely be a contender for song of the year, mark my words.

  • Spotify Singles by Ingrid Andress. Who doesn’t love a good Spotify Singles session? Ingrid Andress is a newcomer in the country music scene who has the most beautiful voice. She sang her own song Lady Like and acoustically covered Dua Lipa’s hit Don’t Stop Now in her two song session. So good!

  • 29 by Carly Pearce. I was surprised how much I liked this album considering classic country voices in modern country don’t typically appeal to me. Definitely my favorite song on the project is 29. It’s about feeling like you haven’t been living up to the expectations society sets for you as you close the door on one decade and open the door into another. We feel like we should have the pieces of our lives figured out by the time we turn 30, but what if we don’t? Have we failed if we’re not married? Have we failed if we still have to call our moms and dads for advice? Have we failed if we don’t own our own home yet? The answer is no, we haven’t failed; everyone’s story writes itself differently.

  • folklore and evermore by Taylor Swift. I’m still swooning over these albums. I’ve been listening to them a lot lately.

  • Love Story (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift. Listening to this rerecording gives me waves of nostalgia of all the days I spent singing it in my bedroom. I hate the circumstances behind why she has to rerecord her music, but I’m so excited to have her modern voice on all the Fearless tracks. April 9th, I’m ready for you!

  • 2Drunk by Nick Jonas. This song is catchy! I’ll be listening to his new album this weekend/next week.

Podcasts:

  • Giggly Squad. I’ve never watched Summer House, but I’ve recently discovered this podcast and love tuning in each week. I’m a bit behind on episodes currently, but I’ve been listening as often as I can nonetheless.

  • The Pat and AJ Podcast. Pat and AJ are former radio show personalities I’ve been following for years. They used to host morning radio in Central Wisconsin, so I’d listen to them every morning. Due to COVID, they were laid off from their most recent gig in Michigan, so now they’re podcasting!

  • Deliciously Ella. So happy the new season of Deliciously Ella is back — I’ve missed it! This podcast is one I’ve shared on Hello Saturday before; it covers an array of topics in health and wellness and it’s one of my favorite podcasts to listen to.

From around the web:

ICYMI — catch up on the latest Just Jen Things’ posts:

Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a restful, enjoyable weekend!

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Enjoy!

JB

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