Hello Saturday, Volume 10
Hi friends!
Welcome back to Hello Saturday. Grab a coffee and let’s catch up!
What I’ve been up to:
After light month of blogging in April and a rough start to the month of May, I feel like my creative juices are finally starting to flow again. Between the chaos of life, seemingly endless amounts of (work) stress, and a creative rut that snuck up on me, the past month was a challenging one. Thanks to equal parts burnout and brain overwhelm, so many things spilled over at once, causing me to put lots of things on the back burner, including my blog. Good news though — I’m back and feeling better!
As I’ve been away for a whole month, let’s catch up on all the things. Here’s what I’ve been up to:
Reading, lots of reading. PS, I created a bookstagram to share current reads, book reviews, and more; find me over at readbookswithjen_ if you want to follow along.
Getting vaccinated! Back in early April, I received my first Moderna vaccine; my second vaccination is scheduled for next week — yay! I can’t wait to be fully vaccinated.
Paying off the remaining balance of our auto loan. Debt free on auto (both cars) and feeling GOOD! (hello student loans, yes I see you too)
Enjoying afternoon walks with Mogul (and Alex). Thank you springtime weather and daylight savings for warmer, sunnier, longer days.
Taking lots of dog pictures. This should not surprise you.
Shooting hoops on our new basketball hoop (took us a whole Saturday to assemble it though, real talk).
Drinking copious amounts of coffee. Not much has changed there!
What I’ve been watching:
Ginny & Georgia. Watched this show in about a week (new, very hyped up, and only one season). I thought it was a decent show, though not my favorite. Will be interested to see where plot goes in Season 2.
The Circle. Me, after watching Season 1, every time I send a text: “Circle, send message to Alex. Hey what’s up? #HowWasYourDayBoo #WhatsForDinner. Send message.” If you know, you know.
Love, Guaranteed. I’m in between shows right now, so I watched this movie on Netflix to fill some time. Genre is RomCom, but the whole movie was pretty cliche if you ask me.
What to watch next?
What I’ve been reading:
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman. I finished this one in early April and loved it so much. Definitely recommend.
99 Days by Katie Cotugno. Read this one in a couple days — a typical young adult summer romance book. I’d call it a 3 star read — nothing inherently special about it, but it wasn’t bad.
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. I found this book on a whim and I’m so glad I did. It’s easily become one of my favorite reads of the year (so far, of course).
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. Guys, I was in tears by the end of this one. Georgia wrote this novel using stories passed down from her family’s actual experience living through the Holocaust. 10/10 recommend this 5 star read.
What I’ve been listening to:
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift. The re-recorded version of Fearless did not disappoint. The whole album hit me with a wave of nostalgia as I remembered my 16-year-old self listening to the OG version of Fearless back in 2008. Also, shoutout to Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version) for being an absolute BOP vault track. Literally can’t believe it was left off the album/deluxe album.
Not In Chronological Order by Julia Michaels. Her debut album! I’ve always adored Julia’s unique songwriting style. I smiled the first time I heard Little Did I Know and now it tugs at my heartstrings every time I hear it. It’s about finding love when you least expect it and having that love change your view of what it means to believe in and be in love. Beautiful song, beautiful album! My only complaint is that it’s not long enough (10 songs).
if i could make it go quiet by girl in red. Listened to this by recommendation of Taylor Swift and loved it so much I listened to it twice in a row while cleaning.
Country Again (Side A) by Thomas Rhett. I’m a sucker for a good country song, so thank you Thomas Rhett. My favorite track from this new project is What’s Your Country Song, a song that makes me reminisce growing up in small town Wisconsin listening to country songs day and night (queue Red Dirt Road by Brooks & Dunn).
deja vu by Olivia Rodrigo. Had to put this one on here as I’ve been listening to it nonstop since its release. Can’t wait for her debut album, scheduled to drop later this month.
From around the web:
Nothing we’re experiencing is normal right now. Whatever you’re dealing with, just know you’re not alone.
An article on stress causing chronic inflammation in your body. Something for all of us insanely stressed individuals to keep in mind as prolonged stress is not healthy.
Let’s face it, we all need a vacation this year.
Loved this article on building up resilience in a post-pandemic world that’s left many of us feeling a little burnt out.
Stop spending time on things you hate. Life’s too short to waste timing doing things you don’t love.
Real talk: making friends as as adult.
Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a restful, enjoyable Mother’s Day weekend! Alex and I enjoyed a Saturday in the sun, first having a few beers at a local brewery, then taking the dog to a local park for some outdoor play and training. The best way to spend a weekend is to surround yourself with the things (and people) you love!
Enjoy!
JB