Friday Night Leftovers

• Presley started crawling again (after forgetting for an entire week). Up go the gates this weekend. Can't say I've missed having those around the house!

• 2 more days of this. It's pretty safe to say we did it. I'm shocked! It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

• Speaking of cutting things, I cut Samara off of TV a couple of months ago. She was getting much too interested in watching her buddies Dora and Elmo and not so interested in playing with blocks and doing puzzles. So I cut her off cold turkey. The first couple of days were tough, as was the first rainy day, but now she doesn't even ask.

• Do you meal plan? I do, sometimes a week at a time, sometimes a month at a time. It's tedious but I find it saves us money at the grocery store.
  

• I'm always glad to be Canadian but even more so because this is the kickoff to another long weekend!!

• Hungry for more leftovers? Head here.
  

Do You Remember?

Do you remember what it was like to just go somewhere at the drop of a hat and not spend hours planning and packing?

Do you remember what it was like to sleep without keeping one ear awake all night, listening for little cries?

Do you remember what it was like to do what you wanted, when you wanted?

Do you remember what it was like to shower and go to the bathroom alone?

Do you remember what it was like to only think of yourself?

I remember...sometimes with a bit of longing. But I know that life is so much better this way.

Wordless Wednesday (Same Outfit, Different Girl)

Samara, 2 months

Samara, 14 monthsPresley, 8 months (not exactly happy to be wearing hand-me-downs!)

Dance Parties: Take 3

I posted here and here about dance parties at our house. They happen often...it'll turn any bad mood around.

Since this whole blog is the girls' baby books, I thought it would be neat for them to look back at what kind of music we used to listen/dance to as a family. So, I'm trying to do these posts semi-regularly.

Our latest:

Johnny Got A Boom Boom - Imelda May

Ghostwriter - RJD2

Dig Up Her Bones - The Misfits

That's All Right - Elvis Presley

What's playing at your house? I have to say, comments on these posts are my favorite! I love to hear what other people are listening to!

Then and Now

When we went to Waterton a few weeks back, we made sure to visit the spot where Shawn proposed. We went last year around this time as well. What a difference a year makes! Last year Sammy was 15 months old and I was 6 months pregnant.Unfortunately, we couldn't convince Presley that the camera was more interesting than the mountains!

8 months!!

8 months! My goodness, where did my baby go??

In the last month, Presley figured out how to crawl and promptly forgot. Now she combat crawls with great intensity, grunting and whining. She has become a superstar sitter now that her core is stronger. We no longer have to leave pillows behind her in case she falls. She even sits in the bathtub like a big girl. She's good at standing and it is definitely her preferred position to hang out. She pulls herself up in that position any chance she can.

She has figured out her pincer grasp and can pick little things like puffs up off her high chair. She is babbling a lot and even repeated Shawn when he told her to say, "dada". Sadly, no luck with "mama"! I'm signing to her and she appears to understand what I'm doing although she has yet to sign back.

Her favorite toys this past month are her Leapfrog learning table, wooden blocks and these dishes from Samara's kitchen. She's lost interest in any of her regular baby toys and would much rather slobber all over my phone instead.

Her favorite activities are still being in the Beco, baths, going for walks/runs and swinging at the park. She loves to be sung to as well. She reeeeeally loves me...and so begins the separation anxiety phase.

Last month I jinxed myself by calling Presley a dream eater. She's starting to get pickier and is refusing some foods (like avocado) all together. She seems to enjoy feeding herself finger foods so we've tried cheese, scrambled eggs, peas, etc. She has mastered her sippy cup. All that eating and still no teeth to help her out!

Presley mostly sleeps through the night now. She sleeps around 11.5 hours a night (7pm till 630am) and has 2 naps a day which are 2 hours each. Please don't jinx me.

Presley weighs 16 lbs 11 oz. She measures 26.25 inches long. She wears 3-6 month clothing with quite a few things (dresses) still 0-3 months. Her shoes are size 2. She is in size 2 diapers.

Things I never want to forget:
- that no matter how nice it is to have a baby who can put herself to sleep, it's still the best feeling in the world to have her fall asleep while nursing and being rocked. When this happens, I just kick up my feet, snuggle in and time just stops.
- how gratifying it is to just pick her up and have her immediately stop crying/whining and be happy. Oh, how I wish I could have this work in years to come!

Friday Night Leftovers

• Samara is helping me write this post.  It involves me anticipating every smash she's going to do and blocking her.  I should be done this post in about 4 hours at this rate!

• Ever since I mentioned that Presley crawled, she hasn't done it.  Isn't that the way it goes?!  She's been combat crawling but no real crawling since Sunday.  I seem to remember Sammy doing the same thing with walking.  Took her first steps, walked a bunch that first day and then didn't for an entire week.

• Yesterday was the first day I didn't want to kill someone for a piece of chocolate.  That was Day 12 of no treats.  I can't believe it took that long to get over it (to some degree).  Shawn swears this is harder than when he quit smoking.

• Changing Presley has started to resemble a wrestling match.  Squirmiest kid ever!  I may have to abandon the change table and start changing her on the floor, for safety's sake.

• Our neighbors just had a baby boy.  At what point does looking at a newborn stop making one's uterus ache with longing?

• For more leftovers, head here.

Thankful on Thursday

Today, I'm thankful for:

• good sleepers.  Sammy no longer delays bedtime or gets out of her room.  Presley either sleeps through the night or has a quick feed at 5am and then sleeps in late.  I am more rested than I've been in ages. (of course by writing this I've completely ruined everything)
• a handsome husband that is prepping my breakfast as I write this.
• hot weather.  What a great summer!
• unexpected gifts in the mail.  (Thanks, Dad!)
• banana bread.  It's really helping me with the junk food cravings.

What are you thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday (Sock Hands Returns Edition)

Remember?

Summer Bucket List Update

A month ago I made my Summer Bucket List. How are we doing?

In no particular order:

• take the girls swimming at an outdoor pool
• the zoo
• the museum
• the art gallery
  
• make banana boats and enjoy them on the deck. Never had banana boats? You are missing out. Stay tuned for when we actually cross this item off the list, I'll document with instructions and pictures.
• have a bonfire
• find 10 8 new parks to try out
• take Presley for her first splash park experience
• have a picnic at the lake
• take the girls to see the mountains
• see a waterfall
  
• go for a drink on a patio with my husband
• visit the farmer's market
• go to a fair
• watch a parade
• go out for ice cream
• have new friends over for a BBQ

We're getting there!  What's on your list?

This and That

• She did it! Presley is crawling!

• This is going really good or really bad, depending on your perspective. I haven't cheated once and I've got 7 entire days under my belt. But I miss it. Oh, goodness...do I ever miss it. I talk about it, think about it and dream about it constantly. I'm really curious what will happen after 21 days. I have a fear that I'll go crazy and make up for lost time.

• We are having such a nice, hot run of weather. +35 today!

• My newest addiction? Bike riding. I bought myself a bike a couple of weeks ago and I just love it! Presley was up at 530am on Saturday morning for a quick feed and instead of going back to bed, I took the opportunity for an early morning ride before it got too hot. Glorious way to start the weekend!

• I went for a massage this weekend. It was only okay but what made it worse? The therapist chatting my ear off the entire 60 minutes. I really dislike that. A massage should be silent. I have little people talking to me all day long. To relax? I prefer silence and no small talk. But how do you bring that up without sounding like a total jerk?

• Shawn made this for dinner last night. Unbelievably good. 2 thumbs up for husbands that are seriously amazing cooks!
  

• What was your favorite thing that happened this weekend?
  

Friday Night Leftovers

• Goodness, the weeks are flying by at an alarming rate. Next week Presley will be EIGHT months. Samara is nearly 2.25 years old.

• Shawn took the girls to a Show and Shine last weekend. Sammy got her very first Hot Wheels car. She has taken to sleeping with it, she loves it that much. Maybe I've been buying the wrong kinds of toys for her. Fewer dolls and purses, more cars and trucks?!

• I mentioned last week that I got my wisdom teeth out. Well, I ended up having a minor complication with one. Infection. It was awful in that make your whole head throb and make you wish someone would put you out of your misery kind of way. I ended up getting an emergency appointment...one where I had to take both girls with me. They shocked the heck out of me by waiting ever so patiently for about 50 minutes.
  

• Presley is *this close* to crawling. She will crawl one knee at a time and then collapse. She has also been doing the downward dog several times this week too. She's always been mobile since learning how to roll but seeing her crawl is just making my head spin.

• Sammy is still in her big girl bed and doing well. Both girls are sleeping through the night (GASP!) and I'm sometimes even waking before they do in the morning. The problem? Sammy is having a tough time settling for bed. I have no problem if she wants to read quietly in her room before she goes to sleep. But now she has started leaving her room and wandering the halls. How do I discourage this without having to lead her back multiple times during the evening?

• More leftovers can be found here.
  

Thankful on Thursday

These 2 are a whole lot of wonderful:

Wordless Wednesday (Trip to Waterton Edition)

Grocery Time

Last week I asked what dinner time was like for you. This week I'm being nosy about groceries. Who goes? Where to? How often?

I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to taking both girls grocery shopping. I can do it. I've done it. But I don't like to do it. Samara is good in the cart for about 3.5 seconds before she demands out and it's just too hard to concentrate on getting the food, not overbuying, not letting Presley suck the coin chain and watching Samara meander through the aisles by myself. So, lately we've been going as a family. We usually go to Superstore and we go once a week. I'm a huge planner and list maker so before we head out, I've always got the meals planned for the week and an itemized list (organized helpfully by area of the store!) of what we need. Yes. I'm a nerd. I've accepted it.

Withdrawals

It was really easy to decide to do this when I was all topped up with sugar. Today I've had no dessert. No breakfast dessert (what?! It exists!!), no lunch dessert, no dinner dessert, no handful of chocolate chips for a snack, no ice cream to cool off...I could keep going but you get the point. Am I feeling great for it? NOOOOOO. It sucks. It'll get better. Right?

In the meantime, let me dream about these:

Sugar Junkies

I admit it. We are huge sugar junkies. We've unfortunately instilled this in Samara as well. She has started eating less at supper in anticipation of dessert. Treats are no longer treats for us but something to be expected every day...sometimes more than once...more than twice a day.

So, it stops here. We kick the treats* today. For 21 days. Research loosely says that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Let's see, shall we? We'll keep you updated. Maybe you'd even like to join us!

*We're avoiding junk food. We're still having syrup on pancakes, brown sugar on oatmeal, sugar in coffee, etc...it's not a complete cut. It's the endless brownies, ice cream, chocolate, cookies and the like that we're hoping to avoid.

Friday Night Leftovers

• Last week and this week Shawn has had off from work. It's been SO great. I never want him to go back to work. But I really enjoy living in a nice house and having nice things so I guess come Monday, back to work he goes. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage both girls on my own again!

• I took the opportunity of having extra hands at home to get some dental work done that I'd been putting off. I got my wisdom teeth out on Wednesday. Is it bad that even though it was dental surgery, that it was also a break? You know you need to get out more when having extractions means a good time away from your kids.

• We all have summer colds. Why do summer colds seem so much worse than winter ones?
  

• Does anyone else have hair envy? I've been growing out my hair for years. I never get anything more than a trim. But it never fails that when I see or hear of someone getting a new short cut that I want to do the same. Even though I look awful with short hair and almost cry when I get trims because I feel my hair is too short.

• We went to the annual Dragon Boat Festival a couple of weeks ago. There was a band playing with a dance floor set up. I suspect we are going to have our hands full in the future...Sammy was dancing up a storm and wouldn't stop making eyes at the bass player.

• Looking for more leftovers? Head here.
  

June Recipes

It's that time again for the monthly review of recipes tried. I'll put the 4 and 5 stars out of 5 here for future reference.

Breakfasts
Honey Bran Muffins (4 stars out of 5)
Really moist. We finished them in 24 hours so I can't say whether they hold up any longer! Would be great with some raspberries or blueberries tossed in.

Lemon Muffins (2 stars out of 5)
The texture was really strange. It was more of a biscuit than a muffin. They dried out almost immediately but were decent heated up in the microwave with butter.

Crockpot Breakfast Cobbler (1.5 stars out of 5)
I followed the recipe exactly and it burnt most of the contents. There definitely wasn't enough liquid and the granola got too dry after 8 hours in the crockpot. The parts that weren't burnt were okay but the charred taste mixed throughout. Blah. Goes to show that not all new recipes can be winners!

Main Courses
Apple and Cheddar Salad with Maple Dressing (4 stars out of 5)
We added real bacon bits for some extra protein (chicken breast would also be yummy) to make this a main course. Delicious!
Dressing:
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Candied pecans:
1/2 cup pecan pieces (or walnuts)
2 tbsp maple syrup
Salad:
8 cups mixed greens
2 apples, sliced
4 oz grated cheddar cheese

1. Mix cider vinegar with maple syrup, salt and mustard. Whisk in oil.

2. To prepare pecans, combine with maple syrup. Spread on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and roast in a preheated 325 F oven for 15 to 20 min, stirring every 5 minutes until browned. Watch closely for the last 10 minutes so they don't burn. Nuts will crisp as they cool. Break them apart.

3. Place greens in a salad bowl and toss with only as much dressing as needed to coat them or to taste. Mix in apples, cheese and pecans.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks (4.5 stars out of 5)
Really easy and tasty.

Crockpot Turkey and 3 Bean Chili (3 stars out of 5)
This turned out extremely soupy but sourdough buns for dunking solved that problem. It definitely had a kick to it.

Malai Chiken Tikka (4 stars out of 5)
We ended up running out of propane while barbecuing these (DRAT!) so we had to pan fry them. They still tasted good but would've been amazing on the barbecue.

Olivia's Bacon Perogie Bake (4 stars out of 5)
1 (16-ounce) package (12) frozen potato and onion perogies
Cooking spray
6 bacon slices, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
a bit of onion, chopped (to taste)
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange the perogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray (I put tinfoil in too....this sticks pretty bad once it starts to settle out of the oven). Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.
3. Add garlic and onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over perogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Karen's Ribs (5 stars out of 5)
1 rack of meaty pork back ribs, cut into 2 or 3 rib pieces (we substituted with homestyle cut and it worked well)
Marinade:
1 jalapeno, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp celery seed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in large ziploc bag, add ribs and squish all around, and marinate in fridge at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

Turn oven to 250 F and arrange marinated ribs on a cooling rack/drip tray placed inside a baking pan. Add about an inch of water to the pan, then cover with tinfoil and bake at low temp for about 2 - 2.5 hours. Remove from oven, turn the oven to 425.

Sauce
1 tbsp EVOO or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 drops liquid smoke *

Fry garlic in oil in small saucepan, then add brown sugar and stir until sugar stars to melt. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat until it just starts to boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about half an hour. Dip ribs into sauce one at a time and use a pastry brush to wipe away excess. Bake for about half an hour, basting with additional sauce once or twice. Be careful they don't get too saucy. You want them sticky, not goopy. They're done when they just start to blacken. Serve with salad.

* You could skip the liquid smoke in the sauce and do 'em on the BBQ. Follow exactly except put them on the grill instead of into a 425 oven.

Have you tried any tasty new recipes lately? Share!

Wordless Wednesday (Trip Edition)

June Books

I did a LOT of reading in June. I took a break from Facebook and it gave me way more free time to read...which is kind of gross because it shows how much time I was wasting on there.

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott
2 stars out of 5

Clara Purdy is at a crossroads. At forty-three, she is divorced, living in her late parents' house, and near-ing her twentieth year as a claims adjuster at a local insurance firm. Driving to the bank during her lunch hour, she crashes into a sharp left turn, taking the Gage family in the other car with her. When bruises on the mother, Lorraine, prove to be late-stage cancer, Clara decides to do the right thing. She moves Lorraine's three children and their terrible grandmother into her own house—and then has to cope with the consequences of practical goodness: exhaustion, fury, hilarity, and unexpected love.

It wasn't a bad story but I didn't like how it switched from perspectives with no notice whatsoever. It made it hard to follow and know whose thoughts and actions you were a part of.

Bad Dog: A Love Story by Martin Kihn
4 stars out of 5

Meet Hola. She’s a nightmare, but it’s not her fault if she tackles strangers and chews on furniture, or if she runs after buses and fried chicken containers and drug dealers. No one ever told her not to. Worse yet, she scares her family. Hola may be the most beautiful Bernese mountain dog in the world, but she’s never been trained. At least not by anyone who knew what he was doing. Hola’s supposed master, Marty, is a high-functioning alcoholic. A TV writer turned management consultant, Marty’s in debt and out of shape; he’s about to lose his job, and one day he emerges from a haze of peach-flavored vodka to find he’s on the verge of losing his wife, Gloria, too, if he can’t get his life—and his dog—under control.

This was clever and funny...makes sense since the author also wrote for MTV's Pop-up Video. Not as warm and fuzzy as other popular dog stories of late but in a good way. The story revolves around an untrainable dog as well as the road to recovery of the author's trouble with alcoholism and his subsequent marital problems.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
5 stars out of 5

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

I was absolutely spellbound by this book. I had a hard time putting it down and when I was forced to, I couldn't stop thinking about it and what would happen. I finished it in a day and got nothing else accomplished. It was an emotional read for me. I very rarely shed a tear over books or movies and I was sobbing at parts. The story will sit with me for quite some time, I'm certain.

London Is the Best City in America by Laura Dave
4 stars out of 5

An insightful, wickedly funny story of two siblings who have found themselves at a crossroads. In mapping their struggles over one wild and emotional wedding weekend, Laura Dave gives us a brilliantly subtle and honest look at contemporary courtship, family tension, and the angst that we all experience when we have to make difficult choices.

This was an enjoyable light read. It is about relationships and finding yourself. A welcome easy read after the emotional fatigue I felt after my last novel!

Family Affair by Caprice Crane
2 stars out of 5

When Layla Brennan married her high school sweetheart, Brett Foster, she finally got the big, loving family she’d always wanted: his. Now she’s closer to Brett’s parents than he is, partners with his sister in a successful pet-photography business, and confidant to his younger brother. She couldn’t be more of a Foster if she’d been born one. There’s just one problem: Brett wants a divorce. Stunned and heartbroken, Layla turns to the Fosters for comfort, only to realize that losing Brett means losing them as well. What else can she do but sue him for the most valuable thing he’s got–namely, his family. Breaking up may be hard to do, but for Layla and Brett it’s even harder to undo.

This was okay. This used to be exactly what I used to love reading but now I found it didn't entertain me enough. I liked how each chapter was from a different main character's point of view.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
3 stars out of 5

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own. This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the event. In this remarkable novel, Christos Tsiolkas turns his unflinching and all-seeing eye onto that which connects us all: the modern family and domestic life in the twenty-first century. The Slap is told from the points of view of eight people who were present at the barbecue. The slap and its consequences force them all to question their own families and the way they live, their expectations, beliefs and desires.

I'd give this a 3.5 stars out of 5. The premise of the book hooked me...a child is slapped at a party by someone other than his parents. Each long chapter delves into the life of one of the party goers. They are all equally repulsive and appalling characters. There is much swearing, drugs, cheating and racial slurs in the chapters. Really, the characters are such pieces of crap that you don't really care what happens to most of them but you can't stop reading either.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5 stars out of 5

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

I couldn't read this book fast enough. It completely consumed me. One of the best books I've read.

How to Be a Canadian by Will Ferguson
4 stars out of 5

The ultimate guide to the country's cultural quirks. The result is a hilarious inside look at that unique species, the Canadian, and their thoughts on such diverse subjects as beer, sex, dating rituals, sports, politics, religion, social rules and, of course, their trademark death-defying search for the middle of any road.

Super funny!

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
4 stars out of 5

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv, to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

I really liked how the fictional story included true historical events. It is an event I knew nothing about. I also liked how the chapters alternated between past and present. Even though it showed Paris in a positive AND negative light, I couldn't stop daydreaming about visiting there again someday.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
5 stars out of 5

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

This was such a cute book. I don't normally like this kind of format for a book (a collection of letters) but it really worked for the topic of the book.

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
3.5 stars out of 5

After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning.

A fast read that I thought was good and had an unexpected twist at the end.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4.5 stars out of 5

This is book #2 of the Hunger Games (reviewed above). I won't give a plot summary as it will ruin the ending of book #1.

I read this in a day because it's just so easy to get caught up in the story and HAVE to know what happens. It wasn't quite as good as the first but still so engrossing.

The Divorce Party: A Novel by Laura Dave
4 stars out of 5

A multigenerational novel about love, family, and what it means to build a life with someone, The Divorce Party brings us two immensely appealing women: Gwyn, at the end of her marriage, and her future daughter-in-law, Maggie, at the beginning. Though they make very different choices, both women ultimately discover how to create the lives that they most want to lead.

Nothing deep or meaningful but a great summer read.

Last Night at Chateah Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
4 stars out of 5

Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York – she's the breadwinner working two jobs and he's the struggling musician husband. Then Julian is discovered by a Sony exec and becomes an overnight success – and their life changes for ever.

The perfect summer read...light with lots of juicy drama. I spent most of the book wishing the character would grow a backbone but it was still really enjoyable.

What have you been reading? What's your favorite book?