The Joyful Weekly Edit | August 20th
Where bookish finds, Substack gems & joyful moments meet plus all the fun holidays to bookmark for the week ahead!
Good Morning Joyful Readers!
Creating a habit takes time and dedication. And I’ll be honest, I forgot what day of the week it was — hence the delayed posting time today. I write notes throughout the week but Tuesday evening is when I’ve been making the final touches and scheduling my post. What was I doing last night instead of writing? Mushing up the 11 super ripe bananas in our kitchen to make tons of banana muffins because baked goods are best when shared, right?
Do you have any tips to share on how you’ve created habits in your own life? I’d love to know what’s worked for you.
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Bookish Notes
It’s Summer and it’s Augtober too; part of me longs for summer beach reads while another part of me is screaming for Fall and all the witchy reads. And because I’m a self-proclaimed mood reader, I’m 100% here for all of it. I honestly don’t understand how someone could be anything other than a mood-reader but maybe that’s just a bookstagram term and all the non-bookstagram people are living their lives reading whatever they feel like at any given moment —that’s how I picture it anyway.
This past week brought TONS of book mail my way. Needless to say my TBR shelves are overflowing with great options to choose from. One of my new favorites is Where to Go When with Kids from LonelyPlanet. They make the best travel books and I’m so incredibly lucky to received them for free from the publisher!
I must confess that I started using Goodreads again to track my books and it’s made a huge difference in the way I stay organized. I know Goodreads is owned by Amazon but there’s a few features that just don’t compare for me in alternatives like StoryGraph. And while I want to support BIPOC women-owned businesses (I was a premium StoryGraph member last year), I need something that’s quick and easy. I still hold out hope that the user experience will improve and that I can one day make the full transition to SG but for now, Goodreads it is.
What’s bringing me joy:
Continuing to take our kiddo to swim school. She’s having so much fun and this past weekend we stopped in at a fun cafe for coffee and breakfast afterwards.
We went to the children’s science museum again and our kiddo had so much fun. It’s so cool getting to watch her learn and grow.
The rainbow of bookish candles from Novelly Yours. They all smell good and they brighten up my day every time I see them on my bookshelf. P.S. I’m currently a rep for her shop — use code JOYFULBLOGGER to save at checkout!
We bought new sets of bath towels - we’ve always had white towels but decided to change it up and got some gorgeous navy ones.
In an attempt to waste less food, I got a weekly meal planner notepad. It’s only been a few days but I have a feeling it’s going to be a game changer for us. Love when something so simple can be so impactful.
If anything here resonates, leave a comment below. I love hearing how these finds bring joy to your life too.
The Shelves of a Mood Reader
I recently cleaned off my nightstand and it’s so calming to see when I get in bed now.
Finished Reading
📖 Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter ✨ Paperback gifted from Berkley Romance ✨
Quick Take: billionaire and the maid + fake dating = laugh out loud funny ✨Overall it was a classic fun Lynn Painter romance; well written and filled with witty humor and great chemistry. A few details I would’ve changed but overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. Included interesting perspective of the ultra-wealthy and their views on accumulating things.
Started Reading
📖 How The Hell Did I Not Know That?: My Midlife Year from Couch to Curiosity by Lucie Frost ✨ Nonfiction humor ✨ I received an early finished copy from Kaye Publicity. A few pages in and it’s already got my laughing along.
📖 Summer in the City by Alex Astor ✨ Special hardback edition with sprayed edges gifted from the publisher ✨ Only one chapter in and I can tell it’s going to be a steamy one!
Continued Reading
📱 My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak ✨ eBook available in Kindle Unlimited ✨ I’m reading the books for the first time before season 2 airs on tv
🎧 Loud by Drew Afualo ✨ Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby ✨ I’ve never heard of her before but she is funny and so real. Great listen so far.
📱 You Can’t Have It All by Stassi Schroeder ✨ eBook available in Everand ✨Nonfiction mom humor - I’m reading the ebook but imagine the audiobook is a fun way to enjoy it!
📖 Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found by
✨ Hardback purchased at Always Here Books in Portland ✨Nonfiction memoir📖 UpWorthy Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity ✨ Hardback copy gifted from TLC Book Tours ✨Nonfiction feel good short stories
DNF’ed
📖 Breathe, Mama, Breathe by Shonda Moralis ✨DNF’ed not for me - I thought this was about mindfulness but it was about meditation
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Food that brought my family joy:
Friday night is pizza night in my family. My husband and I have been eating pizza every Friday for years. (We’ve been together for 10 years, so this tradition has been going on for at least 6-8 years now.)
Recipe Notes: This past week we bought little yeast packets and made our own pizza dough for the first time. It was mildly successful and we’ll definitely give it another try this week.
Next time we’ll make sure the oven reaches 425 before putting the pizza in!
Random things on my mind:
This past week we went through our freezer and tossed an embarrassing amount of old freezer-burnt food. Did you know that you can’t leave things in the freezer forever? 😆 I also need to go through our pantry and tossed expired food too. I know super processed things like chips and soda don’t necessarily get gross and moldy but they do go stale and flat.
— Note to self, look up recommended timeframe for keeping food in the freezer!
August holidays to celebrate:
Check out the full list over on the blog.
Check out my Substack blog for additional weekly content and joyful finds!
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With joy from the stacks
I just love following you and reading this every week.