5 Bookish Things I’m Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! My little family of 4 will be celebrating here, safely in our home. We miss our family SO MUCH and can’t wait to hug them and celebrate fun holidays with them in the future! I woke up extra early this morning so I could get this post published before settling myself on our couch to watch the Macy’s Day Parade with my family from our couch. One of my favorite traditions of the entire year! I’ll be curious to see how it will be done virtually this year??? In honor of Thanksgiving, here are 5 Bookish Things I’m Thankful for This Year:

1. When My Daughter Has Random Breaks Throughout Her Virtual Learning Day

My 3rd grader has been virtual learning all year and she will randomly have breaks throughout the school day. 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, etc. We have a routine where she will yell, “BREAK” and my son and I will stop whatever we are doing to run and join her on our living room couch for some quiet reading time. I. LOVE. IT. I grab a book, she grabs a book, and my son grabs headphones and the ipad (to listen to books being real aloud to him on the EPIC app). This picture was from this past Tuesday afternoon (her school had pajama day). Remote learning for the WIN!

2. My Beloved Book Light

If you have been following me for any length of time, you most definitely already know about my obsession with my (obviously old and much loved) book light. I very literally use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s one of the first things I put on my list to pack when I go on vacation! I love, love, love my dear book light. You can read all about her and my obsession with her HERE.

3. My Library’s Drive Thru Service

Illinois has already been put on strict orders to stay at home as much as possible. My amazing library drive thru has absolutely SAVED me during this pandemic, still allowing me to have access to unlimited books. I’m always thankful for this service but I’ve been a MILLION times more thankful for it in 2020! You can read about my experience with my wonderful library’s drive thru HERE.

4. Elin Hilderbrand

(Picture from Facebook)

I’m so thankful for Elin Hilderbrand. I finished reading THIS BOOK last week and I CANNOT get those characters and story lines out of my head. I’ve tried to read 2 books since then and unfortunately haven’t been able to fully appreciate either because my heart is still with Mallory and Jake. I’m fearful that I’ll never be able to love another book because I simply can’t imagine any book comparing to this one! Oh how I loved this book. If you are looking for an amazing book to read while in quarantine, this is it. Trust me.

5. The Amazon Product I Never Knew I Needed

I. LOVE. THIS. PRODUCT. How did I live without this for over 40 years??? I have been able to read so many more book pages at random times due to this product. Read more about my experience with it HERE.

And with that, I’m off to make coffee and watch the Macy’s Day Parade with my family! HAPPY THANKSGIVING to those who celebrate 🙂 I am thankful for so, so many things this year and that includes YOU!!!

What are you thankful for this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_5573-1.jpg

Random Thoughts From a Book Blogger

Hiiiiiii! This post is filled with a whole bunch of super random thoughts from a book blogger…

I won an Instagram giveaway from Jennastopreading and I’m so excited! Look at these amazing books that she sent me! Have you read any of these? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I’m so excited to read 3 of them (I’ve actually already read Small Great Things so I am paying it forward and giving it to one of my besties to read…you can read my VERY unpopular thoughts on that book HERE).

A few weeks ago I was laying in bed reading a library copy of The Guest List by Lucy Foley (review coming soon!) and suddenly right at a VERY intense part…this object fell out from the pages and straight onto my chest. Scared the HELL out of me. A business card. From a FUNERAL HOME. Stuck smack in the pages of a very ominous murder mystery thriller. Rigggggght as I was reading a super intense part of the story so I was already on edge. OMG.

Yesterday I posted that I was currently reading this book:

Aaaaaaand I just couldn’t get into it and decided to call it quits last night. It has the potential to be great…but honestly I was just too bored to stick around and find out. Like I always say, too many amazing books out there to read one you aren’t loving! Moving on…

I’m currently reading:

I started reading it last night and will post a full review once I finish! I’ve heard it’s amazing.

We ran out of half and half yesterday and I’m currently drinking my coffee with milk. Ugh. Gross.

The final round of the Goodreads Best Books of 2020 is posted and voting is open until 11/30! American Dirt without a doubt got my vote in the fiction category (I LOVED THAT BOOK! Read my review HERE). Which book did you vote for???

This is the most random blog post ever! Tell me something random going on with you!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

1 Single Life Changing Reading Habit

I am an only child. Growing up, my life was always so quiet as I was the only kid running around! I absolutely LOVED it! Reading in silence? Check! Going to sleep in silence? Check! The first time I ever had the experience of living with other peoples’ noise was when I got to college. It was a huge wake up call for me (quite literally….for the first time ever I experienced being woken up by my peers). It was a life changing experience for me for sure. Why were people and their habits so LOUD???

The older I get, the more I appreciate the gift of being able to surround myself in silence. I have obviously always been one of those people who loves to be alone (again…only child). Being alone and being HAPPY to be alone is something that I do not take for granted. Many people HATE being alone….not I 🙂 This is something that I’m trying my best to teach my children. Surrounding yourself with people is truly a gift….but….so is loving yourself enough to enjoy your own company.

I’ve always loved quiet. Do you remember on one of my visits back to my college where I showed a picture of my favorite study spot??? Waaaaay down in the library basement alllll the way in the very corner. Where it was silent with quite literally zero distractions!

Now does it make a bit more sense as to why reading is my favorite hobby???

Since childhood, I’ve needed utter and complete silence to enjoy reading a book. If there was even the SLIGHTEST bit of noise, I couldn’t do it.

And then…the Coronavirus quarantine of 2020 happened. And each afternoon I found myself sitting outside while my kids happily frolicked together with a hose, sprinkler, sidewalk chalk, bikes, scooters, frisbees, etc. And as I watched them play, I was struck over and over by the same thought: wouldn’t this be a lovely time to enjoy a book?

I am a huge believer in self care and for me, reading IS my self care. Being quarantined with 2 young children means alone time is extremely hard to come by these days. If I was going to continue to read each day, I was going to need to come up with a solution. And fast.

One Single Life Changing Reading Habit

The first time I tried it I was completely convinced that it wouldn’t work. There was NO way that I could properly immerse myself in a book while at the same time listen to my kids happily playing with each other just a few feet from me. I gave it a shot…and….

IT. WAS. OK. Howwwwwwwwwwwwww?????

APPARENTLY I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO READ WITH BACKGROUND NOISE.

This is something I have attempted and failed at doing for YEARS! It literally took a global pandemic for me to finally embrace this new skill.

Here are some random shots of me reading throughout the quarantine WITH BACKGROUND NOISE. Mind. Blown.

(You can read a synopsis and my review of I Wish You All The Best HERE)

(You can read a synopsis and my review of Last Couple Standing HERE)

(You can read a synopsis and my review of American Dirt HERE)

(You can read the synopsis and my review of The Perfect Girlfriend HERE)

(You can read the synopsis and my review of The Sun Down Motel HERE)

(You can read my review of The Other’s Gold HERE)

Are you able to read with background noise or do you need total silence? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS (even if it’s noisy)!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

My First Time Inside Of My Library Since March

I have been taking advantage of our library’s AMAZING drive thru service for months. I’m honestly not sure what I would have done this whole time without it! Reading is something that I obviously do on a regular basis and I depend on my library. This pandemic has taken so many things away but thanks to the amazing library drive thru, access to books has not been one of them! The drive thru window has been an absolute blessing (you can read more about my experience with this HERE) for me and has provided me with some amazing reading material over these past few months. Bless you, library drive thru window.

Last week, I was texting with a fellow book loving friend about a book I have been wanting to read (28 Summers by Elin Hildebrand). My friend texted me this:

(I cropped out her contact info before posting this screenshot but kept in my response telling her about the new Carole Baskin show. You’re welcome). As for her words about the library…that was the push that I needed! So the next day I masked up, put my fears aside, and decided that it was time.

I posted this on Facebook:

I walked in and I’m not going to lie…I was nervous! And excited! And terrified! All at the same time. This was a big step for me as our family has been taken this quarantine quite seriously.

As soon as I walked by the woman making sure the patrons were all wearing masks, the very first thing I saw was a man walking around with cleaning spray and wiping down surfaces. Made me instantly feel so much better!

I went straight to the New Releases and took my time browsing through titles. It felt so GOOD! I have missed doing this SO MUCH. Reserving books online for drive thru pickup has been an absolute blessing but being able to actually walk through the stacks made my heart so happy.

The last time I was here…March 12th. Mind. Blown.

And today:

So how was my experience visiting the library during a pandemic? GREAT. Everything was so clean, the lady at the checkout wore gloves, every safety precaution was in place, everyone was wearing a mask OVER their noses, and there were hardly any patrons there. I felt completely safe and my heart felt completely happy.

I walked around and around the stacks (I’m baaaaaaaaaack) and soon it was clear that it was my time to leave. I sadly walked out to my car…and literally laughed out loud as I said to the lady standing about 10 feet away from me, “I guess I was pretty excited when I got here!” I mean…look at how I parked my car (mine’s the black SUV), lol.

Ridiculous.

My library haul (clearly I’m in the mood for a psychological thriller, lol):

Have you read any of these books? Which should I read first?

I hope all of you are staying safe. Have you ventured into your local library yet? I can’t wait to go back! Not today…but soon 😉

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

Our Amazing Return Visit To Spring Lake, Michigan

2 months ago our family took the most lovely vacation to Spring Lake, Michigan. We rented a cottage literally on the lake and we spent a week frolicking in the water, playing in the sand, eating delicious food, and quarantining ourselves in the most wonderfully safe way. Before we even left, my husband had booked us a return visit over Labor Day weekend and we literally counted down the days from the second we got home until this last weekend. Read all about our first trip to Spring Lake HERE.

I mean…how could we NOT want to return when this was our backyard???

(For another video of this gorgeous view, check out my video on THIS POST)

I spent this last trip reading The Lies That Bind {Emily Giffin}(affiliate). It was the only book that I read while I was there and finished about 2 hours before we left to come home. I will have my full review posted later this week!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_0632-1.jpg

I present to you…the best meal of the trip. Village Baker PERFECTION. We ate there not once, not twice, but THREE times over a 2 day span. IT’S SO DELICIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL THERE. One of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. Absolutely love it there.

2 eggs, cheddar cheese, grilled Asiago cheese scone. And heaven. Little bits of heaven sprinkled in throughout. Omgggggg…..

We found a gorgeous bike trail in Hart, Michigan. Stunning bike ride AND every street sign has a heart on it?! My dream town 🙂

Back at our cottage, my husband and my kids spent hours fishing and caught so many fish! My choice: The Lies That Bind > squirming, bloody fish.

Meanwhile…

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_0626-1.jpg

My favorite Amazon product traveled with me!

Early morning reading by the lake while everyone else was still sleeping. THE BEST.

View from outside the kitchen window. So breathtaking, right? See that chair and table? Still set up from my reading scenario the previous day. LOVE.

Wouldn’t be a vacation without me noticing the local library as we drove past, lol.

I saw these earrings in a gorgeous beachside boutique and I think they might be the best thing I’ve ever seen. The Golden Girls! The Clintons! Donald Trump! Rebecca and Jack Pearson! Macaulay Culkin! Meghan and Harry! Justin Bieber! The cast of Friends! Justin Timberlake! Beyonce and Jay Z! Taylor Swift! Omgggggggggggg

Kim and Kayne! I WAS DYING.

Love this sign so, so much.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. IT’S NOT HARD, PEOPLE.

This was actually our 6th visit to beautiful Michigan and each time we come, we fall more and more in love with the picturesque beach towns, the gorgeous water, the friendly people, and the delicious food. 2 years ago, Jon and I came for 4 days all alone while my parents watched our kids. It was quiet, relaxing, and lovely! You can read about that trip HERE.

During that trip 2 years ago, I came across the cutest coffee mug in one of the stores in Grand Haven. I even took a picture with it:

I’m not sure why I didn’t buy it but that mug has literally haunted me for the past 2 years. When we were shopping in downtown Grand Haven this past July, I was determined to figure out which store I found it at and to see if by some miracle they still had it! I described the store to another shop owner in the area who immediately told me where the shop was located. I was so excited! I went straight there…and discovered that half of it is now a dog products store (??) and the other half is now a toy store…and although they DID randomly have tons of mugs, none were mine. I even sat there and went through EVERY. SINGLE. MUG. BOX. in search of my special mug. Nothing. The man working gave me the name of another store down the strip which had bought lots of the goods from the store when it was divided up. So….I dragged my family to yet ANOTHER store in search of my mug. Found the store, did not find the mug. I went into a bunch of other stores on the strip in hopes that THEY might have it and…nothing. I was brokenhearted but accepted that it just wasn’t meant to be.

Fast forward 2 months later and we were in the brand new to us town of Pentwater, Michigan (side note: LOVED THIS TOWN). My daughter and I were walking through an adorably cluttered store where you literally had to look evvvvvvvvverywhere because there was so much to look at. I spy old school trolls (the BEST) on the ceiling!

So her and I were walking along when suddenly…

I grabbed her arm and just stared. She followed my eyes and exclaimed, “CUP OF HAPPY!” This mug is even more beautiful than the original and so much more “me”. Totally meant to be. SOLD. I have happily used it every single day since we’ve been back.

Best, happiest souvenir. Literally brings me such joy when I use it! Totally worth the 2 year wait.

Thank you, Michigan, for once again providing our family with the very best memories. Already trying to figure out when we can return!

I hope you had a lovely long Labor Day weekend! I’ll have my review of The Lies That Bind posted later this week!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

Happy 2nd Birthday, Book Coffee Happy!

Today Book Coffee Happy turns TWO! Happy 2nd Birthday to my most favorite hobby!

2 years ago, I decided that it was time for me to stop only READING blogs and it was time for me to start WRITING my own blog.

Writing this blog has proven to be the creative outlet that I didn’t even know I was missing. I love writing it, researching for it, planning my posts, and thinking of the little reading community that I have built here.

I have met so many wonderful people through my little corner of the Internet. I have reconnected with old friends, made many new friends, discovered WONDERFUL books, and have found a way to share my passion of reading with so many people. All because of Book Coffee Happy.

I have allowed myself to share bits of my personal life on here which have proven to be some of my favorite posts I’ve written!

Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for subscribing to my blog, following me on Facebook, following me on Instagram, following me on Twitter (I’m still not entirely sure how to use Twitter but I try, lol) and following me on YouTube.

Thank you for all of your support and most of all, thank you for all of your love!

You can read about Book Coffee Happy’s 1st birthday where I accidentally dropped a cupcake directly onto my sleeping child last year HERE.

**Note that the 1st birthday post is so much grander than the 2nd birthday post. We are in the middle of a global pandemic, we just returned from a vacation, and I haven’t been to the grocery store to buy what I was hoping would become an annual celebratory cupcake. All I’ve got here is a “2” candle because when I saw these perfect pink candles when my daughter was 1 year old…I BOUGHT ALL OF THE NUMBERS FOR HER CAKES UNTIL SHE TURNS 13. I dare you to find anyone else more Type A than I.**

Happy 2nd Birthday, Book Coffee Happy!

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

Video Greetings From Spring Lake, Michigan and The Swap {Robyn Harding} Giveaway Winners!

Hello from Beautiful Spring Lake, Michigan! My family and I are here livin’ the gorgeous lake life over the long Labor Day weekend. I want to quickly pop on here and upload this video that I took this morning of myself choosing the 2 giveaway winners for Robyn Harding’s newest book, The Swap!

**You can read the book synopsis, read my review, read Melissa Amster from Chick Lit Central’s review, AND read my Q&A with Robyn Harding HERE.**

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend filled with books and love! I’m off to go on a gorgeous bike ride with my family…Talk soon!

Giveaway Winners Selection Video:

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing That is Currently Making Me Happy (#1)

Book Coffee Happy’s newest series where I share the book I’m currently reading, the coffee I’m currently drinking, and 1 thing that is currently making me happy! *This post contains affiliate links*

Book I’m Currently Reading:

Goodreads Synopsis of One to Watch {Kate Stayman-London}:

Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers–and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?

Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition–under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.

But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, razor-sharp debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men–and herself–for a chance to live happily ever after.

You can buy the book HERE! I will post a full review once I finish reading!

Coffee I’m Currently Drinking:

I clearly drink a large amount of coffee. While what I put IN my coffee stays pretty consistent (Splenda and half and half for the win), I DO like to switch up the brands of coffee I buy pretty regularly. I always drink medium roast but this this new to me coffee brand and it’s light roast caught my eye last week at the grocery store. The verdict? Delicious! You can buy it HERE!

And speaking of coffee, how is it that we are 6 months in and I STILL can’t get used to not trying to drink coffee while wearing a mask??? I pick up my coffee, bring it up to my lips, and…mask. Anyone else??? This would be me last week in the Portillo’s drive thru waiting for my chopped salad and just wanting to take a quick sip of coffee…Grrrrr….

Side Note: Someone apparently still hasn’t felt safe enough to get herself a salon manicure, lol….

Currently Making Me Happy:

Our gorgeous new ipad case that my 8 year old daughter picked out. What 8 year old has such beautiful taste?! Linked HERE !

Be sure to check back here on Wednesday! I have a VERY exciting post to share! A book review not only from myself but from another book blogger, a Q & A with a VERY popular and amazing author, AND A GIVEAWAY for 2 lucky readers of an AWESOME new book! Can’t wait to share 🙂

What are you currently reading?

What coffee are you currently enjoying?

What is 1 thing currently making you HAPPY?

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

I Hate Change, WordPress!

I HATE CHANGE. I also hate technology. Combine the 2 and well…this is why I haven’t posted a new blog post in over 2 weeks. WordPress has officially launched it’s “Block Editor” to replace it’s “Classic Editor”. They have been warning of this change (note my use of the word “warning” and not “announcing”) for months but now…IT’S OFFICIALLY HERE. Clearly I’ve been ignoring this foreshadowing for months and pretending like it was never going to happen. Note to self: not the way to deal with change.

I hate the new editor. If you follow me on Instagram, I have been documenting my saga with emailing WordPress, their responses, and all that I have been doing to fight this change kicking and screaming. For those of you who are not bloggers, the “editor” is basically the entire layout of how your blog posts are written. Change the editor and basically it changes the entire way you write your posts. I SHOULD have been spending my time over the past few months researching this and trying to learn all that I could so this change wouldn’t have been so sudden. #hindsight. Instead I simply clicked the “DO NOT SHOW THE NEW EDITOR LAYOUT” button that was presented many months ago, figured I would worry about it later, and just kept blogging the only way that I knew how. Oops.

The first person at WordPress who responded to my complaint told me that I could easily go back to the old editor. Lovely! However, what he told me to do didn’t work. Dammit. The second person at WordPress who responded to my complaint told me that there isn’t a way that I can go back to the old editor and that the new editor is here to stay. He apologized for the misunderstanding. I did not accept his apology.

I immediately started thinking of a different way to word yet ANOTHER email asking to help me find a way around this new editor…and then I took a deep breath.

Change is hard, change is scary, but sometimes…change is necessary. I think it’s time for me to put on my big girl panties (that’s an expression, right? Seeing it in print is making me second guess that, lol) and figure out this technology stuff on my own. This afternoon I watched a YouTube video on how the new editor works, I googled how the new editor works, and I wrote an entire page of notes in my blog notebook on what I’ve learned. I’m so ridiculously Type A and the fact that I suddenly have no idea what I’m doing is awful for me. BUT I miss blogging! This is my favorite hobby and not doing it because I’m scared of change is silly. Time for those big girl panties…

Man do I hate technology.

Like so many other things in life, I think the only way I am going to actually learn this and feel comfortable will be to just DO IT. I somehow figured out how to start and maintain my blog all this time, right? When I started blogging, I knew NOTHING about any of this and I learned every single thing on my own. I worked so hard! I researched, I asked questions, I filled page after page in my notebook of things that I learned. It will forever be an accomplishment that I’m so proud of.

If I did it once, I can do it again….right?

So this is my “test” post to see how it goes. My first post in this stupid new editor.

Change is Hard

Although I clearly haven’t been blogging, I absolutely HAVE been reading! I have 4 book reviews for you just sitting and piling up waiting for me to blog about them. This includes a VERY exciting review of an AMAZING book with a special guest blogger’s review, my review, AND a question and answer portion with a very popular author! Truth be told, it’s that post which is killing me the most not to share and what ultimately prompted me to suck it up and just figure all of this stupid technology stuff out on my own.

My library books were so overdue that they library has been calling me EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I’ve debated telling them that I’m a book blogger resistant to change and I need these books to write my posts…but then I remembered that they wouldn’t care 🙂 So today, I snapped photos of each book for upcoming posts and returned the overdue books that I had already read.

Alright, let’s try to insert a picture….here goes nothing…

Ok I think I did it! I think it actually worked! (That photo would be the current situation at my desk. I’ve got coffee, a calming candle, and a gold sparkly notebook with my notes on how to do this post. Deep breaths).

So that’s where I have been! Thank you to those of you who have reached out asking where I’ve been. Just hiding from my computer and saying nasty things about WordPress on my Instagram stories, no big deal 🙂

How does this post look to you? Normal?

Now that I have done 1 post….maaaaaaaaybe I’ll try to attempt another one at some point this week??? I really want to get these book reviews posted for you guys because some (not all) of these books that I have been reading were so amazing.

I. HATE. CHANGE.

Do you do well with change? Clearly I do NOT 🙂 Any advice for me on how to overcome this???

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

Our Amazing Getaway to Spring Lake, Michigan

As soon as the pandemic started, my husband immediately began researching lake houses that we could rent. We wanted a place where we could safely socially distance from others and give our kids wonderful memories. After months of searching online, he found us the perfect cottage located in Spring Lake, Michigan. We booked it and immediately I started writing out my list of what to bring in my new Erin Condren planner. I actually laughed and grabbed my phone to snap a picture when I realized what the very first items were that I had just written. These were clearly quite high on my priority list of items not to forget! Eventually this entire page was filled with things to bring once I had those first 3 items written down, lol.

And somehow those 3 items morphed into this:

We stopped for lunch in one of our favorite towns…Saugatuck, Michigan. (Although indoor seating was available at restaurants, we always chose to eat outside at the restaurants we went to).

We arrived at our cottage and the view from our new backyard literally took our breath away. Perfection.

Catching frogs!

On our very first morning there, my daughter and I woke up before anyone else and snuck outside to read with a view. I ended up doing this every single morning we were there and it was just as peaceful and blissful as it looks.

Eventually my son woke up and joined us. American Dirt for me, Babysitters Club book #2 for my daughter, and dinosaur and Elmo books for my son.

So, so happy.

We drove past this hotel and I immediately thought of The Sun Down Hotel! AHHHHHH! THIS is EXACTLY how I pictured that hotel to look, even down to the sign. Such a better image than the one on the cover of the book based upon the descriptions written. The cover of that book is GORGEOUS but this is such a better representation of how I imagined that hotel to look as I was reading (you can read my review of The Sun Down Motel HERE).

My daughter and my husband fishing! The view from our dining room window. So amazing, right?!

Bike ride through a gorgeous forest…

Traveling during a global pandemic definitely was a strange experience.

Obsessed.

Cherry picking!

There was a swan family and a duck family who came to visit us each day.

After being in the lake all day, it felt great to take a shower and feel pretty 🙂

Fact: lobster rolls are in my top 5 favorite foods of all time. If there is a lobster roll on a menu, I will never even consider ordering anything else.

I brought my laptop thinking that blogging by the lake would be such fun! This picture would be the exact spot that my computer sat from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. Never even opened the bag, lol.

Dirt road leading to our private oasis.

One afternoon we sat down to an outdoor restaurant and this was my view. Ummm YES PLEASE. As soon as the order was placed, my daughter and I literally JUMPED up to go and check it out!

Oh it was so lovely! I didn’t take any pictures inside because I was trying not to touch my phone but I could have spent hours upon hours in there. It was amazing. We didn’t have nearly enough time but both her and I did manage to each find a treasure to buy. I was excited to find a book by the same author as The Housekeeper which I really enjoyed (read my review HERE). My daughter bought a present for my son which he loved! I had such a nice conversation with the man working and I promised that I would come back! If you are ever in the area, you need to check this place out…

Pontoonin’! Always drinking hot coffee, even in 90 degree weather 🙂

So handsome.

I read 1 page on that boat. Literally 1 page.

My husband took this video and I had no idea…

“I’m crushing this!!!” LOL

And now I present to you the most delicious meal of the trip. Goat cheese, strawberries, walnuts, maple balsamic vinaigrette, and added grilled chicken breast. OMG. I loved it so much that I went back a few days later and ordered a second one to go to have for lunch the following day! Here is a link to the restaurant if you are ever in the area. DELICIOUS.

Lake lunch 🙂 Day 2 of THE SALAD.

Perfect magnet in a cute Grand Haven boutique. #truth

Cutest coffee mug from one of our delicious breakfasts.

6 mile family bike ride. Best bike ride of my life, it was so beautiful!

My family totally indulged me when I yelled “I SEE A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY!” The 3 of them immediately pulled over to wait for me as I turned my bike around and headed straight back to this little gem:

None of the books caught my eye but for about 20 seconds I debated taking this bookmark ONLY because so many of you ALWAYS call me out for folding down the pages of books, lol. BUT…then I remembered that I love folding those pages so I left the bookmark right where I found it to become a treasure for someone with better book manners than I 😉

After 6 miles we were SWEATY and desperately needed water. We found a local farmer’s market and immediately asked where the water was. The lady watched our 4 faces fall when she told us that there weren’t any vendors selling water! We accepted our fate and started shopping for other things. A few minutes later, she quietly told me that she had 3 bottles of water for her personal use but that I could buy them off of her! DONE. Wife and Mother of the year when I presented those bottles to my family! As we were leaving the market sipping our delicious water, the farmer’s market organizer asked where we got them. I answered “black market” 🙂

We left with fresh raspberries, fresh blueberries, honey sticks, a loaf of bread, and the most delicious water anyone has ever tasted. Delightful.

And suddenly it was our last day of our perfect getaway. As my husband and I sat on the beach watching our kids SO happily frolicking in the lake, he pulled out his phone and booked us a return trip for Labor Day weekend! YESSSSSSSSS! Best husband and father. Countdown starts NOW!

And now…we are back home. Breakfast on our first day back included farmer’s market blueberries and also a mug that I bought from one of my favorite restaurants that I have ever been to 🙂 If you are ever in the area, my whole family and I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! This beautiful mug with it’s beautiful memories will make me smile for many years to come.

Michigan cherries have been turned into Illinois muffins! My husband and my kids say they are the best muffins they have ever had! Mama for the WIN! 🙂 🙂 🙂

AND I have quite successfully recreated my new favorite salad down to the homemade salad dressing! NAILED IT!

Thank you all so much for reading about our adventure! We had the very best week filled with the very best memories. Socially distanced perfection!

Thank you for allowing me to take a break from talking about books to share a bit of my personal life with you 🙂 As you can see I have been doing lots of reading…and I have 2 book reviews to write and publish for you ASAP!

I hope you all had a wonderful week filled with love and books!

You can read about our trip to Michigan that we took last fall (without our kids!) HERE.

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE