Happy Monday, friends. I'm not going to sugar coat it. Last week was rough.

We ended up back in the pediatrician's office because Alexis's cough just wasn't getting better. Good thing, too, because she'd developed an ear infection that wasn't there the week before. So now she's on antibiotics and we're finally seeing improvement. Of course, it doesn't help that our temperatures decided to climb back into summer territory. Seriously, there are 80s in our forecast this week...followed by a 30-degree drop back to winter.

In other news, this is my busiest month of the year. In addition to tons of holiday plans and school break, I practically lose a work week. So I've been trying to plan out my blog content, but there are a lot of holes right now, and honestly, there's a good chance the stuff I've put on my blog calendar won't happen if I get behind with other stuff.

We've also still got a lot of Christmas shopping to do. I've only actually crossed one person off our list, although we're very close to being finished with Alexis, too. Thankfully, I've got ideas for pretty much everybody on my list and a gift list app on my phone to help me keep it all straight.

This week, I'll be finishing up magazine distribution and busting my butt to get all my January editorial content done. That said, I better get to it.

Have a wonderful week!

How are we in December already? This year has felt like it's flown by so quickly. November was a pretty tough month, actually, and trying to find things to be thankful for wasn't easy. But I still wanted to share some of the things that made my life better in some way.

Plaid Shacket - This is the one fall and winter trend I was most skeptical about. I love a good button-down shirt, especially a plaid one this time of year, but I worried that a shirt jacket would just add bulk to my shoulders. But every time I saw one on someone else, my curiosity grew a little more. Then I tried this one and fell in love. It's the perfect weight for our not-quite-cold winters. The only thing it's missing, in my opinion, are pockets.

Kindle Paper White - I've actually talked about downgrading from a Fire tablet to the Paper White a few times this month, but I definitely had to include it on this list. After getting over the initial sensory shock of there being no color on any of the book covers, I really have enjoyed having just an e-reader. I especially like that the screen doesn't have any glare and that there aren't random notifications distracting me every five seconds.

Shadows and Shade book series - This series has been on my TBR list for quite awhile, but I'd been waiting until most of the series was released before starting it. So I've read the first four books and am in love! The next book releases at the end of this week, and I'm not sure if it's the final in the series, but I can't wait to continue the journey.

Monat Super Nourish Oil Cream Shampoo & Conditioner - Having naturally curly hair, I'm no stranger to dried-out tresses, especially as the weather turns colder. I had been using the Advanced Hydrating line, but it suddenly seemed as if my hair was drinking it in but not being satisfied. So I moved to the next level of intensity, and it was as if my hair sighed in relief.

Letter Opener - This is probably the most random entry on here, but I finally bought myself a letter opener, and it has made my life so much better.

Nutella - I'm aware how far behind the times I am to have just discovered the goodness of Nutella, but better late than never.

November was the month of getting sidetracked by random series and not finishing most of the books I started in favor of those. But I do not regret it. Not one bit.

In other reading news, I downgraded from my Amazon Fire tablet to a Kindle Paper White. For one thing, my Fire was pretty old and not running as fast as it should. I also was only using it for books, so it felt like a waste. There are some pretty big differences between the Fire and the Paper White. First, the Paper White is black and white, which kind of threw me for a loop the first time I visited the Kindle store. Going from colorful, vibrant covers to flat black-and-white ones was a shock to my system, especially considering the covers are what often gets me to click through to the blurb. Second, the Paper White is much smaller and lighter, which is nice. It's also glare-free and waterproof, which gives me some piece of mind when I read in the tub. I also like that I'm not constantly distracted by random notifications like with the Fire. And the battery lasts wayyyyyy longer.

So, all in all, no complaints on the downgrade. Now, on to the books!

Author: Jarica James

The second installation in the Spirit Vlog series has our ghost hunters investigating an old amusement park. But ghosts are the least of their problems on thus hunt. Brea and the Ghost Dudes call on the aid of a local coven to cleanse the park but soon discover Brea's number one fan isn't as harmless as she thought.

This is just a fun little series. I really like Brea, and I like the parallels to the ghost hunting show that I watch with my husband. If you're into that kind of thing, I recommend this.

Author: Jessica Park

Allison is a college junior who keeps to herself. Her only friend is a girl who grew up in the foster system with her. Then she gets roped into a social experiment with a social media sensation and her life completely changes. Now, Allison has a boyfriend and is being more social, but her best friend has really terrible news. News that Allison might not be able to overcome.

This book completely wrecked me, but in the best way. It is amazingly well written. Everyone should read it.

Woman of Blood & Bone (Rogue Ethereal book 1)

Author: Annie Anderson

Max is a witch...and something else. She's been exiled from her coven and has been making her way in the world for centuries pretty much on her own. She's died a lot, too. When she tries to save a pregnant woman from her abusive partner, Max somehow winds up with a demon's slave brand. The only way to break the connection is to kill the demon, but that won't be easy.

I'm not sure if I'll continue with this. I didn't dislike the first book, and it ends in kind of a cliffhanger, but I don't feel the call to read the next book.

The Harlequin Crew - Books 1-4

Author: Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

I'm a fan of this author duo, having recently read the Dark Fae series and loved it. I've been enjoying the character dynamics in these books, but will say that I feel like some parts of it have been overly drawn out. I'm not sure if I felt that way about the other series. There are also a lot of references to yet another series that I've been aware of but had no interest in reading.

Author: J'nell Ciesielski

I really enjoyed this historical romance. Svetlana, her mother, and her sister flee Russia as the Bolsheviks burn the city around them. They end up in Paris, where they are forced to live in the city's underbelly. There, Svetlana meets Wynn, a surgeon in the British army. When the Bolshevik threat continues to hound Svetlana and her family, she agrees to marry Wynn in name only. Of course, they can't deny their growing feelings for each other, but trust is easily broken.

This was a really interesting perspective on the Russian revolution. Most authors focus on the Anastasia myth, but I truly had no idea what happened to those members of the royal family who managed to get out of the country.

Shadows and Shade series

(Shadows and Shade, Shadow and Darkness, Kitten and Allure, Power and Pentad Part 1)

Author: Amanda McClure

When the Elorsin brothers venture onto the estate where Shade is an indentured servant, they're looking for some type of bird. What they find is Shade on the wrong side of her master's temper...again. In a move unforeseen by everyone, the brothers leave with Shade. There's just one problem: she doesn't want to go with them. But Shade's destiny is much bigger than she ever dreamed, and it all centers around the Elorisins.

I love this series so much and can't wait for the next (and hopefully final) book to come out this month. I also need to read the intermission book, The True Histories of the Shadowverse, which will give me something to hold me over for the next few days.

Fall and kind-of winter have finally arrived in my neck of the woods! That means I've gotten to break out my warm-ish clothes, aka sweatshirts and sweaters. We truly have had a properly cool November, and it's been nice to actually be able to dress for the season instead of faking it.

Unsurprisingly, I don't have a ton of new sweaters. They get worn so rarely that they last forever. So I'm always careful not to buy anything too trendy so that it doesn't become outdated before I've gotten enough use for the price.

Regardless, I hope this collection of outfits helps to inspire some ideas for how you can remix what's already in your closet, and as always I'll link to the same or similar pieces.

This was on my birthday, which did not turn out the way we'd planned. I really only shared this because I've worn this sweater on my birthday for several years in a row, unintentionally. It's one of my favorites obviously, LOL.

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with good food and company, and that those of you who did Black Friday had successful shopping.

Our Thanksgiving was a mixed bag. We started the day with my parents, which was great. The food was good, and we enjoyed spending time with family. Then, on our way home, something triggered Alexis's asthma and she had a really bad attack. So bad that we almost ended up at the emergency room. She was already taking a steroid for a cough that had developed earlier in the week, so this basically re-inflamed everything and made it worse.

We managed to get her calmed down enough to eat dinner with my in-laws, including Chris's brother and his family. So more good food and visiting, even if I did spend pretty much the entire time riddled with worry.

My birthday was Friday, but it definitely was nothing like we'd planned. We started our day at the pediatrician's office. Then we went to Lowe's, where it took us 15 minutes to get through the parking lot! Alexis wanted to get me some plants for my birthday, so that's what we did...and hopefully I will not kill them like I do pretty much every other plant I ever get.

We put up our Christmas tree on Saturday while watching the Iron Bowl. Well, I didn't really watch it, but it was on in the background.

Then on Sunday we surprised my mom for her 60th birthday. My dad took her camping for the weekend down at the beach, so my brothers and I decorated the house and got her a cake. Somehow she had no idea it was happening, which is crazy. It was a successful little party.

Today, we're sending the December magazine to press. Holiday months, especially when the holiday is at the end of the month, are always weird with deadlines. I have absolutely not done anything with the website that needs to be done for December, so that'll be my focus today and tomorrow. Then I'll be jumping right into January's content because the holidays will have us scrambling at the end of the month again.

I've also not planned a single piece of content for the blog for December, so I've gotta get on that this week, too.

I hope you all have a great week!

In two days, I will officially be in my mid-30s.  And boy did the last year of my early 30s fly by. This has been a whirlwind of a year to be sure, but I can't say I'm not looking forward to the rest of my 30s.

I saw a meme on Facebook that I really related to. It talked about how your 20s are a time of self-discovery so that your 30s can be the start of living life as your true self. Man, I felt that.

In my 20s, I was so focused on fitting in and finding my tribe, which I’m happy to report I did, but it truly took the entirety of that decade for me to figure out who I am on my own and how to be comfortable in my own skin. Now that I’m mid-way through my 30s, I can confidently say that I embrace who I am as a person.

In honor of my 35th birthday, I wanted to kind of reintroduce myself. So here are 35 things you might not know about me.

1. My star sign is Sagittarius.

2. I met my husband on a dating site. Our first date was January 26, 2010. We got married September 15, 2012.

3. I was my high school salutatorian.

4. I won a national speaking competition my senior year of high school and had to speak in front of 4,000 people.

5. In addition to having a degree in Print Journalism, I also have a degree in Spanish. I rarely use it.

6. I did a study abroad in Costa Rica the summer of 2009.

7. I knew I wanted to be a journalist in middle school.

8. I worked on my high school newspaper every year I was eligible and served as editor for several departments.

9. I started this blog for a class assignment in one of my last college journalism courses. Back then it was called Journalistic Musings.

10. I had a stalker situation my sophomore year of college.

11. I showed hogs as part of 4-H and FFA from elementary through high school. I placed the highest in showmanship and class competition my senior year with a little Hampshire gilt. Her name was Ruthie.

12. I was on the cheerleading squad, softball team, and tennis team.

13. I was fired from my first job three times. The first time was because the schedule was changed and no one informed, so I didn't show up.

14. I write poetry. Or, I used to. I haven't written anything new in awhile.

15. The first band I saw in concert was Poison. Cinderella was their opener.

16. My favorite concert was Taking Back Sunday.

17. My drink was roofied in a bar once.

18. I graduated from college with honors in 2009.

19. I got my first real journalism job on accident. That accident turned into nine years at a television news station working my way up to executive producer.

20. Deciding to leave the TV station was one of the scariest choices I've ever made!

21. I currently publish a monthly parenting magazine.

22. I sell hair care products on the side.

23. I'm lactose intolerant.

24. And allergic to smoke of all kinds.

25. Favorite drink: Mountain Dew

26. Favorite color: yellow

27. Favorite book: too many to list here!

28. Favorite show: Supernatural

29. I became a mom on April 7, 2015, after a long, hard pregnancy. She will be our only child.

30. I'm only 5'2", which means I'm too tall for petite clothes but too short for regular sizes.

31. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.

32. Getting my daith piercings legitimately changed my life.

33. My biggest irrational fears are snakes and escalators.

34. I can't sleep if my elbows or knees are touching.

35. And we'll end with a controversial one...I don't like pumpkin spice lattes.