I've shared with you guys before kind of how I break up my work days (Life as a Work-at-Home Mom: My Daily Routine), but I've never done an actual Day in the Life post. One of the bloggers I really enjoy does these a few times a year, and I really enjoy seeing what a random day in her life looks like. So I thought you guys might like to see how a typical day for me plays out.

Okay, before we get into it - this was a random Monday outside of my distribution week. It was also a day that my husband was on day shift, which means I would have had the house to myself for a majority of the day and was really focused on work.

2:00 a.m. (or there abouts) - Alexis wakes us up with a nosebleed. Thankfully, it's not a bad one and we don't have to change her sheets. About 30 minutes later, she's back in bed. It takes me another 30 minutes or so to fall back to sleep. (Sadly, this happens more than I'd like to admit. Alexis has asthma and allergies so it's a hazard of the job.)

5:30 a.m. ish - My husband's alarm goes off. He gets up, gets ready, and leaves for work around 6:15. I doze off and on until my alarm goes off at 6:45. I wake Alexis up at 6:55. It takes a full five minutes to get her moving. While she gets dressed, I pack her lunchbox and make sure there's nothing I need to sign in her school folder. We leave the house for morning drop-off around 7:20.

7:30 a.m. - I load the dishwasher while my coffee brews. I drink it at my desk while I write my weekly Monday Motivation post, update my own social media, and check email. I field a business call, then update the magazine's profile on a local networking website.

9:00 a.m. - I take a break to fold a basket of laundry and get dressed for the day. I wash my face, throw my hair in a clip, brush my teeth, and apply some moisturizer. I rarely do full makeup.

9:30 a.m. - Back to the office where I get started on the day's to-do list, including a few hundred follow-up emails and editing one of our columns. At some point, I took a break to go to the corner convenience store for a drink and snack/lunch.

1:00 p.m. - I take about 30 minutes to work on some stuff for the blog, something I haven't done in way too long if I'm being honest. Then I box up some of the stuff in my office. We're in the process of moving, so I've been trying to fit it in where I can.

1:45 p.m. - I leave for the after school car line. Fun fact: I always take a book with me to pass the time.

2:30 p.m. - School is out, and Alexis is buckled in the backseat. We go to the grocery store before heading home.

3:00 p.m. - We're back from the grocery store. Alexis helps me get everything inside and put away. I respond to a few emails that came in while I was out, edit some photos, make some graphics, and update this blog post, as well as another. I do a few other work-related things, and Alexis does her homework. Then she has free time to play, watch TV, relax, etc.

5:00 p.m. - Alexis helps me make spaghetti and meatballs in the instant pot. We sit down at the table to eat together. I rinse our dishes and make sure the pot is still on warm so Chris won't have to heat his supper up when he gets off work.

7:00 p.m. - Alexis gets ready for bed - bath, pjs, and medicine.

7:30 p.m. - Chris gets home from work. He eats and we hang out as a family until bedtime.

8:00 p.m. - Alexis is in bed. We read a chapter of her new book, Amelia Bedelia and Friends Blast Off, before tucking her in. I put away the laundry I folded earlier in the day while Chris takes a shower. After, we hang out and chat about our days, stuff with the move, Alexis, and everything in between. I read a few chapters of my book.

10:00 p.m. - We turn out the lights and say goodnight.

Would you believe that I've never owned a proper swimsuit coverup? It's true! I've always thrown on a sundress or shorts and a t-shirt and called it a day. But this year I wanted to change things up a little bit, so I decided to try a few from Amazon.

Before we get into it, I've got some thoughts on coverups in general.

One, why are they all so short? Seriously, most of them are the length of an oversized t-shirt, meaning they'll just barely cover my butt. I understand you're at the pool, river/lake, or beach, but I don't know. They almost feel like a too-short dress. To me, at least.

Two, why are they all see-through? Isn't the point of a cover-up to actually cover you up? Kinda defeats the purpose if you can see everything underneath it if you ask me...

Three, do people really pay $50+ on these things?!

Anyway, some sizing notes for you. I'm 5'2" and weigh about 145 lbs. I wear size 6/small in most clothes. I decided to use the black floral one-piece swimsuit that was so popular from my swimsuit try-on back in March to show these cover-ups. It doesn't work well with all of the cover-ups because of the criss-crossed straps, but I didn't feel like changing between each one. I'm in the size 8-10.

We're going to start with the one I was the most excited about, the Jeasona crochet cover-up. This is the off-white color, although in person it's just regular white. I got the size medium, which is 31 inches long. It's kind of a funky hem, with drawstring sides that I'm not sure the purpose of. Anyway, the pattern is pretty, but you should know that the material is polyester, not actual crochet.

Overall, I like this one, but it's shorter than I'd be comfortable wearing on its own, especially because the side slits are really high.

This Ekouaer tunic/dress cover-up might be my favorite. It comes in a bunch of colors and patterns, but I felt like the black would go with most of my swimsuits. It's got pretty crochet-work around the neck and elbows, and the back is mostly open. The hem has a small ruffle and the sleeves have a little flare. There are tassels on the back tie closure as well as along the back neck.

I like the length of this one. It fits like a dress, although it's pretty thin so I'd definitely not wear it as such. It's a rayon-acryllic mix. I got the medium.

This Loritta oversized cover-up dress is my least favorite of the bunch, but it's undoubtedly the easiest one to wear. This one is a one size fits all option and comes in six color options. It's 100 percent polyester. The bust is 67 inches and it's 33.5 inches long. As you can see, it's mostly see-through. I really like the lace trim, and on me at least it's a good length. What I don't like is that it's shaped like a pillow case.

I am in love with this Bsubeach kaftan. It's the most comfortable thing ever and would fit in nearly anywhere. I don't even care that it's like wearing a sack. Admittedly, it doesn't really work well with this particular swimsuit because of the straps, but I love the embroidery detail and how soft the material is. There are 40 different styles to choose from, but they are all one size. This one is cut straight, but there are several that have drawstring waists and are more flowy.

Happy Monday, friends! We've made it halfway through the month. How did that happen?!

I am currently in the process of packing up my office, or at least the parts of it I don't use on a daily/weekly basis. It's not an easy task, and I haven't made much progress. My closet is almost ready to pack. I've got a few more things to go through that have been being stored on the top shelf. This weekend, though, I went through what I think is my last box from college. So many memories...and party wristbands. I have no idea why I hung on to them. Did I think I'd remember the party they were from? Because I definitely don't. Also on the packing list for this week - the kitchen (non-essentials) and living room (décor).

This past weekend, Alexis had her first gymnastics show. It was non-competitive so there wasn't any pressure, but we still were skeptical that she would actually follow through and want to participate on the actual day. Alexis does not like performing in front of people, but she did such a good job and has improved so much over the past year.

Also this weekend, we got to meet my brother and sister in law's new baby. I got lots of sweet cuddles.

This week I'll be doing a bunch of editorial and advertorial work for the magazine, which means lots of desk time. Alexis has field day on Friday, so I'll be at that (hopefully not getting sunburned). Then this weekend I think I'm finally going to see the new Fantastic Beasts movie.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

I almost postponed this edition of Real Outfit Roundup because I don't have much to share, and unlike last time when there was a common theme to latch onto, the only thing this roundup has in common is the craziness of the last two weeks.

I don't have anything profound to say about what's been going on the last couple of weeks, so we'll just dive right on into it.

Yes, I am aware that we're starting with a picture that doesn't show a full outfit. This was a day where we had I think five showings of our house, so I spent more time leaving than anything else. But I really wanted to share these sneakers. I found them in Walmart, misplaced in the women's shoe section. I rarely venture into the girls' shoes because they're almost always too young, but I loved these. It doesn't always work out, but the size 5 in these fit perfectly. Unfortunately, they're not available to order online but my local store had a bunch. I also found a couple of really close matches in women's sizes here and here.

This dress is one of my favorites of all time. It's one of those dresses that feels dressed up even when you're not making an effort to be. I'll be honest, though, I have no idea what we did on this particular day.

Flash forward four days... I'm really not sure how I didn't take any pictures at all during that time, but I assure you I did not. Anyway, last Thursday I attended a fundraising event for my local art museum. It was themed for an adult prom, so I got to really dress up. This watercolor gown from Lulu's is an absolute dream. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. I sized up to a medium because Lulu's is always snug.

I've not had a need for a clutch purse in recent years, so I had a lot of fun finding this one. It's the perfect size to fit a phone, ID and money/cards, plus lipstick. You can carry it like a true clutch, but I chose to use the detachable handle because I didn't want to mess up all the beautiful flowers. It's also got a pretty chain so you can wear it on your shoulder.

And you can't see my shoes, but I wanted to wear something that felt dressed up (but didn't kill my feet). I recommend these ones by Dream Pairs. They were elegant and had just enough of a heel to make my dress's length manageable (although stairs were still kind of tough).

This was from day one of my monthly magazine distribution. I rarely take photos while out doing this because I'm super busy on those days, but I'm trying to do a better job of showing the 'real' aspects of what I do for a living. Anyway, I always strive to be comfortable on distribution days but not sloppy since I interact with a lot of people. So although I was wearing shorts, I upgraded to a pair of navy blue cargos (mine are old but these are really close). My t-shirt is also old, but it's one of my favorites (this is another of my favorites that fits the same).

This was day two of distribution, which consisted of a lot more walking than the first day. For this bit of the process, I always try to dress business casual because there's much more interaction with potential customers. I really love this skirt. It's a seersucker material so wrinkles aren't as noticeable. It's also fully lined and has pockets. My blouse is also seersucker, but it's got a lot more going on with its button front, cap sleeves, and smocked yoke.

This maxi dress continues to be my go-to dress of the season. This is actually the first time I've worn it as is, but it definitely works on its own. I kept it casual with some two-toned slide sandals (similar) and a messy ponytail.

Happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Ours was very low key. In fact, we didn't do anything. I actually didn't want to, especially after having a sick migraine on Friday. If you've ever had one, then you know it takes a day or two to fully recover.

Anyway, did you guys watch the Kentucky Derby? What an upset! Rich Strike wasn't even supposed to be in the race;  he was only there because another horse had to scratch. If you didn't watch, you should look it up. It was incredible.

Last week was pretty laid back. I got a good bit done for the upcoming June issue, but my May magazines weren't delivered until Friday, the day I was sick, so I'll be rushing through distribution today and tomorrow. Hopefully that won't throw the rest of my month off too badly. That's the last thing I need, especially considering how the past two months have gone.

The highlight of the week was the fundraising event I went to for our local art museum. I haven't gotten dressed up like this since college, so that was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the friend I was supposed to go with had to cancel last minute, but Alexis was more than happy to be my back-up date. We didn't stay too long because it wasn't really suited to her age (and I was out of my comfort zone since I didn't know anyone there outside of work acquaintances, so even then not well), but I didn't want to waste the tickets or this dress. Plus, she had fun looking at all the art, drinking all the punch, and doing the craft they had on site.

This week is shaping up to be super busy work-wise, especially with distribution being unexpectedly shifted. Outside of that, we don't have anything planned until the weekend. Alexis is having a gymnastics show to demonstrate the skills she's learned over the last year or so.

Then next week begins the official countdown to the end of the school year. I'm ready for it to end, if I'm being honest, if only to not have to set my alarm for so early every morning. Although, with all the art camps and classes we've signed Alexis up for, summer is looking just as busy as the school year.

Okay, I've gotta wrap this up. These magazines aren't going to distribute themselves, unfortunately. I hope you all have a great week!

I've been a mom for seven years (and one month, but who's counting?), and as short a time as that is in the grand scheme of things, I feel like I've already been through so many seasons as a mother.

First there was the newborn stage where we definitely didn't get enough sleep but it didn't matter because there was something new to experience every single day.

Then there was the baby stage. You know, that bit of time between newborn and toddler. The baby is more mobile, crawling and walking, reacting more to their surroundings, and you're finally getting more sleep...when they're not teething. This is the stage where you start to think that maybe you've got this parenting thing figured out.

The toddler years are simultaneously the most fun and the most frustrating. Your baby is turning into their own little person, but pushing all the boundaries and all your buttons as they do.

Next come the preschool years. They're learning ABCs and numbers, potty training, and how to socialize. Their first friendships are forming, and if you're lucky, you're making some parent friends of your own.

We've reached the school years in our house. Covid has kind of killed a lot of the typical school experience, both for Alexis and for us, but some things have remained the same. There's homework and projects, afterschool activities like art lessons and gymnastics, and a lot of new experiences being thrown at you every week.

I've said this many times, but I think it's worth repeating. Motherhood is simultaneously the most rewarding and most difficult thing I have ever done.

Two years ago, I shared five lessons that motherhood instilled in me. At the time, we were a couple of months into the pandemic, and I was doing a lot of reflecting because I had a lot of time on my hands. Now, two years later, so much has changed, and I feel like I've grown, not only as a mother but as a woman in general. So, in honor of my seven year stint as a mother, here are 7 things I've learned.

1. You can't pour from an empty cup. Admittedly, I've gotten much better at recognizing the signs of burnout, and thankfully the last four years have seen a much-improved work-life balance. Still, as a mom, it is easy to put myself last, but I've been making a concerted effort to take time for myself every single day.

2. I don't have to be a get-in-the-floor mom to connect with my daughter. This is the thing about myself I struggle with daily and where almost the entirety of my mom guilt comes from. I don't like playing make-believe. Maybe it's something to do with all my years working in news, but I really struggle to connect with my imagination in a childlike way. That said, I've found other ways to have a relationship with Alexis through books, cooking, shopping, etc.

3. My hobbies are important, too. For a really long time, I gave up all my favorite things. To be fair, it happened before I'd even decided on motherhood, but adding a child into an already unbalanced work-life situation didn't help. It took me too long to realize how extremely unhappy I had become, but once I started back doing the things I love for no reason than to just do them, I started to feel like me again.

4. It's okay to say no. In any situation. With or without an explanation. Even if no one understands.

5. Boundaries are important. I mean, I've always known this, but I've also always gone out of my way to try to include everyone. But as I've gotten older, I've realized that not everyone needs or should be included in my or my child's life.

6. Unsolicited parenting advice/comments will never stop. As much as I hate it and as uncomfortable as some of it makes me, I know that most people aren't doing it to be intentionally rude.

7. Every mom has something to offer. I interview a mother in my local community every month, and I'm always amazed at what comes out of it. Even though I always ask a handful of the same questions, the responses are always different, and I always learn something.

Every month, I try to share some of the products that made a difference in my day-to-day life. It's not always easy, believe it or not, especially since I try not to share the same things over and over...but I don't deviate from my favorite things very often.

The last couple of months have been pretty stressful for me for various reasons, so I've been looking for joy in lots of places. These four things I'm sharing today are the ones that have been making the biggest impact on me lately.

Mango Coconut Candle - This was a completely random Target buy. Alexis and I were in there just browsing. She loves smelling all the candles, and we usually buy one or two at the start of each new season. She picked one that's now in our living room, and I claimed this one for my office. Y'all, this thing is an instant mood lifter. It smells so good.

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Facial Cleanser - If you've been around the last few months, you'll know I've been struggling with my skin. CeraVe has been my go-to for lotion for the past several years because it's great for sensitive skin. I needed something better for my face, so I was really excited to find this. It's great for makeup removal and doesn't dry out my skin.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer - In case you couldn't guess, I don't tan. Usually I don't mind being pale, but this year I seem to be a little ghostlier than usual. This has always been my go-to for a natural glow, but it's been several years since I've indulged. I'm happy to report that they have greatly improved the scent! I love how easy it is to apply, and the one I picked up not only moisturizes but also firms! I use the fair to medium.

Teleties - These are my favorite hair ties, but I've been using them a lot more here lately. They stay all day without getting hung up in my unruly hair. They're perfect for yoga or just keeping my hair off my neck and out of my eyes while I work. Right now, you can get free shipping when you buy two.

When I first started doing these monthly reading roundups, it was to hold myself accountable for a New Year's goal to get back to reading. Back then, my goal was one book per month, and some months I struggled to meet it. Looking back now it's hard to even fathom that I let myself get so far separated from this lifelong love of reading, and I've done a much better job the last several years of not letting go of this thing that brings me joy and peace during times of stress...even if some months I read more than others.

April was not the easiest month of reading for me, despite what this roundup looks like. I was very undecided on what I wanted to read, and I feel like I bounced around and spent a lot of time just scrolling through all the samples I've downloaded. I also didn't want to speed-read through the series I've been enjoying so I've been forcing myself to take those slow.

There are a few books missing from this roundup. I've been reading a series called Untouchable, but I'm not ready to talk about any of them yet. I've still got several books to go and the final book won't be released until this summer, and I don't think I can give an accurate review until I've read the series completely.

Okay, enough explanation. Let's get to the books!

Author: Amalia Carosella

This book was incredibly thought-provoking from a religious standpoint and called into question a lot of things many of us take for granted. For that reason, I don't know how many people I can recommend it to, but it is fantastically well-written.

Freydis is the daughter of Erik the Red. Not only did she inherit his red hair but also his infamous temper. Forced to marry in order to secure a ship of her own while steadfastly holding onto the faith of her ancestors and her belief in Thor, Freydis is the exact opposite of what the Christians taking over her father's settlement expect her to be. When a mysterious stranger offers her the freedom she's always sought, Freydis knows the impact of her choice will be felt for centuries to come.

Meanwhile in 2016, Emma is the daughter of a conservative Catholic Congressman who's up for reelection, but Emma herself has left the Catholic faith. In fact, she's no longer Christian at all, but a Heathen who believes in and worships the Norse gods, specifically Thor. When her personal faith is thrust into the spotlight, it's not only her own life that's turned upside down but also that of her family.

Greed (The Deadly Seven book 2)

Author: Lana Pecherczyk

Loved it. This series just keeps getting better. Griffin, a.k.a. Greed, has got handling his sin down to a fine science. He's convinced he doesn't need to find his soulmate to keep it all balanced. Then he's forced to go undercover at the newspaper to find whoever has been writing sensationalist, untrue pieces about his family and meets Lilo, a reporter and daughter of the city's biggest mob boss.

Authors: S.M. Shade & C.M. Owens

This is the sequel to one of my favorite books from last year, Worth It, and just like its predecessor, I laughed my butt off reading this. It picks up pretty close to where the first book ended, but it changes protagonists - Sicily and Lydia. Sicily is the sister of Lydia's best friend's husband. They become roommates when Lydia moves to town seeking a fresh start. Sicily, meanwhile, is trying to find her place in her brother's company and ends up working under Lydia's cheating ex...the same ex whose wedding Lydia and her friends ruined in the first book.

I didn't laugh quite as much in this book as I did with Worth It, but it's still worth the read. You do need to read the books in order, though, as there are some references throughout F*ck It that won't make sense otherwise.

Author: Carole Lawrence

In 1880, Elizabeth van den Broek is the only female reporter in New York City. When she and her friend stumble across a dead body wrapped up like a mummy in Central Park, Elizabeth convinces the editor to allow her to report on the mysterious murder. More bodies with ties to Egyptian lore turn up, and the closer Elizabeth gets to uncovering the truth the more it becomes apparent the killer is watching.

I had no clue who the killer was until the big reveal. I enjoyed the book, but felt like the actual ending was awkward, almost as if the author didn't know how to end it. Also, there were a lot of unanswered questions for me outside of the main mystery. I almost feel like the author spent so much time with these extraneous details but then didn't give them a conclusion. Some of it, I'll admit, was for background but I don't like for my conclusions to feel like the story is over, and this just didn't for me.

Wild Pride (Kingson Pride book 1)

Author: Kristen Banet

Riley has been living in Wild Junction for the past two years after escaping an abusive relationship. She's content with her mediocre life. Then, five locals move back to town, and Riley finds herself thrown into the world of cat shifters.

I was disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed Banet's Redemption series and had high hopes this would be similar. I had a hard time connecting to Riley, and I didn't like how weak she was. As much as I wanted to love it, I just didn’t and won't be continuing the series past book one.

Medusa (Court of the Underworld book 2)

Author: Alessa Thorn

I know, I know. It took me long enough to get around to reading this one. It usually doesn't take me so long to read next-in-series books, but life ya know? Anyway, this book picks up right where book one left off but with new main characters: Medusa and Perseus. Medusa is the famed Gorgon of legend, while Perseus is a reformed thief. The two are thrown together when Pithos, the anti-monster cult, kidnaps Perseus's sister to coerce him into stealing a necklace from Medusa. He doesn't so much get caught as he turns himself in and ends up joining the team. There's a nice little twist in this book, though, but you'll have to read it to find out what it is.

I loved Medusa in the first book of this series. She's smart and sassy and definitely doesn't know she's sexy. Perseus, meanwhile, is an unexpected bad boy. He's blind, but that's all I'm going to give you on that, and he's got the most delightfully dirty mouth. I love these two together. Up next, Hades meets Persephone.

 
Whew, what a week, y'all! I haven't been so glad to see a weekend come in a long time. Last week wasn't bad, but it was really busy. I felt like I was running pretty much the entire time, and I had to work around multiple showings of our house.

Surprisingly, but maybe not considering the current market, we've already gotten offers and are moving into the next step of the process. Can I tell you how not excited I am about packing? I don't even know when that day will be here exactly, but I'm already dreading it.

The weekend was nice and relaxed. We ate lunch with my parents one day and hung out for a few hours, then mostly took it easy on Sunday.

This week should be relatively easy. I'll have distribution at some point, and I'm finishing up the magazine website for the May issue today. Later this week I'm attending an adult prom fundraiser for our local art museum. It's the annual members-only event, and I've never gotten to attend before because of work and then Covid canceled it the last two years, so I'm really excited.

I become an aunt this week, too, which is exciting. I can't wait to meet that little bundle.

That'll do it for me this morning. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

A lot of people were excited when Monat released their Damage Repair line of products earlier this year. It's supposed to help restore hair that's been damaged by heat, coloring, etc. And the results I've seen people share...wow.

At the time of its release, it wasn't something I needed. The only heat styling I use is a hair dryer...once or twice a week. I straighten or use a curling wand on average maybe three times a month. I've never colored my hair outside of those temporary wash-in ones by Overtone. Basically, other than having split ends when I go too long between haircuts, my hair isn't damaged.

Then, I got Covid at the beginning of the year, and three months later my hair started showing signs of...well, something. I was experiencing more hair loss, a lot of dryness, and just overall not being able to keep my style. So I decided it was a good time to give the damage repair line a try.

Before we dive into my results from the last month, let's talk about the products that make up this line.

🗸Bond Support Shampoo

🗸Bond-Building Hair Treatment

🗸Bond Support Masque

🗸Bond-Fortifying  Leave-In Crème 

These products were tested in an independent lab. Results show the shampoo on its own improves hair strength by 47 percent. The hair treatment, which takes the place of conditioner, as well as the masque and leave-in were shown to reduce breakage by 95-97 percent, while the masque was shown to improve smoothness and the leave-in to reduce frizz and increase shine.

I started using the full line at the end of March. My typical routine is to do a full wash and condition once or twice a week, three-five days apart depending on my activity and the weather. I started out using it every week but ended up scaling back to every other week.

I washed with the shampoo twice, then applied the hair treatment. Depending on the week, I would either apply the masque over the hair treatment or rinse it out. Then I applied the leave-in to towel-dried hair, followed by my usual styling products.

Here are the things I liked:

🗸The shampoo has a really nice lather. My hair isn't particularly thick, but I do have a lot of it, so I need a good lather to get all the way through to the roots.

🗸The masque made an immediately-noticeable difference in my hair's texture.

🗸The leave-in crème didn't dry crunchy. I hate having to constantly scrunch out the crunch.

🗸My curls were definitely more defined on day one of the wash cycle. More on that later.

🗸Less frizz.

As much as I want to say that these products were perfect for me, I can't. Unfortunately, there were a few cons for me.

✗ I did not like the hair treatment. A lot of that had to do with the applicator, but I felt like I never got it applied evenly throughout my hair.

✗ The smell. I do not like strongly-scented products, and this line is pretty overwhelming for me scent-wise.

✗ These products were overall too heavy for my hair type. Three of the four contain coconut oil, which admittedly is great for curls, but not for my low-porosity hair. I ended up with oily roots by day three at least, sometimes day two, and my curls did not hold up well past day 1 at all.

At the end of the day, my hair is not nearly damaged enough to warrant consistent use. At the most, I would need to rotate it every other week, but more realistically I think once a month would probably do all I need. The masque and leave-in crème are the products I would use the most consistently.

Happy Monday, friends. I came across this self-care series on Pinterest, and the slide about stress is what I need in my life right now. I am stressed, y'all. From work to personal life, there is a lot going on right now, and I feel like I'm being pulled in a bunch of different directions.

We are officially putting our house on the market this week, so this past weekend was 'crunch time' for getting things in order. Alexis spent the weekend with grandparents so that made things easier, but Chris had to work both days so that meant the bulk of the cleaning fell to me. However, I was able to get pretty much everything done and even a few things boxed up (Alexis is not happy about all her art supplies, LOL).

Last week was... Well, stressful is about the only word I can come up with to describe it.

On Monday, I took my car to the shop for the bumper to be fixed from where I was rear-ended in February, then had a truly aggravating experience with the rental company. I made the reservation but then couldn't get them to answer the phone for a pick-up, so Chris ended up leaving work and sitting with me at their office for over two hours! At least I know it wasn't just me. When we got there a lady told us about how she'd been calling for an hour and finally had to come up there just to add another day. Then, in what might be the best part of that entire experience, a lady came storming in, threw her keys at them, told them she didn't have time to keep waiting on them to take their car back, and stormed back out. So, whew. A lot of unhappy people dealing with Enterprise.

In terms of work, this past month has been almost a carbon copy of the previous month in that people just are not responding...even for the free services we offer. So it's been frustrating and stressful on that front. We also are officially transitioning to our new photographer, so that's an added level of stress. And one of the editors who works on the trio of magazines based out of Mobile's computer crashed, so I volunteered to help with their layout so they would make deadline. That wasn't really stressful because it's what I actually like to do the most, but it was something I hadn't planned on being part of my schedule so I had to shift stuff around.

Anyway, I feel like this post has turned into a doom and gloom situation. I'm find, really, just got an overflowing plate at the moment. It'll all work itself out in the next week or so, though. I hope.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

I'm always interested in what other people are reading. In fact, some of my favorite conversations are about books. That's why every so often I like to take the time to share the books that have caught my attention. Lately, however, I find myself bouncing around between three series. I've also added a handful of other books to my TBR list, as well, and I'm sharing those at the end of this post.

Neverland: Chronicles of Red - This is the follow-up series to the two-season Toxic Wonderland saga. I'm currently in book 3, Neverblood. Ira is a fixer who's been trained her entire life to fix whatever has caused Neverland to turn toxic, but when she's not prepared for what she finds once she actually enters the fairytale. Turns out, another tale has invaded Peter Pan's world. Now Ira must gather her crew, master magic, and set Neverland to rights.

The Deadly Seven - The Deadly Seven are a set of genetically-modified siblings. Each has been designed to sense a specific sin and eradicate it, but this family of heroes doesn't have the same agenda as their creator and would-be controller. Instead of killing anyone guilty of sin, they work to curtail it, all while seeking their perfect opposite, their soulmates. I'm currently in book 3, Wrath.

Court of the Underworld - This series is a bit complicated to explain without spoilers, but I'll do my best. The Court of the Underworld is made up of Hades and his inner circle, including Asterion (aka the Minotaur), Medusa, Erebus, Charon, and Hermes. There are some other gods, goddesses, and demigods running around, as well. The Court is being pursued by a group called Pithos, whose mission is to rid the Earth of "monsters." Their attempts at taking out these legends of mythology are thwarted by love. I'm currently in book 3, Hades.

Now for my TBR list. It's still just as out-of-control as ever. There are just too many good books out there to not keep adding to it, and if I don't add them when I see them, I'll forget and possibly miss out on my next favorite story. Anyway, here we go!

Case Files of an Urban Witch - The cover of this boxset caught my attention. It looks a bit like the sorting hat from HP, right? Then I read the blurb and discovered it's about a mother of three who's also a secret agent keeping magic hidden. Talk about a balancing act. I can't wait!

Nature Wizard: Magic of Nasci - If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love weather witches. So a book about a lightning witch is right up my alley.

Academy of  Necessary Magic - First of all, the very first book in this series is called Shifter in the Swamp. If that's not a great title, I don't know what is.

Daughter of the Pirate King - I've been on a pirate kick here lately, and Alsoa seems like the type of protagonist I can really stand behind.

The Desert of Glass (Monument book 2) - I read The Last Monument last year and really enjoyed it. I had no idea there would be a follow-up book, so I have high hopes.

The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding - I absolutely love Lydia Kang's work, and this WWII mystery is sure to be intriguing.

Seven Sins boxset - This showed up in my recommendations after I read the first Deadly Seven book. It's a different premise altogether, though.

Hidden Hope (Hope series book 1) -The blurb on this one doesn't give away much, but it was recommended in one of my online book groups. Plus, this first line is too intriguing: "It all started with a naked man in an alley..."

Much like a maxi dress, the midi skirt is a great transitional piece for Spring, but just like the maxi dress, a midi skirt can be tricky to get just right. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that midi skirts can be downright awkward. If not styled the right way, you'll end up looking frumpy.

Possible awkwardness aside, midi skirts have become one of my favorite things to wear. They make me feel feminine and flirty, but unlike a maxi dress they take a little more effort to turn into a polished outfit. In this post, I'll share some tips for finding the right midi skirt for your body type and share some ideas for how to style them as the weather continues to warm up.

A midi skirt is designed to hit you at about mid-calf, hence their name, and are meant to be worn at the narrowest part of your waist. Here's the thing, though, mid-calf is the worst place to visually chop your legs off!

Bottom line, it's all about getting the proportions right! If you're petite, this style of skirt can make you look even shorter if you're not careful, so you may want to opt for a style that stops just below your knee. Or, if you're like me, you'll prefer ones that are 2-3 inches above your ankle. Play around different hemlines between your knee and ankle until you get it just right.

Although midi skirts tend to be looser, there are tighter cuts available. They don't work for me, so unfortunately I don't have any ideas to show you for those.

As with everything, color and print will affect the way a midi skirt looks on your body. Simple, small prints work nicely on smaller people, while bolder prints or florals work for those of us who are curvier. Solid colors are universally flattering.

Keep in mind that I am by no means an expert. These are all guidelines, not rules, and when it comes to fashion, pretty much anything goes. So if you like something, wear it! But if you do need some more advice for how to balance your midi skirt, check out this article.

 

I decided for the purpose of this post to break it up by skirt. We're going to start with this pretty pink polka-dot number. This skirt has an elastic waistband, is pleated, and has pockets. It also comes in several other colors.

One of the things I like best about this skirt is how easy it is to take into different seasons. As you can see in the first two pictures, I've layered a jacket over a simple top and added boots. I do want to point out that I frequently break a pretty common midi skirt rule by wearing ankle boots. Because of my height, most midi skirts hit an inch or two below mid-calf on me, making tall boots awkward. Plus, I think that rule is stupid anyway. Moving on...

 

Another thing I love about this skirt is how easy it is to dress up or down with just a few simple changes. Note in the first picture how I'm wearing a plain white t-shirt and flat sandals. In the second, I've swapped my t-shirt for an eyelet blouse that has a lower scoop neckline and traded my slide sandals for platforms. Oh, I feel the need to point out that those last shoes break another midi skirt rule: no ankle straps to cut off your leg line.

Up next is one of my faves - green gingham. Unfortunately this exact one is no longer available, but I found a similar one here. Anyway, you can see that a simple t-shirt and denim jacket is kind of a go-to for these type skirts for me. And, once again, I'm breaking the ankle strap rule, but it may not fully count since these are clear and you can't really see them.

 

One thing I love about midi skirts is their versatility. You can literally wear almost anything with them, y'all, including a sweatshirt like in the picture above or a sweater like in the picture below.

This floral skirt is one of the most versatile pieces in my closet, especially for spring. Sadly, this exact pattern is no longer available, but the skirt itself is.

I tend to keep things simple with this particular skirt and let the pattern do the talking, but it's easy to switch up the colors, use different shoes, or adding a jacket to change up the look.

 

 

Just because a skirt has an interesting pattern doesn't mean you have to keep it simple all the time. Take this gorgeous patchwork skirt. While a plain t-shirt would certainly work, I've been having fun with unexpected pairings like a tied button-up chambray and platform sandals or a graphic tee with braided heeled sandals.

 

Speaking of graphic tees, they're one of my favorite ways to add interest to a skirt outfit, and it works with pretty much any skirt...

 

...even an elevated one like this flounce-hemmed rainbow skirt. It was one of my most-worn skirts when I still worked in an office, but I loved it too much to part ways with it, so I've been learning new ways to style it a little more casually.

The same goes for this rose-patterned skirt I bought with Christmas in mind. It seemed such a shame to relegate it just to the holidays.

 

Midi skirts really are an easy way to dress up for any occasion. Adding a pair of heels is a simple way to elevate the look of a midi skirt.

Or you can choose one in an elevated fabric like this metallic one. I haven't played with dressing it down yet, but I have enjoyed styling it for several nicer events over the last few months.

 

Tulle is another fun alternative. I absolutely love this pink star-patterned skirt. This pattern isn't available right now, but there are some other cute ones. You can't go wrong with black tulle. You can't tell from the picture, but mine actually has black polka dots on it. It's several years old and I've not seen anything like it since.

While tulle is immensely easy to dress up, almost effortless truly, I just love dressing it down. A graphic tee, jacket optional, and fun sneakers do the trick every time. And I love this asymmetrical hem skirt.
I hope this post helps inspire you to give midi skirts a try and/or to be creative with the midi skirts you already own.