Weekending last half of June

June 14-16

Friday night I did some food prep to the backdrop of music and a downpour, making cucumber salad, devilled eggs, macaroni salad, and marinating chicken thighs in a concoction of ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, W sauce, dijon, and random spices. Dad and Carol were in for the weekend. Saturday my brother and niece and nephew came over for Father's Day lunch. After that MFD and I drove up to Lititz to pick up Frank and Amanda and have dinner at a very MFD type establishment buffet before driving to Hershey for the Stevie Nicks concert which we found out was postponed while we were in line to park. We went back to their hotel and hung out for a bit before driving home - I love a good bathroom like the one in the Rock Lititz Hotel. Sunday was coffee out back, seeing Dad for Father's Day when he came back from golfing, stopping over to see Rich for Father's Day and my Mom for her birthday, and reading out back to cap off the night. 

June 21-23

Friday I did something extremely inadvisable which is run errands. Friday is always a terrible choice of time to run errands at the shore, but add in a ballooned summer population with people zigzagging all over the streets on foot, bike, scooter, car, electric bike, golf cart, and cars and it is like swallowing a beachball of anxiety. I attempted the library summer booksale when it started and it was insanely packed, I didn't even get to peruse the paperbacks. Then on to ACME and finally dropping thrift store donations. We spent the early evening in the North End and it was a beauty. We walked up to the boardwalk to see the full Strawberry Moon and grab cookies from Famous 4th Street. Saturday turnover was very easy which is always appreciated. I painted my nails (OPI Self Made green and OPI Just Lanai-ing Around pink) before heading to the beach for a few hours solo. The sun was brutal so I took refuge inside and on the porch. Sunday was a porch not beach day due to wind. I read, did a crossword, walked Bruce and Ben to the library to return a book. Sunday was a truly relaxing day in which my brain participated in said relaxation which does not happen often after the onset of perminopause - those racing thoughts are insane sometimes am I right.

June 28-30

A gorgeous early morning out back before I started work. Thankfully I was heading to the shore solo, no pets, when I was rerouted off 95 due to an accident and a drive that would normally take me an hour and 15 minutes at that time took me 2.5 hours. Man alive. I finished out the workday there, finished a book, and took a beach walk after work. 

I went into Saturday's turnover knowing a teen had peeled paint off the electric panel cover, but did not know I'd also be patching a wall. Whew. I had to leave it unpainted which I hate during the season. After that I did the beach from 2-7 where I read a whole book and gloryed in being alone and meandering around looking for pebbles. I threw everything in the car and drove back to Philly before 8.

Sunday MFD left for a week-long retreat. I did an at-home pedicure/nails, hit Produce Junction, returned shit and picked up at Target, and popped in to Aldi. I read and watched Grease 2, Dirty Dancing, and The Office to loosen up my brain. Bonus the glorious mammatus clouds at the end of a stormy day.

That'll do it. I still do reels on Instagram with snippets of the weekend and the musical accompaniment of a song I heard at some point...you can always find them here. 

SMD

 

June 2023 Reads

What I read in June: 

Engrossing Reads

What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall - This had my heart racing throughout. I enjoyed it a lot. A good amount of misdirection which is good for a book like this. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes August 1

Prom Mom by Laura Lippman - I standardly love a Laura Lippman and this was a good one. One of the reasons I love her is that she recognizes this world is full of all types and she lets people do F'd up things and be F'd up without trying to explain them away. This did not go how I thought it would at several points. Enjoyed! Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes July 25

An Evil Heart (Kate Burkholder #15) by Linda Castillo - Always a solid and remains so at #15 in the series. Lots of emotions in this one. Thanks to Netgalley in exchange for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes July 11

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand -  I liked the story and the characters - even the annoying ones had their parts to play. I truly love the way she does ancillary characters too. There's a lot happening in these pages and this was great to read on a sunny beach day in one sitting! Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy - I also own the hard copy as I went to a signing in mid-June at the Newtown Bookshop - support your indie bookstores please! 

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center - I was waiting to dislike the protaganist more as I have in many of Center's books and I just didn't this go 'round - and in her last book, I started liking the protaganist earlier. I'm going soft or I'm settling more into my Center readership. Interesting story, great pace - I read it in two sittings and it would have been one but, capitalism - and it tugged quite a bit at my heartstrings. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes July 11

Passed the Time Just Fine

Fat Witch Summer by Lizzy Ives - It took me a bit to acclimate to this world but a solid and entertaining YA witchy novel. If you like witchy shit that has some dark and some light and is a YA level, you'll like this. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea - A passable ride for something picked up off the shelf on a whim despite "empty eyes" and its origin being absolutely ridiculous. OCNJ library hard cover

One's Company by Ashley Hutson - A very weird and interesting idea for a book. I liked the writing too. OCNJ library paperback

Not For Me/Did Not Finish

You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose - I asked the library to order this and whew. Not worth it. Sorry, library. LOL OCNJ Library hard cover

Fireworks Every Night by Beth Raymer - Not fireworks every night in a good way. Dysfunctional family saga, well written but difficult due to subjects/circumstances. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson - Ray is absolutely insufferable, which is definitely largely the point, but so much so that it  made this book hard to enjoy reading. The concept was great. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. Book comes out in the US July 4

We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall - This book drug on like crazy. It all came around in the end but if the pacing is off to the point where I have to ask myself if I should keep going, that impacts my overall would I read again if I knew what I knew now? No. Amazon Kindle first read, own

The Absolutes by Molly Dektar - I couldn't even get 10% into this. DNF Advanced copy from Netgalley, publishes July 11

The Sunset Crowd by Karin Tanabe - DNF, stopped at 20%. Absolutely no forward movement. I cannot have the scene be set over and over for 20% of the book. Cool idea though. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Book publishes July 4

The Bigamist by Rona Halsall - DNF at 18% in. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Publishes July 5

*****************

What have you been reading?

snippets of the weekend 6.12.2023

I picked Mindy up late on Thursday afternoon and we took the back way to the shore. Pizza, grocery store, settling in, and then working from 7:30-11. 

Friday I worked in the morning then Sarah and I went on a few errands including Tuckahoe Cheesecakes. The carrot cake is my favorite anywhere, first had it for Drew's birthday a few years ago. I also got new Maui Jims sunglasses from Island Beach Gear. I finished work around 3 and relaxed in the driveway giving myself an orange ombre manicure (OPI My Chihuahua Doesn't Bite Anymore, OPI Silicon Valley Girl, and Zoya Sawyer annnnd repeat - this is a favorite and the Simple Modern cup matching is chef's kiss). We had tacos for dinner and sang to June birthdays Maureen & Marcus.

Saturday I painted a side table (All in One Paint in Naples) - nothing like waiting until the literal last possible time before the season to do that - and repainted my peeling peace sign in Krylon gloss blue hyacinth and put them on the porch to dry while I walked the dogs and headed to the beach to meet up with the kids. 

It was a beaut at the beach, and I got a new Farm Stand salad for lunch and lingered late reading and watching a bunch of dolphins play in front of our beach - like full jumping out of the water. It was rad. nature is rad. Boat people came down in the afternoon and it was a nice day.

Mark manned the grill for hotdogs and hamburgers and Aunt Jean came over for a visit too. We headed up to the boardwalk for a bit and did a lot of driveway hanging. It was a great, full day and I fell out exhausted. 

I took like no photos and only video Sunday. I put a coat of poly on the table for upstairs, got a pepperoni & provolone bagel from Wawa, and made it to the beach for a while. Before we left I did some house sorting then left it to Mark and Sarah with final MFD work Monday before our guests checked in and took the back way home with Mindy, Drew, and the dogs who were totally assed out exhausted after playing with Harry and Finn. The back way is nice but this time we took it because 95 collapsed in the morning LOL

weekending reels on Instagram - since I am now consistently not with it on weekend posts, this is my favorite weekend look back mode.

Fun fam weekend! We missed Jax but hopefully he can make it when we reconvene in August!

Show Us Your Books June 2021

This came up fast, no? 

Happy birthday to my co-host and longtime friend of over 25 years, Jana (it was Saturday). 

Happy Pride Month!

I am not a book challenge person, but if you are, please check this timely and important challenge out: One of our regular linker uppers, Dara from Not in Jersey, has gotten together with a group of bookstagrammers to celebrate Jewish authors with The #JEWnish Book Challenge. With anti-semitism on the rise around the globe, there is no better time. Click here to read her instagram post and find out more on the challenge, which is super simple: reading a book by a Jewish author this month and sharing. 

Here's what I've been reading since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh - I blew through this, a Memorial Day Weekend read. Suspension of disbelief required and some why is that in here but otherwise interesting and kept me tied in. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, comes out June 22.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - This reminded me of Dirty Dancing, so how could I not love it. It definitely touched on some serious issues, but it also managed to be lighthearted and the kind of funny you don't laugh out loud at but find yourself smiling when you're reading. The Catskills as a setting, two Jewish families intertwined in business and more. It was hard to pick a favorite character. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Passed the Time Just Fine

Thicker Than Blood (Zoe Bentley Mystery #3) by Mike Omer - I enjoyed this series a lot - I think it's over, but not sure-and will read more by Mike Omer. He has a few other series books as well. Paperback, own, bought used

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel - Here's a story no one cares about. I read 9/10s of Frankel's massive hit This is How it Always Is and the story was important but I literally put the book down with less than 100 pages left. It is a massive book and felt so fucking repetitive and I had no appetite for that at the time - I was reading it right after Geege died in 2017. It's probably the longest I've read a book/closest in proximity to the end when I quit. Fast forward and this book was totally fine, an interesting premise and characters, and I know people will love it. I just...it's doing too much again. I think Frankel is a good for you, not for me author. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Not my favorite of hers. Something was missing. Feeling? Still compulsively readable but I didn't finish it and want to tell everyone about it. I did discuss with Nadine and Heather on the gram, but not in an OMG we loved it way LOL. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe - This was a little draggy in parts but a solid coming of age tale in the south in the 80s with mental health and community and being seen all strong themes. Austin was reminiscent of Kya from Crawdads in fleeting ways. . Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson (Shadows of New York #1) - I am not sure where I heard about this book, I assume from this linkup? Or how I acquired the paperback copy I found on my shelf, or how long I've had it...but I did find it and read it and was unsure of it for a while but I didn't mind it. I know that's not a rousing go read it but it's all I can muster at the time. If there are more in a series, I'd read them. Is that better? Paperback, own, unknown origin

Not Worth It

The Serial Killer's Wife by Alice Hunter - his felt a little repetitive. I had high hopes based on the title and this had a lot of potential, none of which panned out how I thought it would. There are avenues left unexplored that would have been rad. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter - This was a shorter novel so I sailed through it, but the story telling itself was slow in pace until the end. You have to sort of suspend all belief in what people would actually do in real life. I liked the writing though and would read another by Carter. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Did Not Finish

n/a

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up is the second Tuesday of every month. The next linkup is Tuesday, July 13, 2021. 

1. Visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me, and check in with as many in our reading circle as you can - give some love to the later linker uppers! 
2. Link back to us in your blog post - if you want the button you can get it from that link

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

June 2020 Recommendations

Amazon links are affiliate links

Doesn't this feel footloose and fancy free, sharing recommendations on the last Tuesday of the month as if we're in The Land Before Corona Times?  

1. Wear a fucking mask indoors, in lines, and when you can't maintain six feet of distance outside. If you're afraid to, it's fine, stay home. Let the people who are not afraid to have regard for other people be out living life and social distancing like bosses if you are afraid to wear a mask. Do not make life harder for people working who have to wear masks and then also get after your dumb ass to put one on when you know damn well you should. 

2. Curbside pick up from your library if they're doing it. No, it is not the same as being in there but it feels damn good to hold a library book!  

3. Book direct instead of using VRBO or AirBB. If you are looking at a house on one of those platforms and the house has a name (like ours is Home Sweet Shore Home), google House Name Location and see if a link to book direct comes up. Do not book anywhere without a rental contract that protects both you and the owner. Let me know if you are looking to do this and have questions. Also: if your flying vacation got cancelled and you are planning to drive somewhere, DO NOT TRAVEL if you want a guarantee of safety in regards to Covid. No private or hotel owner can guarantee that for you. Also do not travel if you think you are the only person who wants to travel after months in your home and will then complain about how many people are around at the destination you are in, as if you are the only person who has the right to go and be there. Final also:  do not travel if you want to act like there is no pandemic. The same mask up, patience with small business owners, awareness of new ways of doing things, etc you have to do at home you have to do elsewhere. Do not make anyone's life harder because you have an expectation of a normal vacation.

4. These baskets have been awesome - I have kid books hanging in them in the main house at the shore, and snacks in our apartment here. If you are short on space and need additional storage, these work great. 

5. Kid books. I try to add new books to my shore collection every year. This year was Kindness Rocks by Sonica Ellis; Celestina the Astronaut Ballerina: A Kids’ Read-Aloud Picture Book About Space, Astronauts, and Following Your Dreams (Big Ideas for Little Dreamers) by Donald Jacobsen;cele Hide and Seek Harry at the Beach by Kenny Harrison, and Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beatty. My niece and nephew donated some of their books too. 

6. Leaning into this unpredictable time. I know. If you are like me, you hate unpredictable. Try to use it as a time to really examine everything - even things you think you enjoy - and only keep the ways, activities, things, and people that really make your life. I spent almost five years forcing myself to get up at 4:30 in the morning for sunrises at the shore when I don't even like them that much in May, June, and July...much preferring end of August through December. Why was I doing that? When I asked the question, there was no satisfactory answer. Even though I enjoyed it eventually, I'm not doing it anymore. And my days flow much better this year than they used to down here. I can actually see sunsets and sit on my porch and enjoy the night quiet at 9:30 pm because I'm not dead tired/angry trollish by 8. The sunrises will still be there later in the summer and through the fall, when I can get up at 6 or later. 

7. Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrella. The only umbrellas I will buy or use. Do not buy a cheap ass $20 umbrella with no anchor on it and expect it to stand up to winds by the ocean. Under no circumstances should anyone ever purchase an Amazon Basics umbrella. You'll kill yourself or someone else.

8. Buy from a black-owned business. Try https://www.buyfromablackwoman.org/, We Buy Black on Instagram, download the Black Wall Street app, if you are in a city who has it (Philly, you are), use Black & Mobile for food delivery service for black businesses, google buy black. 

9. This vacuum attachment is great on baseboards. It fits both my Eureka and Shark vacuums.  

10. Stay hydrated and take your vitamins.

Last day of June. What.

June 2019 Recommendations

Buy this/look how cute and cheap this is is everywhere and I'm over it. Do we have nothing else to talk about aside from what we buy, should buy, are thinking about buying, want others to consider buying? 

Look, I like to know what people like and even more I like to know what actually WORKS for people on their skin and in their homes, in their kitchens and with their pets...but when it's the majority of what you see, it’s like enough already.  

As I work on consuming less and not buying shit I am not in need of, I'm more conscious than ever to be talking about, blogging about, sharing, and recommending content on every platform that does not focus on buying and consuming. While I’ve always only shared what is really worth it to me in these monthly recommendations posts, I’ve doubled down on that. I'm happy to tell anyone what I use for anything so feel free to ask at any time, but I don't want to be a pusher of material goods. It feels gross and it bores me so I’m sure it bores you at times too. We connect over who we are and when we are focused on what we own and buy, the connection gets lost. 

I know, we're into July, and here I am shuffling into July with June recommendations and on a soapbox to boot. We're into freaking July. 

Pacifica Micellar Waters. I was using SkinLab Micellar Cleansing Water that I was scoring at Marshalls (yes we are talking about cleansing water, not drugs) but back in April I couldn't find it there and it was sold out on Amazon. I picked up the Pacifica coconut micellar in Ocean City and loved it so when I ran out at home I picked up the rose from Target. Both smell fine (neither are my favorite scents) and do the job. Removes makeup so you can get rid of the wasteful wipes and use this with a washable cotton round instead.

Library holds. When I talk to people about placing holds on books at the library, I realize a lot of people don't do this. This is how I get access to popular books free and relatively quickly. If I know when a book is coming out, I'll start searching for it on my library's catalog website about a month or so before, sometimes more. As soon as it appears, I place a hold on it. If you are unfamiliar with how it works in your library system, ask your librarian!

Alternatives to VRBO. For those who book vacations using VRBO, they are pushing more and more fees on travelers and they never tell you what they're for. A lot of people who own vacation rentals are branching out to their own websites, smaller search engines (Shoresummerrentals.com in my area), and there are also a lot of facebook groups where vacationers can interact with owners (like OCNJ Vacation Rental By Homeowner, search for Wherever You're Going Vacation Rentals on FB or the world wide web for that matter). If you see a house on VRBO or ABB and it has a name (like mine is Home Sweet Shore Home), try googling that name and the town and state it's in and see if you can't contract direct with the owner (do not google mine as I am dragging my ass on that website for the second year in a row). No matter how you book, sure you have a written lease/contract with clear payment terms and contact information for both parties signed by both parties (before you sign anything, you can check the homeowner out given the contact info on the contract), but to avoid fees, try searches that don't lead you to VRBO/Homeaway/ABB. They have the market share, but they are squeezing dimes out of both renters and owners and have adopted a lot of policies that protect neither if anything goes south on either end. If you have questions about this, please comment or email me at lifeaccordingtosteph@gmail.com and I'll help you to the best of my ability or direct you to a good resource.

What are you recommending this month?

TWTW - the final one in June

Friday We kicked the day off at Dog Beach before 7 am. The green flies were biting but Ben actually played with other dogs without barking. It was amazing. Bruce bugged the entire workday until I let him out on the porch to sniff around and stare at people. 

After work I lay down and read a little until Bruce took over, then walked down and spent about an hour on the beach. It was gorgeous and the water was 77 degrees. The trash pick up on the way out, not gorgeous. I do love that we are in a town where people place lost items on the side hoping someone comes back for them, like the little shoe. 

I popped in at home quickly to get Bruce and Ben and we walked down to the bay for the sunset. On the way back I noticed a hole in the street. I was like fuck do I have to call the cops again? I have called them what feels like every Friday (abandoned boat on my block, person blocking my driveway for more than three hours, abandoned car on my block). But whatever I called and I'm glad I did, it was apparently a thing. I talked to my neighbor for a while and upstairs renters, one of our returning families. 

Saturday We woke up at 6 to jackhammering, so that street hole situation escalated quickly. They had it dug up, filled in, patched, and blacktopped before 10 am. I made daily shower spray and foaming hand soap, cleaned out under the sink/lined with contact paper, and then we did turnover. It was super humid and I was a sweaty fucking mess by the time we were done and we don't even do the whole cleaning. 

After walking the dogs two by two while MFD spot power washed, we hit the beach. It was blazing hot but the cloud cover relieved us. I was furious over a guy flying a drone though. See it by that guy's head in that photo? Yeah, that drone did not belong to his family. RUDE to do that to people. 

We beat the rain back to the house, I finished a book, we ate and headed up for a boardwalk stroll. MFD was beside himself because according to bird activity there were tons of fish near the shore. We got gelato and were home by 9. He went fishing for a few hours and I started a new book and fell out around midnight. 

Sunday 

Up at 6:20 to walk the dogs, which was quite eventful. A guy approached us with a dog and the dog was too aggressive for Ben's liking, so Ben slipped out of his harness and Good Lord. Everyone was fine but before coffee, really? I talked to Laura who was having a luggage crisis before her cruise. We cleaned our apartment , moving furniture and all (which the dogs do not like even a little), then took a bike ride on the boards, had breakfast at Ove's, and MFD headed home while I went to the library to pick up a hold (City of Girls). We hit the beach for about an hour and a half where I zoned out reading a James Patterson. Home to more cleaning, a quick trip to Rite Aid to re-stock some stuff, a nice conversation with our renters, then I was packed up and headed home with the dogs. MFD had two showings, one in NJ and one in PA, and didn't make it home until after 9.

Once I got home I did four loads of laundry, talked to the neighbor out back who is a little like Wilson in that I've never seen him but he tore down his 6 foot fence to replace it this week, changed the couch covers, painted my nails (Sally Insta-Dri White on Time, Wet n' Wild Megalast I Red a Good Book, and Zoya Sia), and read. 

Weekly food prep: Given my schedule for the week, it's not really happening. I'll probably be eating eggs, fruit, veggies, cheese, and maybe some chicken thrown in for good measure. 

I have a three day week this week, then I'm off work until 7/15. Yippee ki yay, MFers.