April and May weekending

April 19-21

MFD coordinated an Earth Day clean up with multiple participant organizations so I went up there and did the lunch run. I also filled out my mail in ballot and dropped it at a box. Sunday was back to the shore for a major rage clean due to getting my period after over eight months not getting it and then falling into an exhausted sleep at 5 on the couch, waking up at 12:30 am and never going back to sleep. Perimenopause is fucked.

Saturday night we met up with old friends in Lambertville on the tail end of Shadfest for dinner at Under the Moon. Food and company were both great. I loved the name of the restaurant and the ambiance. I wish I had a jacket with me LOL. MFD and I were unintentionally matching yet again.

April 26-28

Friday after work I headed back down to the shore and picked up my most useful, best Freecycle score ever - a plastic gate that we can use in the driveway at the shore so the dogs can be out but not run into the street which they do not do but they surely would run after other dogs. We hit the beach and melted into the couch. Saturday I did some upkeep work outside in the driveway, walked a zillion miles doing my errands, celebrated Independent Bookstore Day by patronizing two of my locals including one of my all time favorites which is a used paperback bookstore, found an awesome new shop that is totally my vibe, more beach walking, read two books, and made a clear out the pantry dinner. Sunday walked a zillion more miles, read another two books, ate cookies until I was ill, and beach dog time.

May 3-5

A doing weekend - HomeGoods, new window ACs for bedrooms, touch up painting throughout the house, sorting and organizing under bed bins and other seasonal prep work.

Saturday we got the stair carpet replaced. It was also the spring block party so I got pretzels and that's about it, as it was a working weekend. 

Otherwise reading, snacky dinners, cute dogs, Shittah's third birthday and May the 4th be with you. And a rainy walk. Imagine, rain.

May 10-12

Melissa and Jim and the kids were down, always one of my favorite weekends. And the dogs too, they get so much attention from everyone and Melissa always puts out a spread which they love LOL. It was sunny enough Saturday to sit in the driveway for a bit, paint my toes outside, and hit the beach, staying up by the dunes to block the wind.

After splitting a bottle of champagne for mimosas with Melissa on the beach I got a wild hair up my ass to paint our apartment bathroom bubblegum pink (SW6583 In the Pink) then Sunday I spray painted the hanging baskets (Krylon pistachio).

Sunday I drove to Philly and back for Mother's Day, which included a pop in to TJMaxx where in a miraculous event I had 15 minutes to get in and out and found everything I was looking for with time to spare to go to Sherwin Williams and pick up more paint. A true unicorn of an event. We celebrated Mom and Rich (his birthday was Thursday) and I got the cutest zen pug from my niece and nephew then stopped in to see Gram before heading back to the shore to hang out more with Melissa & Jim.

May 17-19

Friday I was jamming on work by 6:30 am, at Sam's by 8, and a firedrill of a day from then on. MFD's fam arrived and I made cherry cheesecake dip, brownie batter dip, and took a lovely beach walk. Cheers to the fam for dealing with the oven delivery on Saturday since the initial install date of Tuesday was ixnayed due to damage upon arrival. 

Saturday was a working day, I was headed back to Philly before 8 am, talked to Laura the entire ride, unpacked a zillion boxes, packed a zillion boxes, went to three different shipping places (including one where 10 people yelled at me in russian for having so many boxes and the mail lady was like you know everyone hates you, right? yes I know), picked up a shower curtain from HomeGoods on an in and out trip, filled my car up with gas, thought I lost my credit card, and then headed to a work Phillies game. I got free parking thanks to a pin drop from my work BFF, stood the whole time for fear of falling asleep or zoning out, Phils won, and I made it back to the shore at 10:50. I was wired so up until after midnight. Friday and Saturday were both insane Henry Hill days - which is how I reference the bust when he was running all over on precision timing dealing with jam ups at every turn LOL. 

Sunday I was done done. I went to drop off a Freecycle item, picked up carrot cake for Sarah's birthday (her birthday is tomorrow) and sung to her and Maddi's boyfriend on his actual birthday (he got an ice cream cake), and chilled out reading magazines and watching Parks and Rec. MFD was working Sunday so it was his day for back and forth. By 7 pm my racing thoughts had finally ceased, just in time for work to begin again. 

That'll do it. I've been doing reels on Instagram with snippets of the weekend, you can always find them here. 

SMD

 

May 2019 Recommendations

1. Birkenstock Gizeh EVA Sandals (affiliate link). Super comfortable. I can walk all day in these. I have a high arch and they provide good support. I have them in a few colors and I wear the hell out of them.

2. Tea Tree Oil foot soak (affiliate link). It is bare feet season, after all. This smells and feels good and my feet feel great after.

3. Magic erasers to clean your filthy oven glass. Just mine is filthy? I know I'm not alone here. This one comes via Lucy, Carol's best friend, and it works.

4. Seventh Generation Dish Liquid. I made this switch last year after spending a while thinking it could never be as good as the harsher stuff. That was incorrect. It's better. Smells good too, all scents. I am big on soap scents.

5. Plan for Plastic Free July. Choose to refuse all single use plastic in July, or pick just one thing now you want to focus on and prepare and plan to commit to participation. Last year I gave up single use coffee cups and haven't looked back. What unnecessarily wasteful habit can you kick to the curb?

6. Allow all the feelings. Thanks to Lori for sharing this one! The world is in a place where we see people are calling for sun to shine out of everyone's ass all the time. Positive vibes only! I call bullshit. We are human and we have all the feelings. If you push the negative ones down you'll give yourself a stroke. You're allowed sadness and grief and rage and fear and everything that is ugly and messy and human. The trick is to try not to live in those negative places and not to harm yourself or others in them. Accept that you have negative feelings, give yourself time to process, then move on. Pretending negative shit doesn't exist is not living in the real world.

What are you recommending this month?

Show Us Your Books: May 2019

Fits and starts month. Whenever I stop reading a book before it ends, I require a little brain refresh period. I usually finish a book and pick another up immediately but for some reason when I stop one before it's over I need a re-set. That happened twice this month, one I stopped a few chapters in and one halfway through.

I also returned a Philly library book to Ocean City's library...since librarians rock, they mailed it back before I even figured it out. 

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

Engrossing Reads

The Huntress by Kate Quinn - A big mama of a book but I flew through it because it was engrossing and fraught with dangerous edges. Philly library hardcover that I returned to OC library

Sadie by Courtney Summers - Here's a sound byte for you: compulsively readable. I couldn't put this down. OCNJ library hardcover

Passed the Time Just Fine

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim - I'm probably an outlier here. People love this book and I thought it was okay. And as I always say, that's okay. Not all books are for everyone. I'm not one for courtroom dramas and I thought it was unbearably slow at times. OCNJ library hardcover

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough - File under: girls can be fucking cruel. I figured this out early but it didn't stop me from enjoying it - and I hope when you figure something out early it doesn't stop you from enjoying an otherwise good book also. Books are more than their twists. Philly library hardcover

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing - Sometimes I wonder what it says about me that I enjoy reading about psychos. This was a solid little read. Philly library hardcover

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent - My God this was soul sucking. So very well written but very heavy and dark and depressing AF. One of those I'm glad I read that because the author did a lot of work here but if I knew how I'd feel at the end I wouldn't have picked it up. I hate saying that about a book someone sweat blood into but there it is. OCNJ library hardcover 

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - I had to skim a few spots where the author was hammering in redundant information but I really liked this. Solid read. OCNJ library hardcover

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth - Passable read about dangerous rich white kids. It read a little like a YA book but it's not. Philly hardcover

Not Worth It

Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly - Drip, drip, drip. Slow as fuck and frustrating, too. You cannot spend every other sentence referencing some big bad event for over half of the book and not telling anyone what it is. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline - I've liked Lisa's books. I did not like this book. What a freaking slog. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Long Gone by Alafair Burke - Ho hum. Philly library hardcover

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani - A grisly tale with not enough backstory to prop it up. Paperback, borrowed

Did Not Finish

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell - If it was possible to reach through a book and strangle a character in the first three chapters, I would have done that.  Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna - This had promise, like Golden Girls with an edge, but it moved with the speed of molasses and I dropped it halfway through. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

What have you been reading? 

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up is the second Tuesday of every month. The next linkup is June 11,  2019 

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! 
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Make way for May

Certain times of year I feel more intensely how fast time is flying. The leap into May is always one of those times. 

I’m not sure if it’s because I know summer is coming and will go by in a blink compared to the halcyon summers of childhood that seemed open and endless or if activities ramp up with the return of nice weather and I’m hurtling towards good times ahead. 

I’ve got quite a long task list this month - our first rental at the shore is Memorial Day weekend and there’s a lot to be done before then, in Philly I need to get my flowers planted and bedroom painted, and I have big work stuff going on. 

On the less task oriented side, there are stacks of good books waiting to be read, sunrises to see, dog walks to take, family events, the final three GOT episodes to watch, elections to vote in, pedicures to get, Bruce Springsteen songs to listen to loudly with the windows open, strawberries to eat, a new pop up art event I have tickets to, and so on. Hopefully May also brings the end to dry patches on my face and vitamin D deficiency.

I’ve set my intentions for a good and fulfilling month. I hope yours is the same. Make way for May and everything that comes with it. 

May 2018 Recommendations

Amazon links are affiliate links

Birkenstock Mayari Sandal - From the never say never file: I have ripped on numerous people close to me for wearing Birks. Then I realized my old lady feet need more support in a more polished style than my OOFOS. And here we are. Let me tell you, I have walked all over Ocean City in these, miles, and my legs and back and knees all felt fabulous after every time. I find myself wearing them daily. I can't argue with that and I take back all of the bad things I said about Birkenstocks. I thought the thing around my toe in this style would bother me but they fit like a second skin by the second day.

Champion Women's Jersey Banded Knee Capris - I've been holding on to Old Navy capris for years. They are faded and terrible but I need capris with pockets and couldn't find any I liked until I got these. Lightweight, pockets, good to throw on to walk the dogs. One must have pockets for poop bags, you know. They're true to size and they wash well.

Iced tea - I used an iced tea maker for years but have recently been going old school making it - boiling water in a tea kettle, pouring it over tea bags (I've been using Luzianne or Boston's Mint-In-Tea ), adding a little sugar or honey and the juice of one or two lemons, and filling up the rest of the gallon with ice cubes or cold water. You guys, I am not a huge sweetened tea drinker, but DAMN this is good. So delicious and so much cheaper than buying it. I find the making of iced tea soothing. I love seeing a sweating glass of iced tea on an outside table. And since we're in iced tea season, can we just touch on the fact that it's iceD tea and not ice tea?

Gooby Escape Free Sport Dog Harness - Bruce is a major puller and I have tried three or four harnesses, this is the only one that is a little loose on him when he's relaxed but holds him well when walking.

Frozen dog treats - My dogs go nuts for these.

LOVE YOURSELF. And read that post by Alison.

Bloggers who use blogger, anyone else having their comments not delivered via email?

What are you recommending this month?

The May Seven

See The January Seven / The February Seven / The March Seven / The April Seven

Wellness
1. Reduce clutter - yes, but ongoing
2. Boardwalk bike ride every time I’m at the shore until Memorial Day - yes
3. Delete facebook app from phone - yes

Community

1. Pick up litter - yes
2. Talk about voting with people - why it’s important even in primaries of off-year elections. Voting is a habit that is good for you and your community. Twice a year, just like dental visits. - yes

Try
1. New recipes: broccoli cauliflower salad, egg roll in a bowl, crispy crockpot carnitas, frozen yogurt - no, yes, yes, no
2. Getting oven fixed - yes, there's actually another bigger problem, joy
3. Selling larger items I am not using - yes

Buy
1. Round mirror for shore bedroom - yes
2. Hooks for shore house - yes

3. Annuals - yes

Do
1. Refill gallons of water.  Help!! Does anyone have a gallon container - sealed, no spigot - they transport liquids in that is not plastic? Actually got a water cooler. 
2. Update shore house menus / house info / etc - yes
3. Refrain from using any disposable cutlery - fail, used one day at lunch
Needs to be done eventually but is clearly not getting done so need a break from it being a numbered item: 
Blog recommendations tab / shore house blog

More
Buying what I will use each week from the grocery store - about half and half

Less
Stocking up for no reason - about half and half

Currently - May

Drinking...cucumber and lemon infused water. So refreshing. And good for you too.

Bidding...Mad Men a fond farewell. I liked the finale. I like when they tell me what's happening to people I won't see again. I'll miss them all, especially Joan. Or as Amanda calls her, the original Boss Bitch. Word.

via

Being...ladies who lunch with Jana of Jana Says  yesterday. I'm psyched for her new Interview with a Bookworm series that I participated in on Tuesday.

Wearing...All pixie pants, all the time. Old Navy, please don't stop making these.

Loving...my new sun hat from Old Navy. Yellow and happy and bigass to keep the sun off of my face.

Hating...Mae's gross skin and ear issues. High maintenance diva.

Wanting...more people to vote. I was #155 at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday. So many people have fought and died to gain the right to vote and so many people do not use it.

Needing...a pedicure. My feet are not well right now.

Wondering...how we're already at Memorial Day weekend.

Feeling...like Brenda caught in the bus station in Adventures in Babysitting whenever I have to spend more than four minutes in Market East. I mean Jefferson Station.

Reading...my first Agatha Christie - Murder at the Vicarage. I'm not loving it.

Listening to...Big Parade by The Lumineers. Over and over and over again.

Stalking...the instagram accounts of my upcoming vacation destinations.

Appreciating...the Trenton line being back up and running. My commute has returned to normal. As normal as a commute full of quasi-lunatics can be.

Laughing at...the truth in this. Thanks to Sister Secrets for sharing.

What's going on with you?

Linking up with Kristin and

Joey for Stuff & Things