Friday Finds

Hello again! What a week, but we made it.

A little week recap for you:

I made 2 trips to the library, cleaned none of my house, and had a few super unproductive days at work. But we have reading as an escape and that's all that matters right?

Speaking of reading - this week I finished Dark Matter (review coming next week) and started The Nest. Coming from the high that Dark Matter was, The Nest just isn't grabbing me the way I wanted it to. Tell me it lives up to the hype!

I also finished listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and started Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I LOVE the cover art for the audio books. Can I get some paperbacks with that cover art? Dang.

Here are some links I've loved this week:

• I loved this buzzfeed list of 51 of the best pieces of advice from books. My favorite? "The more you expect from life, the more your expectations will be fulfilled. By laughing, you do not use up your laughter, but increase the store of it. The more you love, the more you will be loved. The more you give, the more you will receive. Life proves that truth every hour, every day. And life continues to surprise." -Life Expectancy, Dean Koontz. I've never read anything by Dean Koontz. Maybe I should change that.
• Kate is hair goals. Ugh. If I could get my hair to do a fraction of the things that hers did, I would be fabulous all the time. 
• I really want to make this Jambalaya next week, but my husband has an issue with rice. I don't understand. Rice is basically nothing... what is there to have an issue with?
• Remember this? HAHAHAHA I haven't read any of those and summer is almost over. But I did get three of the books on Isla's list, so that's something. 
• This? I cried. Love Sadie. She's such an inspiration to me.
• All these people talking about fall, fall, fall... I can't even deal. It's still in the 90s here and it won't get cool until October. 

What are you up to this weekend?

Friday Finds

It's Friday! AND it was a pretty darn good week.

Highlight of the week: Book of the Month Club reposted one of my photos on Instagram. I may or may not have (but definitely did) squeal with excitement. See evidence below:

So much excitement yesterday morning.

Anywho, here are some cool things from this week:

• The Literary Llama's Instagram feed is so creative. 
• I'm trying audio books again. I've attempted a couple and tend to lose focus. But I've heard so many great things about the Jim Dale narrations of the Harry Potter series, and I had 2 free audible credits, so I'm giving it a shot. *fingers crossed*
• My daughter's day care truly is all inclusive and it's wonderful. This is her second day care, and the previous one stated that they would be able to accommodate her needs with her hearing aids, but definitely did not do so. Her new school, that we've been with for over a year now, has been amazing with her hearing aids. They have had several other hearing impaired children. And today I saw a little boy using a pediatric walker. I love that school so much. I'm going to be very sad when she has to go to elementary school and wont be there any more.
• These Lava Flow Cocktail Pops look d.e.l.i.s.h.
• So do these breakfast burritos from Damn Delicious.
• And I'm really intrigued by these hair drying gloves.

How was your week? Any fun plans the weekend? Any fun reading plans this weekend? Let me know below or find me on Instagram @bigreadslittlereads. I'd love to connect.

Have a great weekend and happy reading!

Friday Finds

Hello! Welcome to Friday! We made it!

How is everyone? Did you make it through the week ok? Or are you just barely scraping by? I'm a little of both. I'm pretty tired and ready to rest (and read) this weekend.

Here's a little of what I've been into this week:

• I'm attempting to give up dairy. Because acne. I'm a grown a$$ woman still dealing with acne. Giving up dairy is my last ditch effort, and then I'm giving up and just accepting that I look like this now. But giving up dairy is hard, guys! I freaking love cheese. And greek yogurt. And dairy is in so many more things that you would think! Ugh. Feel for me for a moment and then move on with your lives, please.
• I accidentally dutch braided Isla's hair the other day when I was trying to french braid it. (I've been trying to master the dutch brain FOREVER and it accidentally happened.) So, of course, I dutch braided it every day for a week.
• I just discovered Josephine from Word Revel through her #bookstagram series on her blog and I just love her blog. There are so many book blogs (or just blogs period) out there, it's very easy to get lost in the shuffle, but her's really stands out. Love it,
• I have no occasion to make these glitter letters, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to.
• I would love to make a butcher block kitchen island like this, but I have no room in my kitchen. Maybe a coffee table?
• Sadie is the queen of at home workouts. I need to try this at home yoga flow.
• Are we friends on Instagram? Find me @bigreadslittlereads. I would love to connect.

That's all I have this week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finds

It's been a little while. I'm sorry. BUT, I have some good things coming your way in the next few weeks. I've been reading some really great books.

Anywho, how about some Friday Finds?

• This peach pineapple agua fresca from How Sweet Eats looks amazing.
• How cute are these pineapple oven mitts? I may have to try my hand at sewing just to make these.
• How about these slow cooker burritos? Def going on my meal plan this week.
• Modern Mrs. Darcy's 25 books to read when you feel like the world is falling apart is so timely, because I feel like the world is falling apart.
• I love Janssen's new mantra that basically boils down to just do it.

What have you been up to this week?

Around the Interwebs...

Still really into the rainbow books.

Here's what else I'm into this week:

I found this blog, Pop Goes the Reader.  Jen is running a series right now called Her Story: Ladies in Literature and it's been so interesting!

HER STORY: LADIES IN LITERATURE is a special, month-long series on Pop! Goes The Reader in which we celebrate the literary female role models whose stories have inspired and empowered us since time immemorial. From Harriet M. Welsch to Anne Shirley, Becky Bloomwood to Hermione Granger, HER STORY: LADIES IN LITERATURE is a series created for women, by women as thirty-nine authors answer the question: “Who’s your heroine?”

 Check that out - it's super cool!

I tried this best way to side part and it has revolutionized my life (or at least how I part my hair.)

I read this article in defense of unlikable women. It came to me at an interesting time - right after my review of The Girl on the Train, where my main complaint was the unlikable characters (all women.) It made me wonder if I would have felt the same if they were men instead of women... I would hope so, but it's definitely something to think about.

Also, I'm joining Our Shared Shelf for the first time this month with a reading of Persepolis. I read Persepolis several years ago, so I'm rereading it for the discussion. Have you read Persepolis? Are you part of any online book clubs?

So, that's all the new things I've been into this week. What about you? Anything interesting to share?

Friday Finds

It's Friday, ya'll! Look! I roy-g-biv-ed our picture books and I LOVE how it looks!

Here's what I've been into this week:

Janssen at Everyday Reading just shared 100 picture books to read this summer. Time to max out that library card! (And then pay a ridiculous amount of late fees because I can never remember to return books on time. Seriously. I owe something like $22 right now. How ridiculous it that? I might as well just buy the dang books.)

I found this through How Sweet Eats, but could you give up TV for a month? I think I would like to, but Netflix is a siren song I can rarely resist.

I joined Jenna Kutcher's 7 Days to Cracking the Instagram Code challenge. It's going pretty well so far.  I've nearly doubled my followers, but more importantly, I'm getting more engagement with my followers - I'm really hoping to build a community where we can talk books and other things we enjoy.  :-)

I'm thinking about quitting my gym and trying the Sweat app instead. Have you used the Bikini Body Guide? Do you workout? How? I struggle so much... Help...

I'm still working my way through The Darkness That Comes Before. I had hoped to finish it this week, but I've gotten almost NO reading done. It's been kind of a crazy week. Maybe I should stop watching so much Netflix...

Speaking of Netflix, what are you watching now? I just finished Parks and Rec for like the third or fourth time and I've started Gilmore Girls again. Funny story about Gilmore Girls, it's kind of ridiculous how many times I've watched that show. When it was still airing, I would get the DVD set of the previous season every year for Christmas. So every Christmas, I was start back at season 1 episode 1 and watch through the season I just received. I really should be able to recite every episode line-by-line by now. Still not my favorite show of all time though - just the most watched. The Office will always and forever hold the title of greatest television show ever made. And I know, because I watch a lot of TV.  Have I told you how many times I've watched Gilmore Girls?

What are you into this week? Watching any good shows on Netflix? Seen any good movies? Reading any good books? Let me know friends!