Till Then Smile Often

Overcast with a Chance of Reading

I have to say this weekend was very relaxing but probably very boring too. I didn’t take very many pictures and I mostly just read.In other words the best weekend for me. 😉

 

On Friday I finished Before I Go. It was so good. It didn’t make me ugly cry even though it was about Cancer, but it made me think, laugh, and it moved me.

Since Saturday was overcast it was the perfect day for reading. I started and finished Worth The Fall. I share the cover art for all my squeamish book readers! 😉 It was a fast and quick read, and who doesn’t love a man in uniform that isn’t afraid of kids. Cute, fun, happily ever after.

 

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From GoodReads: They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.
 
They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.
 
But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

 

Sunday I started I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max. He started the genre “Fratire” in which he writes down all the stupid drunken things that happened to him. He is chauvinistic, arrogant, womanizer yet oddly hilarious! I am half-way through and it is funny, but totally offensive too.

I went to my brothers house to celebrate my Sister-in-Law’s birthday. Getting to see my nieces is always a blast. I even indulged in some carrot cake. It warmed my heart when the oldest asked me to brush her hair since she likes how I do it.

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I also ran on Saturday and Sunday to get my 10k training moving along. This week it changes from sprinting to running so we shall see how my knee holds up. Overall it was a great weekend.

 

How was your weekend!

 

 

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and Biana from B Loved Boston.

Weekending
 
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Friday Favorites

 Is it really Friday?! You may not hear from me again till Monday till I can catch up on the some 8 books I have piled up to read. There are worst problems to have, so I am not complaining. I just might not come up for air. Until then here are some of my favorite things this week.

 

Favorite Song: Call me crazy but I have decided to move up my 10k training so I can move onto the Half Marathon training. Yup, I’m crazy. The 10k was only 3 days a week so I am going to squeeze in 5-6 days instead. Most days aren’t more than 30 minutes of running so when it gets to an hour I will bump it back down to 3-4 days, maybe. I am feeleing the bug and I don’t want to ignore it, or it may never come back. In the meantime this song is on my playlist.

Favorite Scent: I got this candle during my Girl’s weekend in Providence and I have been burning it a lot. Smells so good.

 

 

Favorite Invention: There is a reason this cooler is called the Coolest!!! It has a blender in the lid, a dividable insert, plate storage in the lid and cutting board, a bottle opener, bungee cord tie downs, wireless bluetooth speakers, USB charger, and LED lights. It is on kickstarter getting funds to start production, just so cool and hopefully it will be cheap enough to make it’s way to the beach with me.

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Favorite Recipe: Orange Creamsicles and Orange Pushups were my favorite treats as a kid. This one looks so good and anything that can recreate that flavor is a win in my book. Click on the picture for the link to the recipe.

Favorite funnies:

The person who did this needs to be my friend!  Too funny!

Come Over Here and Say Hi, Babe
 

 

Could not stop laughing!!!

 

My Dad does this all the time. Cracks me up! You have more than one knife!

Too true.
SOURCEfunny-knife-sink-sandwiches-sign
 

Well that is all folks! Go out have fun, and read a book!!!!

 

What are your plans for the weekend?!

 

Linking up with Amanda

Meet At The Barre
 
 
 
 
 
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Currently…

Currently it is Thursday, one more work day till the weekend. I have been pushing forward with my 10k running and even thinking about trying to move into the Half Marathon training app after this one is done. Just hope my knee holds up.

The summer months are making things a little slower, a little more relaxed, a little more productive at least in outdoor activities and I can’t say I hate it. Hopefully it carries into the fall. Though I am not wishing summer away so keep your Starbucks special cups and Halloween decorations in storage a little longer. Thanks!

I am not sure where this idea for Currently posts came from but it seems dating back to 2013 it was a hop found here. Here is my take on it.

 

Watching: Big Brother – Did I just watch Devin smack his own butt?!

Reading: Before I Go – This may have come too close after In The Mirror but I am really liking the main character a lot more than I did the other one.

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From Goodreads: A heart-wrenching debut novel in the bestselling tradition of P.S. I Love You about a young woman with breast cancer who undertakes a mission to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away.

Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again?

On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant “Cancerversary” with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect—but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife.

With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack’s perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy’s forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness—or her own?

Listening: To silence, it really is golden! 😉

Making: Weird faces at Seamus. He follows me around the house and then he flashes his smile at me. I have to give him back something.

 

Seamus
Feeling: Like I really want the weekend to get here already. I think I need a quiet weekend at home with a good book.

Planning: What I might make for next week’s recipe swap. Dessert? Drink? Dinner? Decisions, Decisions.

Loving: This story of Lowe’s employees helping a Vietnam Veteran when his wheelchair gave out in the store. He lost his legs to a landmine when he was just 20 years old. The employees would not let him leave till his wheelchair was like new. See.. you can always be the change. 

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 Happy Friday Eve everyone. Hope it is a good one.

 

What are you up to currently?

 

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Literary Junkies | What I’m Reading

I am switching it up this week. I joined a reading Facebook group and we pick a book every month. They ask that we answer questions on our reading habits on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, so here are my answers.

 

This month’s questions are:

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it! I am currently reading this months pick The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton,

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I also have I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Max Tucker, and The Widow Waltz by Sally Koslow checked out from the library.
2. Do you find yourself reading more of a particular genre during the heat of summer? I do read a little more beach reads, but I still read a great deal of mystery, romance, and adult lit too.
3. Who are your favorite book villains (either to love or to hate?) I don’t really read books with villains in them. Unless you call the murderers in the mystery novels villains, and there is nothing to like about them.
4. If you could choose one author’s writing powers to harness, who would you choose and why? I’m not sure what it means about powers, but I love the writing of Sue Grafton, Joanne Fluke, and Debbie Macomber. Their ability to tell a story really leaves you feeling like you know the character. They always make me dread waiting for the next book to come out.
5. Do you read one book at a time, or read multiple books at once? I tend to only read one book at a time, otherwise the characters get all jumbled.
6. What are some of your favorite non-fiction books? I don’t really like non-fiction however if I am it is going to be something I can learn from like Dave Ramsey’s book or a funny one like Chelsea Handler or Tina Fey’s book.

 

 What are you reading?

What type of books do you tend to read the most?

 

Pink Heels Pink Truck
 

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Weekend Running

I have to say this was one of the better weekends I have had in awhile. I feel like I got a lot done, but I also had a lot of down time too. I would have loved more time to read but it was more than perfect. I didn’t want it to end.

 

Friday: After walking Seamus I headed out to Boston for the movie night. I met up with Kate, Emily and Jodi at the Boston Harbor Hotel. We got there early enough to enjoy some wine and a light dinner. The movie wasn’t supposed to start until at least 8pm so we decided to walk around and hit up another bar for a drink. So we ended up at the Granary Tavern. There was a pair of cousins that were keeping us entertained. We hit a local Pastry shop so the girls could grab some Cannoli’s. I was good and decided not to get anything. We never made it to the movie, but who hasn’t seen The Wizard of Oz before.

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Boston
 

Saturday: I went grocery shopping pretty early morning which was a good thing since it wasn’t busy. Then a few errands to the library to pick up some new books, and Old Navy it was back home so I could hit the beach. After a few hours I headed home to walk Seamus and then relaxed for the night finishing my book, and catching up on emails.

 

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Sunday: I did some cleaning around the hours before going hiking with Kate at my local spot. It is so nice to be able to show someone a place you just love going. After we finished I headed to the gym to do my 3rd run for the week from my 10k for Pink app.

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When I headed home I pulled out my steaks I had marinating. While they were cooking on the grill I mowed the lawn.

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It was perfect timing and then I sat down for a delicious lunch. After taking Seamus for a walk I parked my butt on the couch for the rest of the night. Catching up on my DVR, blog drafting, reading, and social media viewing. Perfect way to end a busy day.

 

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip , Biana from B Loved Boston, and Rachel from The Rachel Way.

Weekending
 
Ameliorer la Vie
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Friday Favorites | OxyMoron

I could not be more excited for Friday it has been a really rough work week. I am going out tonight to meet up with some fellow bloggers to see an outdoor movie in the park and grabbing some drinks before hand so let’s get this party started! Please note I am highly aware of my healthy/nonhealthy favorites but it has just been that kind of week! 😉

Favorite Workout: Although I am hitting the gym hard and using the 10k for Pink app to getting my running mojo back I still like some quick at home workouts for when I can’t hit the gym. This one looks short enough but if you repeat it 3-4 times it can be a scorcher.  This is from a dead link but the meme gives you what you need. Linked to the pin from Pinterest.

Easy and quick morning workout
 

Favorite Recipe: These are in no way healthy and probably why they sound so good but, hello!!! Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls, nuff said. 

Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Butter Pecan Sweet Rolls via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #cakemix

Favorite Song: This band Evans Blue has been a big help to getting me through my running workouts and the lead singer is pretty cute so worth a share.

Favorite Book: Can we still be friends if I say I only gave the Fault In Our Stars only 4 stars? Mostly due to all the hype I was expecting more. Not that it wasn’t good. I do however always fly through these books by Allison Brennan. It is a crime/mystery series but it involves the roudy Kincaid family and you always end up rooting for the underdogs.

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From Goodreads: Assigned to San Antonio’s Violent Crimes unit, Lucy Kincaid joins a team of seasoned veterans and newer agents for a task force called Operation Heatwave. It’s supposed to be a simple sweep of known offenders with outstanding warrants. But when Lucy and her team try to bust two local brothers for jumping bail, she walks into a hotbed of pure evil. Their names are George and Jaime Sanchez. They are charged with murder, drug trafficking, and worse. And one of them is still out there.

 

Favorite Funnies: I may have wanted a cupcake this week but I worked out instead. If I had one this might happen! Haha!


 
 
I feel this way a lot about our society!

 

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Am I a bad person, because I would totally laugh if this happened, then make sure they were ok?!?!

 

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That is all she wrote, and by she I mean me! Duh! 😉 Now go have fun, hit a beach or a beverage!  

What are your weekend plans?

 

Linking up with Amanda

Meet At The Barre

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Mango Sangria

The thing that I like about Sangria is you really can’t get it wrong. You can really make it your own and you can use even the crappiest of wines and it can still come out great. My Aunt and Uncle gave me a few bottles of wine at Christmas that they had lying around for awhile and wanted to get out of their house. I figured I would use them eventually and 7 months later I finally cracked one open. These were larger than a standard bottle of wine so I had to adjust accordingly. Also don’t worry if you are not a fan of red wine, switch it out for white wine.

 

Mango Sangria
Ingredients: 1 (750ml) bottle of red wine ~ 3/4 cup of Mango Rum ~ 1/2 cup sugar (I used Truvia) ~ 1 Orange ~ 1 apple ~ 1 Lime ~ 1 Lemon ~ Lemon-Lime Soda or Lemonade *NOTE: I have used Melon flavored Rum too which is really good as well.

 

Sangria
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a large plastic or glass pitcher. Chill for 1-2 hours to let the fruit infuse with the wine. Fill a glass 1/3 full and fill the rest with lemon-lime soda or lemonade. 

 

You really can use any fruit you want. Mix and match whatever flavors you like, I have used peaches, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, apples, oranges, lemons, and limes. Got a cheap bottle of wine? No problem just bump up the amount of sugar till it tastes to your liking. I tried the lemonade since I had some left in my fridge and I wanted to get rid of it to make space. I have to say I am so glad I did, it was so good!!

 

Have you tried Sangria?

What is your favorite fruits to add in?

 

 

Martinis & Bikinis

 

 

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Hiking, Beaching, Relaxing

Hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend!! We were a little rained out here, so all the parades and fireworks were cancelled but it ended up being for the best because I got to snuggle with Seamus, finish a few books and watch a movie. After too much time away from home I had a lot of catching up to do on chores and home projects. Also since I took Monday off to enjoy an extra long weekend I am going to keep this short so I can hit the beach again.

So a quick recap of the weekend…

 

Friday: Waking up at 5am is always fun, but it does allow for morning reading with coffee. Then I went grocery shopping only to learn my road was blocked off in one direction due to a tree being down, and 3 more were down in the park by my house too. They were completely ripped from the roots too. I picked up Lone Survivor from Redbox, and it was really appropriate for the 4th of July. It was such a great movie and really makes me even more grateful for our servicemen and women.

Friday
Saturday: For some reason I agreed to go hiking with a friend at 8:30am on Saturday. Don’t get me wrong I love a hike and catching up with her, but making plans is not my favorite thing on the weekends. Needless to say I was up early anyways, Seamus wanted some snuggles while I was reading. The hike was really challenging and it was a place I haven’t been before so it was fun to explore. My fitbit said I hit 75 floors so it was a really good workout.

Saturday
After I took Seamus for a walk, ate some lunch and then sat outside in my yard to get some sun while reading. I did some cleaning and then grilled some dinner while concocting a new drink recipe for a guest post. It was amazing and really fun taste testing.

Sunday: In the morning I finally started The Fault In Our Stars, yeah I know totally behind the curve on this trend. Yard work has seriously been slipping, so I had to rake up all the branches from the storm, and trim the front bushes. I head out for some errand shopping. Then I walked to the beach by my house to meet up with a friend. After a few hours I headed home, walked Seamus and then made a really yummy dinner, while sipping some Sangria I marinated the night before, recipe coming soon.

Sunday
The night was relaxing catching up on the Glades on Netflix, reading, blogging and just plain relaxing. Planning my day for tomorrow.

 

How was your weekend?

Did you get to see some fireworks?

 

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and Biana from B Loved Boston.

Weekending
 
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God Bless The USA

Happy 4th of July!!! I am so excited for this long weekend, plus I have Monday off so it is a really long weekend! After two weekend being away I have a lot of housework to do, and a long to-do list to get though. I have a lot of books to read this weekend. The Hurricane is heading this way so we may get rained on all day today but I have some painting and some reading I can do if that happens so no worries. So let’s get to it so I can start relaxing.

 

Favorite Song: In hour of Independence Day I am sharing one of my favorite songs. It leaves me in tears every time I hear it. So powerful. To all the men and women past and present who fought for our freedom, god bless you!

Favorite DIY Flag: I may be a little biased as I made it myself and it is hanging up over my Dad’s mantle but still my favorite. Click on the picture to see the details on how to make it.

American Flag
Favorite Recipe: I caught in the Pinterest Vortex and I saw this cupcake and it was just too cute. Perfect beach themed cupcakes.

Teddy Bear on the beach cupcakes, love the ground graham cracker sand and fruit roll up beach towel. Can also use gummy life savers and inner tubes and Swedish fish sticking out f the ocean.
 

Favorite Product: This Bronzing Powder from H&M is my new favorite thing. In the summer I get pretty tan so I only use a little bronzer to cover my face and that’s it, well besides my trusty Revitalift lotion with sunscreen. I have it in the gorgeous tan color and at $6.95 it doesn’t break the bank. Not overly shimmery and perfect for contouring too.

Favorite Funnies:

It was a rough day at work yesterday because people can’t hide their stupid.

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Last Sunday after Girls weekend I was sitting in the yard and I may have fallen asleep in my lounge chair. Pretty sure this was me.

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Just pure genius, someone tell Darryl!

funny zombie attacks
Well that is all I have for today, if the Hurricane comes closer it is going to be a rainy indoor reading, DVR kinda day. If not I am going hiking and to the beach. Either way it will be glorious because I won’t be at work. Go celebrate America and all the people who fought for it to be free!

Linking up with Amanda

Meet At The Barre

 

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Be The Change | Help Someone Celebrate

Did you read my Providence girls weekend post? If you did you may remember my telling you about an older couple that was waiting in line to be seated at Bar Louie’s after Waterfire. They were in line just before us.  A friend on theirs was walking by and I overheard the gentleman say it was their 51st wedding anniversary. They were visiting from New Jersey to attend the Unitarian Universalist conference. It is a progressive inclusive faith of which I knew nothing about, however it lead to us talking about faith, love and gay marriage.

My friend was discussing her church and the issues they are having with a split church regarding gay marriages being performed in the church. This lead to discussing our own beliefs and how we feel on the issue and them pulling over their table.  The conversation moved to love, and what has been the secret to their marriage. After awhile they were ready to get going and they asked for the check. We had already told the waitress that we wanted to pay for their drinks so she told them it was already taken care of, that we took care of it. They thanked us, were very appreciative and said their good nights.

Celebrating a 51st anniversary in this day and age is not that common and is something to be celebrating. Being able to pick up the tab was the least we could do to thank them for giving us hope it is possible. That love can conquer the work that goes into making it last.

Be The Change | Help Someone Celebrate
Their advice as to how their marriage has lasted? Humor, love, understanding, and compromise. It was such a pleasure getting to speak to them and hearing their viewpoint. It was one of openness, love, and equality.

 

Are you considering doing your own Act of Kindness? If not, what is stopping you? Grab a button if you would like to spread the word. The change that we seek in others has to first come from within. This year I hope you decide to Be the Change You Seek.

Till Then Smile Often

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