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Lizzie And Jane

It was so exciting yesterday to be able to walk to It was so exciting yesterday to be able to walk to the post office without my heavy winter coat! I know I’ll still need it this season but it makes such a huge difference mentally just to know that it won’t be for much longer because spring is so close!! I don’t know about you but it felt like a long winter over here 🙈 I wore these (#sustainable) lightweight compression leggings that are perfect for spring, my favorite layering turtleneck, & one of the softest sweaters I own with this poncho & my favorite rain boots I was perfectly warm for my walk! http://liketk.it/39saa #liketkit @liketoknow.it #LTKSeasonal #LTKstyletip #LTKunder100 #sustainablestyle #sustainablefashion #everlane #springstyle #LTKsustainablestyle
I hope you had a great Saturday! I haven’t done I hope you had a great Saturday! I haven’t done this in a while & always love reading when other people do these so here’s some random things I’m loving right now (in no particular order):
1. That it’s getting warm enough to wear lighter coats
2. Everything light green
3. Cashew milk ice cream
4. Listening to Amelia read
5. Turmeric tea
6. Beautycounter’s All Bright C Serum (ok, I’ve loved this for a while now... but I really love it!)
7. Playing “Operation” & “Candyland” with Joseph (he always wants me to win 😂🥰)
8. @sophiekinsellawriter’s “My Not So Perfect Life”
9. Anything floral print (#comeonspring) 
Stopping at 9 because it’s my favorite number 😊 What’s 1 random thing you’re loving right now?! #motherhood #lifelately #primary #candidchildhood #1000hoursoutside
There was still snow on the ground today but we we There was still snow on the ground today but we were able to all get outside with our lighter jackets on & open some windows to get some fresh air in the house today. Did that make up for the multiple tantrums we’ve had over the past few day? I’m going with yes, it did 😂💕 #staypositive #gratitudeattitude Also, if you’re looking for a pair of eco-friendly leggings & you haven’t tried these yet, please do! Linked them here! 

Follow me in the @LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKSeasonal #LTKunder100 #LTKstyletip
@liketoknow.it
http://liketk.it/3995G
It’s crazy to think that the last major law pass It’s crazy to think that the last major law passed to govern the beauty industry was in 1938! Did you know the FDA actually does not have the power to recall beauty products from the shelves, even if they’ve been found to have harmful ingredients? When starting my journey to #switchtosafer products, one of the hardest things for me to get over was that products I had been using my entire life weren’t really “safe.” I think I thought because everyone was using them & we were all fine, I was fine, they *must be* fine... but was I, really? Were they, really? Just in our household we have asthma, allergies, gut issues, ear problems, congenital diagnoses, & more... how could I be certain that what we were using as a family wasn’t contributing to those issues? I couldn’t. And there’s plenty of research behind ingredient safety out there, whether we know it or not or whether brands adhere to using ingredients in their products that are actually safe for us before stocking the shelves of our local stores with them for us to blindly buy is another story. So, why @beautycounter? Because when they say “CLEAN,” they mean they have a list of over 1800 ingredients that they NEVER use (way more than the 30 banned here in the US & even the 1400 in the EU), they obsessively test for ingredient safety at every stage, they use responsibly sourced ingredients (like vanilla & mica), they actually lobby for clean beauty to be accessible for all by getting new laws passed, they use sustainable packaging wherever possible (our clean deos are refillable!), they’re a B Corp meaning they value people, the planet, & profit equally, & their products WORK. And right now, they’re offering 20% off your first order + they offer an incredible opportunity for us to bring in an income & run a business that can literally be whatever you want it to be. And right now it’s free! Because beauty should be good for you 💕 #bcworks #betterbeauty #cleanbeauty #beautycounter #beautyshouldbegoodforyou
We’re dreaming of sandals-weather over here & we We’re dreaming of sandals-weather over here & wearing them on repeat around the house until it arrives 😂 #ad These @seekairun sandals are super cute, comfortable, water friendly, & washable 🙌🏻 And, according to Amelia, look like a rainbow, so... 🌈#bestshoesever Also, I’m going to leave you with this very important question tonight as we got a fresh coat of white today- are  you team “no more snow” or “winter wonderland forever?” ❄️☀️ I’m definitely ready for spring!! #seekairun #candidchildhood #letthembelittle
Too cool 😎 Hope you had a great Sunday! 
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#crewcuts #wunderkinlove #wunderkindred #candidchildhood #1000hoursoutside #letthembelittle #motherhoodthroughinstagram
Right before we went for our walk today- they didn Right before we went for our walk today- they didn’t want to get in the picture with me last week so I thought I’d try before we left the house today & it worked! I’m happy to report that this family outing was much better than our attempt last week 😂 Also, wore these sweatpants for the first time today & they are cozy! I wore higher socks because they are a bit cropped & I was warm the entire walk! Can’t wait to wear them with sandals in the spring! And this half zip is perfect for layering- annnndd they’re both made out of organic cotton 🙌🏻 #LTKsustainablestyle #sustainablestyle #everlane #winteroutfit #winterstyle #loungewear
Follow me in the @LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to shop this post and get my exclusive app-only content!

#liketkit #LTKSeasonal #LTKfamily #LTKunder100
@liketoknow.it
http://liketk.it/38Pm8
Does anyone else think this February has been cold Does anyone else think this February has been colder than usual? I was looking back on my pictures from last year & we’d already taken a day trip to the beach by this time! I can’t say I’m minding the snow but I’m also very ready for spring & warm sunshine & flowers & open windows 😊 Hope you’re staying safe & warm! #snowday #1000hoursoutside #crewcuts

Quarantine Book Recommendations

June 30, 2020

While in quarantine, I’ve found myself reading a lot more than usual. As an avid reader for most of my life, English major, blogger, and aspiring writer, I’ve always had a serious love for books. I covet them, I give them as gifts with personal notes inscribed on the inside; they just make me feel at home (if you’ve been reading for a while, you may remember I used to run a book club here!). However, since having kids, I haven’t had the time to read as voraciously as I once did… or much at all, honestly. And even though I have not found myself with a significant amount of extra time during this quarantine period (#momlife hasn’t exactly changed much), I have found myself more drawn than ever to reading. As my anxiety heightened and my inability to read the news and even scroll social media diminished, I realized I needed something to tune it all out other than Hallmark or HGTV.

I do have a few favorite authors, but moreso, I’m drawn to particular genres. I like a good, solid plot yet I gravitate towards lighter reads with a little bit of romance. I used to really enjoy historical fiction and though I like my books to keep their facts straight and I appreciate a historical backdrop, I really just want to read as a means to escape most times. I’ve included some of my favorite authors, books, and most (if not all) of my most recent reads here. I hope you can find something you enjoy and that lets you get away from all this craziness that is the real world right now!

I just discovered Amy E. Reichert a few months ago and I loved The Simplicity of Cider. I then went on to read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love, & Lemon Pie and loved them both, too. She has a fourth book out right now, also, but I haven’t picked it up yet.

I recently finished Eligible by Curtis Sittenfield, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were obvious enough to relate to the original but there were enough twists in the plot line to make it seem like an entirely different story. I like a good, classic romance, though, and this one definitely has more of a modern feel than I’m typically drawn to.

The White Garden by Stephanie Barron. I bought this a few years ago and only recently read it. It goes into a little history about Virginia Woolf, which I really liked, but has a modern storyline with a happy ending (a necessity for me).

I loved The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins. It’s magical realism, small town, romance, and friendship all rolled into one. If you like Sarah Addison Allen or Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, which I loved!), you’ll like this. The second book in this series comes out in winter 2021!

I just finished Midnight at The Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber this past week and loved this, too. It’s another magical realism book (which if you’re not familiar with the genre is less Harry Potter more healing teas, message-laden dreams, and unexplained coincidences) also set in a southern small town with a little bit of romance, a lot of food, and a dose of kinship to round it out. The sequel comes out this July!

I’m currently reading I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. It’s my first book by her but I’m almost finished it and I love it and her style of writing! It came recommended by my aunt and it’s definitely one of my more fun reads.

I also really like Kate Morton. I’ve read and loved The Distant Hours and The Forgotten Garden. Neither are particularly lighthearted but they’re not heavy enough to not sit well with me, either. I think she goes back and forth between past and present exceptionally well and she is particularly adept at winding in unexpected twists.

Anything by Sarah Addison Allen. I’ve read and loved:

Garden Spells
The Sugar Queen
The Girl Who Chased the Moon
The Peach Keeper
Lost Lake
First Frost

Here are some less light-hearted options that I’ve either read and liked or are on my list:

Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
Not exactly a lighthearted read but very interesting and well written. It’s exactly as it sounds, a story told by Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker, and is a really cool perspective if you’re interested in historical fiction before and after the Civil War.

Molokai by Alan Brennert
I have not read this one yet and probably won’t while we’re in quarantine (it’s not particularly a lighthearted read, either), but I’ve heard really good things about it. Another kind of historical fiction, it’s written in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor and told from the perspective of a young girl with leprosy.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (she wrote The Secret Life of Bees, which I have not read but I’m pretty sure it was on Oprah’s reading list).
I wouldn’t categorize it as light but it’s not overly heavy, it just has a thicker plot line and it’s a little messier than the others.

Circe by Madeline Miller
If you’re interested in Greek Mythology and feminism, this one’s for you.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
I read The Thirteenth Tale by her years ago and really liked it. I remember lots of guile and twisty plot lines and it seems like this book promises the same.

If you have any recommendations, please pass them on! Especially if they’re a lighthearted read with a happy ending (bonus if it’s in the magical realism genre!). You can now shop some of my favorite books in one place here!



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Filed Under: Book Club, Lifestyle

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Comments

  1. Priscilla says

    July 7, 2020 at 9:13 pm

    LOVE Sophie Kinsella. My favorite by her is Twenties Girl and I think you’d love it, too! I think my 2nd favorite of hers is Can You Keep a Secret?

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