Dog sitting was a trying time, but the month flew by! July is me catching up and settling back into my routine, which I’m using as an excuse as to why I haven’t shared this blog post until now.
Skip to the other stuff:
June 6: Louise and I met up at the farmers’ market. We split a homemade chicken pot pie, and I purchased a bracelet from a vendor!
I later gave the bracelet to Haley since she has a hard time finding bracelets small enough to fit her wrist. I’ll go back and get another one for myself!
June 9: I bought these drinks to try for hydration. I like them! I really like the watermelon flavor. I’m hoping I can find a better alternative to Liquid I.V. since those can be pricey.
The original lemon did not taste that great. So if you’re wanting to give these a try, I’d start with the other two flavors.
Alexis came to Nashville and hung out with me for the afternoon! I had never tried the Grilled Chicken Basil-Pesto Pita, that’s what Alexis always gets, but I decided to and it was delicious! It may be my new favorite thing there. They are generous with the amount of food you get!
We also went to The Well and I got another Bourbon Vanilla frozen latte!
June 10: Darby with his friend, Buttons!
June 11: I drove to Kingsport to watch Haley and Reece’s dogs for a few weeks. My goodness, the next day watching the dogs was rough since Darby wanted to bark at every little sound, which would set one or both of the other dogs off.
This is a nice view to enjoy my matcha.
One of their neighbors said Darby looks spoiled. No lie there, but what does that mean? Like, is it because he’s chunky or he’s cute enough to get away with things!? Probably the former, but he’s not that chunky, really. 😢 He’s a stocky guy who is active, we keep saying.
June 13: Haley and Reece left for the cruise, so today was my official first day watching the dogs!
Don’t let this picture fool you; Jill is still deciding if she likes Darby.
Only sometimes she does, but mainly it’s when they’re outside.
She’s a little instigator. She and Darby act like siblings and will pick at each other.
I have to be in the room with them all if they’re on the bed because Jill will snap at Darby for being in her oasis. Darby’s pitiful and will lay down and act so innocent, as if he’s telling me he’ll be good if that means he doesn’t have to go into his crate for the night, which, honestly, he’s probably safer because these girls will get him!
June 15 and 16: I hung out at my parents’ house for the weekend. We had breakfast at Pop’s again, then Mom and I racked up some Kohl’s cash after doing some shopping.
For lunch, Mom and I split a bagel. I’d been craving Bagel Exchange, and it hit the spot!
Dad took me back to Haley and Reece’s both days to check on the dogs and let them run around. We stopped at Weigel’s for a frozen caramel macchiato, and they’re so good! I love gas station coffee, and the price certainly is another plus.
June 16: Outfit of the day, this lovely active romper one piece from Target:
The best part is it has a built-in bra, and I like that it’s not too short. I need one in every color!
I also went by the Asian Market before getting to parents’ house.
They only had five bags of the spicy peanuts, so I bought them all! I purchased some new noodles that I can’t wait to try!
I went out to Thai Cuisine to order my favorite dish for dinner: tofu glass noodles! I picked up Pal’s for my everyone else.
I have yet found a restaurant in Nashville that sells this dish. It is the best, and I love the flavor!
June 18: Kelli is also visiting her family for the week, so Darby got to play with the dogs at her parents’ house!
He taught the youngest dog, Ginger, how to roll! It was adorable.
June 19: Darby met another corgi in the neighborhood! Her name is Mochi; she’s 4 years old. Darby is the first corgi she’s met. She was snarky, but I’m hoping she’ll warm up to him.
June 20: My birthday! I didn’t have a ton of work to do, so it was a more relaxed day. Jill and Darby had their rough moment, but then Darby and I went to redeem a free birthday coffee and make a run to PetSmart!
We needed a break from the girls for a bit.
For dinner, my parents and I ate at Ming Garden, a Chinese buffet. Mom and I spent the rest of our Kohl’s cash before meeting my dad at the restaurant.
June 22: We had ice cream cake for my birthday at my parents’ house. Despite ordering online, they didn’t have a vanilla ice cream cake, so Mom settled with oreo. It was still good and reminds me of earlier years when I’d get one for my birthday!
This was my first birthday I’ve gotten to spend with my family since 2018, I think! We moved to Nashville in 2019.
We went to Books-A-Million and I bought three books that were on sale:
June 27: Haley and Reece returned around 1:30 AM. I managed to keep the dogs somewhat awake. I stayed up and read until they came home.
Photo to prove, and what a relief to know, they didn’t hate me for constantly getting on to them about licking their paws till they’d create hot spots.
Haley went to Thai Cuisine with me to try their sushi. We splurged and ordered three rolls and split two appetizers.
Haley’s roll was the Shrimp Tempura Roll, I tried their Sexy Salmon Skin Roll, and we split the Do Re Me Roll, seaweed salad, and crab rangoons!
So much food. I finished the rest that evening and everyone else ate food from Cheddar’s.
June 28: Back home! I was more than ready to get back to my regular routine, but it was so nice spending time with my family.
I managed to leave a little before 7:30 AM and get home around 11:00, which is the earliest I’ve ever been back! Typically, I’d leave around 9, so I’m proud of myself for actually leaving that early.
After napping and resting for a couple of hours, I went to The Well for the Georgia On My Mind summer season drink.
It hit the spot.
June 29: I wanted to redeem a free coffee coupon from Honest Roasters, so we also tried the Thai restaurant located across from them, Thai Ni Yom.
I was back and forth on ordering Pad Thai or another noodle dish, but it was really good! I hardly ever get Pad Thai, so I thought I’d change it up for once.
We went into Judith Bright, a jewelry store, before I got my coffee. I found a couple of rings I liked, though I didn’t get to properly try them since they didn’t fit me.
I went to get coffee to think about the ring set and if I wanted it. I was mostly anxious about asking to try the rings in my size. I ended up going back and purchasing the Sydney Stack! It’s three dainty rings looped together to make one ring.
At Honest Roasters, I tried their spring drink, an iced Toco.
June 30: We took Darby to the dog park around 8:30 AM so he’d get some exercise before the sun came out. He might’ve still been tired because he didn’t play much. Then again, there weren’t many other dogs. Our friends Archie and the duo, Honey and Waffles, made it!
Archie left after like an hour and then another duo, Dolly Belle and Winston, arrived at the park.
Books
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- synopsis: It’s a funny story. . . .
DAPHNE always loved the way her fiancé Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it . . . right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right? - genres: chick lit, romance
- rating: 3.5
- I’d been waiting for a copy to be available in the library, and I’m glad I didn’t have to wait long!
- Daphne has the dream job of being a librarian, and she’s someone I can see myself being friends with.
- This isn’t my favorite Emily Henry book, but I enjoyed it!
- There was something so small but silly to do for the plot’s sake that I found ridiculous.
- Ashleigh and Julia convince Daphne to try on her wedding dress, Daphne doesn’t want to, they go back and forth on it, then Daphne agrees. While she’s putting it on, Ashleigh and Julia just so happen to leave to get ice cream(? It’s been a while. I even had to look up their names) and she walks into the room and runs into Miles.
- What kind of people would just up and leave, really?
- Ashleigh and Julia convince Daphne to try on her wedding dress, Daphne doesn’t want to, they go back and forth on it, then Daphne agrees. While she’s putting it on, Ashleigh and Julia just so happen to leave to get ice cream(? It’s been a while. I even had to look up their names) and she walks into the room and runs into Miles.
- Ashleigh and Julia had basically the same personality and they could’ve been interchangeable to me.
- I liked Miles decently enough, but I’m not sure I was sold on them being a couple.
- synopsis: It’s a funny story. . . .
- Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
- synopsis: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together? - genres: chick lit, romance, mental health
- rating: 4
- This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, and it was cute. I thought it was a bit cheesy, though. Justin is one of those male characters that’s obviously written by a woman because those guys don’t exist. He was way too perfect and considerate, and very available — close to desperate — to be with Emma.
- Their plan is silly, but it was a sweet love story. Emma’s mom situation was rough, and Neil was way too nice and gentle to be a surgeon, but I guess that was refreshing.
- I hadn’t realized this book is in the same universe as Jimenez’s other books to know some of those characters make a small appearance. I’ll have to check them out next!
- synopsis: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
- One Last Summer by Kate Spencer
- synopsis: From the cohost of the award-winning Forever35 podcast comes a dreamy, laugh-out-loud summer romance that asks: What do you do when the life you’ve planned isn’t what you’ve dreamed?
Clara Millen’s life is spiraling out of control: her dream job is a nightmare, she’s resoundingly single, and it’s been years since she’s taken some time off. Thankfully, the last problem she can fix—this year she’ll join her friends on their annual summer vacation to their beloved childhood sleepover camp for a much-needed escape.
But when Clara arrives at Pine Lake Camp, she faces yet another unwelcome change: the owners are retiring and selling the property. The news turns her plans for revelry into a night of reminiscing . . . and prompts a surprise heart-to-heart between Clara and Mack, her old camp nemesis and constant competitor, who’s still just as annoying (and annoyingly handsome).
Soon the campfires aren’t all that’s throwing off sparks. And when one wildly passionate night turns into two (then too many to count!), Clara begins to wonder if she and Mack could have a future together. But when Clara’s boss finally offers her everything she’s worked so hard for, Clara will need to decide if the life she’s always wanted is the life that makes her feel truly alive - genres: chick lit, romance
- rating: 2
- This was an ARC, and I’m sad to say that this book wasn’t for me.
- I must have misunderstood Clara’s burnout because she sounded like a workaholic instead. That’s all she wanted to focus on during her semi-sabbatical and she was not a good friend.
- Her poking at Mack all the time was super immature and I expected better from her, especially being like 35!
- I did not think Clara should have sent the pitch directly to the client when her boss was strictly telling her she needed to take a break from work, but it turns out that was a great idea and what her boss wanted from her. That didn’t make sense to me.
- This was like a Hallmark movie, so you can imagine how it ends.
- synopsis: From the cohost of the award-winning Forever35 podcast comes a dreamy, laugh-out-loud summer romance that asks: What do you do when the life you’ve planned isn’t what you’ve dreamed?
- After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell
- synopsis: Alice Raikes takes a train from London to Scotland to visit her family, but when she gets there she witnesses something so shocking that she insists on returning to London immediately. A few hours later, Alice is lying in a coma after an accident that may or may not have been a suicide attempt. Alice’s family gathers at her bedside and as they wait, argue, and remember, long-buried tensions emerge. The more they talk, the more they seem to conceal. Alice, meanwhile, slides between varying levels of consciousness, recalling her past and a love affair that recently ended. A riveting story that skips through time and interweaves multiple points of view, After You’d Gone is a novel of stunning psychological depth and marks the debut of a major literary talent.
- genres: mystery, Scotland, romance, family drama
- content warnings: grief
- rating: 3.5
- At first, I wasn’t sure what was going on since you have different POVs and timelines, and the events are scrambled. It was like a big puzzle to put together.
- This really captured grief well, and I thought Alice’s character, however cold she was, was really developed to see how she felt toward John.
- I am a bit confused as to why every boy that ever had a crush on Alice growing up was unhealthily obsessed with her and she was nonchalant about them. Literally, every guy needed her.
- I wanted more and didn’t like where the story ended. There are so many afters that I think need to be expanded to complete the story.
It took me a couple of weeks to slog through One Last Summer. I haven’t felt like reading, so I’m in a slump again.
TV Shows/Movies
Reply 1988 (2015)
Beginning in the year 1988, it revolves around five friends and their families living in the same neighborhood of Ssangmun-dong, Dobong District, Northern Seoul.[4]
Wikipedia
So I tried watching Bridgerton and either it’s just not for me or I’m not in the mood for it right now. I found the first episode super boring.
Instead, I started watching Reply 1988! I know I said I’m not a fan of shows that take place in this decade, but since this is a K-drama, I feel like it’s more interesting to watch and learn what other cultures were like.
First initial thoughts:
- Lots of hitting and yelling
- Bo-ra is such a wench. I’ve read she gets better, but she’s not likable right now
- Sung Deok-sun is kind of annoying and irritating with how she acts and her little regard for things
- I thought she’d be closer with her male neighbors, but she’s off doing her own thing most of the time
- Interesting family dynamics and contrasts
Music
hummingbird (2024) — Carly Pearce
This album was a surprise to me since I don’t follow her much, but I always give her albums a listen!
“oklahoma” is a song that immediately stood out to me. I like a few other songs, but I’ll need to listen to it more.
“Cowboys Cry Too” (Single) — Kelsea Ballerini & Noah Kahan
I really liked this collab! I’ve listened to a little bit of Noah, but he’s not an artist I gravitate toward.
I’m excited about Kelsea’s new album.
Orders
June 18: Haley ordered The Tortured Poets Department bracelet for my birthday, and it arrived!
It’s the S/M size, which I’d say it’d better fit someone who wears medium-size bracelets because it’s a tad big on me. Still, it’s cute, and I like it!
June 24: I ordered this cute lab-grown opal ring from an Etsy shop so I could have an everyday opal ring. This one is so pretty, and I love it!
The band is stardust, which it makes it look even more magical!
Stephen ordered The Tortured Poets Department signet ring for me and also surprised me with the Speak Now bracelet!!
I think that’s all for June; it was a pretty good month for me! I hope your July is going well so far! The heat and humidity are killing me.
