Thoughts for Thursday: Ramblings

Hello and welcome to a post full of things that have been rolling around in my mom brain for the past week. This week has felt interminable and my husband is going out of town tomorrow evening until Sunday. Cue me hightailing it down the highway to my parents house for an extra set of hands to help. I don't always do this but the toddler tantrums have been OOC lately and I may lose any shred of sanity I have if left to my own devices all weekend. 

I digress. On to my riveting thoughts...

1. Prime Day. Um, I ended up going on a bit of tear with Prime Day yesterday and purchasing a whole slew of things I didn't intend on purchasing #storyofmylife. That being said, I feel like my purchases were all sound.. Natives in the next size up in the fun crayon yellow, a Widgeon fleece jacket that will get a ton of use in the fall (although my husband said this jacket looked like the jacket  a kid who is up to no good would wear, ha), Greenies dental chews for the dog (and a 900 count of poop bags because #doglife), and finally a laptop sleeve because I have delusions of taking my laptop to a coffee shop and sipping coffee and "working" on my laptop for hours. One can dream, right? Oh, and a pair of New Balances for myself because I love a good sneaker. These may end up being too white for my current lifestyle but figured I'd give them a shot. 

3. Southern Charm Reunion, Part I. Southern Charm is legit the only reality show I watch (the only TV show I watch at all actually) partly because I, like most of the female population that watches the show, have a girl crush on Camaran and want to be her. I formerly had a crush on Shep but he just makes me kind of sad now so that crush has shifted to Austen. Anyway, the reunion was this past Monday and like always, it was at times, awkward AF. I go back and forth between feeling incredibly bad for Kathryn and thinking she really is batshit crazy. Like, I cannot imagine not being able to see my children that must be heartbreaking for her but then she talks and 60% of what comes out of her mouth doesn't make a lick of sense and her immaturity becomes very apparent. On the other hand, I can't imagine Thomas being an easy person to co-parent with at all. He's an asshole with an inflated ego and I feel bad for her in that sense also. Wanting someone who 'feels honored and privileged to be with you'? Who in the world would feel honored and privileged to be with an overgrown man child?

As for the rest of them, Cam can do wrong. Shep at least owns what a hot mess his life is while Craig is too busy being overly sensitive that he's literally no fun at all and Naomi is.. along for the ride I guess? I get that relationships are hard and it's good to show the other side of relationships but they just don't seem that happy together. It seems weird to me to have 'hit rock bottom' when you've only been together a few years and not married...? Austen is adorbs and I hope that him and Chelsea are still together. I think Jennifer is adorable and girlfriend is looking bangin' post baby. I just can't with Landon.

3. Vacation on the brain. I am dying to go away somewhere lately. Seriously getting so jealous of everyone's family beach trips. Maybe I'm just itching for a change of scenery? I feel like an entitled twat even wishing to go away since we went on a wonderful family vacation to Rosemary Beach two months ago but the heart wants what it wants, I guess. Maybe next year. I'll take a round-trip plane ticket to this  slice of heaven, please. 

Four Seasons Resort, Bora Bora 

4. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Unless you live under a rock, you've been told by several bloggers about how to use the internet and click on things to buy clothes. I'm definitely going to take a look at  the sale but have to admit that I'm not feeling that jazzed about what I saw in the catalog or in the online look book so I'm not even sure if I'll buy anything? Definitely looking forward to seeing which Patagonia items are on sale because I am a Patagonia addict but other than that, meh. Are you shopping the #nsale?

That's it for me today. Hope you all have a lovely Thursday. One step closer to the weekend, ladies! 

Prime Day Deals!

Ah, Prime Day. I remember the anticipation of the first Prime Day like it was yesterday. I also remember what a let down it was the first time around. Amazon was basically selling all of the old stuff they no longer wanted but marketed it like it was the next Black Friday. In my opinion, it has improved a lot since then. I think this sale is best for electronic items that you might've been eyeing. There are some good deals on fashion but with Nordstrom sale coming up it's not imperative to take advantage of those deals (with the exception of these Lilly Pulitzer aviators - too cute!). It is also great for stocking up on kids items, I saw some really good deals on kids household items that went fast!

  Here are the few things I have my eye on this go round:

Top Row:

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II 129.00 orig. 179.00

Instant Pot 8 Quart 89.99 orig. 129.95

Fossil Q Wander Gen 2 Touchscreen Smartwatch 153.00 orig. 255.00 (an additional 40% of for Prime Members at checkout)

Bottom Row:

Lilly Pulitzer Women's Lexy Polarized Aviator Sunglasses 34.00 orig. 48 (30% off taken at checkout for Prime Members 

Wooden Train Track Set 52 Piece Pack 21.95 orig. 27.95 

iRobot Roomba 652 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner 249.99 orig. 374.99

Happy Prime Day Shopping! 

5 on Friday: 5 Favorite Tops for Summer

1. J.Crew Factory Crosshatch Embroidered Shell. I love the embroidery detail on this top and the periwinkle blue color is my favorite. I recently purchased these shorts from Old Navy and I think this shirt will pair very nicely with them. 

2. SheIn Tropical Print Ruffle Hem Came Top. I adore the print on this fun top. Since finally embracing the peplum look earlier this year, I can't get enough of it. This would be so cute paired with jean shorts or jeans in the early fall plus the price cannot be beat! 

3. J.Crew Factory Scalloped Cami Top. I think this top is gorgeous. I got the black and plan to pair it with white jeans for our next date night. I originally ordered it in a 4 but exchanged it for a 6 because I want it to be a bit more flowy. 

4. Madewell Chevron Stripe Swing Tank. Who doesn't love a good swing tank when its 100 degrees out and you start wishing it was socially acceptable to go outside sans clothing. I've always been a big fan of the basics from Madewell so I'm interested to see how this one measures up to previous purchases. 

5. J. Crew Button Front Ruffle Top. Ugh, this top. SO CUTE. I need it in this pretty blue color and in the punchy rainbow color as well. Perfect with a pair of white shorts and fun sandals! 

Linking up with April, Christina, and Natasha today!

On My Bookshelf: Read in 2017 (so far!)

I have to admit that my reading in 2017 has been s-l-o-w. My Goodreads challenge for 2017 is 26 books and with the year more than half over, I've read only 6 books! I'm going to make an effort to read more and even though it is unlikely I will reach my goal, I know more reading is always a good thing! 

The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. Rating: 5/5

I have not read Marie Kondo's book but it is my understanding that the message is essentially the same (Jay doesn't ascribe to the 'spark joy' aspect of Kondo's book). I love Jay's idea of one in, one out. Meaning if you purchase a new dress another dress needs to leave your house. I'm not the best at employing this tactic but I certainly need to be, ha! A new, updated version was just released according to Jay's website. 

Paris for One by JoJo Moyes. Rating: 5/5

I'm not usually one for short stories but these were so good! Fun, easy reads that kept me entertained the whole time. If you're a JoJo Moyes fan like myself, I'd highly recommend this set of stories. I could read one of the stories during nap time because of the length and level of engagement the stories provided. 

A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke. Rating: 3/5

Stephen Clarke is a great writer and I certainly laughed out loud several times during this book but it just wasn't my cup of tea. I believe this book is part of a trilogy so reading all of them might change my mind.. I don't know. My library had all of them so I might check out the others. I'll report back!

Not a Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall of Allen Iverson. Rating: 4/5

I find Allen Iverson fascinating for so many reasons. His story isn't necessarily unique but the guy had a huge impact on the game of basketball. I can't imagine the immense pressure a young athlete feels when he feels obligated to take care of his friends and family at home. Worth the read if Allen Iverson interests you (or any athlete that struggles with coming into millions and millions of dollars at a young age). I love watching 30 for 30 on ESPN and this is kind of like that in book form. 

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. Rating: 5/5

This book came out in 2008 and have no earthly idea why it took me so long to read it. It is so, so good. It's a fictional account of one of our recent First Ladies (I won't spoil it in case anyone wants to read it) but some of the events in the book happened in real life so it's pretty easy to figure out. It chronicles the life of Alice Lindgren from her quiet, bookish life to the White House and her internal struggle over the course her life has taken. 

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. Rating: 5/5

I'm a big Emma Straub fan. I loved The Vacationers and Modern Lovers did not disappoint, either. It follows the modern day life of 3 college friends now living in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. Straub's characters are so well-developed that when the book ends, it feels like saying goodbye to friends! This book is a must read, in my opinion. 

Linking up with Natalie, Annie, and Julie for Thoughts for Thursday!