NOTE: this is a republished post because I had some link issues with the other one – bear with me!
As I write this, it’s the second month of my quarantine. I visited my cousin in Paris in March over my work spring break, had the best time, then returned to America just in time. If I had come back a day later, I’m sure I would have been in those photos with all the crazy lines at the major airports!
I quarantined for two weeks at my apartment, then flew home to Kansas. I only packed three week’s worth of clothing, thinking that would be enough…little did I know!
Loving Lately
Watching
Outer Banks: I’ve literally watched this three times already, if that doesn’t tell you enough about how I feel about it. I love the show, the plot really kicks off around the fifth episode and you won’t believe the ending. I could go on and on about OBX so if you’ve seen it, please DM me and we can chat!! It’s about a group of four best friends that go on a treasure hunt after the main character’s father disappears.
Little Fires Everywhere: This show is on Hulu and it’s based on the bestseller by Celeste Ng. Set in the 90s in Shaker Heights, Ohio, it follows the ‘ideal suburban family’ of the Richardsons and a mom and her daughter, new to the town. This is another one where I had no idea where it was going to end! I had wanted to read this book for a while, but I’ve been 20th in line on the library holds list for forever so I just decided to watch the show first. It makes me want to read the book now to see how they would lay out the plotline!
Dead To Me: Season one of Dead to Me came out last spring and the second season came out at the beginning of May. I had already seen the first, but I started from the beginning to watch it with my mom. It’s about a woman whose husband dies in a hit-and-run, and her friendship with another woman she meets in a grief support group. I have to admit that I was disappointed by the cliffhanger in the first season, and it didn’t truly resolve itself in the second season – which also ended with another cliffhanger. It’s not my favorite of the bunch, but it’s an easy watch and has a lot of humor mixed in.
Reading
The Selection series by Kiera Cass: After seeing this series all over my Tiktok, I decided to try it as one of my first quarantine reads. I was surprised by how much I loved it! It’s a classic YA novel, kind of like the Bachelor meets the Hunger Games (marriage competition meets caste system). They were a little too drawn out and I wish the third had resolved sooner, but still, a fun read. I wouldn’t recommend reading the fourth and fifth books though.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This book follows the son of America’s first female president and his rivalry with the Prince of Wales – which then turns into something more. This book was really fun and clearly I was on a royal kick. It’s considered ‘new adult fiction,’ a fairly new genre that follows late high schoolers to recent post-grads. It was published in May of 2019 too, so it’s fairly up to date on pop culture references. I liked it!
The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger: I’ve seen this recommended all over blogs and Instagram over the past year. It follows a group of friends and their kids trying to get into a new prestigious school, exclusively for gifted children. It’s a slow burn, but the ending had a big twist that I certainly wasn’t expecting. The beginning was a little tricky to follow with so many characters, but stick with it! It’s worth it. If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll like this too.
Four little things
- I’ve been on a consistent workout schedule lately and I think a BIG part of that is not having to sit at a desk all day. Even if I’m not doing a dedicated workout, I’ve still been walking the dogs with my dad at least every day. I want to keep this up and when I get back to work, I definitely want to take advantage of my lunch breaks more!
- I’ve been able to see two of my hometown friends more than ever (from a safe distance, of course), and it’s been so special. We’ve all been friends since middle school at least, and it’s nice to get out of the house and hang out.
- I swear by these Outdoor Voices shorts for running or general workouts. I just bought my third pair and it’s SO worth the price. I’ve had one pair for over a year and they’ve held up really well. (PS – use my link here for 20% off your purchase! OV rarely has sales so take advantage of this)
- If you’re into Outer Banks or just stickers in general, I’ve updated my Redbubble shop recently!
Hope you’re staying safe and healthy!
xo, Hannah