August Currently and Favorite Reads for Book Lover's Day

 Hello August!

I missed last month's link up entirely and am a week late for this one, but life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately. Better late than never to link up with Anne for a Currently checkin.

June Rewind- We ended up spending the entire month in Maine and LOVED every minute of it. Posts with all the best thing coming soon. We were originally planning to only stay for a two weeks, but we loved it so much and a friend decided to come visit so we opted to close of the month enjoying more of Main'e magic. We hiked. We ate lobster (we didn't think the lobster rolls lived up to the hype, but grilling a 4 lb beast of a lobster on the grill sure did). We took in all the coastal New England town feels. It was simply wonderful!

Hello July

How is it already July?! 

I can not believe that we are halfway through 2017. 

I took a week off between jobs (find out more in my last post), but am now back at it. Taking a vacation is great, but I always feel like there is so much to catch up on after. I am really working on trying to take it slower though and not feel so rushed to get the 'to-do list' completed. It's a glorious feeling to give yourself space to determine your own pace! So, I am not going to jump back in with a full-length travel post just yet; instead I am joining Anne for a July Currently post. 

Here is what is happening in my life right now... 

~Documenting~ All the adventures! We spent the last week traveling between Tennessee and North Carolina, visiting friends and family. I have done so much documenting that my phone is filled to the brim and I had to start deleting apps so that I could take more pictures of all the fun. Looks like it might be time for a new phone (boo), because I am in desperate need of more storage space! 

~Accomplishing~ My 'to-do list'; slowly, but surely! I actually stink (real bad!) at being organized with my time. This is the first year I have actually even utilized a planner and, while it is still a huge learning process, I feel like it has made a huge difference. So I am spending the morning filling in my planner for the next two weeks and then it will be time to tackle the things I said I would do! If you are a newbie to the planner world, this one has been super helpful. 

~Enjoying~ A quite morning on the porch, with my coffee and a beautiful view, to ease back into the work grind! I am still away for the next two weeks, but will be working remotely. I am loving being able to set up anywhere and enjoy a gorgeous view and fresh mountain air while I work! 

~Reading~ All the things!! We road tripped up, and will be doing the same to get back home, which I love because it means I stock up on books and read to my hearts content. My current list includes the two books we are reading for book club (Small Great Things and The Orphan Keeper) and In a Dark, Dark Wood. After I finish Small Great Things my plan is to read In a Dark, Dark Wood, because it's been a quick minute since I have read a spookier book and I think it will break up some of the heart-heavy content that is in Small Great Things and The Orphan Keeper. What are you reading? Anything I need to add to my list?  

~Spending~ Too much money!! I just had to buy a new computer, as I had been using my work computer for personal use as well. Leaving my old job meant leaving that computer behind. I am loving my new one, but will be trying to NOT spend very much this next month, because computers are just dang expensive!! Here's to seeing if I can keep myself from eating out in July! Have you ever tried a 'no-spend' month?! I am so curious! Any tips?! 

Hope your July is off to a wonderful start!! 

What's going on in your world currently?! 

April Currently and Giveaway Fun

Happy Wednesday All!! 

Hope your day is glorious!! 

I am kicking off April with Anne for another Currently edition! Here's what April is currently looking like in my world... 

~Accomplishing~ All kinds of paperwork for my new job! It's a little scary and a little exciting, because it has the potential of getting us one step closer to full-time RV life!! 

~Feeling~ Excited about the giveaway currently going on over on Instagram! I am partnering with 6 other awesome shops for a "Tee-a-Day Giveaway"! One winner will win a graphic tee from each shop; one for everyday of the week. Head over and check it out if you want to join in! 

~Needing~ To go clean the mess that is my kitchen! I hosted book club last night and we had a blast sipping wine and eating lasagna bites, but my kitchen it paying for it this morning. Lasagna is a messy meal prep! I think I used every bowl in the house. **Book shout out to Eight Hundred Grapes- such a good one y'all! Super quick, fun read!! Plus it has you wanting to sip all the vino and who doesn't love that!!  

~Practicing~ How-to videos for the the new j-o-b! 

~Pinning~ All the awesome travel spots over on my Travel Tuesday link up board. A new link up will go live on Tuesday for anyone who wants to join in and share some of their adventures. 

And that's it for April... for now! 

What is going on in your world currently?! 

A February Currently Giveaway!

Happy February!! 

Joining in with this month's Currently edition for a little peek at my month! 

{Packing} I am technically still unpacking from our trip to Vegas, because I am HORRIBLE at unpacking from a trip (it was a month ago)! But I think I will just save some of those clothes and throw them in Flo for our trip out to Peace River next weekend!

{Jonesing} For a good cup of coffee!! I have been trying to cut back on my endless coffee consumption and I think I am doing well... at least until someone asks me what I want. "A cup of coffee! A very strong cup of coffee!!" If you are jonesing for a cup or two yourself there are a few days left to enter my 'Adventure Fuel' giveaway over on Instagram!

{Texting} There are typically about two people in my life that I am texting on a consistent basis; either the hubs or my bestie. So I am sure it's one of them. A lot of them lately have read "adulting is hard! Why didn't anyone tell us that adulting was for the birds?!"

{Reading} A couple different things; including The Mapmakers Apprentice for book club, which is the second book in the Glass and Steel series. I had never even heard of the series until the first book was picked for last month's read. We were all so enthralled with it that the second book was picked for this month! I am also halfway through Sketchy Tacos, a new YA travel novel by Meg D. Gonzalez. I have actually never really read a travel fiction novel before and am loving it! Having the scenes of a different culture set the backdrop, while the storyline of the main character, Mila, plays out is really neat! Check back in on the 8th for more about Sketchy Tacos and an interview with the author! In the meantime take a peek at the book trailer here.

{Hearting} Amazingly sweet friends who know my love for adventure well and the new double hammock they got us! Can't wait to try it out soon!! I am also hearting their gorgeous videos! Amanda and Dustin make up the Simple & Speraw team. They are a wonderful couple, with huge hearts and awesome videography skills! Any video needs in your future? Definitely plan to check them out! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

What is your February currently looking like?! 

Adventure Fun and A Giveaway!

Happy FriYAY Friends!! 

It has been quite a busy few weeks around these parts, so I figured I'd play a quick game of catch-up on some of my adventures with a little 5 on Friday fun! Here's a peek at my world recently!

Big Adventures! We just got back from our trip to Vegas and I can't wait to share all the awesome details! We had gotten a really great deal to head out to Vegas, but we had to stay on the Strip. I was honestly feeling only so-so about it; we had done The Strip before and really didn't feel the need to go again, but a getaway is a getaway. You guys?! Vegas can be an adventure-lovers paradise, as long as you plan right! We did some research and had a great time exploring all the outdoor fun that Vegas can offer! More to come later... 

Big Dreams! We hit up the Florida RV Supershow on Saturday and Oh. My. Goodness!! I have never seen so many RVs in all my life. I was in RV heaven! We were there over 6 hours and probably didn't even see half of the things we could have seen. Apparently this is the biggest RV show in the country and I believe it! We were exhausted by the end of the day, BUT we did settle on what we think we want for a full-time RV layout! Here's to hopefully making that dream a reality very soon... 

Big Kid Fun! On Tuesday I got to check out The Crayola Experience with a friend of mine and her two kiddos. They have annual passes and it was bring-a-friend month. I honestly thought, "oh this will be a cute little experience, something kind of cheesy, but fun for kids. She and I will hang out, the kids will play and we will color a picture or two." This was 90s-kid amazingness!! It was like a was reliving my childhood! I was sucked in from the moment I walked in and loved every minute! There were so many fun stations set up! I got to make some spin-art, my own seahorse crayon, create a crayon with my name on it and make my art come to life! I could have stayed all day!! If you live near one of the Crayola Experience locations (there's one in Minneapolis, Easton in Pennsylvania and Orlando) you should definitely check it out (kids or no kids)! It's $20 for a day ticket or $30 for an annual pass. 

Little {critter} Adventures!! On Thursday I took the kids I nanny for to Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge for the morning. I LOVE this place! It is such a great little Orlando gem. They are an animal rescue and rehab facility that has a wildlife walk open to the public, which allows you to see their resident animals (animals that can't be released back into the wild). We spent the morning chatting with the one-eyed owls, visiting the sneaky fox, and laughing with the lemurs! The people that work with and tend to the animals are also super sweet and answered little (and big) ones curious questions and told us each animals name. You could tell they really love being there (human and animal alike)! Because the land surrounding Back to Nature is also an Eagle Nesting Area, they are tucked back in the middle of protected land, so even tough you are just minutes away from civilization you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. The eagles were actually there nesting and that was a cool thing to get to see! There is a $5 donation fee (per person over 3) to see the animals, but if you just prefer to go out to see the eagles the trails around Back to Nature are open for free. There is a trail that takes you down to the lake and some that are tucked in the woods a little bit down the road. It would make for a good full day of exploring if you do it all (make sure to bring along a sandwich)! 

Adventure Giveaways!! Planning some adventures of your own?! I am hosting a little "Adventure Fuel Giveaway" over on Instagram. Go grab yourself some fuel to get those adventure plans flowing! No Instagram? No worries! Simply leave a blog post comment sharing somewhere fun you have been exploring (or somewhere you are hoping to explore soon) and you are entered! If you do have Insta you can enter there too and have double the entries! Good luck! Winner will be announced next Friday, Feb 3rd.

Hope your Friday is off to a beautiful start! 

Have a fabulous weekend!! 

Our Hurricane Matthew Plans

It's Thursday night and we are currently boarded up and tucked away at home to ride out Hurricane Matthew! This is our first major hurricane as a married couple. The last big storms that were expected to cause severe damage actually took place right before we met and started dating- nearly 12 years ago. As native Floridians we don't normally fret much over hurricanes. For us it usually means a day or two off school/ work and some puddles to jump in after. Matthew may have other plans though! Even Disney closed it's doors, so when that happens you know you need to worry a bit- Disney doesn't close down for anything! So we prepped as much as we thought needed (sand bags, propane, making sure Flo was nice and stabilized) and stocked up on tons of snacks. We are praying for minimal damage to our community, for our neighbors, for those in the area looking for shelter, and for all those in places where Matthew has already been and who are currently dealing with the aftermath of the storm. 

So, while the weathermen have us fearing the worst and made sure we are tucked away as safely as possible, here is how we are combating the "locked-in blues" until we are truly hunkered down when Matthew fully hits in a few hours... 

1.) This post! I am currently supposed to be at work, but hurricanes do occasionally have their bonuses and, while I love my jobs, I am thankful for a day off to storm prep with my sweet hubs, check in on mom and dad, and have the extra time that I wouldn't typically have to devote to this little blog! 

2.) Movie Marathons! That is until the power cuts out!! We have been picking through Amazon Prime movies. We just watched Invasion with Nicole Kidman and are working on our next pick! Come on power! You can do it!! Just stick with it!! 

3.) Games!! I am assuming we will playing endless games of rummy by lantern light, just as soon as the power goes out! We also have Sorry and Scrabble on hand if we get tired of cards. 

Doesn't it just drive you crazy when you FINALLY finish a puzzle only to find two pieces missing?! Ahhh, oh well!

4.) Puzzles!! I just finished one puzzle that had taken me For-Eh-Vor! (said in full Squints from Sandlot accent) to complete! Not sure how thrill Babe is about the idea, but I can't wait to start a new one!! How pretty is this 1000 piece Cinque Terre puzzle?! Gets me right in my wanderlusting heart!! 

5.) Reading!! One of my absolute favorite things to do during a storm is to curl up in a cozy chair with a good book!! The rain on the roof, a warm cup of coffee, all wrapped snug-as-a-bug in a blanket with a book in my lap?! That is absolute bliss!! Anything good you are reading lately? I just got Harry Potter and The Cursed Child from a friend and CAN'T WAIT to jump in!! 

Now, here's to hoping I can actually stay in a cozy chair and not need to be hiding out in the hallway. Either way though- hallway or cozy chair- I am thankful to have a save place to weather out the storm! 

Praying for all my Florida friends and family! Stay safe! 

And for those not here, how are you spending your weekend? 

 Do something outside and adventurous for me! 

February Currently!

Well Hello February! How did you get here? I can't believe it is already the second month of 2016! Hoping you are all having a wonderful Wednesday! I'm linking up with Anne and Jenna again today to share what my February looks like currently. Grab a cup of coffee and join me?!

Sending~ That sweet little adventure mug pictured above to the winner of my instagram giveaway for my blog shop grand opening! 

Eating~ Last night I ate some Kraft mac-n-cheese, which Babe refers to as powdered goop! So needless to say he didn't eat any. And do you want to know how much was left? Oh just about a spoonful! Powdered goop or not, I love me some Kraft mac-n-cheese! Maybe it's nostalgia and reliving my childhood, but I eat it every few months or so and something about it is just so comforting! However, we have really been trying not to eat tons of preservative, so today I am detoxing with walnuts and banana for lunch. 

Dreaming~ Of far off places and life on the road! This is pretty much a constant in my life right now. I am always planning our next mini Florida adventure, while also dreaming big of convincing Babe to head way out west and spend time traveling from one gorgeous park or BLM to another! I wanna see all the places!! All the places!!! 

Smelling~ the cup of coffee sitting next to me! It may or may not be Christmas blend! Who said Christmas had to end in December?! 

Hearting~ My new little shop! It is small, but I am so excited about seeing how it will grow! I was so humbled over the outpouring of love I got when I opened it last week. I was nervous and scared and excited all at same time and the support from friends and even strangers meant so much to my heart! Everyone was so kind and I can't be more thankful! 

Feel free to take a little peek (shop link in navigation bar)! I am covering shipping costs between now and Monday. Yay for free shipping! Yay for new adventures! And yay for coffee!! 

Hoping you have a beautiful day!!

What does February currently look like for you?! 

Currently December & a Giveaway

Linking up with Anne and Jenna for another edition of Currently! Join me?

Wishing~ That this Advent season would linger. That each day I would be mindful to carve out time to just sit and soak in what this season means and celebrate the true Gift of Christmas and what it means that Jesus was born. 

And maybe for a few of these goodies too! 

Remembering~ Memories of past travels and Christmases as we decorated the tree. And remembering my sweet Mimi, whose tree topper Angel now adorns our tree. I love our tree and carrying on the tradition my mom had of decorating with the hodgepodge of ornaments made or collected over the years. When we got our house my mom gave me a box with a lot of my ornaments from when I was a kid, so it is really neat to have those, as well as the all the ones I have made or collected for us as a couple. It makes decorating the tree each year such a wonderful trip down memory lane! 

Baking~ Not a lot lately! I did manage to roast some pumpkin seeds though and have two more pumpkins that I plan to do the same with! I just can't keep myself from craving some honey roasted pumpkin seeds, so I usually save a few pumpkins for well into December. I am pretty sure I even managed to get one through January last year!!

Decorating~ The tree!! This year we had my niece the night we got the tree and she helped us decorate. We were only going to do the lights the night we got it, but she was so excited that we did it all! Also, decorating with a 4 year old makes the tree extra fancy. There is literally an entire line of ball ornaments on the bottom of the tree. And the side she couldn't see?! Completely naked! It reminded me of when my siblings and I were kids and my parents would have to press us to put ornaments on the side facing the window. It was bittersweet thinking about as I was decorating with her, knowing her dad wouldn't be here to share in those memories, but how thankful I am to have her to share them with and to tell her stories about her daddy from when we were little. I thought about rearranging things once she left, but figured, nope! It's just extra ready for Santa! Especially the bottom of it. Who cares if the neighbors think we own no ornaments because the window side is bare?!

Wrapping~ Not much! We decided to fore go spouse gifts this year and are only doing stockings over here. And I am still waiting for all the gifts for my parents, and the nieces and nephews, to make their way over from Amazon so I really haven't done much wrapping at all! However, I am really excited to wrap up this giveaway and get it in the mail for one lucky reader.

I thought with all the hustle and bustle the season can bring, that I would share a little package that might help someone find a quiet moment to sit for a while; to breathe in and just enjoy the small wonders that surround this time of year and to maybe take a moment to de-stress if needed. So I am dubbing this the Bee Stress-free Giveaway! It includes this great adult coloring book that I got from blogging for books (and a set of colored pencils). I love adult coloring! It is so soothing and really helps to give my mind a break from the running lists of things to get done. 

Every Little Thing is the cutest coloring book! Perfect for the nature and animal lover, as each page is filled with the sweetest little creatures you ever did see! And you get to color them! You want a pink panda?! Go for it! Seriously, how cute are these pages?! 

I am also including some honey from the Savannah Bee Company and a bag of coffee! I have been wanting to share my love for honey in my coffee with others and thought what a perfect addition! A little coloring time, with a nice hot cup of coffee sweetened with honey?! That sounds like my kind of moment! Seriously, for those of you who haven't tried honey in coffee, you are missing out! I use to use it as a way to cut down on refined sugar and would do half sugar, half honey. Now I'm 100% honey! It adds such a great flavor to a regular cup of joe! This Barney's brew does have some natural hints of flavoring too it, which I thought would be a nice holiday treat, but it's also amazing with just your regular, everyday blend as well! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Happy December! 

The Monday Currently

It was an exciting, whirlwind of a weekend spent celebrating my besties birthday (we are totally 21, plus some, and that's ok) and binge watching episodes of Mindy, so I am taking part in the Sunday Currently on Monday (don't judge ok?! I'm not, I'm late a lot anyways). So anyways... 

source

Reading: I am currently in between the choosing of two books; I just started reading Charles Martin's newest book Water from my Heart, but given that my reading time ability has been lacking lately I feel I should probably start our next book club book, Where'd You Go, Bernadette. 

Writing- This...

Listening- to the hum of background noises in the house, but wishing it was the voice of Dr. Mindy Lahiri. You guys, I have a new obsession and it is The Mindy Project. I have been binge watching like crazy and trying (without much luck) to pull myself away so that it lasts longer (and also so that I make time to do the whole adulting thing and ya' know work and clean and stuff). The Mindy Project may just be my spirit animal show! 

Thinking- That I really want to go and watch Mindy right now, "I will not. I will resist!" oh who am I kidding!?

Smelling- My freshly poured coffee! There was coffee in the pot when I woke up and I forgot to pour myself a cup, nothing like remembering it at 11:30. Yay for mid-morning pick me ups! 

Wishing- That is was Friday! We are finally bound for Crystal River this weekend after our last attempted FLoRida trip got postponed due to poor planning and sickness. It has been over a month and a half since Flo has gotten to stretch her wheels and she is itching to hit the road!

Hoping- That the little pumpkin seeds I planted, after making my pumpkin seeds the other day, actually grow into pumpkins for next Fall. They are already starting to sprout so here's to hoping the actually bloom!! 

Wearing- my PJs!! Amen for PJ Mondays! 

Loving- That cooler weather has FINALLY decided to make it's way to Orlando again! Hopefully it is here to stay this time?! 

Wanting- To load up Flo and hit the road right now!!

Needing- More motivation this morning to actually be productive! I can do it, I can, I can!! 

Feeling- Lazy! It's that love-hate relationship thing. I love the actual being of lazy (ie binge watching multiple episodes of my new favorite tv love while stuffing my face with pumpkin seeds), but I always feel like an unproductive slacker who needs to get off the couch. I know a little down time is important, I just need that cut off boundary! I just keep telling myself it's all about balance! For this last sentence forward, I will be continuing in today's adulting productivity! I can, I can... (please keep your fingers crossed for me!)

Happy Monday Y'all!!