Living a Joyful Life

  I know it's not Wednesday but I don't think this link-up is going live next Wednesday because it's Christmas day. What We're Eating This Week... Monday: Leftovers Tuesday: Outback: Steak, lobster tail, potatoes, Caesar salad Wednesday: Caesar salad What I'm Reminiscing About... Christmases when I was a child. What I'm Loving... All things Christmas. Watching football. The Mets signed Juan Soto. What I've Been Up To... I had two bestie days with my best friend and her daughter. I've been watching lots of football and Christmas movies. What I'm Dreading... The Christmas season always going by so fast and the post Christmas blues that I get every January. What I'm Working On... My content schedule for my Youtube channel for the beginning of 2025. What I'm Excited About... All things Christmas. The Mets signing Juan Soto. My birthday. What I'm Watching/Reading... Watching: TV shows, Christmas movies, football. Reading: Christmas themed nove...

  What I've Been Doing Lately: Currently Survey Making: My content schedule for January & February for my Youtube channel Cooking: I've been preparing lots of salads lately Drinking: Iced coffee, water, Propel, & Olipop Eating: Lots of salads Reading: I just finished reading The Mistletoe Mix Up by Codi Hall which is the third novel in the Falling in Mistletoe series. The next book I'm reading is The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy. Listening: Lots of Christmas music. Right now, I'm listening to the Youtube video I'm watching. Watching: Christmas movies, Youtube, college football, NFL, TV shows. Tonight is the season finale of Survivor. Wanting: I wish the Christmas/holiday season didn't go by so fast. Loving: My mom and step-dad got me a new entertainment center, TV, and DVD player for Christmas and my birthday. Feeling: I've been dealing with a-lot of emotional stuff lately so I haven't been feeling the best emotio...

  Here are the books I read in November 2024: One Big Happy Family –Susan Malley My Rating: 4 stars This was such a fun book. It had multiple POV’s and I think that made the book even more enjoyable. A great festive read, for sure!   Mistletoe Mischief (Falling In Mistletoe #2) –Codi Hall My Rating: 4 stars This is the second novel in the Falling in Mistletoe series and it is so good. I just love festive reads so much. This book focused on the characters Pike & Ryler. The third and final novel in the series comes out in December. Window Shopping –Tessa   Bailey My Rating: 3 stars If the Goodreads website had a half star rating, I would have rated this book 2.5 stars. I liked the relationship between the two main characters but there was way too much spice for my liking. I’m not against a little spice in the book if it enhances the story, but when the spice is overdone, for me the book is usually lacking in content for me and I don’t enjoy it as mu...

  What We're Eating This Week... Monday: Lobster ravioli & salad Tuesday: Leftovers & chicken rice bake Wednesday: I'm not sure about tonight Thursday: Thanksgiving meal Friday: Thanksgiving leftovers Saturday & Sunday: I'm not sure What I'm Reminiscing About... My trips to visit my family during the holiday season. What I'm Loving... Watching all of the football! High school football: my nephew's team, he's the quarterback, made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing. If they had won that game, they would have made it to the championship game. They only had two losses the whole season. I'm so proud of him. I'm also watching tons of college football and NFL!   What I've Been Up To... On the 4th, I had a bestie day with Amber and her daughter Anastasia. We celebrated my step-dad's birthday. Filming & uploading to my Youtube channel. What I'm Dreading... The holiday season going by too fast, as it does every ye...

  Here are the books I read in October 2024: 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe (Falling in Mistletoe #1) -Codi Hall My Rating: 4 stars This book was so cute and sweet. I love Codi Hall and her Christmas romances. This is the first book (of three) in the Falling in Mistletoe series. The second novel was released today (Tuesday, November 5th). Codi always has such great characters in her novels. This was such a fun and festive read an I enjoyed it so much. Nothing Like The Movies (Better Than The Movies #2) -Lynn Painter My Rating: 5 stars Another novel featuring Liz & Wes? Yes, please! I love that this book is dual POV. I love Lynn Painter’s novels so much. I have been looking forward to the release of this novel for so long and it did not disappoint. It Won't Be Christmas Without You -Beth Reekles My Rating: 4 stars I really enjoyed this book but I wish it was longer because I wanted it to last longer. I actually read it in a day because I was enjoying it so much. It is a dual...

  What We're Eating This Week... Monday: Leftovers (meatloaf) Tuesday: Chick Fil A Wednesday: Pizza I'm not sure about the rest of the week. What I'm Reminiscing About... When the Mets were in the World Series in 2015! What I'm Loving... Spending time with family, spending time with my best friend and her kiddos, watching sports (my nephew's football games, baseball, NFL, college football), Hallmark movies. What I've Been Up... I babysat for my best friend's adorable daughter while they were at a wedding and we had so much fun. We played with blocks, read (including one book like 15 times), watched movies and cuddled, and played with toys. I did some shopping (both online and in person). I had a bestie day with her and her kiddos. We went shopping and had Chick Fil A for lunch. I've been filming and uploading videos for my YT channel. What I'm Dreading... Nothing at the moment. What I'm Working On... My content schedule for November-January for m...

  Here are the books I read in September: Game Seven -Megan Cousins My Rating: 5 stars Baseball and romance? Say less. I love Megan Cousins and her novels are so great. This is the second novel in the Unwritten Rules series. I love any books that center around baseball (bonus if it’s a romance novel). I loved the relationship between the main characters and that it was dual POV. Beach Cute -Beth Reekles My Rating: 3 stars I did enjoy this book but it wasn’t one of my favorites. It was told from three different points of view and I sometimes had trouble keeping up with the details of each person. I thought it was a cute read but again it wasn’t a favorite of mine. The Break Up Pact -Emma Lord My Rating: 5 stars This was such a great novel. This is Emma Lord’s first fiction/romance novel (her other novels have all been under the Young Adult genre) and it was SO good. I loved the relationship between the two main characters. I really liked the setting and the story line of this nove...

  What We're Eating This Week... Monday: Chicken Caesar salad Tuesday: Sausage and ravioli I'm not sure about the rest of the week. What I'm Reminiscing About... Nothing at the moment. What I'm Loving... Watching all of the football... high school (my nephew's games get streamed), college, and NFL. What I've Been Up To... I was visiting my family the first two days of the month (I went up for a while in August and came home on the 2nd). My cat had his teeth cleaned and three teeth removed so I've been taking extra special care of him. I've been watching a ton of baseball and football. What I'm Dreading... Nothing at the moment. What I'm Working On... My content schedule for my Youtube channel for the month of October. What I'm Excited About... All of the sports! What I'm Watching/Reading... Watching: All of the baseball and football, Hallmark movies, and now regular TV shows are starting back including my three favorites on tonight: Chica...

Here are the books I read in August 2024: Please Send Help (I Hate Everyone But You #2) -Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin My Rating: 1 star I did not enjoy this book at all. I didn't like the first book either but I wanted to give the second book a chance. Behind Every Good Man -Sara Goodman Confino My Rating: 4 stars I really love this author and her writing style. I really enjoyed this novel especially the relationships between the main character and the other people in her life. The Pairing -Casey McQuiston My Rating: 3 stars I enjoyed this book but it wasn't a favorite of mine. I rated Casey's first book ( Red, White, & Royal Blue 5 stars) and none of her other books have come close to that for me. I have enjoyed them but they weren't my favorite and I wouldn't re-read them but I would re-read Red, White & Royal Blue . I still need to watch the Netflix movie. It Ends With Us -Colleen Hoover My Rating: 5 stars I loved this novel so much. I saw the movi...

  What We're Eating This Week... Monday the 26th: Chicken burger, cauliflower Tuesday the 27th: Steak, cauliflower Wednesday the 28th: Lobster roll & fries Thursday the 29th: Pizza & Caesar salad Friday the 30th: Caesar salad with chicken Saturday the 31st: Chinese Sunday the 1st: Caesar salad with chicken & veggie pizza What I'm Reminiscing About... Nothing at the moment. What I'm Loving... Spending time with family, watching lots of baseball, attending two Mets games (one was a walkoff win). What I've Been Up To... 8/2: Bestie day with A & A 8/8-9/2: Visit my family 8/19 & 8/20: Mets Games 8/26-8/30: Trip to the lake What I'm Dreading... Nothing at the moment. What I'm Working On... My content schedule for my Youtube channel in September. What I'm Excited About... The baseball season. College football season is back and the NFL season is back soon too! What I'm Watching/Reading... Watching: Baseball, the Olympics, college football R...

  Here are the books I read in July 2024: Vacationland –Meg Mitchell Moore My Rating: 4 stars This story focuses on two women and how their lives interconnect in an unexpected way. I really enjoyed this book. I love this author's writing.   The Islanders –Meg Mitchell Moore My Rating: 4 stars This book focuses on the story of three people: Anthony Puckett, Joy Sousa, and Lu Trusdale. Goodreads says “Over the twelve short weeks of summer, these three strangers will meet and grow close, will share secrets and bury lies. And as the promise of June turns into the chilly nights of August, the truth will come out, forcing each of them to decide what they value most, and what they are willing to give up to keep it.” I really enjoyed this book. I have three more books to read of this author and then I will have read all of her books that have been published so far.   One summer on Mackinac –Alana Robin My Rating: 5 stars This novel focuses on Ariella and her las...