9 Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List

So my friend posted a photo of her daughter's Scholastic Book Club order today on Instagram and I just about freaked out as a million memories came rushing back. I can remember so vividly whenever we'd get those tissue thin flyers chock full of things to circle, check, underline, whatever! New books with the coolest covers, exciting titles that drew me in as I scanned the page, and baby animal posters! Please tell me you remember those posters...

So I had to visit the Scholastic website and indulge my nostalgic side. I love that these flyers still exist, for every grade, and now my one wish for the summer is that Scholastic would make one for adults! How cool would that be?!

In its absence, I thought I would make a list of some books to add to your list. Some of these I've read (see previous reviews grouped together here and here) and some are on my to-read list too!

Now all I need is a comfy lounge chair and a glass of lemonade. Cheers!

Everyday // Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness // The Light Between Oceans

The Fault in Our Stars // Tell the Wolves I'm Home: A Novel // The Age of Miracles

Beautiful Creatures // Eleanor & Park // I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl

p.s. I've talked about The Fault in Our Stars and The Age of Miracles so many times here but for good reason- I LOVE them. If you haven't read either, be sure to add them to your list first.  And then next read The Light Between Oceans, another book I recently fell in love with!

I used Amazon Affiliate Linking in this post. To visit Amazon without my link, click here.

Hello, old friend. A post about the Arizona Blogger Conference.

So if you're here reading this post, you probably know I'm a stay-at-home Mom. I love my job, but there are some things that I don't experience now that my main company everyday is my 2.5 year old son. I don't always realize I'm missing these things until I experience them, but once I do it's so strange to me to think about the fact that that particular emotion or experience just isn't a part of my daily life.

As a teacher I was used to public speaking every single day. It's something I've always enjoyed, and something I've always felt very comfortable doing. But no matter what, on the first day of school every year, I'd get those familiar butterflies in my stomach, that nervous feeling that nothing but going through the entire day and finally being DONE with it would take away. I'd get it from time to time if I had other things pop up too- perhaps sharing something in front of my colleagues or having to do a presentation for parents, but since I stopped teaching I can't even remember a moment I've experienced it, until this past weekend.

And as odd as it sounds, that first feeling of insanely nervous butterflies was so awesome. I love that I had a reason to feel that way again; to have a chance to shake things up a bit. A total "hello, old friend" moment. I don't often do things that scare me, and getting back to that a bit Saturday night was just what I needed.

It was a wonderful event- the Phoenix Style Collective girls threw an amazing party, full of fun pop up shops, great food, and the coolest gift bag. The only negative was not getting too much of a chance to check out all of the shops and talk to everyone there. There were so many people and things to see that next year that will definitely be a priority!

It was so fun to be able to speak too- I was on a panel of five other women, and went first. My topic was "Finding Your Voice," and I swear, I could have stretched my 20 minutes into an hour! There's just so much to say and the super sweet audience was so receptive and I had the best time sharing some of my experiences and what I've learned over the years. All of the other girls were amazing, and if you get a chance be sure to check them out. Our panel consisted of these lovely ladies: Summer from The Girls With Glasses, Jessie from Style and Pepper, Sarah from Emma Magazine, and Sara from Frances Vintage. I learned a lot from each of them and on a more personal note, really feel thankful we were all able to connect. Yay new friends!

I can't thank the ladies and gentleman of the Phoenix Style Collective enough- they're such an inspiring bunch of go-getters and I'm honored they asked me to speak again this year. AND I should also mention that we got to end the night with a very special proposal! A certain little lady got engaged! So, so awesome.

Hank and I ended up making a staycation out of it, and did some swimming and brunching and laying around before we headed back over to my parents' later that afternoon to pick up our little rascal. I still don't understand how Henry can look and seem older after being away from him from even just a day, but I swear, it happens!

I wish I could have taken more photos of the actual conference, all of the wonderful friends I saw and new people I met, but it was so hectic trying to get ready to speak! I'd apologize for not dragging my regular camera around, but remember we talked about that in this post? ;) Happy Monday, friends!

Currently.

beach dreaming today - this was taken on our honeymoon in Moorea almost 5 years ago (we look so young!). What I wouldn't give to be back in that magical place right now with Hank and Henry!

Thinking about: How strange it is to feel like things happen for a reason. Some of you know that The Gaslight Anthem is my all-time favorite bands. I love, love them and never miss a show. I also happen to be online an awful lot so I've never missed a show being announced. Someway, somehow, I missed that they were playing on Tuesday night right in Tempe, which is insanely strange to begin with. That morning, I tweeted a friend who posted a photo of their tickets asking "when?" but then got a phone call as it sent, which made me forget to look it up, like I normally would. He didn't answer, so the train of thought was kind of lost. Once I found out about the show around 6pmish, I texted the girls I always go with and they thought that we had all already talked about it. Then I find out that Hank knew about the show too, but forgot to ask me if I was going after he assumed I already knew about it. I was actually supposed to be in Phoenix already that evening anyway, but randomly decided to stay until the next morning. I know it all sounds so weird but all of these little things made me feel so much less sad about missing it. Or, this is just my over-active mind's way or making myself feel better. ha.

Feeling: terrible about a mistake I made yesterday on social media. I had no idea it was Infertility Awareness Week, and what did I do? I go and ask all of my Instagram followers to chime in if they're pregnant. Hundreds of women (300+) commented with their due dates, and it was only after one of my friends gently let me know about the Awareness Week did I find out. I felt horrible; I mean really, how insensitive could that have come across? You live you learn though, and I made sure to apologize on Twitter.

Watching: Sons of Anarchy. I'm ALL caught up now after watching the very end of the most recent season and whoa...so, so intense. I don't want to give anything away but THE SCENE WITH OTTO'S TONGUE?! What.the.heck. I am scarred for life. But other than that? Amazing.

Reading: I'm smack dab in the middle of the one Nicolas Sparks book I haven't yet devoured and loving it, of course. I won't even apologize for reading what I often refer to as a "fluff read," or a non-thinking kind of book I would use as a break between the heavy literature I was required to read in both college and grad school. It's funny, I've recently stopped apologizing for anything having to do with enjoying things I love, and life is a little bit more fun. So read those fluff books, watch those reality shows! Life is way too short.

Thinking about: Getting older. I'm turning 31 next month (31!) and for some reason, that sounds a lot older than 30. One reason is because it IS, but another is that to me, I'm into my 30s now. 30 is more carefree sounding to me. Still kind of close to the twenties, still right on the cusp. But now I'm IN it. And to be honest, I don't mind a bit. I've noticed a few lines starting to form by my eyes and I feel like maybe I should care? But I don't. My Mom has taught me that nothing is more beautiful than accepting yourself (at any age), and I'm right there with her. Sure, 31 isn't old by any means but I'm starting to notice very slight nods to aging going on. And interestingly enough, it fascinates me. It reminds me to get living, because really, I'm not getting any younger.

Looking forward to: this weekend. Tomorrow I'll be speaking on a panel at the Arizona Blogger Conference and I'm so excited. I miss teaching a lot, especially the speaking and sharing part, so I'm really looking forward to talking to a bunch of like-minded people about what I love to do! I can't wait to fill you all in on how it went next week. And besides the speaking part, it's going to be such a fun night filled with some of my favorite AZ bloggers in such a beautiful location. Hank and I are even making a little staycation out of it (thanks Mom and Dad!).

Making me happy: thinking about Hank running next weekend and us cheering him on, Henry talking to Charlie every night before bed, salad and more salad, AM workouts and their ability to put me in the best mood, egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, Disneyland so soon, getting to see Lucy for a little bit last week, this post, and the fact that spring is definitely here.

So, how about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.

Weekend Links

Happy weekend! Hank and I will be enjoying a little staycation (heck yes for discounted group rates at the Palomar), and I can't wait to put on a bikini and get some sun. With SPF 5,000 of course. ;)

I hope you have the most wonderful weekend!

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First of all, I wanted to tell you guys about the coolest store- Mortimer Snodgrass! They're actually a brick and mortar store in Canada, but also have an online shop and carry some of the most unique, neatest items for kiddos (and adults). Right now they are offering Sometimes Sweet readers 20% off their entire purchase until the end of May with code snodsometimessweet. They sent us this, one of these and a couple of other items, and we LOVE them all (especially that bath spout!). Mortimer Snodgrass also has a wide array of awesome books that are totally worth a peek. And with 20% off even more worth it! On a side note, when our package arrived I told Henry where it was from, and he just about died from a giggle fit over the name for a good 5 minutes. Too funny!

Secondly, Boon sent us a bunch of their new cups to try out, and we ended up really liking them. Henry is pretty partial to his Nalgene "blue cup," but he easily switched over the new ones no problems. I love how easy they are to clean and fill, and Henry likes the bright colors. There are three different types, for all stages of sippy-cupping, and I'm excited to put the ones geared towards younger ones away for Charlie. They are all available at your local Target, so check 'em out. We love them.

And now, some regular old links! ;)

This was my favorite post on the internet this week.

I adore these photos: one and two.

Have you stopped by Farewell Trading yet? It's my friend Mia's new shop and it's awesome. If you love old stuff, you'll love FT.

THE coolest Etsy find, ever. I randomly stumbled upon these dolls and I am in love. The Abe Lincoln one is all sorts of amazing.

A great list of web fonts.

Thank you for featuring us, Babble!

Need a baby gift? Here's a goldmine of my favorite things, in my favorite shop.

And more Etsy: the cutest cake toppers, this pin (reminds me of my Pi Phi pin!), this plush camera, and this great sign.

American Girl Dolls Really Need to Remember Their Roots. Amazing!

How cute is this dress?

A great website all about supporting local farmers.

"I'm sick of apologizing for my c-section."

Simple spaghetti with kale, lemon and garlic. Yum!

These photos are getting me SO excited for our CA trip.

Adored Casey's "Love in Numbers" post.

Traveling with two kids. This will be my life soon!

Dwelling Small. Such a great series! 

Baby Lit. We have some of these and love them. Next on the list- Dracula!

If you love Leonardo DiCaprio, you have to check this out.

And psst...don't forget, here are some awesome sponsor discount codes: "april13" at Hazel2Blue and "sosweet" for 20% off at Hola Sunshine.

A great article on "how we all learned to speak Instagram."

And speaking of IG, if you have one, you need some of these. Have you entered my recent giveaway yet?

How "The Real Housewives" have made America better. Annnd I should mention that this article was written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!

Shopping: Why I Quit Cold Turkey.

Are you on Bloglovin'? 

And finally, say hi to Scarlet, Susan, Shawna, and Vanessa. All amazing women.

CLOSED // A Sweet Giveaway: Stickygram (2 Winners!)

CLOSED! 

Winners:

Paige Vaughn and Brittany.

 

Ladies, please email me at sometimessweetblog @ gmail to claim your prize! 

 

Thank you to all who entered! xoxo

  
We are kind of obsessed with Stickygrams over here- the quality is great, and it's so neat to be able to see all of these fun memories whenever we're in the kitchen.  They make great fridge decorations, gifts for friends, perfect for your filing cabinet at work- wherever you can stick 'em, they'll look awesome.  Best of all, they're just $14.99 for a pack of 9, with worldwide shipping included. The process is simple; you sign into your IG accont via their website, select your 9 photos, pay, and you receive a fun package of StickyGrams a few days later. The whole process takes minutes and they have the best customer service too. So cool.

And today StickyGram is giving a set to TWO lucky readers!  Each winner will receive a set of Stickygrams. This giveaway is open to all readers, worldwide.

Here's how to enter:

1) Leave a comment below with your name and email address. Yup, that's it!

*For an additional entry you can tweet (see below) about this giveaway.  Just be sure to leave another comment letting me know you did so, along with your name and email again.

Win a set of StickyGram @Instagram magnets via @stickygram & @danihampton! 2 winners will be chosen. http://tinyurl.com/cs46qw3

I'll choose the winners one week from today. I'll post the winners right here in this post, so be sure to check back. Good luck!

Henry 14/52, 15/52, and 16/52

"a portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2013" 

Ahhh the title of this post- so annoyed myself to be playing catch-up in such an insane way. I am now realizing I need to set a day for this project or I will continuously forget, so the official day is now Sunday. Important matters, people. And although I kind of like clumping them together like this, I think once a week makes more sense.

14: Suddenly a baby again, in his train conductor outfit from Gigi and Poppy.

15: "Helping" Daddy paint Charlie's room, complete with the cowboy hat he refused to take off all day long.

16: Exploring, adventuring, spending time outdoors. Henry is happiest when he's outside, hands in the dirt, finding new things to be fascinated by. We both love our hikes and nature walks so much.


See previous portraits here.  
This is a part of the 52 Project from the Che and Fidel blog.

Our Weekend in Numbers

Our weekend in numbers:

25: the number of minutes we waited to be greeted by a server at dinner before the show. Good thing your food is so good, Cibo!

3: the number of songs that made me tear up at The Postal Service show. So much emotion, so much nostalgia! ...and so many pregnancy hormones.

7: the number of times Henry said "THIS IS SO COOL!" while at the Children's Museum on Friday morning. He was in awe, and so so excited to explore every nook and cranny of the place.

1: the number of Big Wacs consumed. The Big Wac is a vegan version of the Big Mac at one of Hank's favorite restaurants. Awesome, right?

1: the number of meltdowns had. Sadly, this meltdown was my own. To make a long story short, we ordered our crib and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. I had asked Hank to open it up when it came to check and be sure it looked okay so we were ready to assemble it when my parents arrived this past weekend. Like even the sweetest of husbands sometimes do, I was ignored and while my Mom and I were out grocery shopping my Dad and Hank decided to put it together. We arrived home to a fully-assembled crib (yay!), but then I noticed a huge gash in the front of the wood (ugh!). I got upset, walked into the next room, promptly tripped over Henry, fell on both of us, and started crying like a toddler, right there on the floor. Henry was a-okay by the way. I pouted while Hank and my Dad disassembled the crib but eventually decided to stop acting so ridiculously. Not my proudest moment but we can laugh about it now, right? ...right? ;)

6: the number of hours we spent in the car this weekend. To Phoenix and back, then a few little trips.

4: the number of minutes we spent hiking before we realized that the trail was not fit for a stroller, even our tank of a BOB. We turned that puppy right around and hightailed it for the swings.

7: the number of ducks I was SURE were about to attack us while we were at Goldwater Lake. If you didn't know, I have a weird fear of birds and ducks. Usually it ain't no thing and I don't make a big dramatic deal about it but this time there was a HUGE swan-duck-dinosaur that kept coming at us, making the most horrible screeching sound I've ever heard. It was followed by it's little duck soldiers and I was terrified!

1: the number of delicious pizzas ordered and eaten on Friday night. We always get the same thing from our favorite place- a large cheese pizza with Bill's sauce, which is half tomato sauce and half pesto. To die for amazing.

12: the number of donuts we (over)ordered on Saturday morning. We should have stuck to the original plan of one per person, instead of a grand smorgasbord of sweetness, which resulted in stomachaches for all.

3: the number of beanies worn. Summer's almost here which means no more beanies, and I'm not sure who is sadder, Henry or me!

2: the number of frozen yogurt cups Henry ate in one sitting during our Saturday evening trip (he stole mine).

4: the number of home projects we tackled! We made a teepee for Henry, finished painting Charlie's room, put up reading shelves for Henry, and put together (then took apart) Charlie's crib.

1: the number of sandboxes that were delivered for a certain little someone!

1,987: the number of times I felt so thankful for this crazy, wonderful family of mine.

And now, photos! These are iPhone pictures but not Instagrams, so that counts for something, right?

xoxo