What’s New: Highlights & Favorites from June

“Every choice we make in life is an experiment.” Charles Duhigg, Smarter Faster Better

For the past six months, I’ve been writing a monthly post sharing what’s new with me. By sharing insights into my private life – what I’ve been doing, reading, and loving that month – I hoped to better connect with my audience.

However, this month will be my last What’s New post. After much thought, I’ve concluded that blog posts are not the best method to share my monthly updates. Instead, for behind-the-scenes looks at my life as a book blogger, follow me on Instagram where I share fun pictures and stories daily happenings.

So, for one last time, here are my highlights and favorites from June.

<< May 2020

I’ve turned into an outdoor enthusiast. In June, I spent more time outside than I have in years, and I have the tan to prove it. This month, we bought ourselves two inflatable paddleboards and a state park pass. Our kids have quickly turned into water bugs, enjoying hours spent at the various reservoirs in the area. Add in the restart of my soccer league, mountain biking, and rock climbing and I’ve spent almost as much time in sports activities as reading.

I surprised my husband with a home gym renovation for Father’s Day. If you had seen my basement a few weeks ago, all you would see was a stationary bike, dumbells scattered everywhere, and an old ugly purple couch. The couch is still there, but I’ve transformed the other half into an awesome home gym, complete with mirrors, a weight rack, and a TRX suspension system.

I celebrated my 11th wedding anniversary. How did we celebrate such an auspicious occasion? With a slip-and-slide water day, of course. My youngest son’s birthday is very close to our anniversary and he begged for a water party with his cousins. Since the weather didn’t cooperate on his actual birthday, we got to celebrate our anniversary with watermelon decorated cupcakes this year.

Books Read in June

In June, I read 12 books and ended up giving up on one book. Books noted with a * were review copies I received from publishers. For full reviews, visit my June Reading List and July Book Releases posts.

*Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins ★★★
*His & Hers by Alice Feeney ★★★★
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott ★★★★
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center ★★★★
*The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis ★★★
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ★★★★★
Content Inc. by Joe Pulizzi ★★★★
Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo ★★★
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett ★★★★★
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch ★★★★
Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg ★★★★
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez ★★★★★
*Rules for the Southern Rulebreaker by Katherine Snow Smith DNF

I’m constantly adding books to my to-read list on Goodreads. Besides all the upcoming releases I’m dying to read, here are June’s additions to my TBR:

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone

Join the 2020 Reading Challenge!

Products

Inflatable Paddleboard. Best purchase ever. We bought two inflatable paddleboards this summer. We love the portability of the inflatable paddle boards. We just throw it in the trunk (though we did buy an electric pump). With everything selling like hotcakes, we didn’t focus on brands, just on size, opting for 33″ wide boards for better stability. We’ve fit up to four small children on with one adult and one board- though with hilarious results. 

TRX Suspension System. To complete my home gym renovation, I purchased TRX’s suspension trainer. You use your bodyweight as resistance and can easily modify exercises to the level that feels right. Since we don’t have a single door in the house to serve as a decent anchor, I purchased two wall anchors – one for my basement and one for my garage. Amazon | Website

Little Women. Last winter, everyone was raving about Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film adaptation of Little Women. This month, I ended up watching it twice. Once by myself and once with my husband, who just finished the audiobook. I absolutely loved it, and he enjoyed it much more than the book. Amazon

Hidden Potential. I don’t watch much tv, but I quickly became hooked by this HGTV home makeover show. Jasmine Roth transforms cookie-cutter homes in Huntington Beach, California, by giving them a facelift and opening up the main living spaces. Website