What’s New: Highlights & Favorites From May

Normally, I’d joke that’s it’s hard to believe it’s June already, but not this time. The heatwave that’s swept through Utah this last week is an empathetic reminder that summer is here.

Usually, Spring is one of my favorite seasons, but I’m not too sorry to say goodbye this year. I will not miss my quarantine or homeschooling. Fingers crossed I don’t have to do either again.

Before I jump into June, I wanted to share a few of my highs and lows from May.

<< April 2020 June 2020 >>

I hiked a mountain. Whenever my father-in-law comes to town, he hikes to the top of a mountain, usually with my husband in tow. This month, I was lucky enough to join them on a 14-mile hike up Ben Lomond, a peak just north of Ogden, Utah. We didn’t make it to the summit (9,716 feet) because of snow, but we came pretty close. At least we got some gorgeous views. Crazily, the neighboring canyon caught fire later that night.

I lost all the baby weight. Is it still considered baby weight if your oldest child is nine and your youngest is almost three? Regardless, after almost a decade, I actually weigh what’s listed on my driver’s license. Credit goes to Carrie Underwood’s book, Find Your Path, counting calories, and daily yoga.

I embraced the DNF. Out of a false sense of pride, I generally finish every book I ever start. Not this month. I realized my time was better spent elsewhere, and DNF’d four books. Even better, I finally admitted that I had no desire to read any of the books my dad had lent me and returned them all to him. That leaves Atlas Shrugged as the very last book I own that I need to read (not counting my recent purchases).

Books Read in May

In May, I read 16 books and started but didn’t finish four more books. Books noted with a * were review copies I received from publishers. For full reviews, visit my May Reading List and June Book Releases posts.

*Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker ★★★
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins ★★★★
*Home Before Dark by Riley Sager ★★★★
*The Safe Place by Anna Downes ★★★
*The Second Home by Christina Clancy DNF
*Rage Against the Minivan by Kristen Howerton ★★★★
Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup DNF
Thinking Like a Boss by Kate Crocco DNF
The Collected Works of Arthur C. Clarke DNF
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende ★★★
Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin★★★
7 by Jen Hatmaker ★★★
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport ★★★
How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price ★★★★
Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan ★★★
One Day in December by Josie Silver ★★★★
*Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory ★★
Tightrope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn ★★★
*Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland ★★★★
*Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan ★★★

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

The Poetry of Pablo Neruda by Pablo Neruda
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Hotel Alpha by Mark Watson
Deep Work by Cal Newport
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
The Aftermath by Rhidan Brook

Products

Garmin Venu Watch. My old GPS watch was giving me problems, so I decided it was time to upgrade. I thought about getting a Fitbit, but after testing one for a few weeks, I was unimpressed. Instead, I bought the Garmin Venu and couldn’t be happier. I adore its stylish look and ability to connect to my phone. It easily tracks all my fitness activities with GPS and even has music storage. Best yet, even with my watch face always on, I still get several days of battery life. Website | Amazon

Onforu Bluetooth Speaker. Can you say Dance Party! I finally got around to purchasing a Bluetooth speaker. This one has an attachment for bikes and easily clips onto a backpack for hiking. Plus, it easily syncs with my new watch. Since I’ve purchased it, we’ve had plenty of kitchen dance parties. Amazon

Ticket to Ride Japan. The board game Ticket to Ride is extremely popular in my family, and my oldest son has become a bit obsessed. For his ninth birthday, we got him the Japan + Italy expansion packs. The Japan map introduces an interesting twist with bullet trains that changes things up quite a bit. Website | Amazon

Moroccanoil Hair Products. I have extremely fine straight hair that has never been dyed. Because my hair is so fine, keeping it hydrated can be tricky. This month, I’ve switched to Moroccanoil hair products and my hair feels much softer and easier to manage. Website | Amazon

Tiger King. My husband and I caved and started watching this viral Netflix documentary series. We are not even halfway through, and I have to say, I’m a little hooked. With all the colorful characters and twists and turns, you’d think this story was scripted.

The Mandalorian. My kids absolutely loved watching The Mandalorian together as a family. I loved the classic Western styling on this Star Wars tv series. My kids just loved Baby Yoda.

The Holderness Family. My favorite quarantine distraction right now is the parody music videos from the Holderness Family. My top picks: the Frozen parody “Do You Want To?” and “True Colors.”