July Book Recap

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When I say I'm a slow reader...I put great emphasis on the word slow. I like to read, but I often read leisurely, whenever I have nothing else to do. I've thought about trying to schedule time to read everyday but I just haven't committed to it. So for now, in this season of life, I get through one or two books a month and call it a win. {I've also been busy creating content for my other blog - Ditch It & Switch It - so that has taken up a decent portion of my time.}

Anyways, back to the long overdue July Book Recap!

1. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

This was the first book by Liane Moriarty that I've read. It was recommended to me by a friend and I thought it would be a nice easy read after having just slogged through All The Light We Cannot See. The storyline is nothing profound or life changing but I found it to be endearing and a breath of fresh air. The story follows Alice, who falls off her bike at the gym and hits her head, resulting in the loss of all memories from the last 10 years. The book chronicles her journey to regain her footing, get back in touch with her present life and the complicated situation she finds herself in. If you are looking for some light reading, I would try this one! For my rating, I'd give this one 3 stars. It wasn't the best book I've ever read but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I'll cut to the chase, this was a solid 4 star book for me. It follows the real-life story of Lale Sokolov (the tattooist) and his will to survive as a prisoner in Auschwitz. It was his job as the tattooist that afforded him the opportunity to meet Gita, a girl that would turn out to be the love of his life. The book shares many gut-wrenching, devastating, and evil occurrences during the course of his time at the death camp. Through the horrors, they managed to look after one another. Lale came up with ingenious ways to use his privileges as the tattooist to help his fellow prisoners in the camp and managed to escape death's grip many times over. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a book that will certainly pull at your heartstrings. Don't forget to check out the last few pages of the book that contains the authors notes, you'll find pictures of Lale and Gita and an update!

So there you have it! For only getting through 2 books, I think they were worth my time. What books did you read last month? Any I should add to my reading list?

Alyssa | So Southern Sweet

The Best Way To Remove Makeup

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I'll be the first to tell you...I've tried many different makeup remover wipes, oils, and cleansers in my day. I'll even admit that sometimes I just take my makeup off and don't wash my face (gasp!) If I wait too late in the night, I just get too tired which turns my regular nighttime routine into a lazy, half-hearted effort. This is why I've gravitated more towards the wipes because they are easy and convenient. No need for cotton balls or pads, you just pop out a wipe and start scrubbing the makeup away. That being said, the wipes always seem to get the top layer of makeup off but they still leave plenty behind on my skin. Because I don't always wash my face at night, I wanted a more thorough and cost effect way to at least remove all of my makeup. I was also tired of buying makeup wipes every month, so I began searching for something better. 

That's when I stumbled upon Nugilla Makeup Remover Cloths on a Buzzfeed article. To state it simply, these are washcloths for your face. They are microfiber so they are soft and perfect for delicate facial skin. The best part? You only need the cloth and warm water to remove all of your makeup. This takes off my foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick...everything with just water. I can't tell you how impressed I was the first time I used them!

I get two uses out of each cloth (front and back) and then I throw them in the wash. I found that washing them on a hot cycle gets all the makeup out, so the cloth always looks fresh and new. I love that they can be reused over and over, that's good for my wallet and less wasteful. I've had mine for over 6 months and they are holding up really well. The newest version even has a little loop so you can easily hang it to dry.

I recently gifted some of these to my Mom and MIL for Mother's Day. The first thing they both commented on was how soft they were. My Mom used one the same night and texted me asking where I had gotten them from because she wanted to order more to share with others in our family!

Nugilla Makeup Remover Cloth 5 Pack

They have quickly become an essential in my beauty routine and are worth trying! You can order a pack of 1, 3, or 5. Get yours here.

If you buy these or already have some, I'd love to hear what you think of them! 

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Healthy Smoothie Recipe

Who doesn't love a good smoothie? I started making them a few months ago as a way of getting an extra dose of fruits and vegetables into our diet. In addition to health benefits, making smoothies at home has other great perks.

1. Saves You Money

Purchasing the ingredients might seem like a mini investment but it will save you money in the long run. Many places around Raleigh that offer whole food, healthy smoothies charge upwards of $10 for ONE. That adds up quickly.

2. You Know Exactly What's In It

I was shocked to see how much added sugar (in the form of juice) was in one of my favorite smoothies from a large smoothie chain. When you make your own, you get to control what goes in it. That means no surprises, no iffy ingredients, and no added sugar in a smoothie that already has naturally occurring sugars from fruit.

3. Quick And Easy To Make

From start to finish, it will take you 2 minutes tops. Grab your ingredients, throw them in the blender, and blend. Simple!

My go-to smoothie recipe only has 5 ingredients and can easily be customized to your liking. All you need is baby spinach, frozen pineapple, frozen mixed berries, turmeric, and water. 

Note: Customize the smoothie by picking your favorite frozen fruit. If you don't like spinach, try another leafy green, or add extra fruit. Chia seeds, nut butters, or protein powder would make a great addition. To add more flavor, use milk or another liquid in place of water. 

While we're on the topic of fruits and veggies, I wanted to share the Dirty Dozen list with you. The list, created by EWG, contains the 12 dirtiest produce due to exposure/spraying of pesticides. It is recommended that you purchase organic. Because strawberries and spinach hold the top spots, I always buy them organic. Walmart sells organic spinach for less than $2 so I always add it to my pickup order. You can also find a 2-pound bag of frozen organic mixed berries for less than $9. 

Let me know if you try the smoothie recipe or feel free to share your favorite with me! I'm always on the hunt for new ones to try.

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Favorite Book of All Time

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It's no secret, I'm an on-again, off-again type of reader. Some months I might read two or three books and other months I'm lucky if I get through one. I think part of that comes from feeling guilty about sitting and reading instead of doing chores around the house or whatever I deem as a better use of my time. I find myself always having to challenge that mindset.

This takes me back to 2015. I vividly remember the first day of one of my finance classes at ECU when my professor passed around index cards and told us to write down how many books we read in a month. Most of us were a bit perplexed. How did the number of books we read in a month relate to finance or our success in this class? She went on to explain that many successful CEO's and executives read at least 4 books a month. This was quite shocking to me as the only books I had been reading were the textbooks that my classes required. She challenged us to read more, learn more, and work hard for what we wanted. She went far beyond her duty to teach finance, she taught the material for class but she also encouraged and motivated us to be successful in our endeavors outside of the classroom. She wanted us to succeed as students and professionals.

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Now that I'm back from the quick trip down memory lane, let's talk about books. I wanted to share with you my all-time favorite book in the hopes that you'll read it and fall in love with it too! Chances are many of you have already read this, and if that's the case, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

So without further delay...my favorite book that I've ever read is...

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale is set in France in 1939 during World War II and shares the story of two sisters with differing views and ideals as they seek to survive the war. Read the full synopsis here.

I'm not a big book buyer as I generally prefer to use our public library but I loved this one so much and I know I'll want to read it again so I'm adding it to my bookshelf. I fell in love with her writing style. Her descriptions put you in the middle of the scenery and her compelling storytelling makes you feel sympathy towards characters you wouldn't think possible. She has written many books (upwards of 20) so I jumped at the chance to pick up another one when I saw it on Book of the Month. 

The Great Alone

The Great Alone was another fascinating read by Hannah. It wasn't quite good enough to knock The Nightingale out of the top spot but I gave it a solid 4 stars. I enjoyed that it was unlike anything I had read before. 

Set in a desolate part of Alaska, the family lives off the grid. It shares the story of 13-year-old Leni, her mother and her father as they try to survive the brutal Alaskan climate and her fathers deteriorating mental state as he suffers as a result of being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Read the full synopsis here.

Have you read any of Kristin Hannah's other books? Which one/s would you recommend? 

What is your all-time favorite book? 

I'm always looking for new ones to add to my reading list!

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Decorated Sugar Cookies

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Decorated sugar cookies, it's become a sort of holiday tradition for me. For many holidays and family birthdays/events, I make a special batch of cookies to deliver to my family. This little "tradition" started back in 2017 when we hosted our first Christmas party in our new home. It came about after following the Instagram account doughmestichousewife created by Holly Thomas. Her account features an assortment of pictures and videos of the many beautiful cookies she has decorated. She is so talented! Her videos make it seem really easy to whip out a batch of cookies so I figured I'd give it a shot. Don't be fooled...it's a lot more work than it seems and if you're anything like me, your kitchen will look like a complete disaster afterwards BUT I'd say it's worth at least a couple of tries.

I did a bit more research to figure out everything I would need. I bought my first set of Christmas cookie cutters, icing coloring, piping bags, decorating tools, and meringue powder. I used, and still use Haniela's Sugar Cookie Recipe for Cut Out Cookies as well as her recipe for Royal Icing. I've found her blog and Youtube channel to be so helpful for beginners. She has FAQ's, tutorials, tips, and step-by-step instructions for baking/decorating.

This sweet set was my first attempt at decorated cookies. For having little to no artistic ability and not much experience baking on my own, I think they turned out well. What helped me the most was watching videos and reading all I could about decorating before I started. I made sure I understood the basics and then started. I would also recommend starting SIMPLE. Starting with a complicated design that involves mixing lots of icing colors will just make you frustrated. For your first attempt, 3-4 colors is plenty. Even now, having baked and decorated a decent number of cookies, I still prefer a simplified color palette.

This was a birthday set for my sister-in-laws birthday. It was my first time trying the lemon royal icing with the basic sugar cookie. If you are a fan of lemon, use the whole 1/4 cup of lemon juice. I like a more subtle lemon flavor so I use a little less lemon juice. Cookie cutters are by Sweet Sugarbelle.

 This was for my little brother's high school graduation party. He was heading off to college at UNC and has been a longtime UNC fan, so I thought these would be a fun party favor/treat.

This was my most recent cookie set for Easter. It took me about 6 hours to decorate 2 1/2 dozen of these sweet treats but I love how they turned out. Pastel colors might just be my favorite! Cookie cutters are from Michaels.

If you would like to see more of my cookie creations, I've created a special Instagram account (midtowncookieco) just for decorated cookies. I'd love for you to follow along and if you decide to make your own cookies, I'd love to see how they turn out. You can DM me on Instagram or post a picture in the blog comments.

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Memory Wall

Wow! A lot has changed over the last 2+ years since I've written a post on this platform. I'm not even sure where to start but I'll do my best to share a quick recap. In 2017 we purchased our first house and said goodbye to our North Hills apartment. It was bittersweet leaving, we loved North Hills (so many great restaurants and shopping within walking distance) but we certainly don't miss the noisy neighbors and paper thin walls. We spent the rest of 2017 into 2018 settling into our home. Don't be fooled, we still have a long way to go in making this house a home. We have a laundry list of projects and decorating that needs to be done, but, slow and steady wins the race, right?

Fast-forward to the fall of 2018, I went back to school...and quickly exited before the start of the spring semester. That's a long story I'll save for another day. That leads us to the present and why I'm making a comeback, errr, restarting this whole blogging adventure. I'm currently a stay-at-home wife, so my days consist of dishes, laundry, cleaning, meal planning, etc. All the monotonous, have to do, parts of life that aren't exciting but necessary. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for this season of life and I enjoy the amount of freedom I have but something was missing. I desired a creative outlet, something that fills my weeks with a little more structure. Something that I could look back on years later and see how far I've come. A way to encapsulate and preserve precious memories that may otherwise get lost or drowned out. Writing the previous sentence made me think of a quote from the book, Memory Wall, that I'm currently reading. It is too good not to share. It says..

"You have to begin to lose your memory; if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives. Life without memory is no life at all, just as an intelligence without the possibility of expression is not really an intelligence." 

- Luis Bunuel

I like think of this blog as my own memory wall, where I'll pin my special memories, things I never want to forget, and little bits from average days that are bound to slip away as time passes.

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