Best Online Reads

1. How early do you really need to get to the airport for your flight via The Discoverer.

2. Why you have vivid dreams during quarantine via Woman's Day.

3. DIY spa face masks that are super easy to make at home via Bustle.

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Playing Favorites

Playing Favorites is a monthly series where I share my latest obsessions, favorite finds, and any kind of entertainment (books, movies, TV, podcasts, and magazines) that I am loving. Here's what I am loving this month.

1. Hü Chocolate Bars - I've been on a quest to find the perfect clean chocolate. Over the course of a few months, I've been trying several brands to find one that tastes as good as conventional chocolate. Finally, after splurging on Hü at Whole Foods (it costs $7 per bar), I had finally found my favorite clean chocolate. Hü is worth every cent. Because it's good chocolate, you're not tempted to scarf down the whole bar in one sitting. One square of chocolate is enough, so the bar lasts for a few days. Bonus: it's available in a variety of delicious flavors with all natural flavorings such as orange and vanilla.

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Best Online Reads

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. Should you wear a mask when exercising outdoors via The Wall Street Journal.

2. The surprising feature home buyers are prioritizing right now.

3. How to create a simplified bar cart via Cupcakes and Cashmere.

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Weekend Dispatch

It's hard to believe this coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend. It hardly feels like it. In the weeks leading up to Memorial Day weekend, the Jersey shore is usually buzzing with activity and seasonal businesses gearing up for a busy and prosperous summer season. But this year, things look a bit different around here. Although many businesses are gearing up to open, they are doing so amidst many restrictions. Local beaches are opening this weekend, but access is restricted, and once capacity is reached, others will be turned away. We ordered our beach badges online last week (a first for us as we usually get them in person at the beach) and have to pick them up tomorrow via a drive-thru process. In addition to badge pick up, here's what else I've been up to lately.

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Fab Finds Under $50

featured:

sneakers | candle | romper | dress | bag

It's time to treat yourself. You deserve it! After almost 10 weeks of quarantine, it's time to give yourself a little something to boost your spirits. Here are 5 finds under $50 that work for hanging at home or popping out to pick up a few essentials.

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Best Online Reads

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. Why we've lost track of time during quarantine, according to psychologists via Yahoo! Life.

2. The best states to retire in via Finance101.

3. Seven smart habits to maintain after social distancing ends via Martha Stewart.

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How To Deep Clean Your Kitchen

photo via

The kitchen is the heart of most homes. A lot of love is poured out in the meals prepared and eaten, in the conversations that happen, and among the coffee that is brewed. Kitchens are busy, crumby, and filled up with ingredients to make delicious meals.

But that also means that they need a lot of love and care - and a deep clean every few months.

But where do you start? Is there a best way to do it? Being in lockdown is a good time to tackle a kitchen deep-cleaning. Here are a few ways I approached the project when I took it on this week.

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Eighteen

Eighteen years ago today I became a momma. After months of wondering what kind of personality she would have, what color hair and eyes she would have, she was finally here. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. She was perfect. I took one look at her and fell in love instantly, and that love has only intensified as the years have passed. The moment I held her in my arms for the first time, I knew it was a love I had never experienced before.

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Best Online Reads

The ten stories from around the web that I am loving this week:

1. Ten principles to help anyone unclutter via Becoming Minimalist.

2. All of the rides at Disneyland, ranked from worst to best via Travel + Leisure.

3. How to choose the healthiest, non-perishable quarantine snacks via Huffington Post.

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The Books I Read In April

After a strong January and February and a weak March in terms of reading, I started to pick up the pace again in April. Once I start a book, no matter how far into it I am, I feel obligated to keep reading it, especially if I've paid for it. But I've been slow to realize that when I am not enjoying a book, it takes me forever to read it because I don't make reading a priority. It's more of a chore when I'm not loving, or even liking, the book I'm reading. So, moving forward, I've decided to abandon books when I am not feeling it. Maybe I'll go back to them at another time, but if, after a few chapters, I can tell that I'm not entertained, the book will be shelved.

Here are the books that I read in April and the one that gave me pause to start shelving those that don't hold my interest.

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Weekend Dispatch

We finally had beautiful spring weather this past weekend, and it was invigorating. Seriously, my moods are tied to the weather, and when it's nice and warm outside, I feel like I can take on the world (and usually try to!). It was just nice to spend our quarantine outside on the deck for a change instead of cooped up indoors. I cleaned up our deck, and while the girls did some sunbathing, I read. It was so relaxing and refreshing.

Today, it's back to work and virtual learning, which we learned today will continue through the end of the year as NJ schools are now closed for the school year. I'm doing my best to keep things normal with some fun mixed in for the girls. Breakfast from their favorite coffee shop, Starbucks drive-thru runs, Amazon orders, and more. It's the little things that are keeping them happy these days, and who am I to say no?

Speaking of mixing in some fun, here's what I've been up to and a few ideas for your quarantine time.

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