April Reading List

 

ashley reading

I don’t know about you guys, but the cool, rainy weather in New York City has me wanting to curl up in bed with a warm cup of tea, cozy blanket and a good book.  While I can’t do that during the day, regardless how strong the temptation, I have found myself spending more time reading at night. As I mentioned a while back, I have found that I sleep better when I read for 30 minutes before bed instead of watching television, reading blogs or scrolling Instagram. In addition, the third trimester aches have me craving a warm, soothing bath almost nightly which provides another perfect time to read. 

Based on the feedback I received on Instagram and Facebook when I shared this list last night, I thought it would be fun to share it on the blog today and hopefully share it more regularly since I’m reading more frequently. I love getting book suggestions from friends and other bloggers, such as Grace, so why not share with you guys too?

If you’re looking for more inspiration or more frequent updates, you can follow me on Goodreads. My “to read” list is more than 100 books long as I find myself adding new books on a weekly basis; a far faster pace than I read a book these days.

  • Bringing Up Bebe – Bo and I are both reading this book that discusses the many ways French parenting differs from the common American parenting methods. Having lived in Geneva, Switzerland for two years we saw a great deal of this come to life as it is located in the French speaking region of Switzerland and therefore highly influenced by French culture.  I love that this isn’t a book that preaches to readers, instead it is a memoir of the author’s experience becoming pregnant and then subsequently raising children in Paris. 
  • Paris for One and Other Stories – Jojo Moyes is one of my favorite authors, especially when I’m in the mood for a lighter read. After numerous friends, and my mom, recommended this colection of novellas, I knew I needed to add my name to the library waiting list. I started this last night and can already tell that I’ll finish it before Friday as it is entertaining, engaging and I find myself curious of what the next story will hold.
  • A Man Called Ove –   I started this book earlier this year but never made it past the second chapter. I can’t remember why I put it down but after seeing this reappear on my Goodreads list multiple times as well as hearing about it from a few of my close friends, I finally decided to check it out this week. In fact, when I look on Goodreads, more than 50 of my friends gave this book five stars! WOW! I have a feeling this pregnant momma will be shedding a few tears as I read this book.
  • Happiest Baby on the Block –  Let me begin by saying that yes, after last night’s post, I know realize that we should watch the movie as it brings the methods and actions to life. But, before last night, this book was on my reading list as more than 20 different moms from all walks of life recommended this book and said that it was the most important book they read while they were pregnant or raising a newborn.  A lot of people say that the book is longer than it needs to be and that for this reason the DVD can meet the needs better, but I hope to garner at least a few tidbits of applicable advice from the book.

These are the books that I am currently reading or keeping on my nightstand. Once these are done, here are a few towards the top of my list.

Tell me: What book are you reading or did you recently read that you loved and would recommend?

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April Reading List

 

ashley reading

I don’t know about you guys, but the cool, rainy weather in New York City has me wanting to curl up in bed with a warm cup of tea, cozy blanket and a good book.  While I can’t do that during the day, regardless how strong the temptation, I have found myself spending more time reading at night. As I mentioned a while back, I have found that I sleep better when I read for 30 minutes before bed instead of watching television, reading blogs or scrolling Instagram. In addition, the third trimester aches have me craving a warm, soothing bath almost nightly which provides another perfect time to read.

Based on the feedback I received on Instagram and Facebook when I shared this list last night, I thought it would be fun to share it on the blog today and hopefully share it more regularly since I’m reading more frequently. I love getting book suggestions from friends and other bloggers, such as Grace, so why not share with you guys too?

If you’re looking for more inspiration or more frequent updates, you can follow me on Goodreads. My “to read” list is more than 100 books long as I find myself adding new books on a weekly basis; a far faster pace than I read a book these days.

  • Bringing Up Bebe – Bo and I are both reading this book that discusses the many ways French parenting differs from the common American parenting methods. Having lived in Geneva, Switzerland for two years we saw a great deal of this come to life as it is located in the French speaking region of Switzerland and therefore highly influenced by French culture.  I love that this isn’t a book that preaches to readers, instead it is a memoir of the author’s experience becoming pregnant and then subsequently raising children in Paris.
  • Paris for One and Other Stories – Jojo Moyes is one of my favorite authors, especially when I’m in the mood for a lighter read. After numerous friends, and my mom, recommended this colection of novellas, I knew I needed to add my name to the library waiting list. I started this last night and can already tell that I’ll finish it before Friday as it is entertaining, engaging and I find myself curious of what the next story will hold.
  • A Man Called Ove –   I started this book earlier this year but never made it past the second chapter. I can’t remember why I put it down but after seeing this reappear on my Goodreads list multiple times as well as hearing about it from a few of my close friends, I finally decided to check it out this week. In fact, when I look on Goodreads, more than 50 of my friends gave this book five stars! WOW! I have a feeling this pregnant momma will be shedding a few tears as I read this book.
  • Happiest Baby on the Block –  Let me begin by saying that yes, after last night’s post, I know realize that we should watch the movie as it brings the methods and actions to life. But, before last night, this book was on my reading list as more than 20 different moms from all walks of life recommended this book and said that it was the most important book they read while they were pregnant or raising a newborn.  A lot of people say that the book is longer than it needs to be and that for this reason the DVD can meet the needs better, but I hope to garner at least a few tidbits of applicable advice from the book.

These are the books that I am currently reading or keeping on my nightstand. Once these are done, here are a few towards the top of my list.

Tell me: What book are you reading or did you recently read that you loved and would recommend?

Thank you to Alexis Damen for the beautiful photo.

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Friday Favorites – March 31st, 2017

 

Heading into the weekend

Anyone else ready to head into the weekend immediately, if not sooner? This week was a really tough week emotionally and mentally. As you may have seen in the news, a retailer who I worked closely with is going through some major changes which impact both myself and my team. In addition, both Bo and I had multiple evening commitments this week which forced both of us to eat out more than we’d like and get home later than normal. I’m looking forward to a weekend here in Brooklyn. Our schedule includes some time with friends, lots of work in the nursery and a few quality workouts.

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • Similar to Julia, I’m craving smoothies these days and her three acai smoothie recipes are great updates to the basic smoothie I’ve been making.  I had no clue that you could get unsweetened acai packets but this is definitely on my shopping list after reading her post!
  • Did you see the latest ClassPass news? They now offer over 100 different workout videos that you can stream using your phone, computer or iPad. I love that these don’t count towards class credits and are just a new, added benefit for users of all levels.
  • This faux leather jacket is loose enough to accomodate my growing belly but chic enough for an after work happy hour. Even though I found it on A Pea in the Pod, it turns out that it’s not a maternity jacket and sold at multiple different retailers!
  • I love learning tips and tricks from others as many times their habits or tips can help me be a more effective leader, better friend or supportive wife. These nine habits of highly succesful people may not be relevant for everyone but I’m sure there is at least one tip that will be helpful.  Right now I’m doing 1, 4 and 7 very well but am continuing to improve on 2 and 3.
  • The BaubleBar earrings I’m wearing in the above picture have quickly become a favorite of mine this Spring as they add a perfect pop of color to an otherwise drab, all black outfit.
  • The dressing recipe for this Chicken Avocado Salad made me want to pin the recipe immediately but the pictures of the bowl made me want to make it imediately. I just added all the ingredients to this week’s shopping list as I’m hoping to make it for dinner on Tuesday night!
  • I am pretty low maintenance when it comes to my makeup but my mom taught me years ago that a quick swipe of lip color can go a long way. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect lip color but right now I’m loving this Beauty Counter Lip Gloss. As you can see from the picture, the bright, vibrant Dahlia color adds just a hint of color while also being easy to apply, hydrating and a great, natural lip gloss option.
  • I just started reading Lilac Girls and can already tell I’m going to love it. The next books on my Goodreads bookshelf are Paris for One, America’s First Daughter and A Man Called Ove.
  • I carry this MZWallace Metro backpack on a daily basis and am constantly amazed at how much it holds, how well it wears and the different pockets I continue to discover. I love putting my makeup and gym toilitries in the removable pouch while I store my laptop, water bottles, hard drive and phone in the other pockets.
  • When I bought new foundation at Sephora last week, I received a tester kit of OleHenriksen Three Little Wonders and have been surprisingly impressed with the products. During pregnancy my face has started to show some dullness and uneven skin tone so I was impressed that after five days of constant use, my face looked brighter and more radiant. While it is called natural by Sephora, I can’t figure out whether it’s truly a natural product so before I stock up on full-size products I’m going to do some more reserach BUT if you’re looking for a great trial size skin care kit this is a great option!

Your turn – What books should I add to my list?

 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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