✨ The After Party is where it gets real.

✨ Catchup: Graduations, Books and Big Life Changes

Also featuring my favorite Substacks right now.

May 19, 2024

Hello, fabulous!

I’m spicing up the “Coffee Catchup” series to make it more fun and personal, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! I’ve been inspired by so many incredible Substacks, which I’ll mention as I go so you can check them out too. This month has been a whirlwind with so many exciting things happening.

I hope you have a fantastic Sunday and enjoy catching up with me over coffee! Cheers! ☕🌟

P.S. Sometimes, your email provider likes to play hide and seek with my newsletters by cutting them off. To catch all the juicy bits, read it in the browser or in the app! 🌟

Coffee Moment ☕📸

How I look vs how I feel 🤣 Drinking coffee waiting for Max's game to start...in 1.5 hours 😭

Life Lately 🌟

Our last Slumber Soiree totally whisked us away to Paris, and oh la la, am I ever ready to zip back to the City of Light for another dreamy weekend! TAKE ME BACK!!! This month? Total rollercoaster—Max is two weeks shy of high school graduation, my job situation is changing wildly, and I’ve been navigating some personal heartache (massive thanks for all your virtual hugs and love!). Here’s the scoop on a few other highlights:

You know how I’m totally in love with yellow right now? The boys got me this Coach Willow Bucket Bag, which they did NOT know was on my wishlist! The universe loves me. Now to ask for yellow shoes…

Max’s girlfriend, Nya, made me banana bread for Mother’s Day AND wrapped it with this super cute message! It’s my favorite - HER banana bread is my favorite - so she gets to stay. Since you don’t have a Nya, check out these banana bread muffins by Sunny Side Suppers 🍰 instead.

The French 75 is now a hit in our house. We made it for my last newsletter and, OMG, does it pack a punch! One of my favorite cocktails with champagne EVER. Plus, they look pretty in these super thin wineglasses by Zalto.

I just got cleared hot to take time off this summer for a sun-soaked visit with my beautiful mom in Florida, and have my fingers crossed for some spontaneous weekend escapes (St. Tropez, anyone?) too! What about you? Any sizzling summer plans on your end?

On My Bookshelf 📚

⤞ Currently reading:

Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer: Got this gem from a friend at work. It’s all about the author’s journey to becoming a “mental athlete” and improving his memory. I NEED THIS. So far, it’s absolutely fascinating.
The Ever Queen by LJ Andrews: Needed a Kindle Unlimited romance to escape the real world, and The Ever King popped up: a sea fae king, a land fae queen, lots of pirates and an epic war between them. Perfect escapism. Love, love, love Erik! The Ever Queen is part two, and I’m hooked.

⤞ Finished reading:

Atlantis by David Gibbins: If you’re a fan of James Rollins (my fave author), you’ll love this. It’s a thrilling adventure discovering who built Atlantis and where, with a teeny tiny bit of romance thrown in!
Weyward by Emilia Hart: I stumbled upon an interview with the author on Substack and totally fell for it, so I picked this gem for my book club at work. It’s a breezy read about three women, rocking a special family power, spanning three generations. Perfect summer read.

Tunes on Repeat 🎶

Gratitude Corner 🌺

This section is totally inspired by one of my favorite substacks, Living an Authentic Life by Tania Weatherley. It’s so heartfelt and makes me stop and consider what I’m truly grateful for every time I read her newsletter. So this is me, stopping to smell the roses and send a big, sparkly thank you to the Universe for this wonderful life. ✨

My son is happy and healthy. He’s graduating high school in just two weeks and knows exactly what he wants out of life - to be a professional soccer player. He’s worked his cleats off to chase that dream. Living and playing in Germany since 2019, he’s inching closer every day to making it all come true. So insanely proud of him!
We have military retirements. With real estate prices in the US skyrocketing and inflation messing with everything from groceries to used cars, I’m counting our lucky stars for our pensions. Not everyone is so fortunate and I freaking know it.
I live in the age of the internet. Social media can be a total love-hate thing and endless emails are a total drag. But living in a world without GPS, FaceTime, or Substack? No thanks! I’ll keep my techy treasures, thank you very much!

Taking time to find things to be grateful for in everyday moments is a great way to stay grounded and remind yourself of the things that really matter.

- Tania Weatherley

Community Spotlight 🏡

⤞ Substack Faves:

I love food. Like, REALLY love food. If you are like me, do yourself a favor and check out Let's Get Lost and Sunny Side Suppers 🍰 . You’ll thank me!
For fashion, I’m loving The Midlife Beauty Edit by Jenni Baden Howard. Her takes on fashion and recommendations for products are simple, uncomplicated and totally fabulous.
Dr. Lucy McBride from Are You Okay? has a hot take on Ozempic. Love that she isn’t afraid to go against the grain and will tell you what she really thinks.

⤞ Substack to Watch:

SmallStack by Robin Taylor (he/him) genius. He’s building a library just for the little guys on Substacks, focusing on those with 500 or fewer subscribers. Hilariously, SmallStack itself has already zoomed past that subscriber count! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Pajama Poll Results 🛌

Well, the people have spoken, and it’s official: PJs have absolutely crushed slips in the sleepwear showdown! 🛌🥊 Looks like comfort kicked chic to the curb this round. So, grab your fluffiest, baggiest pajamas—because when it comes to catching Z’s, it’s all about that cozy, “wrapped in a cloud” life.

Poll results from “Slumber Soirée: Paris Edition 🎊”

#MombieLattes ☕️

I saw a few people do this and thought it was so cute! At work we buy each other coffee all the time, so why not here? It always makes my day!

P.S. Don’t miss out on free Starbucks coffee on me! I loaded a $50 gift card that can fund your caffeine fix until it runs out. Literally NO ONE has used it yet. Get the QR code at the end of this post.