Guess what?  We booked our honeymoon re-do!
We tried to go to Puerto Rico in September of 2017 but - the hurricane.  So we went to the Wisconsin Dells, which was truly a great time, but - it wasn't the tropical getaway we were hoping for.  In May, we'll be going to Curacao and staying in an awesome resort.  Hotwire is my friend!
So I need to somehow get skinny and yet keep reading all the books.  Audiobooks on the treadmill?

Since we last talked, I've read five books the good old fashioned way.  That's a lot to review, so I am going to keep myself to two sentences, I promise!

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
​​Really good quick read to help keep you locked in to a better way of eating with simple rules.  For example, don’t eat cereal that turns your milk colors (sound advice, but no fun!)

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Good family drama.  Also, someone gets shot in the face.

Tribe of Mentors:  Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
Read this one, as it is a new favorite book of mine for sure!!!!  Although it lost a point or two with me because it skews to include a few too many start-up techie types who found fame and then found Transcendental Meditation.

Watership Down by Richard Adams
​Rabbits on an adventure to find a new home and promptly on a new adventure to find lady rabbits!  I volleyed back and forth between loving my new rabbit friends and being like, “I just can’t EVEN with these rabbits right now.”

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
​Young adult book tackling race relations, class relations, mentorship and more in a captivating way.  The revelations within these pages aren’t anything you haven’t already read but it’s worth a read and definitely worth handing to your daughter.

Next up:  Another great nonfiction book on my phone, and a college friendship story on my nightstand.  How about you?  

1.  My Foundation Council - In other words, the Board of Directors for my specific hospital Foundation.  Boards can either be a mess or they can be engaged and helpful - it's usually pretty clearly one or the other.  Right now I'm blessed to have a group of great folks who are all in!
2.  Drybar - Vicky and I visited Drybar in Las Vegas in August, where I had a blowout and the best Mai Tai of my life.  As of Christmastime I'm the proud owner of a few products.  I don't know if they work yet, but THAT SMELL.  Worth the frankly jaw-dropping price.
3.   Hotwire - I've always been a fan of Hotwire.  I've had amazing success 95% of the time with their Hot Rate Deals (only once did I land us squarely in the projects).  Two nights ago Jeff and I hit a new level of success by booking a 4.5 star resort (pools, restaurants, golf course, spa, lagoon, etc) in the Caribbean for $89 per night.  We're going on our honeymoon!!!  (Round 2)
4.  American Airlines Membership - .......and our flights were free.
5.  Ordering lunches ahead of time - Do this at Panera, Noodles, Jason's Deli, CoreLife.  Go online, order your food, walk in, pick it up, don't talk to anyone.  Perfect for when you and your coworker want food from the same place but want to pay separately (you can pick hers up too!)
6.  Fitbits for my kids - Veronica and Vinnie each had a FitBit under the tree.  They asked for them!  Now they're doing fun things like coming out of their room and moving around!
7.  Morning ritual - Right now - getting everything prepped for Jax and Vivian, turning on some jazz music on the TV, and spending a quiet few minutes feeding Jax before the morning chaos really begins.  Although now we all have our morning routine down pat, resulting in less chaos altogether.
8.  After work ritual - Drinks are involved.
9.  Having help - Being a single parent for five years ensured that I will never, ever take now having a two-parent household for granted.  There are so many reasons for that, but on a day-to-day level - my goodness it's just so helpful.  Not to mention the help that Vinnie and Veronica can now provide.  "Entertain the baby!"  Vinnie is always up for that.
10.  Mid-January.  I like mid-January because even though it's cold and it's just a crap time of year, we're getting so close to Spring!  Don't you already have at least a couple of plans made for March?  March!  It'll be warmer in March and then it'll be April before we know it and we'll be making plans for June!  Flip flops and iced coffee and no school papers to sign!  So close.