What Have We Been Watching?

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What Have We Been Watching?

Hi! As soon as I get home from work, mine and Johnny’s routine goes like this: Chat about our day and then turn on our shows! There is literally nothing better than sinking into the couch with my main squeeze and watching one of our programs together and I revel in it every day. It’s so nice to kick my feet up, relax, and let the stress of the work week melt away as we get lost in something good and it is one of my favorite things in the world. ❤ Our current lineup consists of the following:

One of my client’s all time favorite shows is Supernatural and the odds and ends I have seen were intriguing. So much so, that Johnny and I recently decided to give it a go. There are fifteen seasons of Supernatural and after watching just one episode together, we couldn’t believe we hadn’t watched it before! Supernatural is the saga of ghost hunters and brothers, Sam and Dean, who travel across the country solving murders with a paranormal aspect. It is basically CSI but with ghosts and we are so there for it! This show is hilarious and has amazing eye candy a la Dean and we are completely hooked. Also, if you are a fan of the show and didn’t know – the guy who plays Dean is in a band called Radio Company and they freaking RULE. You are in for a treat if you give them a listen because holy cow Dean has some PIPES!!!

Johnny and I simply adore a workplace comedy and enjoyed watching and rewatching the one season Blockbuster on Netflix. This show revolves around the last Blockbuster left standing and the irony is not lost that Netflix drove Blockbuster out of business lol. I so wish that this show didn’t get cancelled because it really is fun. The cast is an utter delight, the laughs are nonstop, and seeing a Blockbuster again hits right in the nostalgia. Highly recommend if you are looking for a quick and funny watch but don’t get too attached lol our viewings have only left us wanting more!

We are avid fans of From and, I have to admit, we found season four to be kind of a dud. However, we went through serious withdrawals after it ended and decided to rewatch it as we eagerly await the fifth and final season. I’m really glad we are because I didn’t realize how much I had forgotten about the early seasons. So much so, that it kind of feels like watching it again for the first time. It is SO crazy to be back at the beginning and see how young everyone looks and pick up on things that we missed from our first experience with the show. I am highly disappointed in season four, but maybe it will be a bit better the second time around.

Watching movies doesn’t happen as often at chez nous because Johnny always falls asleep during them lol. But watching Obsession was a must as soon as it was released on Peacock! I hadn’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it in theaters and was chomping at the bit for him to see it too. Granted, we did pause halfway through so he could take a nap (no surprise there) but he loved it just as much as I did when we finished it. We both agreed that Obsession is, easily, one of the best recent horror movies out there and it was a triumph. The story line? Gripping. The acting? Unbelievable. The scares? Can’t be beat! I could watch it again and again and not grow tired of it. In fact, maybe I’ll give it a rewatch this weekend while Johnny snoozes!

TV time is the best time at my place and I can’t wait to see what Sam and Dean of Supernatural get into when I get home today!! 😀

What are you currently watching? Do you have any recommendations? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Auto Adventure

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Auto Adventure

Hello!! My beloved car AKA the Little Red Love Machine AKA the LRLM is in its elderly years at fourteen years old with a solid one hundred seventy five thousand miles. The LRLM is my first car, pride and joy, and it absolutely breaks my heart to know that I won’t get to have it for forever. It seems like something is always going wrong with it and things took a massive downward turn when she started smoking on my way home from work this past week. I don’t mean vaping like her owner but literally smoking lol and so began my Auto Adventure…

When my car started hot boxing, I pulled into the parking lot of Marigold Catering + Events, said expletives loudly, and promptly exited the vehicle. It was the cherry on top of a crap day but it actually didn’t end up being all that bad. Don’t get me wrong, the car situation wasn’t great. However, the employees of Marigold really made a world of difference and I appreciated them SO much! Just as soon as my car was in their parking lot, all of them immediately came to my aid. They even helped put coolant into my car to see if that did the trick. We had our fingers crossed but, unfortunately, the coolant was leaking and I needed to call a tow truck as I was uncomfortable driving it to the repair shop.

It was going to take AAA at least an hour to get to me so I decided to just sit down and read. As I waited, the employees of Marigold continued to check up on me to chat and offer something cold to drink and it was so incredibly kind. As the minutes ticked by while I was waiting for my ride, they began to close up shop. At this point, my tow truck was about ten minutes out and that was to all of our relief because the staff let me know that they were going to stay with me if the wait was longer. These perfect strangers rallied around me in my time of need and, although I was bummed out, it didn’t feel like a massive blow because they genuinely cared.

Once my tow truck arrived, I was beyond ready to get home but enjoyed our pleasant conversation as we rode to the repair shop. We talked about metro parks, local restaurants, and shared a lot of laughs. The cabin of the truck was nice and cool after sitting outside for two hours and it felt so good to finally be on my way home. Johnny was waiting for me at the repair shop that is right down the street from our apartment and I bid my tow truck driver farewell and thanked him profusely (As well as the Marigold staff!). Thanks to everyone’s help, I made it home safely and made some new friends too. I won’t soon forget it!

Car troubles? Sucks. The kindness of strangers turning the situation around? Amazing!! ❤

Have you experienced a random act of kindness recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dominating Duolingo

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Dominating Duolingo

Hi! Whenever I am asked the question of what super power I would like to have, my answer remains the same: To be fluent in every language in the world. Learning languages is one of my favorite hobbies and I think that would just be the coolest to be able to communicate with anyone in their native tongue. Accommodating people is so important to me and I can’t think of a better way to do so. That’s why I love learning on Duolingo so much! In fact, I just reached a three thousand day streak which translates to over eight years of daily language learning. Great success!

My primary focus on Duolingo has always been French and then I began adding other languages to my arsenal. I have been working hard on my Italian to be able to have casual conversations during my upcoming vacation. I even began learning Japanese about a half a year ago should my brother and I ever go on our dream vaca to Japan together! Over the years, I have started learning languages and dropped them. This isn’t for a lack of wanting to learn them but because I refuse to pay for Duolingo Plus and don’t have the amount of health to work on anything beyond four languages. This, I know for a fact because I just added Spanish back into the mix again.

When I started using Duo almost a decade ago, I got pretty far in the Spanish course and made it to level four. Then, other languages piqued my interest and took its place. However, I still know a lot of key words and basic phrases and recently got to put that knowledge to use. A few weeks or so ago at the gas station there was a man speaking Spanish to the employee who couldn’t understand him. I did and was able to help with his purchases and it felt SO good. Just having that beginner knowledge allowed me to assist someone else and that was my super power coming to fruition. So, I started relearning Spanish again in the hope of more interactions just like that.

Every morning I start my day by practicing French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese and it brings me so much joy. I love learning new things and being able to take the time to improve my passion one lesson at a time. I might never be fluent in every language in the entire world and that’s okay. Because simply knowing a handful of words or phrases can open up entire worlds too and my gas station experience proved that. I am Duolingo’s number one fan and I encourage all of you to start learning a new language for free too. You will surprise yourself and have a lot of fun!

Huge shout out to Duolingo. I may never pay for your Plus membership but I still love you all the same lol!

Which languages do you speak? What are you learning on Duolingo? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Help A Gal Out!

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Help A Gal Out!

Hi! It is a rare thing to truly love what you do for a living and I am one of the lucky ones who can say that. I love working with people with special needs. I love my blog. And I love being a social media manager! My schedule consists of working online in the morning and hanging out with the bunnies or going to social media content shoots. Then I am off to see clients in the afternoon and I wouldn’t want it any other way! It is such a gift to wake up every morning not mad about working. Believe you me, I definitely did when I was working my old social media management job lol. -_-

After quitting that old gig, I focused on my clients and my blog but always was looking for a social media management opportunity to dip my toes in again. Although the last experience was a dud, it is a field that I enjoy so much and still wanted to be a part of it. Good things take time and in January of this year, I started working with Empire Window Company as their social media manager and it has been SO freaking great. I legit have zero complaints and that is also a rarity! Filming at installation sites, interacting on pages, and creating content just makes me happy and I am so thankful to be able to do so fully stress free.

It has been a while since I asked, so I figured I would put it out their again… Please like EWC’s social media pages! We can be found on Instagram @empirewindowco and on Facebook too. Be sure to invite your friends! It would mean the world and I also would love for all of you to see my handiwork. 🙂 EWC has been a local family owned business for over sixty years and I am so proud to be a small part of it. Every day during my old job, I was fighting the urge to quit. Now, I am with a team that I can picture myself working with for years to come and it is simply the best. I truly didn’t think it was possible to find such a perfect fit but, rest assured, it is possible for everyone if it is for me!! ❤

Help a gal out by giving my pages some love and remember that patience is a virtue. This is ironic coming from me as I am the most impatient person ever lol. However, something good is always just around the corner!

What was the best job you ever worked? How about the worst? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Insomniacs By Allison Winn Scotch Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Insomniacs By Allison Winn Scotch Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing a fun mystery by Allison Winn Scotch called The Insomniacs. Although this book lacked the dishy, often violent twists of my usual mystery thrillers, it more than made up for it in charm, humor, and a cast of characters that are impossible not to love. The Insomniacs is a quick read and I truly think that anyone will find something that they enjoy in it. I sure did! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Insomniacs for abuse in a cult setting. You ready? Let’s go!

Julian, Zeke, Sybil, and Betty couldn’t be more different from each other. Julian is a retired man in his sixties, Zeke is a professional baseball player, Sybil is a middle aged empty nester, and Betty is a young twenty something just trying to find her way. However, they all have one thing in common – they are each full blown insomniacs. To pass the time at night, Julian, Zeke, and Sybil joined an insomniacs message board to chat with other people who run on no sleep. They formed a connection, learned they were close to each other in New York City, and decided to turn their communications online into a real life meeting.

As per Julian’s suggestion, the trio meets at a diner late at night where Betty is working the night shift as a waitress. They invite her into their group and the trio turns into a quartet that very night. As The Insomniacs continue to gather, they all agree that their lack of sleep is caused by problems in their lives that seem unsolvable. So they put their heads together and try to improve their issues with new approaches. Although they are pretty lousy at problem solving, the group enjoys each other’s company and text constantly, have holiday get togethers, and plenty of random pop bys.

The Insomniacs have, indeed, found their people but that is all about to come crumbling down. Gentle curmudgeon, Julian, has been killed in a hit and run and Betty is nowhere to be found. The quartet has dropped to two in a matter of hours and it is up to Zeke and Sybil to uncover what happened to Julian and find Betty. True crime enthusiast, Sybil takes the reigns on their investigation only to find that her and Zeke had no clue who their friends were in the first place. Betty hasn’t been seen for weeks and they believe that their time to bring her home safely is running out. Will Sybil and Zeke crack the case? And just who were Betty and Julian? Read The Insomniacs to find out!

I absolutely love an unlikely friendship book so, of course, I delighted in The Insomniacs. There is something that’s so exciting to me about perfect strangers coming together, getting to know each other, and then being thrown into a crazy adventure. And it doesn’t get much crazier than two people trying to solve a murder and a missing person case! The Insomniacs was a fluff read and I fully admit that. It was, honestly, so far fetched that it almost bordered on being silly. But did I keep turning the pages? Yes, yes, and YES and I finished it in three sittings because it was just fun.

Allison Winn Scotch crafted this book with striking imagery, hilarious one liners, and just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Where her writing shined the most was in her creation of the sleepless characters because they seemed so accessible. I could find similarities between myself or people I know in Zeke, Julian, Sybil, and Betty and each of them felt like friends rather than made up people in a story. I shared in their laughs, frustration, sorrows, and success and it hit hard despite all of the fluff. I am confident that anyone who reads The Insomniacs will see themselves in this rag tag friend group too!

Overall, I am going to rate The Insomniacs with an eight out of ten stars. This is not a book that I would normally pick out for myself but I am sure glad that I read it!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Akron Zoo Adventure

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Akron Zoo Adventure

Hi! I recently visited the Akron Zoo and, honestly, it forever blows my mind that we have the most lovely zoo a few minutes beyond the central hub of downtown Akron. In the midst of all of that hustle and bustle there are lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! And it’s so easy to forget where you are after spending a few hours walking around the zoo. It’s always a shock to the senses to leave and be right smack dab in the middle of hospitals, universities, restaurants, and event venues! This particular trip to the zoo was very noteworthy as a few new animals were introduced, one being intentional and the other not so much. Check it out:

As we made our rounds throughout the zoo, it was a delight to see so many new additions including mountain lions, porcupines, chinchillas, tamarins, conures, and white-faced sakis. The Akron Zoo has been expanding so nicely over the past several years and it will even be the home to giraffes in 2028. I can’t wait! After saying hello to all of the new animals the zoo has introduced this past year, we came upon a creature from the land of old with a modern update – a dinosaur robot! The Akron Zoo hosts the Dino Trek every year featuring huge animatronic dinosaurs and the baby robots are brand new this year. The zookeepers put on demonstrations to “train” the dinosaurs and attendants young and old so enjoyed the show. It was so cute to see this little buddy toddling all around and I wish I could get one as a pet lol.

After exploring the bottom portion of the zoo, it was time to climb the hill into Grizzly Bear Ridge to see grizzlies, otters, wolves, coyotes, and bald eagles. We definitely got more than we bargained for in the bald eagle exhibit as there was a stray cat inside!! I have no idea how this kitty cat got into the habitat to begin with but it was there and sipping on water in the pond. Blessedly, a zookeeper was already aware of the cat intruder and was able to get it out safely. Thank goodness because as much as I would have loved to see an unlikely animal friendship form, this was not the time or place for the cat!!

The last exciting occurrence happened at the final stop of our adventure, the East Asia exhibit which is home to a family of white-cheeked gibbons. At the end of June of last year, baby Leuco was born and it has been so cool to see him grow. This one year old is on the move now and after many visits of seeing him tucked in his mom’s arms, he has started swinging! Leuco was jumping and swinging all over his huge enclosure while his proud parents watched on from the side. I think they were both feeling happy to have a break while he played and entertained everyone passing by. I could have watched him for forever!!

This was an Akron Zoo Adventure, for sure, and I am so looking forward to even more improvements to this absolute gem in our city!

Has your zoo welcomed new animals recently? Which zoo do you like to go to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Whole Lotta Nothing

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A Whole Lotta Nothing

Hi!! Johnny and I have a very strict work week schedule. We are both up around three o’clock so he can prepare for work and I can work from home before visiting clients, then we are in bed by six thirty at the latest to do it again the next day. Needless to say, we don’t do much during the work week unless we absolutely have to to maintain our regularly scheduled programming. Then, on the weekends, we are usually booked solid with plans with friends and family to make up for our five day all work and no play cycle. After what felt like weeks of nonstop work and hang outs we, blessedly, had a low key weekend and it was amazing!!

Outside of stopping by my sister’s house on Friday for a rousing pizza party and viewing of the new Descendants movie, Johnny and I were free as birds this past weekend. And these birds wanted to stay right in their cage! We spent our days off playing games while the other one was sleeping – CyberPunk for Johnny and Pokopia for me and had TV marathons with movies and shows. I was SO excited to finally watch Obsession with Johnny which we both loved and we binged on Blockbuster and Supernatural. We just started watching Supernatural a couple of days prior and had a lot to catch up on… Only fifteen seasons but who’s counting?! 😀

I knew our tanks were running low but I don’t think I realized how much so until we had some free time to veg out. In fact, we even had plans on Saturday but cancelled because we had already become one with the couch. Because of the constant craziness of our schedule, I often begin my work day on Monday feeling like I just didn’t have enough time for myself. That is so not the case as I type this at four o’clock on Monday morning! I feel refreshed, renewed, and wide awake and it is a most welcome change of pace. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy our weekend outings but it’s to say that sometimes it’s nice to do A Whole Lotta Nothing!

Oftentimes, we don’t notice that we’re getting burned out until it hits us all at once. I think this weekend qualifies as preventative care because any burned out-ness I was feeling has been stopped in its tracks. I’m ready to get back to the grind so bring it the heck on!!

How do you like to spend lazy days? Are you a weekend planner or do you go with the flow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works July Freebie

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Bath & Body Works July Freebie

Hi! My family will soon be vacationing in Italy and I am SO beyond excited!! It is going to be a once in a life time trip and every day that passes is another day closer to hitting the airport and going off on an adventure. I decided to be the one in charge of assembling travel size products for everyone’s toiletry kit and there is no better place to do so than at Bath & Body Works. Thanks to their monthly freebie coupons, I have been able to snag travel size shower gels and lotions without paying one cent. The last shower gel I needed to get was for my brother and, unfortunately for him, there were no travel size men’s shower gels in stock. Fortunately for me, I was able to get a freebie for myself lol check it out:

B&BW does a preview of their Halloween collection every July and I just love it. I live for spooky season so the earlier Halloween themed goods arrive in store, the better. While my next freebie coupon will be reserved for my brother, I chose a travel size fragrance spray in Vampire Blood for my goodie. It’s actually perfect because I don’t have any travel size perfume and I’d rather not lug my full size bottle of B&BW spray across the world lol. It’s also double perfect because I am currently using one of their Halloween perfumes right now so I can keep with the theme in Italy. 😀

I Scream Float is my all time favorite Halloween scent by B&BW because it smells exactly like Diet Coke. And, as a DC fiend, that really speaks to me. However, Vampire Blood was my all time favorite before I Scream Float debuted last year. Vampire Blood is a dark mix of deep blackberries and raspberries and it is a delight to the senses… Usually. As I typed this, I attempted to spray the tiniest amount of this scent for a refresher sniff and ended up getting a huge spray straight to my nose smh. Consider myself refreshed! On the bright side, there are a whole lot worse things than Vampire Blood to be smelling all day now!

Another travel size product for Italy is checked off of my list which means more room in my bag for clothes and shoes to create OOTD magic!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

What is your favorite B&BW scent collection? Do you have any packing pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Safari Chic OOTD Bloopers

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Safari Chic OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Safari Chic OOTD! This little look was worn to go see The Lion King at Playhouse Square and it was the most magical time. Mine and Johnny’s theater adventure for the month of July is not over yet as we are chomping at the bit to see the original cast recording of Hadestown at the Cinemark next weekend. It is our absolute favorite and, although we both think the cast we saw at Playhouse was even better than the original cast, we are really looking forward to our date night! I’m not sure what I’m going to wear yet, but I am sure that there will be beaucoup bloopers during our OOTD shoot like these:

When you’re at a theater, the golden rule is sit back, be quiet, and enjoy the show. And, for the most part, that is exactly what happened when my entire family (including four littles) went to The Lion King. Then, shortly after intermission, one of our nieces got a little bit fidgety. She’s not even four yet so it’s to be expected and she really did do great. In fact, she did perfect because the two things she said during the final half of the show were hilarious and Johnny and I had to literally squeeze each other’s hands to not burst out laughing…

About five minutes after intermission, our niece proclaimed to god and everyone that she wants a popsicle and, honestly, what a vibe. Who doesn’t enjoy a cold summer treat?! Johnny and I were busting a gut because out of everything in the world to say in a quiet theater, that’s what she landed upon. After being assured that popsicles could be had after the show, all was quiet until the second to last number of The Lion King. The audience clapped and cheered and when the ruckus died down, our niece asked god and everyone if the show was almost over yet. LOL she was SO close to the end but couldn’t quite make it, bless her heart! There were plenty of moments of laughter throughout The Lion King but these ones definitely took the cake!

We laughed, we almost cried from laughter, and we sure had FUN at The Lion King. It was so special to go with my whole family and I will never forget it!

Have your children said anything hilarious recently? Do they do well seeing plays or movies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Burning Side By Sarah Damoff Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Burning Side By Sarah Damoff Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a novel by Sarah Damoff called The Burning Side. It has been a while since my last book club review as I have been addicted to playing Pokopia! However, when I managed to peel myself away I was able to finish The Burning Side in three sittings. This sentimental read was quite short at three hundred and twenty pages but it definitely packed a punch right in the feels. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Burning Side for Alzheimer’s, a house fire, and loss of a child. You ready? Let’s get to it:

Despite their two beautiful children, April and Leo’s marriage has been on the rocks for a long time. After having both children, April suffered from postpartum depression and Leo began to pull away. He spent less time at home, countless hours at work, and left April to her own devices. In her loneliness, April made a bad decision and that was the straw that broke the marriage’s back. As April prepares dinner, Leo tells her he wants a divorce. In her shock, April forgets to turn the oven off and hours later their home burns to the ground.

Homeless and on the verge of divorce, April, Leo, and their kids move in with April’s parents, Deb and Billy. It will be a full house as her two siblings, Josie and Cameron will be there too. Although the situation is grim, everyone loves spending time at Deb and Billy’s and their marriage looks picture perfect from the outside. But, like April and Leo’s marriage, Billy is deteriorating too. He has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and the disease is progressing rapidly. In April’s childhood home, everyone begins adjusting to their new normal of a marriage falling apart, an increasingly confused father, and what moving forward looks like in the wakes of tragedy.

As the days pass, April and Leo speak minimally and focus their attention on salvaging anything from the remains of their home. What April wants to salvage the most is their marriage but Leo is just not there yet and the divorce will proceed. At the home front, Billy has been getting lost and and confusing his grandchildren for his own kids. As their worlds continue to crash down, a chance encounter and a difficult decision could be what is needed to get everyone back on a steady course. What will become of Deb and Billy? And will April and Leo be able to heal the rift that has broken their marriage apart? Read The Burning Side to find out!

The Burning Side was a lot different than the dishy thrillers I normally read but I liked it a lot and it was a nice change of pace. This book focused on themes of family, sacrifice, and coming together during hardships all wrapped into a riveting story line that kept me invested until the very end. And that ending? Wow! Although some of the subject matter in The Burning Side was heartbreaking to read, it was uplifting to see April, her soon to be ex husband, and entire family trying to handle things in the best way they know how. And, ultimately, growing through changing approaches and perspectives.

While The Burning Side primarily focused on Leo and April’s points of view, it also shifted from time to time to Deb. It was SO sad to experience her agony of watching Billy fade and the way she handled it was inspiring. In her sorrow, she was still able to turn this massive blow into something beautiful by creating new memories and gently brushing off Billy’s bouts of confusion. It was such a testament to true love and was able to open the eyes of everyone in the family about what’s really important. Because, at the end of the day, if you have each other – you have it all.

I am going to rate The Burning Side with an eight out of ten stars. This was a palette cleanser read that was most enjoyable and refreshing. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t ready for another dishy thriller, though!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah