Pretty Busy Weekly, 07.20.20

Chris has headed back to the city, and this is the first time that we have spent significant time apart since early March. It’s a little bit disorienting, I must admit. Chris has always traveled for week, and I always have a busy schedule with school, so it’s kind of odd to reflect on the fact that it’s been just us, at home, for four months. In an effort to see the glass half full, I am reflecting on how grateful I am for this time with him- I don’t think I could have done it with anyone else.

Time is flying and I cannot believe that we are nearing the end of July. With so much uncertainty about the upcoming school year and life as we know it, I’m working really hard to enjoy the time I have to relax during the summer as best as I can, especially this week with my siblings here for a visit. Here’s what’s been keeping me pretty busy this past week.

I recently found a bunch of great tops from H&M that are perfect for summer, like this floral one above. I am loving anything with poofy sleeves right now. I’ll try to share a few more I ordered in a post this week.

I’ve gotten some great reading time in the last few days, and cruised through a couple of books. I finished, A Good Neighborhood, and while I did find the ending engaging, I had mixed feelings. I found this review, and it really sums up a lot of the thoughts I had while reading, especially in its portrayal of race and racial injustice.

I heard good things about this little romance, Head Over Heels. It’s about a former elite gymnast who lost her career to a sudden injury she has quite gotten over a few years later. She moves back to her hometown after a breakup, and begins coaching at her old gym. The book touches on the culture of emotional and sexual abuse in the gymnastics world, especially rampant for young women. I thought it was good, but not great- I wanted more from the character development. If you’re interested in understanding more about this toxic world, check out this documentary on Netflix. My parents and I watched it last week, and thought it was incredibly well done.

And then I jumped into the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. I loved Colson Whitehead’s last novel, The Underground Railroad, and so I was eager to read this, especially after seeing it a lot on recommended anti-racist reading lists. It is based on a true story of a reform school in Florida that abused and murdered young men for over 100 years. It is a deeply emotional text, and I was deeply engrossed in both the writing and the characters. The ending was absolutely incredible, and speaks to the cyclical trauma perpetuated by the criminal justice system in the Black community.

Despite starting it in May, I’m also still listening to Jessica Simpson’s memoir– I got through a good chunk this week. I think I have decided I really don’t love audio books, or I need to find better space to listen to them without distraction. I really enjoy the book and her journey with herself and religion, so I am promising to myself to get through it this week so I can delete my Audible account.

As I mentioned last week, I was in the market for some new candles. I decided to order this seasonal Beach Club 3-pack from one of my favorite shops- Otherland. I already had the stone fruit flavor, and loved it, even though I don’t love sweet scents. But the freshwater pearl scent is so great for summer. It’s a very clean scent, and reminds me of that little kid soap + sunscreen scent. They are a tad pricey, but well worth the price point in terms of fragrance and burn-time.

Even though I have barely worked out the last week, I just ordered these super cute workout leggings from one of my favorite follows on Instagram. @Fittybritty is one of the three members of the Confidence Collective, and she just released this super cute line of size inclusive workout wear. I ordered this adorable daisy pair of leggings. Perhaps they will motivate me to get myself back in gear…

I’m waiting for this butt mask to arrive today, and I honestly can’t wait. If you’re going to pretend that irritated skin around your butt is not a thing, then this may not be the blog for you. My dry skin often leads to irritation, so I am excited to try out this clarifying mask for my booty when it arrives.

If you’re looking for something to watch, I just started this series on Netflix about an Indian matchmaker who arranges marriages. There is so much stigma around arranged marriage in Western culture, but this film highlights the practice that many see as a way to find a partner that melds with their familial culture and personal interests.

And if you missed my posts this week, catch up here to get my best headache remedies (I’ve had a ton the past two weeks, which inspired the post), and this one highlighting my favorite face masks right now. Stay pretty busy, and let me know what you like/love below.