Highlights

my happy place ATG FINAL

{Finally, my toes are in the sand. It’s beginning to feel a lot like summer.}

Between you and me, I’ve had better weeks. Not that anything in particular happened to me personally that should make me say this. There’s just something in the air as of late that seems to be hitting nearly everyone around me, creating this level of….what…exhaustion, perhaps?  Truth be told, I’ve been dragging much of this week myself.  Add in the aftermath of what’s happening in the press and I suppose we’re bound to feel the effects of it.

Though I’m always mindful of being healthy, I tend to slip into patterns where I could be better about taking care of myself. The interesting (and somewhat frustrating) thing is that I feel like I have been taking better care of myself lately. I’m eating balanced meals and cutting back on sugar, which for me means addressing my more recently developed predilection for snacking after dinner. (I haven’t had Hot Tamales in weeks! And yes, this is a big deal.) I also had an invigorating yoga class that didn’t leave me practically disabled because it had been so long since I last practiced that I was sore for 3 days straight. In fact, I can feel myself improving. And with one exception where I stayed up late one night to put the finishing touches on my blog, I usually went bed at a decent time.

I realize there’s always room for improvement, so I’m going to spend some time this weekend focusing on what else I should add to take things up a notch (and if you’re yelling at me in your head right now to get more exercise on the books…I know, I know). Aside from this, I’m thinking I just need a little at home rejuvenation this weekend. It really could be as simple as a day lounging around in my PJs all day, reading books and watching movies.

As we wrap up another week, I’m decidedly going back to the last time I clearly remember being in my happy place. It started on a late Saturday morning last weekend: my notepad, a few magazines, the first Diet Cherry Coke I’d had in ages, chips and guacamole in the cooler, toes in the sand while watching the fog burn off and turn into pure sunshine on the beach in Malibu with my guy. From there, what more could I ask for when meeting new book club gals over brunch the very next day to chat about an engaging read? (Never mind that I’m now somehow juggling two different book clubs!) Oh, and let’s not forget what I think will become my new indulgence (in moderation, of course): crunchy french toast buried under strawberries. Yum!

In other words, after my first trip to the beach this season (and nearly at the end of it at that!); along with a warm Sunday morning brunch with new friends, somehow, it actually started to feel a little bit more like summer, like my happy place…and most certainly the highlights of life lately.

Have a great weekend!

Malibu Setup ATG FINAL

{Our set-up in the fog in a spot away from everyone…note to self: need beach chairs.}

Malibu Beach ATG FINAL

{Enjoying the view once the sun arrived.}

Trees to Brunch ATG FINAL

{Something breathtaking happened when I gazed up through the trees on the way to brunch.}

Crunchy French Toast ATG FINAL

{A great book club discussion and crunchy french toast (they’re dusted in cornflakes!) topped with fresh strawberries from a cafe 5 minutes from my house…this might become a problem.}

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Beach Day Reads

Beach Day Reads

I can’t believe it’s the last week of July! I haven’t even made it to the beach yet, perhaps that’s why it hasn’t quite felt like summer yet. Not to worry, we still have 55 days of the season left. I’m on it!

I found this old photo from one of many summer adventures at Point Dume on a crisp morning, turned hot day – encapsulating all of my beach day essentials. And it’s not quite a beach day without my Kindle loaded with a new book. Does this girl love a delicious summer read!

In the spirit of a lazy Saturday spent on the beaches of Malibu with a good book and an iced latte nearby (one of my absolute favorite ways to kick-off a summer weekend!), I thought I’d share my next 5 reads that will take me through the rest of summer. Some of these are book club selections for the next few months ahead, while others are just stories I’m anxious to delve into on my own.

If you’ve read any of these, please do share your thoughts in the comments section.

Until we meet again…happy reading and happy 55 days of summer left!


Beach Day Reads ATG FINAL

1. MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

2. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

3. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

4. China Dolls by Lisa See

5. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

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Beaches: The Sequel

Location: 30000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

Only in Los Angeles can you still enjoy a beach day…in October…two weeks into “Fall.” In celebration of what we thought was the last hurrah of the heat wave that just wouldn’t leave (and seems to be making a comeback even as I type this), the “wind beneath my wing” and I headed back to “Beaches” to enjoy the sequel to our first time gracing the Malibu shore. This time, Zuma Beach.

Armed with my latte from Cafecito Orgánico and this month’s book club selection – the next five hours were spent sipping, snacking, reading, catching up with my guy, listening to the sound of the waves, and breathing in fresh air (well, as fresh as you can get in L.A., I saw you roll your eyes).

With the temperatures hitting the 90’s again this week, maybe we can squeeze in one last visit and make these “Beaches” posts into a franchise like Hollywood execs would undoubtedly milk the hell out of do today. I can already see it. The film version would star Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey’s kids carrying on the dramatic legacy of female bonding, eventual friendship, and death; and then their kids, and then their kids, and so on and so on. If this story line goes into development anytime soon, I claim rights to the idea – you read it here first!

In the meantime, you just might get an All That Glitters franchise out these “Beaches” posts if this heat wave can’t take a hint that the party’s over, it’s being a total attention whore, and it’s time to let Autumn take center stage.