I have a love/hate relationship with the slow, long month of January. After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's nice to take a little breather. On the other hand, I often find myself looking forward to my birthday in February, and in March, the (typical) arrival of spring in South Carolina, when things start picking back up again - and this year is no exception.
 
So I've been mostly grateful to have some slow days, some snow days, and a lot of really cold days to snuggle up and read and rest and keep growing this little nugget that's going to make our spring explosive and crazy. These are all fantastic books, and I highly recommend them.
 
xoxo,
E

I thought December might be a little calmer than November. I thought wrong. Once again, I only have three books to share with you - but these three are all really fantastic and I highly recommend any or all of them, particularly the first one. There's no better way to start out your new year than with a little simplification and organization - especially if, say, like us, you're expecting a little one sometime in 2018. No pressure or anything :) But even if there's no baby on the horizon, start your 2018 with a good book.

Happy New Year, readers!

xoxo,
E

See, what happens when you're expecting a baby is that your brain gets all full of plans and ideas and worries, and sometimes you don't have the mental capacity to read (or do much of anything, really). And then you have months like this where you're lucky to finish three books. Life happens, you know? 

So I apologize for the short post, but know that it's for a very good, tiny but growing, reason :) 

xoxo, 
E

Last month it was British books. The month before, young adult titles. Notice anything these books have in common? Anything? 
 
Bueller?

Where did September go? I feel like it was just Labor Day. What happened?
 
Okay, so we went on a cruise to Alaska for a week. Then we went to North Carolina for a weekend to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday and to meet our new niece. So I do know where September went :) It also went with these books. With the exception of the first and last "new" books I've read, they're all books that take place in England (and/or feature English characters). Now this is making me want to go back to London and have high tea at Dawaat. Crap.
 
Anyway. If you're looking for a great book, check out one of the below.
 
xoxo,
E

Looking for something to add to your reading list this "school year" (even if you're not in school!)? Try one of these books! Happy reading!

Welcome to the month of mediocre! I don't know if it's just me, or the books, or if it's both, but everything I read this month was just kind of...meh. I mean, none of these books are terrible - don't think that. I think they're worth reading once. But none of them really lived up to my expectations (or to the reviews I'd read about them).  But you should judge for yourself.
 
Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you thought in the comments!
 
xoxo,
E

Summer is officially upon us, y'all. I've read a LOT of books this month, and you'll notice most of these are young adult titles. What better to read on the beach than something easy and fun? If you've got further questions about any of these titles, don't hesitate to leave me a message in the comments section. I love talking about good books with good friends! (Taylor, we're going to have a serious Court books discussion at Seabrook ;) )
 
xoxo,
E

If you're tired of trying (and failing) to live up to impossible standards, then Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life, is for you. It's an invitation to be a part of something more meaningful and intentional than chasing the seemingly perfect life. It's an invitation to believe that a flourishing life is possible, right where you are.
 
Written as part encouragement anthem and part practical guide, Cultivate, which comes out June 27, offers wisdom from God’s Word alongside lessons Lara has learned in her garden.

Cream sauces are the name of our nutrition game, but now that it's getting hot they're not quite as appetizing as they were in, say, January.

But this delicious lemon-rosemary cream sauce is still decadent without being too heavy.