Reading Now: The Silent Sister

I just finished The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain and

all I can say is wow just wow!

A little overview found on Barnes and Nobles website:

"Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. It was a belief that helped shape her own childhood and that of her brother. It shaped her view of her family and their dynamics. It influenced her entire life. Now, more than twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina, cleaning out his house when she finds evidence that what she has always believed is not the truth. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why, exactly, was she on the run all those years ago? What secrets are being kept now, and what will happen if those secrets are revealed? As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family. Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality. Told with Diane Chamberlain's powerful prose and illumination into the human heart and soul, The Silent Sister is an evocative novel of love, loss, and the bonds among siblings."

I bought this book on Wednesday afternoon and started it that night and finished it last night. I loved it! From the second I started reading I was captivated. Was it the style of writing or just a really good interesting story...either way it was sooo good! It is a mystery and just keeps you wanting/needing to know more! 

I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend!

FYI: This book is $10.10 on B&N website right now!

Have you read this book?! Did you love it or hate it?

I can't wait to get another one Diane's books!

Recommendations on a new book to read leave in comments below!

xoxo

Jocelyn

Surviving Spring Break Essentials

It is officially Day 1 of our Spring Break vacation and I made sure to stock up on some fun goodies!

My ultimate goal was to save money this spring break by purchasing things we could do at home our at the park across the street! Sure I spent more than I wanted to but all these items will last us well into summer so it was a win in my book!

Here is our family Surviving Spring Break Essentials List:

| one |

Kites

My oldest has been asking us for a kite for some time now and while I was at Target I found them for under $3 so I bought both girls their own! 

| two |

Let's Go Fishin' Board Game

I bought this because I though it would be fun for us all to play! I am pretty sure its going to spark some competition between me and the hubby ;) So Ill let ya know who wins lol! I found it at Target for $4.99

| three |

Foam and Plastic Baseball Bats/Extra Foam Balls

Once upon a time my husband enjoyed playing baseball before he hurt his shoulder. When my oldest mentioned a little interest in the sport I just knew maybe it could be something fun for him to do with his girls! I bought Cailee a foam bat(this bat was $7.69 and came with a foam ball as well) and Charlotte a plastic bat($5.99 at Target). I bought extra foam balls (4 pack at Target for $9.99)because I knew one of the kiddos would try to just hoard them in her bag! 

| four |

Bubble Machine

It is amazing to me how entertaining bubbles are for kids! This was a no brainer when I saw  it and I made sure to buy the biggest bubble refill I could find! 

Bubble refill was $4.99 for 128fl oz!

| five |

The Take-Along 3 hole folding bean bag toss was something I had been eyeing for some time now so I decided might as well get it already! The kids and we enjoy it so its pretty much already paid for itself with one afternoon of nonstop play! I love that they fold up and we can easily take it anywhere!

Now Moms this essential isn't in the collage above but it is crucial...

I discovered these yummy drinks during my last Trader Joe's run!

Simpler Wines Italian Sparkling Wine comes in a  4-pack and only costs $3.99!

I've tried the Peach and Rose flavors. I like the Peach best!

Who else is on Spring break? How are you enjoying your week off?!?!

xoxo

Jocelyn

Family fun on the farm

We spent our Sunday afternoon at one of our favorite farms to visit!

The Underwood Family Farms always hosts the best holiday events and we try to visit at least once a season. During Spring they have animal races, the Easter bunny and egg hunts among a lot of activities.

The animal races were so fun to watch and the animals looked adorable with their little bunny ears on! The girls loved the sheep the best!

The Easter egg hunt was also a highlight of the trip! Both girls were mildly terrified of grabbing eggs that were hidden in the plants because they hate bugs.Once they got past their fears they went crazy!

We got to pick fruits and veggies! The girls picked the best strawberries and we pretty much at them all when we got home!

Cailee loves eating celery and when she saw that she could pick her own she went for it!

My kids strongly dislike carrots but were quite determined to pick their own carrots. I'll tell ya these suckers were ridiculously hard to pick! Little did we know that your suppose to use a garden tool to dig them up! 

Our little family! 

Getting pictures with the four of us is so hard but I am so glad when we do!

Days spent on the farm are always so relaxing for us and I can't wait to go back in the fall to pick our pumpkins!

xoxo

Jocelyn

Favorite Easter Books

Another day another set of Favorite Books!

New books we have added to our Easter collection!

Top Left | Top Middle | Top Right

Bottom Left | Bottom Middle | Bottom Right

xoxo

Jocelyn

Reading Now: The Woman in Cabin 10

I just finished reading The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware!

If you haven't read this little gem than I share with you a quick little overview of the book from Barnes and Nobles website:

"In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…"

As a family we love reading books as you can probably tell from my past posts. Normally I am reading books of the kid variety but lately I have made the time to read "mommy books". It has been the best way to spend my very little amount of "me time". 

I bought this book back in February and just finished. Which screams volumes on how much I actually liked this book! When I truly love a book I finish it within a couple of days not weeks! 

This book was definitely interesting but it was rather slow for my liking.

I struggled to read it because it was so slow in the beginning. I didn't start really getting into the book until after Chapter 9 and then I couldn't put it down!

With that being said, Would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes, I would because it was definitely a page turner towards the end and I couldn't believe the way the story panned out!

FYI: The book is currently $10.31 on B&N website!!

Have you read this book?!?! Did you like it???

Now I am off to search for a new book!!

xoxo

Jocelyn

Easy St. Patrick's Day Class Treats

Popping in today to share some cute treats with you!

I wanted to do something for Cailee's class to celebrate St. Patrick's Day that wasn't all just sweet treats!

After just a few seconds of walking the aisles of Party City with my 6 year old we agreed on the goodies!

We came to a perfect compromise a little fun and a little sweet.

I suggested some cute stickers and sunglasses, which were both approved by the boss!

And we compromised by getting some gold chocolate coins!

We were both pleased with the selection of goodies and I am sure the kiddos will enjoy these little baggies!

The tags are from Eighteen 25! They are free printables and come with different sayings. 

All I did was edit the font colors to green to give it a little something extra!

I got these stickers, they came in a pack of 5 sheets but you can cut them in half and get more out of it!

I got these sunglasses for $5.99 and 12 come in a pack.

The gold coins were from Party City too for like 12 cents each! I literally stood there and counted 72!

Oh ps I got the clear bags at Party City too for $3.99 for a 25 count BUT I was at the Dollar Tree and they had the same clear bags for $1 for a 25 count!

Can't wait to give these to the littles ones and see what they think!

What are your go to class treats for St. Patrick's Day?!!

xoxo

Jocelyn

Favorite St. Patrick's Day Books

My family loves book! 

As you have probably already read on my blog, we go to Barnes and Noble a lot!

We have added a few new books to our collection!

I present to you our current favorite St. Patrick Day books!

Top Left | Top Middle | Top Right 

Bottom Left | Bottom Middle | Bottom Right

xoxo

Jocelyn