Five on Friday - June 28, 2024 ~ This Summer Will Be Different Book Review, Carley Fortune Book Event, June Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, Olay Sample, and Perfect Match

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a great week! 

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I purchased everything in this post

I love bringing in new book review and This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune was fantastic! 4.5 stars - this was such fun Summer romance! This is the third Carley Fortune book I've read and they just keep getting better and better! This had an amazing PEI setting and it makes me want to go back for sure. The premise is that our main character has a worldwind night on the island, until she finds out it was her best friend's brother and now she's trying to stay away - their tension is amazing and the friendships are so great. Our best friends are keeping some secrets from each other and that part was a little tough, but it adds to the layers of this book!

Keys Soulcare Summer Makeup Look - Skin Tint and Concealer, Brow Gel, Sheer Flush Blush, and Comforting Tinted Lip Balm

I'm so excited for warm weather and Summer makeup looks! I've never tried Keys Soulcare, but the line was created by Alicia Keys with the focus really being on caring for your skin and your soul, so every makeup product they do is going to be lighter with a skincare focus (which sounds perfect for anytime of year, but especially Summer time when my makeup is more minimal!)

The packaging is gorgeous and I love the branding - each product has a little affirmation on it that you can say to yourself as you are applying it! 

Manicure Monday - Bright Pink Holographic Nails

 Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

I'm loving our #CBBxManiMonday June theme of bright and colourful - it's always how I love to do my nails, so it's great for me! 

Five on Friday - June 21, 2024 ~ The Paradise Problem Book Review, Shoppers Run For Women, Book Club Shirt, Old Navy and Amazon Tops, and House of Dragons

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a great week! 

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I purchased everything in this post

I love sharing a new book review and The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren is an amazing Summer romance! 4.5 stars - this was so good! The premise of a fake marriage and it taking place on a private island in Indonesia for an extreme over the top wedding for money was a great set up. I loved the setting and our main characters were funny and their dynamic was so good. Add some layered family dynamics for tension and I loved everything about this one!

Manicure Monday - Scratch K Pop Nail Wraps

Happy Monday - I hope you had a great weekend! 

The month of June will have us #CBBxManiMonday bloggers doing bright and colourful nails for the month and I love this theme - I prefer my nails bright, so it works out for me! 

Biore UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen Comparison - Japanese Watery Essence vs. Canadian SPF 30 and 50

I have been using the Japanese Biore UV Watery Essence SPF 50 PA++++ for years - since 2016 at least and I've seen it through a few reformulations, but have continued to love and use it. It was only available through sites that shipped from Japan or other places that it was sold. 

I purchased everything in this post

So, I was really excited when it was announced that the iconic sunscreen was being reformulated for Canadian sales - naturally I had to pick up all of them so I could compare the formulas and let you know if the new reformulation is just as good as the original! 

Father's Day Ideas With Biotherm

Happy Father's Day to yourself or those around you! I always like to get something a little small for my husband and the dad's around me - if you would like to consider some skincare, I've got some good ideas thanks to Biotherm! 

These products were received as PR samples

Biotherm Father's Day Ideas With Biotherm ~ $43.00 CAN. This body lotion is a deliciously smooth and fabulously fresh everyday body milk that instantly helps the skin look smooth and soft. It moisturizes to help reduce flaky skin, restore the skin's moisture barrier and protect its natural elasticity. This body moisturizer with citrus extracts is a true pleasure, every day, with a delicate fragrance and fresh texture that is neither sticky nor greasy.

This one isn't specifically for men (and I mean nothing needs to be), but a great body lotion is never a bad gift! This is a luxurious formula is a Biotherm classic and a perfect gift for anyone! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul ~ May 2024

Back in 2022, I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I've been pretty good about sticking to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

I purchased everything, except a few my sister gifted me

Bookoutlet Order ~ $74.08 CAN. Bookoutlet had a few books on my wishlist on sale, so I picked them up - Foxglove, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, The Neverending Story, Frankenstein, Half A Soul, Mary Poppins, 84 Charing Cross Road, and Be Sure! I have only read Foxglove and loved it! 

Five on Friday - June 14, 2024 ~ Water Restrictions, Weekend in Fairmont, Marble Canyon Hike, Bridgerton Season 3, and Book Release Announcements

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a good week! 

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It's been a little crazy in Calgary this week - we are on water restrictions all week, a state of emergency declared and told this will likely take 3-5 weeks before it's all fixed! We can't water outdoors at all and have to restrict our indoor water use! Pretty crazy! 

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I purchased everything in this post

I brought my family out to the family cabin in Fairmont this past weekend and it was such a great time! The weather was beautiful for us so we enjoyed the river, checked out some natural hot springs and had a great time! 

Manicure Monday - Crackle Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! I was out of town with my family, so it was lovely! 

The Bio Sculpture polish was received as a PR sample

The month of June will have us #CBBxManiMonday bloggers doing bright and colourful nails for the month and I love this theme - I prefer my nails bright, so it works out for me! 

Five on Friday - June 5, 2024 ~ Funny Story Book Review, Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, June Most Anticipated Books, Baby Goose Rescue, and Sweat Lodge

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I love when I can bring a 5 star book review - and this is a fantastic adult romance! We meet Daphne and Miles as they've moved in together - their ex-fiances have decided to get with each other and left them. We enter in to a sort of revenge, fake dating romance plot, which may be favourite niche romance trope since this was a delight! I love that Emily Henry gives us more than romance, we have friend and family dynamics with work and self-discovery with a good romance plot thrown in and I truly like that in her stories! I really enjoyed this one!

Monthly Reads ~ May 2024

Time for a look at my May Monthly reads! Each month I share a quick look at the books that I've read with a little synopsis and my rating - anything that I love or is really intriguing, I will share a more in depth review on a different post! 

A Short Walk Through A Wide World was received as a review copy

So, in May I read 10 books with a mix of genres from adult romance to YA fantasy. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books, and this month I'm pretty close to that! 

I read 3 physical books and listened to 7 audiobooks. Here's a quick look at all the books I read in the past month:

Manicure Monday - Rainbow Tips

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend! 

The OPI polish was received as a PR sample

Can we believe it is June already?! This year is just flying by all of the sudden! The CBBxManiMonday group is going to do a bright and colourful theme for our manis all month - it's perfect for me! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites ~ May 2024

Here's a look at what I was loving last month:

I purchased everything in this post

The last little bit I have no number of things I've been loving and honestly, I've been trying products a little slower, so my favourites have been a little smaller and more curated than the past few years! 

Here's a closer look at the best products I was using in April:

Five on Sunday - June 2, 2024 ~ Station Eleven Book Review, May Book Club, Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes, Garden Day, and Dollar Store Craft Find

Happy Friday (or Sunday!) everyone - I hope you all had a great week! 

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I purchased everything in this post

I'm always excited to share Book review - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫This is an adult dystopian, post pandemic book (but written well before we all experienced covid-19), so it was interesting reading this with the perspective we have!

This book follows a flu virus that quickly spreads and essentially shuts down the world and is a look at how people have survived 20 years later, mostly following a travelling theatre group and their encounters. A look at humanity, but also a look at how we are all interconnected and weaving stories together and the choices we have to make. I enjoyed the setting and the main characters we followed. So well written!