In preparation for our upcoming vacation, I invested in a new backpack to help with packing! Traveling around Italy with a large suitcase is just not an option. My Monos carry on will be great, but I needed a little extra space. We are going to be gone for awhile without access to laundry.
I did all the research for you so you don't have to! This is the coolest, most practical backpack. The Samsonite Paralux 2 in 1 is such a cool concept. It's a large backpack, with a compartment for clothing and a laptop. What sets it apart is the detachable front. This section comes completely off and makes a smaller backpack! It's so smart. I can pack a ton, and then if I need a smaller bag to carry around site seeing I can just unzip the front.
A few extra features I'm excited about: there is an spot for an airtag, it has an expandable water bottle holder, and the quality just feels lux. This bag has the strap that let's you stack it on to your rolling suitcase.
I went with the Stone Gray color option, but all 4 options were tempting. If you are into a matching set, there is a coordinating carry on suitcase.
The section for clothes isn't outrageously big, but I am confident I can fit a good amount between my two bags. Next step is trying to figure out outfits and what I can mix and match.
It did take me a minute to figure out what the odd keychain on the side is for. ChatGPT helped me figure out it's something you can have engraved with our initials! There was no option to personalize at checkout so I'm not sure what's up with that. Fortunately, I can monogram it myself so I've got to think about how I want to do that.
I watched the price on both Amazon and Samsonite's website and waited for a sale! If you do shop directly with Samsonite, make sure you activate Rakuten for cash back! I love seeing those deposits.
-Kristen
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2025 was not a super stellar reading year for me. Normally, I have a few stand out books that I am raving about and recommending to anyone who will listen. It seemed like I read a lot of 'just okay' books last year. But, I did reach my goal of 100 books, so there were a few 5 star reads! I also made it a goal to read more classics, and I am happy to say I read several.
I found this book to be so fun! Evie Sage really needs a job, and accidentally ends up saying yes to a position as an assistant - to THE Villain. She's all sunshine, and he's all evil, tortured, and has a dungeon. It's just a really fun premise, set in a fairy tale. Their banter was great, and this was super entertaining. The only thing I think this book was missing was them going off doing Villainous things. This actually became a workplace romance because so much of it takes place at 'the office'. I mean, the Villain has an HR department. Language warning. I will say, I didn't love the rest of the series like I enjoyed the first book.
OMG, this was hysterically unhinged. Freida McFadden is the queen of writing those popcorn thrillers. Honestly, I look to her to get me out of a reading slump. She wrote this satirical novella that I just thought was brilliant. She pokes fun at the genre, using all kinds of funny common tropes and twists. I belly laughed multiple times. If you love a thriller, but also understand that most of them are ridiculous - this is for you.
This is a coming of age book about a couple of runaway kids in the 30's. They face a lot of tragedy but have a sweet and loyal friendship - and they go on a big adventure.
It's always been a goal of mine to read Jurassic Park! I love the movie. This is such a great book, and I was surprised at the differences between the page and film. For example, you don't meet Alan Grant until like half way through the book. 100% worth the read.
A hiker disappears on the Appalachian trail in Maine - and it becomes a race against time to try to find her. One of the POVs is an old lady in a Connecticut retirement community who becomes an armchair detective. I wondered how it would all come together, and it did! While this is a race against time mystery, it's ultimately about the characters.
A Star Wars book is on my 5 star list! This is a really cool book about two childhood friends on the opposite side of the rebellion. If you like the newer SW movies, you'd like this. I did have to ask Blake a lot of questions along the way when it came to types of ships and such.
This was a weird one I couldn't put down! Lily wakes up on a desert compound with a bunch of other contestants on a reality show. They start out with nothing, and have to compete for luxuries. Of course relationships begin, and the competition intensifies with increasingly difficult tasks.
A family drama about the ethics of AI...trust me on this one. A family is driving in a self driving minivan, and an accident occurs. Each family member is guilty of something that makes them sort of responsible for the accident.
If anything, this book made me think! It's dramatic and made me uncomfy.
If you've seen this one on everyone's lists, it's for good reason. It takes a minute to get going, but you are reading the correspondence of an old lady named Sybil. She's always written letters, and you get to read her emails and notes too. Her little life is quite small in the beginning of this novel, but it was very sweet to see her circle grow.
One night Ellie and her fiance Drake are walking and they stumble upon an old fashioned movie theater. They decide to go in, and are completely shocked when the movie playing is their earliest childhood memories. They are offered the chance to come back and view each other's most formative moments.
The concept here was SO good, and I just loved the idea of getting to witness my own husband's early memories. Of course, not everything that shaped you needs to be seen by the person you are with now - like your first love. And did things really happen like you remembered them?
A very interesting genre bending book! It's a little scifi but mostly historical fiction I guess. Caroline is an expectant mother who finds out her unborn baby has a heart defect. Her brother in law has a solution though, and it involves quite the leap of faith. I'd love to hear a mother's perspective and find out if you would make the same decisions Caroline does.
Read These Books:
-Kristen
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Now that I have had my Oura Ring for 3 months, I feel a little more qualified to share my thoughts! I chose the Gen 4 ring in Gold. If I went with the Gen 3, I could have saved some money, but I feel strongly I chose correctly. The 4th generation ring is so much thinner and more comfortable than the 3, so I love the feel.
Sizing was intimidating to me at first. You can order a sizing kit so that you can be sure to get the right fit. I went with a size 8, and I'm really glad I did. (The sizing is just like a real ring from a jewelry store, for reference my wedding ring is a 6. ) What I didn't think about is how your fingers naturally swell and shrink day to day and hour to hour. I find that I actually move the ring to different fingers often! Typically, I will wear it on my middle finger on the left side. I find it very comfortable to sleep in as well.
I do have a silicone cover for it for working out and cleaning. My ring has gotten a little bit scuffed already, but I want to emphasize I'm very hard on my hands.
As a person who loves information, this ring has been amazing. I'd say it took a few weeks for it to really learn my baselines, but it provided helpful information from the first wear. Here are some of my favorite metrics:
Sleep
The sleep data is incredible. Each day you are given a score based on how long you slept and what quality of sleep you had. I strive to get as close to 100 as possible, but I'm usually in the 90s. I'm always shocked at the accuracy. For example, if you have alcohol usually your heart rate doesn't lower to your normal rate while you sleep - so my ring can always tell if I've had a drink. One thing that I typically score low on is latency, which is how long it takes you to fall asleep. I learned that if I lay in bed and watch tv it thinks that I'm just not falling to sleep. So, I've tried to adjust my nighttime routine and not watch tv in bed.
Readiness
You also get a readiness score based on how you slept and your previous day(s) activities. It's basically like, you had an awesome night of sleep and recovered well from your work out yesterday, so you should be able to kick butt today. Or, you slept terrible and you've been burning the candle at both ends - take a rest day. I love this because it adjusts your activity goal for the day. This is awesome because my Apple Watch would always make me feel guilty for taking it easy certain days. For example, I had an extremely active day yesterday and accidentally had caffeinated hot tea before bed so I slept poorly - and my activity goal is just 350 calories versus the last few days when my goal was between 400-500 calories.
Cycle Tracking
This is awesome, and I think some people can really use this information. Your ring takes your temperature and is able to track and make predictions for your cycle. It's pretty accurate for me anyway.
Other Data
The Oura ring also tracks stress levels and resilience. Both of these scores did not appear for me until wearing the ring for about a month. My resilience to stress actually increased this week to 'exceptional' which felt like a big win. The ring also gives you a Chronotype and a Cardiovascular age. No surprise I am a morning person! My cardio age is my actual age, so I'm challenging myself to improve that.
Activity Sensing
I'm still wearing my Apple Watch for activity tracking, like when I go for a run. The watch does a great job at keeping track of distance and your route, etc. One thing that frustrates me about my watch is that I would be working my butt off cleaning or doing yard work and unless I was actually recording a workout the watch would not detect it. My ring catches it all! It will suggest that I've been doing housework or other activities and actually give me credit for them. Huge for those of us who are active but not actually working out.
Other Features
You can 'tag' your day with all kinds of various tags. Things like anxiety, caffeine, getting a massage, getting a flu shot, staying in a hotel....basically you tag your day as much as possible which gives insight into why your scores ebb and flow.
The symptom radar blew me away. Two days before I actually had any symptoms, my ring said that I was showing Major Signs of strain. I came down with a terrible virus and spent most of June unwell. You can put your ring into Rest Mode where you just focus on getting better, and it will pause activity goals. So intelligent! Had I listened to it and rested when it first detected those symptoms I might not have gotten so sick.
There is also a little AI assistant that I find pretty helpful! You can ask it for suggestions or analysis of your numbers.
Cons
To be honest, I can only think of one con. The price. These rings are not cheap! But, I absolutely think the quality is there and you are paying for a flagship product. There is also a subscription fee to use the app which I think is a racket. I paid upfront for the year so I haven't really thought about it since.
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-Kristen
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Thank you so much to PetLabCo for sending us the products mentioned in this post to review! As always, opinions are my own. Links are affiliate.
This July marked 9 years with Bailey and Winston! We rescued Bailey on June 29th 2016, and found out immediately that she was pregnant. It was a crazy time! We had so much going on in our lives, and then we threw in a new pet to the mix. Our poor Bailey was so neglected, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. She ended up having an emergency c-section and most of the puppies didn't make it. (I recapped it here, and I honestly have a hard time reading about it.) We kept one of her puppies and that's how we ended up with Winston!
Bailey
Bailey is now about 15 years old and doing really well! She has poor vision, but doesn't let it slow her down. She has our house memorized, so we don't really notice it until we take her someplace new.
We are so happy to have Bailey in our life. We had no idea what we were taking on when we got her 9 years ago. I'm so thrilled that she has now spent the majority of her life with us living in complete luxury.
Winston
Winston has been such a fun dog! He's got quite the personality and has since day one. It's actually pretty cool to have had him since he was born! Winston is now 9, and he is getting a little gray in the face. He's also getting a little rounder, since he's gotten in the habit of sneaking some of his mother's food.
The main struggle we've had with Winston is his seasonal allergies! We still have not narrowed down exactly what he is allergic to, but I'd say his seasonal allergies are the most under control they've ever been right now. His coat and skin are looking really good!
We have also tried a few PetLabCo products I'd love to share with you today!
If you are like us, then your dog has woken you up in the middle of the night licking their paws like there is no tomorrow! Winston has always dealt with this, so we have been extremely open to anything that helps out. The PetLabCo Allergy & Immune chews are designed to support your dog's gut health and can help with things like occasional itching and licking. The soft chews are small and look like what we give as a reward, so it's very easy to add this into your dog's routine. Honestly, now Winston's skin and seasonal allergy situation is better than ever!
I am personally taking probiotics for all the benefits they provide, so it makes sense to me to give one to my dog too! Supporting their gut can have so many benefits like healthy immune responses to seasonal allergies, and healthy digestive function. The PetLabCo Probiotic chew can also help with yeast imbalance, which Winston definitely has dealt with. I like that these soft chews are very soft and crumbly, so they are great for picky eaters! That yeasty smell we had gotten so used to has really gotten so much better!
I was reminiscing about when we had puppies, and how good puppy breath smells! That could just be me. What is not great - is grown up dog breath! The PetLabCo ProBright Advanced powder is actually clinically studied* to target tartar build up and help freshen your dog's breath. You just add a scoop (with the cutest tiniest included scoop!) and add it to your dog's food once a day. No toothbrush needed! Our pugs do not cooperate with daily teeth brushing, so I'm thrilled to have this option. It could not be easier!
*A 28-day study found ProBright Advanced significantly reduced a key odor causing compound in dogs. In a 90-day clinical study, dogs taking ProBright Advanced daily had a plaque index score that was 25% lower than the control group.
All in all, we are so grateful to have had these 9 years with our pugs! This past year was a tough transition from 3 to 2 dogs, and we still think about Delly every single day. Bailey and Winston add so much joy to our days, and really a sense of purpose. Our days are centered on them! We have to wake up early to ensure they've been fed and walked. We can't leave the house for too long. And, getting a dog sitter for our vacations will forever be such a hurdle and stressor! I just wish I could clone myself and stay behind with them. We are grateful for any product or routine that makes their little lives better!
-Kristen
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Consider me influenced! I got an ad for Wantable - specifically their Coastal edit. I have tried Stitch Fix in the past and thought it was a fun way to try things you may not pick out for yourself.
Wantable lets you request specific items, which I really liked. You can also turn down pieces before your box is curated. Interestingly, everything I kept in my shipment were pieces I specifically requested.
Here's what I got: 3 pairs of Shorts, 2 Dresses, 4 Tops, and a Bag. The bag was free if I chose to keep one of the other items.
Here's What I Kept:
This dress was an immediate yes! The fit, the color, it was perfect. I can't wait to wear it on our upcoming cruise.
Hard to photograph, but this a navy blue ribbed top with ruffle sleeves. I love this piece and I know I can dress it up and down.
I wasn't sure about this top, but ended up keeping it! I don't have anything like it, and I enjoyed trying something I might not have purchased on my own. It's a beautiful green stripped tank that's ribbed. I can see myself reaching for this all summer.
This top had my name all over it. I wish I could have exchanged it for a small instead of a medium, but they were sold out. It's a little long for me and loose on me, but there are days when I know that will be so comfortable and I'll be happy to wear it. Now the shorts pictured were returned. They fit me well, but GOSH I haven't worn anything this short in my life.
I Returned:
I returned a second navy top that was really really similar to the one above, but much too big.
This dress was pretty, but it was very thin and I knew I'd be self conscious in it. I also returned the two pairs of shorts pictured below. I know I'm getting older but I don't think I'm ready for bermuda shorts. Somewhere between these and the short shorts above would be ideal -haha!
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This was so fun to try out! They have other style edits that I'd consider ordering from, but I'd also like to see what a custom box would turn out like. You can leave notes for your stylist so that they can curate items you actually need. Have you tried Wantable? or a similar service?
Grace books an Airbnb on a secluded ranch in the middle of Wyoming. The owner is a handsome man named Calvin. She gets the feeling things aren't quite right when there are reports of a missing woman, and zero cell service.
I found this book was really easy to read. It gets crazier and crazier, and I was definitely not expecting the ending. Super unique genre in that this is a romance thriller. I've never read anything like that, and I'm not sure I liked it - ha!
5 Years ago Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh. Case closed. But, Pippa isn't so sure. She chooses to examine the case as a school project.
This book seems to pop up every where on YA recommendations! I enjoyed it, although it's obviously super unrealistic. If you liked Pretty Little Liars, you'll like this book.
Harriet and Wyn have always been a solid couple in their friend group. But, now they've broken up and still haven't told anyone. So that's why they find themselves sharing a bedroom at their friend's yearly getaway.
Ah Emily Henry. This book was *hyped* up, so I do feel like that tainted my experience a bit. The writing is top notch, and it's easy to get right into this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this - but I think some changes would make it a 5 star read for me. Mainly, I get frustrated when an entire book hinges on a single conversation that could have been had and all the misunderstandings would have been completely resolved.
This is story is told in 3 points of view: Darley - the oldest daughter, Sasha - the sister in law, and Georgiana - the baby of the family. Their family has generational wealth and owns property in the upper class Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of NYC.
Nothing really happens in this book. If you like a character driven book, you'll probably like this. It's easy to read and a fun peak into the lives of the rich. I just visited Brooklyn Heights in July so it was easy for me to picture the setting.
Four years ago Dylan and Addie fell in love. But their romance ended badly and they haven't spoken since. But, their worlds collide again when they are both on their way to a friend's wedding and they literally crash their cars into each other. Dylan's car is wrecked, so they end up taking the road trip together.
Love the premise, but ended up feeling just okay about this one. There are some good reveals and some fun parts.
Naomi and Nicholas are the perfect couple. On Instagram that is. In real life, they hate each other. Both of them want out of the engagement, but neither of them wants to be the one to end it. So, they try to make each other miserable in attempt to get the other person to leave.
So, I got this from the library, and went to mark it 'currently reading' over on Goodreads and saw that I had already read it! I had zero memory of it. I'm glad I gave it another go. As I was listening, I definitely recognized some scenes but overall it felt like I hadn't read it. Obviously, this relationship is so messed up and that frustrated me. Like, how do you get to this point?! But, regardless I still enjoyed it! Naomi is totally unhinged and it's very entertaining.
Things aren't going great. Dr. Briana Ortiz's divorce was just finalized and her brother is in desperate need of a kidney. Now she's up for a promotion and the brand new (handsome) Dr. Maddox is her competition for it. She's pretty sure she hates him, until he sends her a letter.
I want to preface my 5 stars with the fact that you need to know this book is quite 🌶️PG13🌶️. There's a lot in there that makes me not want to recommend it. However, the writing is great. It was so easy to get swept up into this book and I was swooning. The banter is great, and there is so many fun romance book tropes to enjoy. I fully intend to read more Abby Jimenez.
Sally works as a sketch comedy writer for TNO (aka SNL). Noah Brewster is a guest star musician and the two seem to hit it off. But then things go south.
Meh. I saw this book everywhere so I decided to give it a go. I hate to say it, but I just didn't like it at all. Sally is a very different kind of main character - which is not necessarily a bad thing. But, she's supposed to be really funny and mostly she's just negative and sarcastic. The first part of the book is an exhaustive description of how her job works. And then boom! Pandemic, and then the book goes in a completely different direction. The segway between the two parts is so abrupt and felt completely random. Not to mention unrealistic. Lots of political views thrown in there too.
Sam is heading to the beach with her fiancé. Her parents have a 2nd home on Long Island and they are happy to spend some time relaxing. The problem is the boy next door is home too. Wyatt was Sam's first love and it did not end well. She is not sure she's ready for him to be back in her life.
This book has a really great setting, and it's easy to picture all the scenes because of the writer's descriptions. (A perfect summer read!) My problem with this is that it's so obvious Sam is still madly in love with Wyatt from page 1. It bothered me that she continues to stay engaged to someone and it felt like while she wasn't cheating technically - there was definitely an emotional affair happening. I was surprised by the reason they broke up in the first place, and felt like it was a good plot point. It wasn't something trivial like other books.
Every morning Christine's memories are gone. She had an accident years ago and cannot make long term memories. As soon as she goes to sleep, the day is erased. Her husband has to remind her who she is and everything about her self every morning when she gets up. But, then she finds a secret journal she's been keeping and it says not to trust him.
This is a re-read! You might remember it from my 5 Star Book Recommendation Post. I decided to re read it because it's been years since I first opened it. It's such a good thriller. So, so good. I will say, the 2nd time through isn't as impactful because you know the big twist - but there were a lot of details I didn't remember re-reading it.
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-Kristen
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