What I Loved This Week (63)
I'm all about summer romances, demonic possessions and MORE tradwife content this week
Things that Make me Happy! is a weekly newsletter with recommendations of things that bring me joy. If you liked this issue, click on the heart button! I think it helps me with discoverability.
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📚What I Read and Loved
Funny Story: The hype is real. Everyone talked (and is still talking) about it, so I will not say much. All you need to know is that this is by far my favorite Emily Henry book. I read this on a recent red-eye flight (in the middle seat!), and I was completely immersed. Time flew by. The book left me with a smile and a book hangover.
Expiration Dates: Soon after, I picked up this one. I was a bit scared to read a romance right after the perfection of Funny Story because all books would be dimmed by comparison. Reader, I was wrong. This book is incredible! It starts strong, but it gets even stronger in the middle after a big reveal, and it reaches a very satisfying ending.
Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it--the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she'd spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there's only a name: Jake.
But as Jake and Daphne's story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper's prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn't, information that--if he found out--would break his heart.
I’m on a romance kick lately, so I’m debating what I should read next. Perhaps a thriller? What are you reading right now? I’m getting so many good summer reading guides that I’m completely overwhelmed.
📺 What I Watched and Loved
Evil Season 4: It’s back, BABY! I am so, so happy that this show is returning, but it’s bittersweet as it’s the last season. This is the most underrated show ever. I love that it is an old-school procedural but also follows a main plot. If you liked Servant on Apple TV or From on MGM+, this might be your show. P.S. Seasons 1-3 are on Netflix, so you can try it out before committing to S4 (Paramount+)
A skeptical clinical psychologist joins a priest-and a blue collar contractor as they investigate supposed abnormal events, including, demonic possession, and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural's at work.
Dark Matter: I can’t help but watch all shows based on books that I enjoyed in the past, and Dark Matter is no exception! I’m watching it with my husband, and it’s grabbing us both (a rarity!). I love Jennifer Connelly in this!
A man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself.
🛍️ What I Bought and Loved
We talked about my face care routine, then my body care routine and now is time to go over my hair! RIVETING haha
Type of hair: Colored, dry, fine and frizzy.
Pre Wash: This Miele oil went viral for a reason, it works as a pre-wash. I usually put it on the day before washing my hair (twice per week) and I have noticed a healthy regrowth.
Shampoo and Conditioner: Holy grail best shampoo and conditioner duo. Leaves my hair super soft and I love the minty smell. It’s expensive but I had fried hair and now I have dry hair, so a win is a win.
Clarifying Shampoo: I use this extra cheap shampoo when I need to eliminate build up (around 3 weeks or so)
Leave in Conditioner: I have been using this since around 10 years ago. That to me shows that it’s a non negotiable in my routine. I usually air dry my hair, and this helps with my frizz when I’m not using my Dyson Airwrap.
Treatments: I alternate between Olaplex N.3 and K18 I use each every other week. I’ve felt that both on their own do a wonderful job (I slightly prefer the K18) but, I’ve noticed that using both in tandem has been a game changer to my hair.
Mask: When my hair feels dryer than normal or after the pool, I use a hydrating mask. I love this one (I bring an entire suitcase of this when I visit) but you can only get it from South America, so my second best option is this one which is inexpensive and really hydrating
Protective Serum: In the rare cases where I’m styling my hair, I use this as a heat protectant as well as a frizz minimizer. I see a noticeable change when I blow dry my hair
Total Yearly Cost: $269
💕 Micro-Joy
Summer reading! Whereas in winter I’m all about the sleepy time tea bear coziness while reading, in the Summer I’m all about pool or oceanside reading, a diet coke with pebble ice on an insulated cup, chips and guac and coconut popsicles . Let the season begin!
✅ To do List
New best shows via
Surviving a mid tv season. I personally think there’s lots of exciting shows coming our way - Check this too
- outdid herself with her summer reading guide! as well as , look at this beauty!
🐰 Rabbit Holes I Went Into
Curating the PERFECT summer playlist
More summer rabbit holes: How to use sunscreen
You know I love a ‘tradwife’ debrief , so this week, I’m giving you two
A philosophy study on the morality of AITAH cases
- has the most wonderful deep dive on shopping the internet using Google’s photo search
Are you streaming content on the best free streaming service you don’t know exists?
Think pieces → Are Jalapenos really less spicy now? And is captcha getting harder?
🧜🏼♀️ Articles and Bits I loved
Friendships with guys after marriage - This stroke a chord with me as my best friends from my childhood are mostly guys, and it was so hard for my husband to navigate.
Please, lets not let summer camp die. I wasn’t born in the US and my lifelong dream was to come to a summer camp, like in my favorite childhood movie ‘Heavyweights’.
This is why we can’t have nice things: My favorite ever TV genre: teenage dramas are also slowly dying.
Bitch theme restaurants are feminist - Are they?
So are female pick up influencers - Are they?
😄 Funny
Your mom at a hip restaurant
👋🏼 Classifieds
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Thank you so much for sharing my shopping piece!!
As an unrelated aside, not a HUGE Emily Henry fan, but gonna pick up Funny Story on your recommendation ...
Have you read One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle? I just finished it and while I haven't read Expiration Dates yet, I'm sensing a little trend - she likes a slightly magical element.