Sunday Saves 2.26.23

marinade and mascara

Readers, thank you for joining me over the last few weeks for romance reading fun. I plan to move on from romance-focused content for the remainder of spring, but you can look forward to more romance recommendations sprinkled among my upcoming book reviews and lists.

While I have no immediate plan for paid subscriptions, several of you have already pledged your support, and I cannot thank you enough for your vote of confidence. Every new subscriber gives me a jolt of affirmation and motivation, and I look forward to creating more bookish lifestyle content for you in this space.

Let’s get to the good stuff!

• Last week’s featured dinner: salmon in my “everything marinade” with roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

  • Everything Marinade (because it works on fish, chicken, pork, or beef and probably tofu, too): avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, grainy dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I add/swap in coconut aminos, sometimes I add/swap lemon, and sometimes I play with the ratios for different flavor combinations—but I always have these ingredients in my house, and I always measure with my heart.

• I made two fabulous purchases last week: Tower 28 mascara (so far, so good for my sensitive eyes) and MILK under eye brightening low coverage concealer (lovely applicator and formula). These items, plus a lip balm that doubles as a blush (or vice versa) create my five-minute make-up routine these days.

• I finished listening to Catherine, Called Birdy and started reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry for our March Novel Pairings episodes. I loved historical fiction as a young reader. Do you remember any historical favorites from elementary and middle school?

• The gray, wet weather has me feeling glum—but did you know you can still drink hot chocolate and make hearty soups as spring inches closer? I’m leaning on the Frontier Soup mixes in my pantry for healthy, filling, easy meal starters. The beef goulash is my favorite.

• Theo and his stuffed bear, Goober, have always had a special bond, but lately he’s been carrying Goober around the house by the arm (or the ear) and making my heart melt. Every day, usually after breakfast, he takes Goober into his boat (a large box from Costco) for adventure on the open sea. I can see imaginary play just starting to kick in, and it’s bringing me a lot of joy and anticipation.

To find out more about my current reads, favorite recipes, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with community support and nerdy analysis, check out Novel Pairings.

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Chelsey