Literary Ladies Summer Book Reading Challenge

I have never done a blog book challenge before, but I thought it would be fun to participate in the one put on by the Literary Ladies. Due to my NetGalley fiasco, I tried to make as many of these NetGalley reads as I could. The challenge starts today and runs until September 21. If you would like to participate, click here for more information.


1. A YA book
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (c/o NetGalley)

2. Non US Author
Don’t Get Me Wrong by Marianne Kavanagh (c/o NetGalley) (She's from the UK)

3. A book that was recommended by a blogger (or instagrammer / you-tuber / goodreads-er)
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins…basically recommended by every blogger

4. A book that has been on your TBR list for a year or more
I’ve had Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman on my GoodReads to read shelf since February 2, 2013. It’s about time that I read it!

5. A book with a kickbutt female character
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (c/o NetGalley) This novel is about Beryl Markham, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west. That sounds kick butt to me!

6. A book that is or will be a movie (or TV show)
Still Alice by Lisa Genova

7. A book written by a comedian or celebrity – or even a memoir if neither of those are your jam.
Bossypants by Tina Fey

8. A book with a one word title.
Alive by Scott Sigler (c/o NetGalley)

9. A suspenseful book – a mystery, a thriller, a book about revenge!
Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell (c/o NetGalley)

10. A book about summer, with summer in the title, or in any way related to summer because this is a summer challenge!
That Chesapeake Summer by Mariah Stewart (c/o NetGalley)

Have you read any of the books I picked?

Skyler Says: Natural Balance Dental Chews and Kong Squeezz Bone Toy

Hello there, Mama’s blog friends. It’s Sky Sky the Princess, back to share more amazing treats from my friends at Chewy! Thank you, Chewy, for spoiling me (we all know I deserve it)!

Now, guys, I have a teensy-weensy problem now that I am a little older—Mama tells me my breath stinks sometimes. As a princess, I always need to look my best, so I am always up for fixing the problem. Sadly, most dental chews just don’t taste yummy! The Natural Balance Dental Chews Pumpkin & Chicken Meal Formula with Papaya Dog Treats are the best tasting dental chews I’ve ever tried.

They are the perfect size for me, and I love tossing them up in the air before I eat them. The best part is Mama says my breath smells great after I eat them. Mama told me she also loves that it reduces plaque and tartar. That means I can have the whole bag, right Mama?

After snack time, Mama gave me a fun bone! I loved the Kong Squeezz Bone Dog Toy right away. It has a great squeaker, and Mama told me to tell you she thinks it’s a durable toy for dogs that like to chew.

It’s time for me to head to the dog park, but first I want to thank Chewy again for these great treats!

Disclosure: Chewy.com sent Skyler these items to review. No further compensation was received, and all opinions are our own.

My Favorite Russian Superstitions

Russian culture is a huge part of my life. Even though I grew up in Texas, we were part of a large Russian community, and I have always loved Russian traditions. Each country has its own set of superstitions, so today I wanted to share a few of the ones I have heard often from Russians.

Note: I have been a bit hesitant to post these because I didn’t want it to look like I was making fun of Russian culture. Just like walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror, these superstitions have been passed down over the years. 
 

I have heard this one a million times, and it has always made me giggle. My friends and I used to sit on benches outside of church in the winter, and Russian grandmas would always make us leave because they didn’t want us to freeze our eggs.

I think this one came from chivalry—men are supposed to pour wine glasses for women. But if men aren’t around, women are still not supposed to pour their own glasses of wine. At girls’ night, we pour wine for each other.

Hair is supposed to be flushed down the toilet and never thrown away in a trashcan. I love this superstition because it’s so quirky.

Do you have any favorite superstitions? Are you interested in more Russian culture posts?

California Road Trip: La Jolla Cove

After seeing all those gorgeous ocean views on our Old Town Trolley Tour, I knew I wanted to spend more time by the water. With its beautiful sandstone cliffs and adorable sea lions, La Jolla Cove was the perfect place to relax.

There were sea lions everywhere. I was surprised to see how close they got to us. One of them was a huge show-off, flapping his flippers and showing us his belly.

A beautiful park, filled with many interesting trees shaped by the wind, surrounded the area. There is a sidewalk along the cliff for nice views of the ocean. I loved sitting on a park bench and looking out on the ocean. Honestly, I would have been happy to sit there all day.

 Catch up on our California Road Trip:

Quick Thoughts

Seven-Day Itinerary From San Diego to San Francisco

Exploring Old Town San Diego 

San Diego Old Town Trolley Tour

Real Talk: Wearing Glasses with Confidence

When I was in ninth grade, I found out I had to wear glasses all the time. I was so upset—I thought I looked awful in glasses. I begged my mom to get contacts, and I am sure she agreed just so I would stop whining.

That same day, I was showing my new contacts to my best friend…and she accidentally dropped one down the drain. I wanted to avoid wearing glasses so badly that I wouldn’t leave Mom alone until she got me another pair from the eye doctor.

Over the years, I avoided wearing glasses as much as possible. Part of it was definitely because I had the same pair of glasses I bought in sixth grade (I never got the prescription for them in ninth grade due to the contact fiasco) all the way through college, but mostly I just thought I looked terrible in glasses.

This year, my allergies were so terrible that putting in contacts in the morning felt like stabbing myself with needles. I settled for wearing glasses to work…and surprisingly received a lot of compliments. As I grew used to seeing myself in glasses, I didn’t feel like an ugly duckling every time I wore them.

When Firmoo contacted me about reviewing a pair of glasses, I was excited but also a bit concerned about ordering glasses online. I have always gone to a store to get glasses fitted, so I wasn't sure how this could be done online. Honestly, the process was so quick and easy! I just picked a pair of glasses (so hard to do because there were so many cute options), plugged in my prescription, measured my pupillary distance, and I was finished! I loved that I could upload a photo of myself to see what the glasses would look like on me.

The glasses came quickly, and I was so surprised by how nice the quality was, especially compared to the price. They came in a nice case with a cute pink lens cloth. The best thing is that I actually like how they look on me.

Firmoo is currently offering 15 percent off your first pair for new customers, which makes its cheap prices even better. I am already looking at other styles, since it never hurts to have a spare pair!

I received a pair of Firmoo glasses in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own.