We tried two London afternoon teas in two days. Here's why Brasserie Max surprised me with its beautiful setting, relaxed atmosphere, and some of my favorite treats of the weekend! Our beautiful window-side afternoon tea at Brasserie Max in Covent Garden. When planning our two days in London before boarding the Disney Dream for our transatlantic cruise, I knew afternoon tea had to be on the itinerary. And apparently one afternoon tea wasn't enough, because Mom and I ended up enjoying TWO traditional afternoon teas during our London weekend! Our first was at Brasserie Max in the Covent Garden Hotel. The following day, we visited the famous Fortnum & Mason . Now, you might expect the more famous destination to be the automatic favorite. But Brasserie Max had a few surprises in store for us! From the stunning restaurant to the beautiful china and delicious desserts, this turned out to be one of those travel experiences that exceeded my expectations. Why We Chose Brasser...

If there's one thing I've learned after owning five Kindles, it's that buying the Kindle is only the beginning. Sure, you can start reading straight out of the box. But where's the fun in stopping there? I've already shared why I love my Kindle so much. With 555 consecutive days of reading, 195 consecutive weeks, and 46 books finished so far in 2026, it's safe to say I spend plenty of quality time with mine. Along the way, I've found some accessories that make reading even better. Some are practical, some are just plain fun, and a few allow me to reach impressive new levels of laziness while enjoying a good book. With Christmas right around the corner, here are eight of my favorite gift ideas for the Kindle lover in your life! 1. A Clear Kindle Case: Because Even My Kindle Needs Accessories One of my favorite ways to personalize my Kindle is with a clear case. I can tuck cute stickers underneath without actually sticking anything to the device. When I...

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 555 consecutive days of reading. 195 consecutive weeks. 46 books so far this year. You could say I have a bit of a reading habit. A great book, a cozy spot, and a cup of coffee. My kind of perfect morning. I love to read. And if there's one piece of technology that has made my reading life infinitely better, it's my Amazon Kindle. I'm currently on my fifth Kindle , a Kindle Colorsoft, and I can't imagine not having one. Whether I'm curled up in bed, relaxing by the pool, or heading off on another vacation, my Kindle is almost always along for the ride. And I'm not exaggerating about how much I use it. According to my Kindle app, I've read for 555 consecutive days and 195 consecutive weeks ! Want to know why that daily streak isn't even longer? Because 556 days ago, I accidentally fell asleep without reading. ONE NIGHT! I broke my streak, and apparently I've b...

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Tempo link is a referral link; if you sign up through it, I receive a free month of membership. I’m very good at being excited about a new purchase. The more useful question is how I feel about it after it becomes part of everyday life. Am I still using it? Does it make something easier, more comfortable, or more enjoyable? If I were spending the money today, would I choose it again? These four pass that test. They weren’t all purchased this year, but they’re things I would happily buy again today—with one change to my next rug order. Oura Ring: I still want to know how I slept My Oura Ring still earns its place in my daily routine. What keeps me coming back to Oura is the detailed sleep and stress information. I like being able to see patterns in how I’m sleeping and how my stress is tracking, then think...

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a qualifying purchase, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is my personal, independently documented dress challenge experience. Catch up on my Week 1 Sierra recap: Days 1–7 . Two weeks down, 16 days to go! I'm officially at the halfway-ish point of my second wool& 30 Day Dress Challenge, and the Sierra Tank Dress is still giving me that wonderful, soft, cozy hug I loved from Day 1. Am I still convinced I should have ordered an XL instead of the XXL? Absolutely. Am I letting that stop me from wearing it 30 different ways? Not a chance. This week brought office outfits, cozy weekend looks, a little Disney, some experimenting with layers, and one outfit change that reminded me not every wool& piece is necessarily going to work with every other wool& piece. Let's recap Days 8–14! What I Wore: Days 8–14 Day 8: Office-Ready ...

I love my travel Mahjong tiles. They have come on vacation with me, worked for games with four players, and made it possible to pack Mahjong without making it my entire luggage situation. But if you are brand-new to American Mahjong and asking me which size to buy first, my answer is regular-size tiles. That is what we play with at home. That is what I take to open play. And as much as I appreciate a compact travel set, I really, really love a chunky tile. The answer changes a little if you have been playing for a while using other people's sets and are finally buying your own specifically for travel. In that case, the travel tiles might make more sense as your first purchase. You already know how to play, and you know what you need this particular set to do. Here is how I would think about the decision after using both. My full-size Confetti tiles have the chunky feel I love for everyday play. For a new player, I would start with regular-size tiles When you are learni...