Weekly Wrap Up | 12/27/21

Aloha friends!

Ok I had no weekly updated ready yesterday because I was just exhausted from Christmas! I had to do my last minute Christmas shopping and then make gingerbread houses with the kids on Christmas Eve. Christmas day they were so excited to open presents in the morning – then we went to my family’s house for Christmas lunch and more presents. Got a chance to take a quick nap before it was dinner and we headed to a light show event trolley ride to end the night. Sunday I decided to clean the house, so I could make space to add all the kids new clothes and toys. It was a great Christmas.

Unfortunately covid case counts here in Hawaii are blowing up quick – it sucks. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Friday night is New Year’s Eve and Hawaii gets CRAZY…the whole island is lit up with illegal fireworks. There are some fireworks that are legal as long as you get a permit to light them…but for years since I’ve been a child growing up here, illegal fireworks always make their way into the island and at midnight it’s like a warzone…a very colorful one. They have been lighting fireworks here since Thanksgiving…which is annoying when it’s happening at night, or sometimes even in the early mornings. What are you doing for NYE? Any big plans?

Anyway that was my week – how was yours?

Blog Posts This Week:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I’ve Watched:

Grease – only the ending because that’s what was on but the songs are classic.
Emily in Paris: S2 – because I live vicariously through Emily, drama and all and it’s so bingeable. I love her best friend in Paris, Mindy. I need season 3 asap.
NFL (football, the American kind lol) – nothing like Sunday Football even if I don’t watch the whole thing and have it on as background noise. I was cleaning on Sunday and needed background noise.

Games I’ve Played:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – barely had time to play but I did collect more gyroids.
Roblox: Pet Sim X – because a new update came out on Saturday so I’m grinding for coins to get my daughter new pets.

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? Did you get what you wanted for Christmas?…Leave me a comment below!

💖 ~ Yolanda

Favourite Books of 2021 | #SixforSunday | 12/26/21

There were so many good books in 2021 but here are my top 6!

#SixforSunday is… it’s really just that. You choose 6 books (normally) that you’d choose to fit whatever the prompt is that week. This meme is hosted by A Little but a Lot and you can follow the link to find the prompts for October to December.

This week’s topic:

Favourite Books of 2021

It’s so hard to choose six but I went with the ones that by the end of 2021 I can still remember how the book made me feel. Or if I can visually the story without a second re-read and these are the books that stand out in my head!

What are your favorites of 2021? See you in 2022!!🎊🍾

Here is the schedule for December and go to A Little but a lot for more info!

December – Christmas wishes

5 – Red/Green books
12 – Dream collaborations
19 – Books you wish for under your Christmas tree
26 – Favourite books of 2021

Merry Christmas! 2021

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers and followers! I hope you have a nice day/night whether you celebrate the holiday or not. ❤️💚 ~ Yolanda

The Naughty, the Nice, and the Nanny by. Willa Nash | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Naughty, the Nice and the Nanny (Holiday Brothers, #1)

Author: Willa Nash

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 165

Publication Date: 11/4/21

Categories: Contemporary, Holiday Romance, Single Dad

One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.

Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.

Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.

I forgot how perfect novella length holiday romances are when it comes to getting straight to the point. This is a cute holiday romance about a nanny, Natalie, who takes a week long job to help take care of the child. The father of the child is a guy she went to school with and had a crush on (like every other girl in school).

The story takes place in Montana which gives it that cozy, small town (but a growing small town) feel. Maddox Holiday, the single dad comes from a tight-knit family and has two other brothers. They are wealthy and successful but still down to earth. Violet, Maddox’s daughter is a terror, but Natalie knows how to charm and connect with her which makes the story heart-warming. Natalie is also down-to-earth and doesn’t let a child terror scare her off, she is determined.

The chemistry between Maddox and Natalie is quick but they have a slight history so they aren’t completely strangers. And when they get to the sexy parts, well…they have so much heat between them they could melt snow.

Content Warnings: divorce

Violet has to deal with an absent and neglectful mother which sucks. But that was another area Natalie could relate with her.

I know it’s a novella so things get crammed in so it’s insta-love because come on, things have to happen in a week since it’s a short story! But at the epilogue a year later, they are married with a baby coming along?! Talk about rushing things lol…I’m just being nit-picky though.

Why you should read it:

a super quick holiday romance
story of Violet and Natalie bonding is heart-warming

Why you might not want to read it:

insta-love but it’s a novella length so it’s expected
too short

My thoughts:

This short holiday romance was actually pretty balanced and I enjoyed seeing Natalie and Violet’s relationship grow. Maddox and Natalie was just bonus haha…but it’s a quick read, and gives you all the holiday romance feels. Not sure if I will read the whole series but I’m interested in reading a full length novel from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

WWW Wednesday | 12/22/21

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I really need to finish a bunch of books and now that I’m pretty much done with Christmas shopping, I think I can concentrate on them haha.

What’s on your WWW Wednesday? Or what are you reading this week? ~ Yolanda

Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes | Top Ten Tuesday | 12/21/21

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes

I have the some topic for my SixforSunday post but at least here I can add more than just 6! There are the books I want:

I tried not to overlap with the choices I picked for my SixforSunday post but yes…so many books I want. So little money and time lol…what do you want under the tree?

~ Yolanda

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 12/21/21

Happy book birthday to this week’s new releases!

A hardened cynic and a hopeless romantic teach each other about love in this swoony and heartfelt contemporary romance that’s perfect for fans of Tweet Cute and The Upside of Falling.

Harper works in her mom’s wedding shop, altering dresses for petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he’s already dreaming of happily ever afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously.

When Theo’s shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She’s also checking out her window to see if Theo’s home from his latest date yet. She’s even watching rom-coms. If she confesses her feelings, she’ll undermine everything she’s taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?

What are you looking forward to getting this week? ~ Yolanda

The Nature of Witches by. Rachel Griffin | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Nature of Witches

Author: Rachel Griffin

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Categories: Contemporary , Fantasy, Young adult, Romance, Nature, Environmental, Coming of Age

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

I love witch stories and this one sounded very different. The witches in this story are helping with weather disasters and trying to combat climate change – present issues we are dealing with! I thought it was a very unique take on what witches powers could be useful for in our present day.

Clara is an Everwitch – her seasonal powers don’t wane, she is powerful in all seasons as oppose to other witches who are powerful only in their season. But she doesn’t want this gift. People she love have died around her, because she can’t control her gift so she is at a school for witches to learn to control her powers. But what’s holding Clara back is herself. She meets a boy who finally teaches her to calm her insecurities and fears and to control her magic. Her journey comes full circle and we do get to see Clara embrace herself.

Sang is amazing and I loved his Spring affinity and talent with plants. He was the balance Clara needed and I loved watching their relationship go from friendship to more. The romance is so sweet. Clara is bisexual and we also get to meet her ex, another witch, Paige. There is some hard feelings between them but there is closure at the end also.

Content Warnings: death, grief

Clara is deep into her self-loathing and it takes up much of the story and it got repetitive – this whole story is about her journey to break through her fears and insecurities…I just wanted something more to happen. It would have been cool to see more severe weather events that affect shaders (non-witches) and the witches helping out. But this story is about Clara’s journey and it just takes too much of the first part of the story. The second half is much better because we see Clara grow and learn to control her power finally.

With Clara’s doubts and insecurities she lashes out a lot at her instructions and superiors. Everyone was an enemy to her and it got a little tiresome.

Even though the beginning lagged for me, there were some really good moments in the books. One of my favorites were how she and Sang communicated after they were in the middle of a break from one another. I thought in the essence of the romance story, Sang and Clara’s relationship was beautiful.

Why you should read it:

unique contemporary fantasy witch story – the witches are helping to combat climate change and maintain the environment – they tackle natural disasters
sweet, emotional romance story
Clara’s journey ends on a happy note

Why you might not want to read it:

Clara’s attitude – she’s going through a lot of emotional turmoil but she comes off selfish and stubborn
some parts are repetitive, especially when it comes to training Clara

My thoughts:

I keep going back and forth on my rating of this one. I loved the ending and the romance Clara has with Sang. I totally love how this is a unique witch story because they help with climate change which is a very important issue right now. I understand Clara’s grief and reluctance to use her power because it’s killed people she loves but I also wanted to shake her to see that a gift like hers cannot be wasted. She is the chosen one who doesn’t want to be chosen but it got tiresome. Despite my issues with it, I look forward to reading the next book from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/19/21

Aloha friends!

This week I had to finish up my son’s classmates candy bags and his teacher’s gift. I think I have just a few gift cards to get and I’ll be done for gift shopping! 😅 I’m cleaned out! Broke broke lol…and my daughter’s birthday is on Jan. 3rd so….I’ve been trying to plan out her birthday. It will still be small this year and since my nephew’s birthday is on New Year’s Day, we are just going to combine it and have a birthday lunch on Jan. 2nd. So I’m planning that.

Anyway that was my week – how was yours?

Blog Posts This Week:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I’ve Watched:

Ever After – only the ending because that’s what was on while I was cooking. But I love this movie.
Wedding Singer – once again, only the ending lol…I have bad timing, but the ending is cute and funny.
Abominable – saw this with my son in the theater few years ago and we loved it so much. Then we saw it was playing on tv and my daughter could watch it with us this time. She’s so cute…my son always would hide when an emotional scene was on the screen. My daughter starts crying when something sad happens and needs me to hold her!
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – our favorite version, because it isn’t scary looking lol.
The Witcher (Season 2) – my man, Geralt is back! 😍😆 And my girl, Yennefer!🥰

Games I’ve Played:

Minecraft: Builders & Biomes Strategy Board Game – I bought this for my kids at Hanukkah and we really have fun playing it. Their older cousin wanted to play it this past weekend and they had such a good time. Lots of laughing involved. 🥰
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – my daughter and I had a coffee date at Brewster’s cafe, The Roost. It made her giggle a lot. We finally got crops to plant and I’m excited to cook more things other than fish! Both my kids are obsessed with collecting as many gyroids as they can find! I love that update to the game.
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp – because my daughter and I love all the holiday events.
My Singing Monsters – just to collect my coins and diamonds.
Roblox: Pet Sim X – because a new update came out on Saturday so I’m grinding for coins to get my daughter new pets.