Things That Helped Me Beat The Boredom In July 2021

July was a month! I was home for about 10 days in total this month, but it was all for good reasons. It started with going to New York to look for a rental while our apartment is being renovated and to meet with the designer/architect to make selections for the renovation. Next I headed to LA to spend some time with one of my daughters. We had a wonderful time doing yoga, reiki, exploring Malibu, and just spending time together! We then met up with my husband, all four kids, and a couple of significant others! We haven’t all been together since December 25th, 2019 so this was long overdue and very special. I’ll share more about our trip to Malibu, Napa and Tahoe, but the absolute best part was being together!

Aside from all the travel, I have some other interesting things going on. Our plans are to live part time in Manhattan so we’re working on renovating the apartment we bought. The other part of the year we are thinking will be spent on the west coast of Florida. We liked Sarasota, but decided that we’d rent for a year to find out exactly where we want to live and also in the hopes that Florida home prices will come down! That being said, we sold our house in Cleveland! I have mixed feeling about this as I love the house. We started building it in 2009 and moved in in 2012. I’d never built a home before and it was a lot of work, but we had a great team and it’s really an incredible house. Right now I’m enjoying my last summer by the pool and trying not to panic as I decide what to move to New York, to Florida,  and what to get rid of. It’s a process! I know once we’re settled it will be great but in the meantime, I have my CBD!

Equilibria CBD: I’ve shared other Equilibria products in the past. I love them and this is why when I was looking for CBD I decided to try theirs. It is life changing! I’m often in my head overthinking and worrying about everything. Taking Equilibria CBD twice a day really helps me to relax and honestly, put everything in perspective. Once you receive your order someone will contact you to see if you need assistance with dosing or have any questions. Their concierge service is always available, which is reassuring. My husband can’t believe the difference in me-I think he likes me again! ?

Use the code REFDIARYOFABOREDHOUSEWIFE for $20 off your first order!

With all the travel I did this month I had a good amount of reading time-driving to NY and flying to California. I read a lot of good books, but these two stood out to me. 

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose: Would you defend your husband if he was accused of murdering his mistress? Sarah is an accomplished criminal defense attorney. Her husband Adam is a struggling writer. In their second home, bought with Sarah’s money so Adam can have a quiet place to write, Adam instead has an affair. One morning Adam is arrested for the murder of his mistress and so this psychological thriller begins. I really enjoyed this book and thought I had it all figured out, but the ending blew me away! 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid: This story of four famous siblings takes you to their end of summer party, but it’s no ordinary party.During this party you will laugh, cry, and realize that all families have their own level of dysfunction. And at the end of the night these four siblings will be changed forever.

Rao’s Sauce: I’ll be honest, I’m not a big cook, but I do like to try and eat healthy. Rao’s Sauce is so clean with Italian whole peeled tomatoes (peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, basil leaf), olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, basil, black pepper, and oregano as the ingredients. It’s so refreshing to know all what the ingredients are and to be able to pronounce them! Plus it’s really delicious. I’ve used it in soups, on quinoa, and obviously on pasta (brown rice, sweet potato, or chickpea pastas). There are always jars of Rao’s marinara in my pantry.

Remnants: Loving to share female owned, small businesses with you all, this is one business that is really special. Not only are the bags, created from remnants beautiful in design and construction, the studio/shop filled with gorgeous bags and other goodies from local designers, but the owner/designer, Virginia, is absolutely incredible. She made me feel so welcome on my visit to her studio. I love the bag we designed together and can’t wait to go back and visit her and her shop. If you’re in the Chagrin Falls, Ohio area stop in and see Virginia. Otherwise, check out her goodies online!

Yellowstone: My daughter’s been after us to watch Yellowstone for a while now. I binged all three seasons on Peacock (it’s also available on Hulu and other streaming services) and absolutely loved it! Set in the beautiful state of Montana, this drama touches on everything: political corruption, murder, the tough life of running a ranch, racism, love, you name it and it’s happening on Yellowstone. I can’t wait for season four!

I think August will be a busy month as well, but I’m looking forward to some time at home. Hope you’re having a wonderful summer, whether it’s busy or quiet, I hope you’re not bored!