Friday Five: Best of 2017

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2017 has come to a close, and lately I have found myself reflecting! Looking back throughout the year, 2017 was a whirlwind. From adventures to new recipes to a big move! So for this week’s Friday Five, I thought I would share the highlights again!!

Adventures! 

• In January we took a road trip to Wichita, KS for a Bellator MMA event. We even swung by the Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile in Pawhuska, OK! It was a ton of fun! If you find yourself on a MidWest road trip and you’re looking for some places to stop, you can read about that trip here!
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• In May took our annual “birthaversary” trip, and this adventure took us from Springfield, MO to Oklahoma City, OK. Through Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Galveston, TX. From Lake Charles, LA to Natchez, MS. From Monroe, LA to Hot Springs, AK! What an adventure!!! While we were in Texas, we stopped by Magnolia in Waco! It was my birthday treat and The Hubs was such a trooper! You can read about that adventure here!
  

  

  
• At the end of summer, we took a work related road trip from Springfield to Boston, making many memories along the way. You can read about that trip here and here! We ate so much seafood, we laughed and it was a wonderful time to rekindle our relationship. There’s something about new adventures and hours in a car that seems to be good for our relationship!
  

  

  

Recipes!

2017 was also a time for me to fine tune a few of my favorite recipes! Check them out!

• New York Style Bagels
• Best Pizza Dough
• Best Christmas Cookies

Books!

2017 was a year for reading a few of my favorite books! Here is a list of my top picks!

• “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls was my absolute favorite book of 2017! This book follows along as the Walls kids learn to take of themselves, in a world where the deck seems to be constantly stacked against them. With parents who choose to live like homeless vagabonds, running from the law and bill collectors, it’s truly heartwarming to watch them grow up and prosper. I love this story!! There is a movie based on the novel, however, read the book!

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@#!” by Mark Manson. Mark Manson is a tell it like he sees it, no nonsense kind of writer. You read his blog here.  You might not care for his writing style, and that’s okay, he might not be for everyone.  This book might not be for everyone.  Personally, I enjoyed it.  While most of the points that Mark made in The Subtle Art I already knew, if you’re anything like me, sometimes you need to hear the obvious from someone else in order for it hit home.”

• “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. I read this book nearly every year. You either love this book or you hate it.  It’s on this list, so obviously I LOVE it! I’ve read this book so many times that I actually wore out my first copy and bought a new one! It’s not a gloriously perfect romance. It is truly a book about terrible people doing terrible things to one another. I find myself getting caught up in Cathy and Heathcliff’s strange obsession with one another. To me, it’s real…not over the top….and even a little ugly! So…if you hated this book the first time you were forced to read it in high school…try it again!!

Unfortunately, my reading list for 2017 was a little light, but I’m hoping to make time to read a bit more this year! I don’t see that being a problem since it snows every single day here in Southwest Michigan!

2017 also saw The Hubs and I making another move, this time we relocated to Southwest Michigan. The area here is beautiful, even if the snow seems endless!

I’m excited to seeing what adventures are in store for 2018, and look forward to sharing them with you along the way!

Until Next Time: Peace, Love & Adventures!

Jess xoxo