Mother’s Day is coming up in just a few weeks. If you have not started shopping for the moms in your life, you should start now. If you are anything like me, I tend to get my mom and mother-in-law the same thing every year. You just can’t go wrong with a bouquet of flowers, but sometimes it’s nice to switch it up. Below are some gift ideas for the moms in your life. These all range in price so there is something for any budget.

Home Edit Book Salt Water Taffy Tory Burch Bracelet Leather Tote Planter Set Cabins Coffee Table Book Bubble Bath

I’ve been sharing outfits under $100 for years now. Inflation has recently made this more challenging, but I think that’s all the more reason to share an outfit under $100. While I’m a believer in investing in good quality clothes, I know that is not always possible. Even now that my budget allows for the occasional luxury item, I actually still wear budget finds. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to invest in pieces you can’t see yourself wearing in a couple of years. I always joke that sometimes I wear Chanel handbags and sometimes I wear $30 handbags from Amazon. I don’t discriminate, I love them all. I am a walking example of someone that truly believes you can have great style on any budget.

Dress Earrings Sandals

Spring is finally here and it’s one of my favorite seasons in Colorado. I love seeing the landscape come back to life, seemingly more vibrant each year. When I think of my favorite Spring time rituals there are two that immediately come to mind that I think are must-do things this time of year in Denver.

Denver Botanic Gardens

I’m one of those people that desperately wants to be a plant person, but the sad reality is I’m really not good with plants. That’s definitely a contributing factor in my love for the Denver Botanic Gardens, but I also think most people would enjoy it. It’s such a stunning and relaxing place to walk around. In my opinion the most beautiful time to visit the gardens is in the month of May. Tickets are $15 per adult. I suggest planning on spending a half day there.

Picnic Season

One of my favorite dates that I look forward to every year, is a picnic date. It’s become a tradition with my husband. As soon as the weather is regularly pleasant, we celebrate by going on a picnic date. I don’t live in Denver proper, so we go on our picnics in Boulder. My favorite spots in Boulder for a picnic are Chautauqua Park, and just up Flagstaff Road from Chautauqua Park is Panorama Point which is also a great picnic spot. Both of these picnic spots do have tables but it could be hard to snag one, so make sure to pack a picnic blanket. If you want a great picnic spot in Denver then I suggest Sloan Lake or Washington Park.

I love perfumes that fall into the clean/fresh scent category so I tend to love perfumes best suited for Spring and Summer. Below are my current favorite Spring and Summer Perfumes.

Light Blue Italian Love from Dolce and Gabbana To me this smells like a warm day at the Boboli Gardens. It smells like lemons, cypress trees, and fresh air.

Aqua Neroli by Clean Reserve I know some people hate the smell of sunscreen, but I personally love it. This is like a sophisticated sunscreen scent. It has depth to it and a little sweetness to really distinguish it from smelling like actual sunscreen.

Orange Blossom by Jo Malone I grew up in a place that had a lot of orange trees so this is a very nostalgic scent to me. It truly smells like orange blossoms. There’s not a whole lot of depth to it so you might want to layer it. I read somewhere that claimed Princess Kate wears this perfume. If it’s good enough for Kate, it’s good enough for me.

Rain by Clean Reserve This is the ultimate fresh scent to me. It smells like you’re at a luxurious resort, you just got out of the most relaxing shower, and you’re sipping on spa water. I get compliment on this almost every time I wear it.

Ballet Flats Espadrilles Clog Sandals White Sneakers Loafers Slingbacks

Each season I pick a handful of books I’ve been wanting to read and set a goal to read them before the end of the season. Below is everything on my Spring to-be-read list. I’ve had some extra time on my hands recently, so I’m tracking ahead which means I’ve already finished a few of these. For the ones I have finished, I’ll give a review.

Me: Elton John by Elton John

Photo and Synopsis from Amazon.com

Although I wouldn’t say I dislike Elton John’s music, I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a fan. Outside of “Tiny Dancer” (which TBH I only know because Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies) I couldn’t name any of his songs. That being said, you don’t have to love his music to enjoy his book. I found it really raw and I love his sense of humor. The book feels a bit like a train of thought sometimes which for me, made it kind of difficult to follow at times and it is a pretty lengthy book. Some trigger warnings for this book include substance abuse, attempted suicide, body image issues (including disordered eating), and abusive relationships.

Come Fly The World by Julia Cooke

Photo and Synopsis from Amazon.com

I just started this book last night so I don’t have a review for it yet.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Synopsis and Photo from Amazon.com

This book definitely had me hooked but I personally feel it is a bit overhyped. I’ve heard a lot of people on social media claim this to be their favorite book of all time and I don’t understand how, and TBH find that a bit concerning (keep in mind romance is not my favorite although it feels a bit twisted to call this true romance). It felt like this was written by a teenager that often times romanticized abuse. Parts of the book felt like the characters were extremely immature for their age and impulsive. I really hated that the characters virtue signaled at times, it felt really cringey. Trigger warnings for this book include domestic violence, abusive relationships, attempted rape, and death (adult and child).

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Tsujimura Mizuki

Photo and Synopsis from goodreads.com

This is one of the books I have not read yet so I don’t have a review.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Photo and Synopsis from Amazon.com

I really loved this book. In fact, it might be my favorite romance. The premise was different from any other romance I have read. I really loved the characters in it. The main characters are the type of characters that are admirable and you would want to be friends with in real life. There were also so many wholesome and heartwarming moments in it. Trigger warnings include abuse (including stalking). The trigger warning is applicable to a character that is working through it in a really healthy manner though and overall a lighthearted book.